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2025 Funding successes - Annual Report 2025
7 June, 2026
Please note that we have only listed MacDiarmid Institute investigators, even on grant applications led by other researchers.
2025 Marsden Standard Grants
| Name and institution | Research title |
|---|---|
| Mat Anker Victoria University of Wellington |
"The next generation of high-density data storage materials for data centres" |
| Courtney Ennis University of Otago |
"Could New Zealand’s offshore energy source have played a role in the origin of life?" |
| Nicola Gaston, Franck Natali* and Charlie Ruffman* University of Auckland and Victoria University of Wellington |
"More than skin deep: understanding the native oxide of gallium" |
| Keith Gordon* University of Otago |
"Could New Zealand's offshore energy source have played a role in the origin of life?" |
| Michele Governale* and Uli Zuelicke* Victoria University of Wellington |
"Exploring hidden patterns in the coldest matter in the universe" |
| Prasanth Gupta and John Kennedy* Earth Sciences New Zealand |
"Developing a New Zealand catalyst to produce green ammonia from air, water, and renewable electricity" |
| Pauline Harris* Massey University |
"Interstellar asteroids, black holes and the Big Bang" |
| Geoff Jameson* Massey University |
"Innovative shape-shifting drugs to fight drug resistance in cancer" |
| John Kennedy and Simon Granville* Earth Sciences New Zealand and Victoria University of Wellington |
"Unlocking waste heat: Advancing thermomagnetic generators for sustainable energy" |
| Ziyun Wang, Geoff Waterhouse* and Prasanth Gupta* University of Auckland and Earth Sciences New Zealand |
"Producing green ammonia from air and water at ambient conditions using plasma and renewable electricity" |
| Shanghai Wei, Aaron Marshall* and Tilo Söhnel* University of Auckland and University of Canterbury |
"Mechanistic insights into high-performance sustainable batteries" |
* Contributing as an AI
2025 Marsden Fast Start Grants
| Name and institution | Research title |
|---|---|
| Ciaran Moore* University of Canterbury |
"Light signals: A new communication system for monitoring New Zealand’s remote environments and enhancing safety" |
* Contributing as an AI
2025 Fellowships
| Name and institution | Fellowship |
|---|---|
| Geoff Waterhouse University of Auckland |
"Metal single-atom catalysts" Hood Fellowship |
| Kannan Ridings University of Auckland |
Ngā Motu Whakahā Research Fellowship |
2025 MBIE Endeavour Funding
| Name and institution | Research title and fund name |
|---|---|
| Chris Bumby Victoria University of Wellington |
"Next generation ore: towards sustainable mining for regional prosperity and societal resilience" Endeavour Research Programme |
| Shen Chong* Victoria University of Wellington |
"Solar spectral engineering for energy efficient and enhanced growth of high-value algae" Smart Ideas Grant |
| Simon Granville* Victoria University of Wellington |
"An on-chip microwave circulator for scalable quantum computing" Smart Ideas Grant |
| Aaron Marshall and Steven Matthews* University of Canterbury and University of Auckland |
"Highly active low-cost electrodes: Exploiting the non-obvious interactions during plasma spray coating" Smart Ideas Grant |
| Volker Nock University of Canterbury |
"3D-printed bioscaffolds for directional neurite outgrowth after spinal cord injury" Smart Ideas Grant |
| Volker Nock and Renwick Dobson* University of Canterbury |
"Capillaric devices for on-site diagnostics in diverse settings" Endeavour Research Programme |
| Jadranka Travas-Sejdic and Renwick Dobson* University of Auckland and University of Canterbury |
"Microfluidic devices driven by capillary action as a new diagnostic platform" Endeavour Research Programme |
* Contributing as a Key Researcher
2025 MBIE Catalyst Funding
| Name and institution | Research or meeting title and fund name |
|---|---|
| Simon Granville Victoria University of Wellington |
"Rare-earth nitride p-Josephson junctions as elements in superconducting quantum logic circuits" Catalyst: Strategic - Quantum Technologies Aotearoa |
| Paul Hume Victoria University of Wellington |
"Interface Materials Informatics platform for virtual screening of next generation organic solar cell devices" Catalyst: Strategic - e-Asia Joint Research Programme |
