MAFFish welcomes new science policy

Press, 13 April 1989, Page 17

MAFFish welcomes new science policy

PA Wellington The Ministry of Agriculture and Fish- ■■ eries yesterday welcomed the new Government policy on science saying the '■ > announcement removed uncertainity and f > the loss of top people from research : institutions. < Under the present system, Government funding for each research institution was considered independently. In future a new Cabinet ad hoc committee - will allocate all Government science funding. MAFTech’s national science director, Dr Keith Steele, said the change meant the committee would now be able to address any duplication of research and identify new opportunities and priorities for science. While the new system would have a degree of contestability at Cabinet level, the Ministry’s tech group director, Dr < > Peter O’Hara, said the Government had ; • not adopted all the Science and Technology Advisory Committee proposals relat- ; ■ ing to contestable funding. But he welcomed the new system, ;7 saying it would ensure greater accountability for public funds invested in

research and development but would not need a restructuring of Government research agencies. Dr Steele said the new funding system would accelerate the establishment of co-operative and complementary programmes between organisations. “MAFTech has already set up several successful joint ventures and co-opera-tive research programmes with universities and the D.5.1.R.,” he said. “The new policy recognises that most research organisations now have systems in place to identify high priority science and are allocating funds by means of internal contestability or competition. “Most agencies have in fact gone through big restructuring in the last two years and have improved systems of accountability and commercial performance,” he said. The Government’s clear commitment to funding strategic research would encourage private sector investors in research and development. “All that is needed now is a stable but growing economic climate to attract investment in long-term research and development,” Dr Steele said.