Marsden Fund grants are contestable funding for investigator-led fundamental research in New Zealand. Grants are made in all areas of research in science, engineering, mathematics, the social sciences and the humanities. The grants are made from the Marsden Fund, which was established by the New Zealand Government in 1994. The Marsden Fund is administered by the Royal Society of New Zealand. Most of the grants go to researchers at New Zealand universities, but some go to researchers at Crown Research Institutes and elsewhere.[1][2][3]
The first Marsden Fund grants were awarded in 1995, when NZ$10.2 million (excluding GST) was shared between 51 successful projects. In 2001, the Fast Start category was introduced specifically for Early Career Researchers (within 7 years of completing their PhD). By 2018, the size of the Marsden Fund had grown to NZ$85.6 million and 136 grants were made.[4] These included 53 Fast Start grants and 83 Standard grants.[4] The 2018 round also introduced a new category of grant, the Marsden Fund Council Award.[5] These larger grants are focused on interdisciplinary research; however, there were no successful applications in the initial round.
The Marsden Fund granting process is highly competitive, with over 1,000 applications per year and success rates that often hover around 10%. Proposals are assessed primarily on the potential of the research to contribute to the advancement of knowledge, with long-term benefits to New Zealand.[6] In the 2018 funding round, the success rate was 11.2% for Standard grants and 14.8% for Fast Start grants.[4] Because of this intense competition, winning a Marsden Fund grant is regarded as a hallmark of research excellence in New Zealand.[1]
Successful proposals are selected by the Marsden Fund Council.[7] In 2022 there were 113 research projects funded nationally.[8]
The grants are named after English-New Zealand physicist Ernest Marsden (1889–1970).[1]
- ^ a b c "Royal Society Te Apārangi – Background to the Marsden Fund". royalsociety.org.nz.
- ^ https://royalsociety.org.nz/assets/Uploads/Marsden-Fund-Investment-Plan.pdf [bare URL PDF]
- ^ @Jamienzherald, Jamie Morton Science Reporter, NZ Herald jamie morton@nzherald co nz (1 October 2015). "Marsden Fund comes under the microscope" – via www.nzherald.co.nz.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ a b c "Royal Society Te Apārangi - New Marsden Fund grants support innovative research in Aotearoa from atoms to Antarctica's microbes". royalsociety.org.nz. Retrieved 18 January 2019.
- ^ "Royal Society Te Apārangi - 2019 Marsden Fund Council Award guidelines for applicants". royalsociety.org.nz. Retrieved 18 January 2019.
- ^ "Royal Society Te Apārangi - Terms of Reference for the Marsden Fund". royalsociety.org.nz. Retrieved 18 January 2019.
- ^ "Marsden Fund Council". Royal Society Te Apārangi. Retrieved 5 February 2023.
- ^ Board, Otago Bulletin. "Royal Society of New Zealand Marsden Fund grants recipients for 2022". University of Otago. Retrieved 5 February 2023.