The reform is failing... (1/5) NZAS: "We have 500% overheads in some cases." Kathryn Ryan: "What??? Where is that happening?" NZAS: "In some of our PROs." NB: Overheads are a necessary part of institutions, but it means something needs fixing when they approach 10 times international norms.

Co-President Dr Lucy Stewart spoke to Kathryn Ryan on Nine to Noon this morning about the continued failure of the government's science sector reforms to make necessary change (or provide desperately needed funding increases)

The current reforms of the research system are now on track for another failure. They double down on mistakes that undermine long-term growth, well being & safety. We must ask for accountability and transparency about three key issues as we go into the election year. scientists.org.nz/news/13593197

🔥 Our Affiliate Troy Baisden was on RNZ's Mediawatch recently, discussing misinformation about EV's malfunctioning and causing fires. The story was in the context of the Goverment slashing by 80% the clean car standard - which incentivised sales of low- or zero-emission vehicles. 🚗

We hope to see you tomorrow at our conference and awards, in person in Wellington. If you can't make it, we'll have some limited streaming including the opening session and awards. Check the webpage for details. scientists.org.nz/nzas-confere...

A cocktail of stories in recent weeks has made me deeply concerned our information ecosystem around electric vehicles (EVs) as a pathway to emissions reduction has been undergoing "rapid disassembly." This RNZ Mediawatch piece is a great compendium. (14 min) (1/3) www.rnz.co.nz/news/nationa...

Nice to see Research, Science, Innovation and Technology getting a little airtime with two oral questions, and subsequent supplementary exchanges, in Parliament today. There are some extreme snippets on socials but here is full session (7 min). youtu.be/s2rz84uo2JQ

Now also on RNZ! A personal perspect on how the #BatshitBudget for science undermines and drives away the top science talent that helps us build a great nation. www.rnz.co.nz/national/pro...

Quick reminder - the NZAS 2025 conference is happening on 26 November in Pōneke, more information at this link. We will be talking about our 2025 survey of NZ scientists, the Save Science Coalition, priorities for public good science, and more!

Um. I mean. Um. In this moment, it is really really bad. But bugger all jobs in New Zealand after busting one's behind to get advanced science degrees is 40+ years lived reality. #NZPOL @nzscientists.bsky.social

14 years ago Paul Callaghan gave this talk. It leaned in to the idea of making Aotearoa New Zealand a place where talented people wanted to live. Our government is hell bent on doing the opposite. @nzscientists.bsky.social #NZPOL

You know about NZ's cuts to research funding? How bleak is it for climate change research? Bleak. Explainer and perspectives now outside Carbon News NZ's paywall. www.carbonnews.co.nz/news/35492/s...

Did you catch news that the Universities Advisory Group (UAG) reports were released, but the government binned or balked on many of the key recommendations? The whole process went from shelved to buried yesterday morning. www.sciencemediacentre.co.nz/2025/09/03/u...

UAG report and cabinet paper are out. Gluckman: Read the Interim Report’s strategic approach first (before getting lost in the operational details.) Alas, if only more of the strategic recommendations had a clear path to implementation… www.education.govt.nz/our-work/inf...

Our parliament might give us confidence in the government's approach to the science if answers were delivered with care and clarity. youtu.be/2Glk1fHNMaU?...

Robust debate in Parliament yesterday, with questions from Scott Willis to Shane Reti MP about cuts, job losses and whether reprioritisation will yield clarity or any benefits. The answers aren't reassuring but it is good to see this getting attention. youtu.be/Vam6UmnvtyY

Unsurprisingly shocking news: the Advanced Technology Institute is being funded by mortgaging the future of other science funding. Had you wondered whether we're rearranging the deckchairs on the Titanic, or playing musical chairs? It's both. www.sciencemediacentre.co.nz/2025/08/06/f...

If you're a researcher in NZ please do our very short survey on the Vision Mātauranga policy! We are keen to hear your opinions. DM for the survey link

Reminder - applications close 1 August. Note the new medal debut this year...

MethaneSat appears lost. www.rnz.co.nz/news/busines... We'll be pondering NZ's $29m for some time. Good tracking by @eloisegibson.bsky.social. My big question: did the same MBIE people who botched the science system we're still trying to fix move across and mess this up too? #commercialisation

A more balanced story over in Newsroom (out of paywall tomorrow) with me providing Newsroom Pro's chart of the day newsroom.co.nz/2025/07/01/s...

Not mentioned are that some of the key issues - erosion, wetlands, and what climate information means for farmer all cross between the two institutes, despite the merger.

