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Our research areas
For research organisations

Around 85 percent of our investment funds go to research organisations, including universities and companies carrying out research for the benefit of New Zealand.

Search for funding

  • by title - all our portfolio or schemes for research organisations are listed alphabetically by title
  • by research area (output expense) - Research for Industry (RFI?); Environmental Research (ENV?); Social Research (SOC?); Māori Knowledge and Development Research (MKDR?); PreSeed Accelerator fund (PSAF?); New Economy Research Fund (NERF?); Sustainable Energy Development (SED)?; and International Investment Opportunities Fund (IIOF?).

What is public good, science and technology research?

Public good, science and technology research:

  • is likely to increase knowledge and understanding of the physical, biological, cultural or social environment
  • maintains or builds research skills and scientific expertise of importance to New Zealand
  • is of benefit to New Zealand, but is unlikely to be funded from non-governmental sources.

Type of public good, science and technology research we invest in

Most of the research we invest in is defined as basic-targeted or applied. This means it is being carried out to deliver a benefit. Research to uncover knowledge which may have no commercial application is called basic-untargeted research. If you want to carry out basic-untargeted research, visit the Marsden Fund’s website for funding opportunities.

Types of research (for further information, see Frascati Definitions)

  • basic-untargeted: experimental or theoretical research to acquire new knowledge with no particular application in mind
  • basic-targeted: experimental or theoretical research to acquire new knowledge focused on a strategic need
  • applied: original investigation to acquire new knowledge, directed towards a specific practical aim and developed into operational form
  • experimental development: research drawing on existing knowledge directed towards producing new materials, products and devices; or installing new or substantially improving existing processes, systems and service (not method development)
  • product development: technical development of products, processes and services (including prototype development) for commercialisation.