News & events
2024 Funding successes - Annual Report 2024
15 June, 2025
2024 Marsden Standard Grants
| Name and institution | Research title |
|---|---|
| Renwick Dobson* University of Canterbury |
"How does Streptococcus pneumoniae, the main cause of community acquired pneumonia and meningitis in children and the elderly, acquire a critical antioxidant from its host to survive at infection sites?" |
| Justin Hodgkiss* and Paul Kruger* Victoria University of Wellington and University of Canterbury |
"Building on the discovery of a new category of glass to create structurally resilient glasses formed from hybrid perovskites that have promising application in photovoltaics and LEDs" |
| Luke Liu and Shane Telfer Victoria University of Wellington and Massey University |
"Producing next-generation materials that can capture methane" |
| Volker Nock* University of Canterbury |
"Unravelling the mechanisms that enhance the spread of pathogenic biological bulldozers" |
* Contributing as an AI
2024 Marsden Fast Start Grants
| Name and institution | Research title |
|---|---|
| Renwick Dobson* University of Canterbury |
"Understanding how lytic enzymes could allow drugs to breach membranes in bacteria causing illnesses such as salmonella, and pneumonia" |
* Contributing as an AI
2024 Fellowships
| Name and institution | Fellowship |
|---|---|
| William Holmes-Hewett Victoria University of Wellington |
Mana Tūāpapa Future Leader Fellowship Royal Society Te Apārangi |
| Patricia Hunt Victoria University of Wellington |
Mana Tūārangi Distinguished Researcher Fellowship Royal Society Te Apārangi |
| Bicheng (Amy) Zhu University of Auckland |
Mana Tūāpapa Future Leader Fellowship Royal Society Te Apārangi |
2024 MBIE Endeavour Funding
| Name and institution | Research title and fund name |
|---|---|
| Margaret Brimble* University of Auckland |
"Effective eradication: Strategies, tactics, and technologies for successful marine invasion management" Endeavour Research Programme |
| Simon Granville, Ben Ruck, William Holmes-Hewett* and Martin Allen* Victoria University of Wellington and University of Canterbury |
"Scalable cryogenic memory technology for superconducting and quantum computing" Endeavour Research Programme |
| Prasanth Gupta, Kim McKelvey* and Geoff Waterhouse* GNS Science, Victoria University of Wellington and University of Auckland |
"Semiconductor electrocatalysts for renewable-powered ammonia farms: Towards green fertilisers and energy storage" Smart Ideas Grant |
| Justin Hodgkiss* Victoria University of Wellington |
"Ultrasensitive paper-based fluorescent sensors for detecting liquid illicit drugs" Smart Ideas Grant |
| Jenny Malmström* University of Auckland |
"Smart, functional, high-performing keratin structures for new biologically-derived export products" Endeavour Research Programme |
| Volker Nock* University of Canterbury |
"Superior protein biocomposites through tailored gradients of nature-inspired microstructure" Smart Ideas Grant |
| Cameron Weber* University of Auckland |
"Heavy drugs for improved glioblastoma prognosis" Smart Ideas Grant |
| Ben Yin* and Matthew Cowan* Victoria University of Wellington and University of Canterbury |
"A foundation for zero emissions: Low-energy, carbon-absorbing cement" Endeavour Research Programme |
* Contributing as a Key Researcher
2024 MBIE Catalyst Funding
| Name and institution | Research or meeting title and fund name |
|---|---|
| Renwick Dobson University of Canterbury |
"Defining how pathogenic bacteria import antioxidants across their cell membrane" Catalyst: Seeding General |
| Simon Granville and Jenny Malmström* Victoria University of Wellington and University of Auckland |
"Light-driven science and technology enabled by magnetic materials at multi-scale" Catalyst: Seeding General |
| Justin Hodgkiss Victoria University of Wellington |
"Interface Materials Informatics platform for virtual screening of next generation organic solar cell devices" Catalyst: e-ASIA Joint Research Programme |
| Charlie Ruffman University of Auckland |
Japan Society for the Promotion of Science 16th HOPE Meeting: Atomic-scale motion in liquid metals is critical for catalysis Catalyst: Leaders (16th HOPE Meeting) |
| Ben Yin Victoria University of Wellington |
"Direct lithium extraction from New Zealand geothermal water" Catalyst: Leaders (International Leader Fellowship) |
2024 Domestic Funding - Other
| Name and institution | Research title and fund name |
|---|---|
| Catherine Bishop University of Canterbury |
"Industrial development of a spinodal copper nickel alloy" Masters sponsorship |
