Call for more funds for science

Press, Volume CXII, Issue 33050, 18 October 1972, Page 4

Call for more funds for science

New Zealand should increase its total national expenditure on science to 1 per cent of the gross national product as soon as possible, and in certain fields should increase the scientific work force by 10 per cent a year, said the Director-General of the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research (Dr E. I. Robertson) recently.

Giving the Cawthron lecture at Nelson, Dr Robertson said that priorities for research should be directly related to National Development Conference targets.

“Although an increase of manpower of about 5 per cent a year would be appropriate in such well-developed fields as agriculture, forestry, and mineral production, a higher rate of increase is nec-

essary in the corresponding processing activities,” he said.

“Because the present levels of activities are far too small in the manufacturing, transport, materials-handling, and biological fields, a rate of expansion of about 10 per cent a year must be implemented,” he said. Dr Robertson said the biological field in this context covered two distinct aspects: surveys of the New Zealand flora and fauna so that sound decisions could be made on preservation, and study of the effects of pollution on the environment so that appropriate regulations could be framed. “Government laboratories must give high priority to research related to our future markets and diversification of our primary production, and assistance to our growing manufacturing and processing industries, particularly those involving appreciable ‘added value’ before export,” he said. “The universities should be encouraged to increase the percentage of their research directly related to national needs. For this, there should be increased research contracts and increased postgraduate scholarships both funded by Government departments. “This will also ensure that a larger percentage of our best graduates take up jobs in New Zealand instead of going overseas,” said Dr Robertson.

He suggested a scheme of providing very expensive scientific instruments on a regional basis, to be used jointly by Government departments, universities, and industry.

“The cost of such instruments has become so great that it is difficult for any one : organisation to provide the ; necessary money and such ' equipment can normally meet ;the requirements of several : laboratories.” Dr Robertson said also that New Zealand should' increase its level of technical assistance to developing countries.