The Government is looking at merging Crown Research Institutes in a attempt to cut costs and increase efficiency.

Writing for the Press, Vernon Small covered the response from scientists.

An excerpt (read in full here):

Scientists have attacked suggestions the eight Crown research institutes could be merged into as few as three super-CRIs as “a rush of blood to the head” that will add to uncertainty and drive scientists overseas.

Science and Innovation Minister Wayne Mapp confirmed this week that he was considering calls from some CRI chiefs to restructure the sector.

Association of Scientists president James Renwick said changes to core funding would not be announced until the May Budget and would not be rolled out until July, but now the sector faced a complete shake-up.

“This smacks of a rush of blood to the head after a decade and more of inaction.”

Renwick said at the next election Mapp was due to retire and seemed to be driving thinking “rather than any strategic view of what the sector needs”.

Neal Wallace writes in the Otago Daily Times about comments by a former science leader that the current science funding system is preventing science research being passed on to farmers.

He also criticised the propensity for CRIs to enter into commercial alliances, saying it, too, harmed technology transfer.

An excerpt: (read in full here)

“Jock Allison, the former director of the Invermay Research Centre, told the Clutha Agricultural Development Board annual meeting last week that scientists no longer talked to farmers and the competitive funding model for science did not allow for research results to be passed to farmers.

“”Often, useful technologies are not promoted to industry as there is no financial allocation to ensure that happens,” he said.”

An editorial in The Press discusses the recently-released report from the CRI taskforce, which has said that major reforms to the CRIS are necessary if they are to live up to their potential.

It also makes clear, however, that the final decision will be the government’s, and calls on government to accept the taskforce’s recommendations.

An excerpt: (read in full here)

“The report says that the CRIs should be working for the nation’s benefit, not their own. This might sound like a statement of the obvious but it is not always occurring now, as there is too much emphasis on research which produces results that CRIs can capture in their balance sheets.

…

“Implementing the report would restore confidence that the Government is committed to research and development, given that it abolished the research tax credit. There has been no formal response to the report but the early comments of the Research, Science and Technology Minister, Wayne Mapp, are encouraging. Although he noted that the taskforce had not called for a funding boost for the CRIs, he intriguingly said, “That’s not to say there isn’t more money”.”

The CRI Taskforce released its report to Government today, finding that CRIs were overly burdened by bureaucracy, a short-term focus and funding problems.

The report said that no changes needed to be made to the number of CRIs, but instead to their service delivery.

An excerpt: (read in full here)

“Research, Science and Techonology Minister Wayne Mapp released the report today and said it would be a “vital tool” and recommendations, such as providing long-term funding, would be considered carefully.

“The report said there was no problem with the number of CRIs, but with delivery of services.

“”It is our opinion that the main factors impeding CRI performance relate to their funding, ownership and government arrangements,” the report said.”

Leading scientists examine GM issue

As part of a Science Media Centre briefing for journalists to be held on Tuesday, Agresearch chief scientist Steven Goldson will lead a panel of experts looking at the potential benefits and risks of introducing genetically modified pasture crops in New Zealand.

The Royal Society has prepared a paper on the subject as part of its Emerging Issues series which last year also covered ocean acidification and the consumption of water in the production of goods and services.

Genetically modified crops have been grown in contained environments in New Zealand for research purposes but have yet to be released for commercial use outside of labs.

Journalists interested in taking part in the online briefing should contact the SMC.

GM applications get public hearing

Meanwhile, a public hearing will be held next Monday and Tuesday in Hamilton as the Environmental Risk Management Authority takes submissions on a research application from Agresearch to develop genetically modified goats sheep and cattle.

One of the justifications for pursuing genetic modification in both forage crops and cows is that genetic traits could be introduced that help reduce greenhouse gas emissions from the cows.

Efforts to reduce pastoral greenhouse gas emissions will also be in the spotlight next Wednesday with the launch in Palmerston North of the Agricultural Greenhouse Gas Research Centre, which will coordinate research efforts in this area across the science sector.

CRI Taskforce report due next week

The Government is expected to release the report of the CRI Taskforce next week, a much-anticipated document that will outline a plan to get more value out of the country’s Crown Research Institutes.

The taskforce has been led by entrepreneur and former president of the Royal Society of New Zealand, Neville Jordan.

The report is expected to recommend changes to the purpose, governance, funding, ownership, accountability and collaboration mechanisms for CRIs but no change to the current number of CRIs.

Qantas Awards – last chance to enter

A reminder that the deadline for applications for the print version of the Qantas Media Awards is 5pm, Monday, March 1st.

The awards have had a bit of a revamp this year with the number of categories pared back. This appears to be a good move as the awards had become unwieldy with numerous categories many of which received little attention anyway.

There are no electronic submissions for Qantas entries this year, so to meet the deadline, you’ll need to get your entries onto a CD, DVD or USB and couriered or mailed to the organisers by Monday. Entry details on the Qantas Media Awards website. Good luck to all entrants.