Articles out today on directions of the mergers in the research system open up some of the concerns, and also suggest benefits may not come quickly. Farmers weekly perspective suggests my worst case scenario could apply. www.farmersweekly.co.nz/technology/s...

Still trying to make sense of Day One for the "PROs" which are still CRIs. How 'public' will these Public Research Organisations be? We have a news page and much wider resources up at NZAS. scientists.org.nz/news/13515621

Science matters and the quality rapid and expert information we get from GeoNet seems to be at risk. Worse, how can we know as science disappears under layers of management and messaging?

“I have no doubt that if we were unlucky to experience a tsunami in our lifetime, a future Royal Commission of Inquiry will definitely find whoever defunded this monitoring centre as culpable.” -Ilan Noy newsroom.co.nz/2025/06/12/n...

That accumulated trust could well be lost now. In addition, it may be that the apparent increase in funding in future years for restructured Māori research funds was simply the result of hidden knowledge that this years awards would be cancelled just after Budget 2025 emerged.

Successive governments have made major steps to build up Māori research, and there's a strong argument that's one of the best ways to uplift our overall well being. Jenny Sinclair in the Research Professional (no paywall) www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-new-...

Will the trust and engagement of Māori communities with the research system recover from this last minute cut, after almost two years of development of a few major programme proposals and implementation plans? 1/n Fox Meyer in Newsroom (outside the Paywall tomorrow) newsroom.co.nz/2025/06/13/g...

Have you considered applying or nominating a colleague? Application close 1 August.

Arguably the responsibility to articulate the nation's science policy needs shouldn't fall to emerging researchers. Yet, here we are ... A group of early career Antarctic researchers describe how research in their patch is being systematically undermined. thespinoff.co.nz/science/10-0...

The (very small) case of recently announced targeted Māori research funding has exposed how poorly science policy processes are working. Yet another case where funding levels are mismatched to what we should be sensibly aiming to achieve. www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-new-...

📢 Applications open for the 2025 Science Medals from the New Zealand Association of Scientists. scientists.org.nz/how-to-apply Check out this thread for the medals available - including one NEW this year.

📢 Applications open for the 2025 Science Medals from the New Zealand Association of Scientists. scientists.org.nz/how-to-apply Check out this thread for the medals available - including one NEW this year.

My latest for @science.org on NZ's "shuffling of deck chairs" science and innovation budget, with @nzscientists.bsky.social et al and excellent editing by @mattbwarren.bsky.social www.science.org/content/arti...

Here's @troybaisden.bsky.social discussing how the budget is a 'black hole' for science on RNZ morning report. www.rnz.co.nz/national/pro...

Our deeper analysis of Budget 2025's implication for science is out. It's worse than a nothing burger. It's a black hole budget pushing many areas towards the bring where they'll never recover, with funds going to pay for regulation and restructuring. scientists.org.nz/news/13502878

Read the plan here, and to see the danger ⚠️, compare it to previous years. www.tec.govt.nz/assets/Forms...

We’ve also used the analogy of trying to build a better, healthier and more productive NZ on shaky foundations without the knowledge from a strong and stable research and education system.

The SSAG report the government commissioned warns against attempting to extract unrealistic “growth” from our institutions. Instead of building the reservoir of knowledge, we risk running it down, in part with unrealistic expectations for the value of intellectual property.

Sadly TEC’s plan for 2026 doubles down on misunderstanding the role of universities and research institutions in “economic growth”.

These are good, easy-to-answer questions and there's only four of them, so if you're part of the AoNZ science system - get your reckons in. 🧪

Very pleased to hear today there is a pathway forward for the biotechnology group at Callaghan but it must be asked: why are the Applied Technology group only being given enough time to wind up existing contracts?

Today Science Innovation and Technology Minister Dr Shane Reti announced a lifeline for two science groups in Callaghan Innovation. These groups help start ups and firms do the science to create valuable #AdvancedTechnology for the future. Read our release. scientists.org.nz/news/13473675

Tomorrow, our count of ‘days without a PM’s chief science advisor’ reaches 250. Scientists.org.nz

The current state of the science system – ranging from purgatory to vandalism – has made the front page of today Herald with good articles by @jamiemorton.bsky.social. (1/n)

Rapid Unscheduled Dissassembly of Callaghan Innovation underway. Recycling innovation boosters (the people helping startups and firms) will prove difficult with a gap before a replacement Advanced Technology Organisation starts up. www.rnz.co.nz/news/nationa...

This is, btw, the clearest example of direct political interference in the research system I've ever seen in NZ - a Minister ordering that entire areas of research be de-funded because she doesn't think they're worthy.

At this point we have to be asking if a social scientist ever kicked Judith Collins' dog or something similar