National Science Challenges Announcement and Next Steps 1 - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

National Science Challenges

Announcement and Next Steps

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Challenge Criteria

• Each National Science Challenge will target a high-

level goal which, if achieved, would have a major and enduring public benefit for New Zealand.

• There is wide public consensus that the Challenge

will address an issue or opportunity of wide public importance for New Zealand.

• Scientific research is essential to solving the

Challenge.

• New Zealand has the broad scientific capability and

capacity to undertake the challenge successfully.

• There is sufficient external motivation and linkages

for the research results to be successfully implemented to achieve the Challenge goal.

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Challenge Features

• A strong, virtual governance structure (new or existing), with clear

leadership and accountabilities across the researchers and institutions involved in the Challenge.

• A broad portfolio of multi-disciplinary research activity that will

involve collaboration across a number of research providers.

• A number (eg 2 to 6) of inter-related research themes that are

integrated and co-ordinated to provide a plausible pathway to achieving the Challenge.

• The relevant expertise available across the science sector in New

Zealand to achieve the Challenge.

• Clear links with international research activity that support the

achievement of the Challenge.

• Strong collaboration between researchers and intended end-users of

the research activity, including, where appropriate, obtaining investment from end-users in the Challenge’s research.

• Relevant existing research included into the scope of the Challenge. 3

The NSC process to date

• Cabinet approved process
• Submissions sought from public and academic community
• Panel appointed
• Ministerial instructions to panel – criteria and features
• Panel read submissions
• Panel:

– Reviewed criteria – Discussed opportunities and risks for NZ which science could address – Brain stormed ‘”headline” challenge topics – Reviewed these to deal with criteria, overlaps, framing iteratively while referring back to submissions until <15 challenges – Panel then worked iteratively in subgroups and in group as a whole to flesh out themes and examples of components – Developed 12 challenges and one leadership challenge – Panel also considered other aspects, ommissions and other content in the submissions

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Outcomes

Cabinet approved 10 challenges by combining 2 and

• ne (better houses, towns & cities) has been deferred

Budget doubled from $60 million new money to $133.5 million new money over 4 years

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National Science Challenge Report

www.msi.govt.nz www.pmcsa.org.nz

Summary of recommendations

• 1. Background
• 2. Consultation
• 3. Characteristics and features of a challenge
• 4. Panel Process
• 5. Submissions – public and scientific
• 6. Recommended Challenges
• 7. Readiness to proceed
• 8. Other notes on the twelve Challenges
• 9. Common themes underpinning the Challenges
• 10. Māori and Pasifika interests
• 11. A Challenge for New Zealand’s leadership – the “Science and Society”

Challenge.

• 12. Other points the Panel wishes to bring to Government’s attention.
• 13. Communication of outcomes
• 14. Next steps in the development of the challenges

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National Science Challenges 1-5

• Aging well – harnessing science to sustain health and

wellbeing into the later years of life

• A better start – improving the potential of young New

Zealanders to have a healthy and successful life

• Healthier lives – research to reduce the burden of

major New Zealand health problems

• High value nutrition – developing high value foods

with validated health benefits

• New Zealand’s biological heritage – protecting and

managing our biodiversity, improving our biosecurity, and enhancing our resilience to harmful organisms

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National Science Challenges 6-10

• Our land and water – Research to enhance primary sector

production and productivity while maintaining and improving

• ur land and water quality for future generations
• Life in a changing ocean – understanding how we can

exploit our marine resources within environmental and biological constraints

• The Deep South – understanding the role of the Antarctic

and the Southern Ocean in determining our climate and our future environment

• Science for technological innovation – enhancing the

capacity of New Zealand to use physical and engineering sciences for economic growth

• Resilience to nature’s challenges – research into enhancing
• ur resilience to natural disasters

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For each challenge

The panel developed

• A detailed description of the opportunity
• A statement of the science goal for the Challenge
• A statement of the societal goal for the Challenge
• The recommended scientific themes are described

along with examples of the expected research components

• Comments on readiness
• Other relevant comments

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Two examples

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The leadership challenge

It is clear from the submissions that New Zealanders recognise the central part that science and technology can play in advancing the economy, the environment, their health and society. But it was also clear that the context for using science optimally is deficient. There are concerns about having a workforce and population competent to use the opportunities science can provide. Equally there are concerns about the capacity of government to use the knowledge that emerges – this was reflected in many submissions. Science identifies risks and technology can both address and create

• risks. The submissions repeatedly suggested the need for New

Zealand to be better able to assess, and use, new technologies and to be able to use a more scientific approach to risk assessment and management.

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The leadership challenge

These many submissions make it clear that there is a Challenge for the leadership of New Zealand to take concrete steps to address deficits in the public and policy understandings of science, to address issues in STEM workforce development and to foster a more innovative and aspirational use of science in the nation’s development. Accordingly and in the spirit of the consultation process the Panel views this as a Challenge for government and its agencies to lead. Indeed the capacity to optimise the value of the other Challenges proposed will be greatly enhanced by adoption of this Challenge of better using science and technology, education and training to address the Challenges faced by New Zealand in the 21st Century. The Panel concluded that addressing this Challenge in a centrally coordinated and identifiable manner was essential to all 12 science Challenges.

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Challenge Implementation

• Initial meetings of officials and experts led by

MBIE with Panel members to frame the Challenges further and develop an overall implementation plan

• Workshops/sandpits with key participants to

identify themes, research elements and research participants for each Challenge

• Development and formal (including external

scientific) review of detailed research and business plans prepared by the Challenge lead(s), in conjunction with their research participants and relevant stakeholders

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