MSI introduces Smart Ideas funding
New way of funding designed to cultivate entrepreneurial culture
Thursday, December 15 2011 || Investment || BY Unlimited
It includes Smart Ideas, a two stage process where researchers investigate a new idea using science, then work with commercialisation specialists or users of research.
MSI is looking for applications for the first stage of this process in its 2012 investment round.
The ministry says Smart Ideas is aimed at turning research into application and linking researchers and commercialisation experts.
The round's second funding method is Enabling Technologies, designed to accelerate research into technologies that could be used across a range of industries.
The third is Targeted Research - aimed at supporting research programmes that meet objectives aligned with national research priorities in six sectors MSI is investing in.
These are biological industries, energy and minerals, environmental research, hazards and infrastructure, health and society and high value manufacturing and services.
The MSI website has the sector investment plan and requests for proposals for each sector. The MSI portal will open in early February next year for researchers to submit research proposals.
The ministry has also called for applications for $7 million of funding for the natural hazards research platform, a government collaboration of many organisations set up in 2009. It funds research that helps make New Zealand more resilient to hazards like earthquakes and floods.
There are two types of contestable funding with $4 million available over two and three quarter years for "New Zealand natural hazards" and $3 million over three and a quarter years for "lessons learned from Christchurch".
Applications close 31 January next year.
MSI is also preparing to open the 2012 Partnership investment round, formerly known as Research Consortia funding, next January.