Sciblogs in Research Blogging awards finals

Sciblogs contributors David Winter (The Avatism) and Aimee Whitcroft (misc.ience and SMC media advisor) are finalists in separate categories of the Research Blogging international science blog awards.

Research Blogging is a well respected website that “allows readers to easily find blog posts about serious peer-reviewed research, instead of just news reports and press releases”. It was set up by US-based publisher Seed Media, which is also behind the popular science blog network Scienceblogs.com

David and Aimee were selected as finalists from 400 nominees – congratulations to both of them. The awards will be announced on March 23.

An editorial in the Nelson Mail talks about the importance of science to New Zealand, the challenges being faced by scientists working in the system, and the imminent results of the CRI taskforce review.

An excerpt: (read in full here)

“Yet the scientific community is frustrated and demoralised by the existing framework, set up in 1992 to replace the previous state research institutions and put science on to a more businesslike footing.

“The result has been a level of contestability that promotes fierce competition for funding, discourages collaboration and disappoints scientists who spend much of their time writing proposals that won’t be approved.

…

“There must be a sufficient level of accountability to ensure that taxpayers’ money is not squandered on fanciful projects and journeys up blind alleys – even if they sometimes produce startling outcomes.

“But our scientists are good at what they do and if they are to deliver the results required by industry and business, they need encouragement and support, not road blocks and diversions.”

Research, Science and Technology Minister Wayne Mapp has announced that the country’s Crown Research Institutes are going to be intensively reviewed.

A “high-powered taskforce” will be employed to find out whether the CRIs are their purpose.

An excerpt: (read in full here)

“Dr Mapp said they were a crucial part of New Zealand’s research sector.

“”They must be delivering on national priorities and responding to the needs of research users, particularly industry and businesses.” he said.

“The chief executives of the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet, the Treasury, the Ministry of Research, Science and Technology and the Foundation for Research, Science and Technology will be on the taskforce.

“Others members are Neville Jordan, Dr Ron Sandland, Dr Rod Carr and John McKenzie.”

Dominion Post writer Jon Morgan on the financial returns required of publicly-funded scientific institutions. Read in full here.

An excerpt:

“…how can you calculate a payback on animal welfare research? In a strictly financial sense, the research is valueless until an export market says, ‘We don’t like your animal welfare standards’, and then the economic issue becomes very pronounced.”

“I raised these concerns with Research, Science and Technology Minister Wayne Mapp. He responded with a brief statement, saying the reason for the 9 per cent return is to “ensure that CRIs concentrate on research of value to the New Zealand economy. It requires the CRIs to look carefully at the work they do and to look at effective partnerships with industry.”

“He holds up the National Institute of Water & Atmospheric Research and the Institute of Environmental Science & Research as exemplars. Their returns for the 2007-08 year were: Niwa 12.8 per cent, ESR 10.1 per cent.

“But as Dr Hickford points out, not all CRIs are alike. Niwa makes its money from a service such as providing weather information and forecasts to the media.

“Agricultural and horticultural CRIs AgResearch or Plant & Food do not have the ability to do that. “Their type of research is much more deep-reach,” he says. “It’s not about what the weather’s going to do in three days’ time, it’s about developing systems that are going to see us through the next 20 to 30 years.”

“AgResearch, which saved itself from a bad year in 2007-08 by selling its stake in an animal genetics company, had a return of 1.6 per cent. Plant & Food is a recent amalgam of Crop & Food (minus 5.6 per cent return in 2007-08) and HortResearch (3.3 per cent).”

HortResearch and Crop & Food, two of New Zealand’s nine Crown Research Institutes are investigating a possible merger.

Both organisations work closely with a range of sectors including the horticulture, food and seafood industries, and have complementary areas of expertise.

A final decision will be made by the shareholding Ministers in late September.

View press release

About HortResearch and Crop & Food Research

HortResearch
Revenue (2007): $65 million
Staff numbers: 490
Key research focus: HortResearch is an NZ based science company, acknowledged as a world leader in integrated fruit research using unique resources and fruit, plants and sustainable production systems to provide novel technologies, innovative fruit and food products with high consumer appeal. Home to leading edge scientific capability in plant breeding, tree, vine and fruit physiology. HortResearch has earned considerable acclaim as the name behind developments of ZESPRI™ GOLD Kiwifruit, ENZA JAZZ™ brand apples and a range of other successful cultivars including blueberries, peaches and pears.

Crop & Food Research
Revenue: $56 million
Staff numbers: 380
Key research focus:Crop & Food Research works with industry to create the foods and beverages of the future. It is a biological science company playing a major role in the government’s goal of realising economic transformation. It works with companies, as well as entire industries, that are engaged in producing and transforming high quality raw materials into high value foods, ingredients and other products. The company has expertise in sustainable crop production to ensure resulting food products have been optimised in a sustainable manner. Its clients are mainly in the horticulture, arable, seafood, dairy and ornamental industries, food manufacturing and exporting, and central and regional government.