The National Science Challenges end on 30 June 2024. What is happening with our research and researchers? What about our website? What next for collaborative natural hazards resilience research? This article tackles these and other FAQs.
Why is the Resilience Challenge ending?
The Resilience Challenge is one of 11 National Science Challenges established in 2014 as ten-year, mission-led research programmes. The Challenges were funded through the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) to tackle the biggest science-based issues and opportunities facing Aotearoa New Zealand. Our Challenge was tasked with accelerating Aotearoa New Zealand’s resilience to natural hazards through collaborative, innovative research.
All 11 National Science Challenges were time-bound from the start, and have always been set to end on 30 June 2024.
What will happen to Resilience Challenge research projects?
Some of our projects have already come to an end and our remaining active research projects will end on 30 June 2024. Our Directorate staff will continue working through until 30 August 2024, to complete our final annual progress report to MBIE and complete other close-out activities. Peer-reviewed academic outputs will continue to be published beyond the end of our Challenge, due to journal manuscript processing and publishing schedules.
Excitingly, we recently received news that mission-led, collaborative, natural hazards resilience research will continue to be supported beyond 30 June 2024. The government is establishing a new Natural Hazards Resilience Platform, hosted by GNS Science and funded through the Strategic Science Investment Fund. The new Platform will operate differently to a National Science Challenge, however it will have a similar mission and build on the work of the Resilience Challenge and our predecessor, the Natural Hazards Research Platform.
The new Platform has been allocated $70 million funding over seven years (i.e. $10 million per year), and some limited funding is being made available from 1 July 2024 to secure capability in key areas.
Where can I find out more about the new Natural Hazards Resilience Platform?
Keep an eye on the Resilience Challenge social media channels and newsletter through July and August. We will be letting you know more as we know more.
Where will Resilience Challenge reports and resources go?
Our priority is to achieve maximum uptake and use of the tools and resources generated by research we have funded. Our website and associated resource repository will continue to be hosted by GNS Science for a period of 5 years (until June 2029).
Videos hosted on our YouTube channel will also remain online. Videos can be embedded and shared via your organisation’s platform or channels (please credit Resilience to Nature’s Challenges National Science Challenge).
Can I still access the Resilience Challenge website?
Our website (and resources) will continue to be accessible until June 2029. After that, you will be able to access the archived website via the National Library of New Zealand.
Will there be a review of the National Science Challenges?
MBIE does not plan to undertake a full review of the National Science Challenges. However, the Challenges are producing several self-review documents:
- National Science Challenge Directors Discuss the Mission-led Approach to Science and Research, a cross-NSC report published in April 2024
- Accelerating innovation and research solutions through Te Tiriti partnerships; The National Science Challenge experience, a cross-NSC report to be published by the end of June 2024
- Special issue of the Royal Society Journal, The National Science Challenge Experiment: Legacy and Lessons, to be published in late 2024/early 2025
