New Zealand scraps science reform plan, prompting fears of budget cuts

Scientists in New Zealand are criticizing the new government’s decision to cancel a multiyear reform plan to overhaul research funding and improve career opportunities. Researchers fear the move signals that the center-right coalition that came to power late last year will cut science funding as part of a broader push to reduce taxes and rein in government spending. “We are looking at losing whole tranches of funding due to government austerity,” says physicist Nicola Gaston of the University of Auckland. Those cuts, she adds, would come “on top of an already struggling research system.” New Zealand’s previous government unveiled the Te Ara Paerangi Future Pathways reform program in late 2022. It called for boosting overall science funding to 2% of gross domestic product (GDP) and better aligning research priorities with the country’s needs, such as by assessing how much carbon native forests could absorb to help meet climate change goals. The plan also aimed to improve support for early- and midcareer researchers and ensure “appropriate” representation of Indigenous Māori researchers at all career levels. And it earmarked NZ$450 million ($275 million) to turn the capital Wellington into a “science city” by bringing researchers together in three multi-institution research hubs focused on climate change and disaster resilience, pandemic readiness, and technology and innovation, respectively. The new government, led by Prime Mi...
Source: Science of Aging Knowledge Environment - Category: Geriatrics Source Type: research