| Margaret Brimble University of Auckland |
"Methane inhibitors" "Sustainable supply of oligonucleotide building blocks" |
| Jack Chen Auckland University of Technology |
"Commercialisation development of Spherelose (extension to 2021-SfTI-IAP03-AUTV)" SfTI Impact Acceleration Funding |
| Nathaniel Davis Victoria University of Wellington |
"Singlet fission perovskite solar cells" "Singlet fission perovskite solar cells" |
| Renwick Dobson University of Canterbury |
"Preliminary data for endolysin function" Biomolecular Interaction Centre Seed Grant |
| Muhammad Hanif University of Auckland |
"Development of targeted therapy for the treatment of glioblastoma" Neurological Foundation - PhD Fellowship |
| Luke Liu Victoria University of Wellington |
Ministry of Primary Industries Scholarship |
| Aaron Marshall University of Canterbury |
"Science & Engineering review of low-carbon zinc recycling" Consulting |
| Joseph Nelson Lincoln Agritech |
"Biosecurity spearhead 11: Biosecurity technology: Detecting the last predator" Subcontract |
| Volker Nock University of Canterbury |
"Towards better tools to understand how pathogens survive environmental stress" "Osmotic stress on a chip" "Observing root growth and signalling responses to stress gradients and pathogens using the bi-directional dual-flow-RootChip" |
| Jami Shepherd University of Auckland |
"Ultrasonic laundry washing research" Fisher and Paykel Appliances - RA funding |
| Jadranka Travas-Sejdic University of Auckland |
"In vitro testing of enzymatic-based organic electrochemical transistor (OECT) sucrose sensors" Subcontract |
| Geoff Willmott University of Auckland |
"Inertial microfluidics" "Ultrasonics research" |
2024 International Funding
| Name and institution | Research title and fund name |
|---|---|
| Margaret Brimble University of Auckland |
"Synthesis and characterization of EQ302 and analogs" Equillium, Inc., USA |
| Matthew Cowan University of Canterbury |
"Tracking the conversion of ZnO to mixed-ligand zeolitic imidazolate frameworks (ZIFs) and ZIF melts for gas separation membranes" Australian Synchrotron Beamtime Application |
| Erin Leitao University of Auckland |
"Indigenous knowledge-inspiring science" Strategic Initiative |
| Luke Liu Victoria University of Wellington |
"A new route to highly selective methane capture materials" EQT Foundation |
| Aaron Marshall University of Canterbury |
"Tracking the reductive phase transformation of zinc ferrites to leachable zinc oxide in industrial electric arc furnace dusts" "Imaging hydrogen and oxygen bubbles within porous transport layers to optimise the structure of low-cost AEM water electrolysers" |
| Volker Nock University of Canterbury |
"Bioengineering a better plant root - do phi thickenings make plant roots stronger?" Hermon Slade Foundation |
2024 University Internal Funding
| Name and institution | Research title and fund name |
|---|---|
| Matthew Cowan University of Canterbury |
"Landfill gas capture" Faculty Strategic Fund |
| Nathaniel Davis Victoria University of Wellington |
"EQE machine for solar cells" Capex |
| Petrik Galvosas Victoria University of Wellington |
"NMR and MRI characterisation of cancer in mouse models and cell lines" Faculty Strategic Research Grant |
| Michele Governale Victoria University of Wellington |
Research and Study Leave |
| William Holmes-Hewett Victoria University of Wellington |
"Materials for superconducting memory systems" Faculty Research Establishment Grant |
| Jon Kitchen Auckland University of Technology |
"On surface electrocatalysis: Exploring covalent attachment of lanthanide coatings for electrochemical CO2 reduction" Faculty Research Development Fund |
| Luke Liu Victoria University of Wellington |
"Selective methane capture from agricultural emissions" "Methane capture technology using metal-organic frameworks" |
| Volker Nock University of Canterbury |
"Critical point dryer" Capex |
| Jami Shepherd University of Auckland |
Faculty of Science Commercialisation Seed Funding Faculty of Science Post Parental Leave Grant |
| Tilo Söhnel University of Auckland |
"Investigating the physical properties of novel Ru clusters stabilized by oxidate framework" Faculty Research Development Fund |
| Jadranka Travas-Sejdic University of Auckland |
"Centre for Innovative Materials for Health" Faculty of Science, University of Auckland |
| Ben Yin Victoria University of Wellington |
"Exploring geothermal as a resource for hydrogen production and lithium extraction" Mātauranga Māori Research Fund |
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