New Zealand’s science fund invests in ambitious ideas, research

WELLINGTON, Sept. 13 (Xinhua) — The New Zealand government announced on Friday 72 new projects to be funded by the country’s largest contestable science fund.
These new projects under the Endeavour Fund aim to address challenges, develop new technology, and support communities, focusing on both economic growth and commercial outputs, said Science, Innovation and Technology Minister Judith Collins.
The funding of more than 236 million NZ dollars (146 million U.S. dollars) covers a range of ambitious ideas and research programs during the next five years, Collins said.
Scientists are “coming up with new ways of approaching and combatting problems in areas of critical need for New Zealand such as making technology more efficient, improving resilience, and responding to global weather changes,” she said.
Projects funded include a team led by Victoria University of Wellington working on making supercomputers and quantum computers more energy efficient.
Other projects include combatting the invasion of the gold clam, a small, rapidly reproducing pest which can clog water-based infrastructure and compete with New Zealand’s native species for food and space. ■