The Foundation for Research, Science & Technology has announced the recipients of its major annual contestable funding round for 2009. The foundation awarded 38 contracts, ranging over periods of two to six years and worth a total of $136 million over their lifetimes. The funds are targeted for research projects covering infrastructure, communities and energy, and improving environmental resilience.
Among the successful applicants were Crown Research Institutes, universities and private sector research organisations. Landcare Research topped the list with 8 contracts worth nearly $29 million. GNS Science had the single largest contract at $18.6 million for exploration of New Zealand’s petroleum resources.
Some highlights include:
- high efficiency organic photovoltaics (Massey)
- wildlife managment through next-generation GPS (Otago)
- biowaste research (ESR)
- sustainable road infrastructure (Opus Consulting)
- cements for extreme environments (IRL)
- threatened marine megafauna (NIWA)
- air particulate pollution (GNS)
- vulnerable deep-sea communities (NIWA)
- invasive mammal impacts on biodiversity (Landcare)
- pest control for the 21st century (Lincoln)
- moisture and indoor environmental quality (BRANZ)
Full details of the funded projects will be posted to the FRST website 16 July.