Marsden:

Marsden Fund Overview

The Marsden Fund was established by the government in 1994 to fund excellent fundamental research. The Marsden Fund is a contestable fund administered by the Royal Society of New Zealand on behalf of the Marsden Fund Council. It operates under the Terms of Reference issued by the Minister of Research, Science and Technology.

Marsden Fund research benefits society as a whole by contributing to the development of researchers with knowledge, skills and ideas. The research is not subject to government’s socio-economic priorities, but is investigator initiated. The Fund supports research excellence in science, technology, engineering and maths, social sciences and the humanities. Competition for grants is intense. Marsden is regarded as the hallmark of excellence for research in New Zealand.

In 2008/09, the Marsden Fund Council has invested $54.0 million (including GST) on research projects, a substantial increase from last year. This represents 7.4% of the Vote: RS&T. This includes a $2.25 million budget increase from the Government, announced in the 2008 Budget and a one-year spending of accumulated funds.

A Marsden Fund Council of ten eminent researchers, chaired by Dr Garth Carnaby, is appointed by the Minister of Research, Science and Technology to make recommendations for funding. Selection criteria focus on the research merit of the proposal, the potential of the researchers to contribute to the advancement of knowledge, and the enhancement of research skills in New Zealand, especially those of emerging researchers. Nine panels have been established to help the Marsden Fund Council assess proposals. These are: Biomedical Sciences Cellular, Molecular and Physiological Biology Earth Sciences and Astronomy Ecology, Evolution and Behaviour Economics and Human & Behavioural Sciences Humanities Mathematical and Information Sciences Physical Sciences and Engineering Social Sciences

Each year, the call for proposals is made in November. The deadline for project proposals follows in February. Initially, applicants submit a short preliminary proposal. These are assessed by the appropriate panel, and the highest ranked are invited to submit full proposals. Each full proposal is scored by 3 international referees – 2008 approximately 700 referees were used to assess potential Marsden projects. In August of each year, the panels meet to decide their preferred projects. Referee reports, as well as feedback from the applicants about their referee reports, are used in the final panel discussions. The recommendations of each panel are confirmed by the Marsden Fund Council, and ratified by the Royal Society of New Zealand Council. The results of the funding are announced in September.