| Volker Nock University of Canterbury |
"A point-of-need test for invasive myrtle rust threatening plant species" Catalyst: Seeding General |
| Daniel Sando University of Canterbury |
"Low symmetry ferroelectric thin films for nanoscale integrated electro-optic modulators" Catalyst: Seeding JSPS - Joint Research Projects Programme |
| Jami Shepherd University of Auckland |
"Advancing lymphatic assessment with next-generation imaging and sensing devices" Catalyst: Seeding General |
| Cameron Weber University of Auckland |
"Linking solvent structure to function to design a new biomolecule purification platform" Catalyst: Seeding General |
| Alex Yip University of Canterbury |
"Next-generation zeolite oxygen concentrator: a lifecare solution for COPD patients" Catalyst: Seeding General |
2025 Domestic Funding - Other
| Name and institution | Research title and fund name |
|---|---|
| Catherine Bishop University of Canterbury |
"Industrial development of spinodal copper nickel alloy" Masters Project Funding |
| Jami Shepherd University of Auckland |
"Ultrasonic Laundry Washing Research" Fisher & Paykel Appliances - RA funding |
| Geoff Waterhouse University of Auckland |
"Rechargeable metal-air batteries" Philanthropic donation |
| Cameron Weber University of Auckland |
"Linking solvent structure to function to design a new biomolecule purification platform" "Exploring interfaces in deep eutectic solvents" |
| Shanghai Wei University of Auckland |
"AI-based prediction of latent electricity asset failures after extreme weather events" Vector Funded Applied Doctorates Scheme project |
| Geoff Willmott University of Auckland |
"Inertial microfluidics" Private sector contract |
2024 International Funding
| Name and institution | Research title and fund name |
|---|---|
| Cameron Weber University of Auckland |
"Exploring interfaces in deep eutectic solvents" Lund Get Started Grant |
2025 University Internal Funding
| Name and institution | Research title and fund name |
|---|---|
| David Barker University of Auckland |
"Exploration of fungal specific cell penetrating peptides for antifungal drug delivery" Faculty of Science Research Development Fund |
| Nathaniel Davis Victoria University of Wellington |
"Glove box" CAPEX |
| Vladmir Golovko University of Canterbury |
DSO support |
| Alex Hamilton Victoria University of Wellington |
Te Parahia Contestable Fund |
| Marcus Jones Auckland University of Technology |
"A photonic tool for ultrasensitive analyte detection" FHES small grant |
| Jonathan Kitchen Auckland University of Technology |
"New Zealand Hydrogen Symposium research event funding" Faculty Research Development Fund |
| Steven Matthews University of Auckland |
"Novel coatings to promote mussel spat settlement to turbocharge NZ aquaculture" University of Auckland FRDF Staff Research Fund |
| Ciaran Moore University of Canterbury |
"Towards ubiquitous renewable energy: Exploring fabrication techniques for low-cost, eco-friendly and transparent solar cells" Faculty of Engineering Strategic Research Grant |
| Joseph Nelson Lincoln Agritech |
"Biodegradable fungal batteries leveraging New Zealand's unique microbiome" "Uncovering opportunities for computational materials discovery (CMD) in Aotearoa" |
| Volker Nock University of Canterbury |
"Can Lab-on-a-Chip and hydrogels tell us the true role "Simple analysis of iron levels for at-risk patients" "Enhancing plant immunity against Phytophthora capsici through tripartite interaction with Bacillus spp. in a microfluidic system" |
| Kannan Ridings University of Auckland |
University of Auckland Physics Department funding |
| Charlie Ruffman Victoria University of Wellington |
"Hydrogen evolution on transition metal nitrides" Research Establishment Grant |
| Daniel Sando University of Canterbury |
"Optical properties of perovskite oxide films" CAPEX |
| Jami Shepherd University of Auckland |
"Physics-informed radiomics for cardiac fibrosis assessment using ultrasound" "Multimodal imaging and sensing for lymphoedema prevention and treatment" |
| Tilo Söhnel University of Auckland |
"Design of hybrid perovskites: The role of delocalized organic cations as templating agents for next generation solar cell materials" "Design and development of low-cost and high-performance electrocatalysts for seawater rechargeable batteries" |
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