Research funds confined

Press, 27 July 1984, Page 4

Research funds confined

PA Dunedin The Medical Research Council, New Zealand’s largest medical research organisation, has had to take a tight grip on funding. The council, in the third year of its three-year Government funding cycle, has had to adopt a number of strategies to stay within its over-all budget. “The updated financial forecast in August will indicate whether other additional economies will need to be introduced,” said the director of the council, Dr J. V. Hodge, in the latest council newsletter. Anxiety among some researchers, funded by the council, about their job future has been reported in Dunedin. Of the council’s four units three are in Dunedin. They are the toxicology, autoimmunity, and virus research units. Last year the council spent $9,604 million on research and the figure this year is $9,179 million. The main reasons for the drop are a decline in bequest money and because no money was carried forward from 1982. Strategies introduced to keep the council within its budget include: © Tight control over the number of new grants and

awards made this year, with a deferment of spending on new salaries and equipment until next year. © A hold on reappointment to positions supported by existing grants which fall vacant during the rest of the year. © Deletion of the midyear round of grants for overseas travel. © An extension of the freeze on new developments in the programme grant category. An application for funds over the next three years has been prepared and will be presented to the new Government soon. The position of .applications for grants in 1985 will depend on the success of this approach. , “It is becoming clear it will be difficult for the council to retain a leadership role in medical research without a substantial increase in the base level of its triennial funding,” Dr Hodge said. “In trying to meet its obligations both to existing and new research projects the council has had to use all available resources and this has removed any buoyancy from the system.” The council also funds research projects of up to three years and longer-term “programmes.”