National Science Challenges

Final reports for each Challenge covering the term of the contract will be published on these pages by December 2024.

Funding

The Government invested just over $680 million of funding over 10 years in these Challenges.

The 11 Challenges

A Better Start | E Tipu e Rea 

Ageing Well | Kia eke kairangi ki te taikaumātuatanga

Building Better Homes, Towns and Cities | Ko ngā wā kāinga hei whakamāhorahora

Healthier Lives - He Oranga Hauora

High-Value Nutrition | Ko Ngā Kai Whai Painga

New Zealand's Biological Heritage | Ngā Koiora Tuku Iho

Our Land and Water | Toitū te Whenua, Toiora te Wai

Resilience to Nature's Challenges | Kia manawaroa - Ngā Ākina o Te Ao Tūroa

Science for Technological Innovation | Kia kotahi mai - Te Ao Pūtaiao me Te Ao Hangarau

Sustainable Seas | Ko ngā moana whakauka

The Deep South | Te Kōmata o Te Tonga

Challenge principles

The Challenges represented a new way of funding research, with 5 key principles that make them unique:

1. Mission-led
   Each Challenge is mission led and focuses research on achieving the Challenge objective and outcomes. Each research plan provides a credible impact pathway of research and related activities to achieve the outcome of the Challenge.
2. Science Quality
   Each Challenge is dynamic and includes mechanisms to bring in new ideas, researchers, and research providers to refresh the Challenge. Each research plan involves identifying and selecting the best science to address the Challenge. Critical research capabilities including Mātauranga knowledge need to remain dynamic and must continue to be built and evolve to maximise outcomes for New Zealand.
3. Best research team collaboration
   Each Challenge involves purposeful collaboration between researchers, across a number of research providers. Each Challenge is clearly linked with international research activity that supports the achievement of the Challenge.
4. Stakeholder engagement & public participation
   Each Challenge involves public outreach and exhibits strong engagement between researchers and intended end users of the research activity, including, in some cases, obtaining investment from end users in the Challenge’s research.
5. Māori involvement and mātauranga
   All Challenge research gives effect to the Vision Mātauranga policy.