Research management

The Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research) has overall responsibility for the management of the research affairs of the University, facilitated through the Research Office. The DVC (Research) reports directly to the Vice-Chancellor; is chair of Research Committee, the committee of Senate responsible for setting policy and advising Senate on research-related matters; and is a member of the Board of Directors for Auckland UniServices Ltd, a company wholly-owned by the University to facilitate research of a commercial nature, consulting and technology transfer.

The Research Office provides information and services in support of public-domain research in the University. The objective of the Research Office is to provide support and assistance to the University community in gaining research grants and in research grant management. This includes both internally University-sponsored research grants and externally-sponsored grants/contracts funded by NZ government and international investment agents, foundations, charities and the like.

All research involving human subjects (including medical and/or health-related research), animals or genetically modified organisms must be approved by an appropriate ethics or safety committee before the research commences. It is the responsibility of the researcher to establish whether or not the research requires an institutional research approval and it is therefore recommended that researchers read the committee guidelines thoroughly before commencing research.

The Ethics and Biological Safety Administration can support in ensuring all relevant ethical approvals are identified, applied for and the relevant approvals documented.

Visit the Research Office

Learn more about the Ethics and Biological Safety Administration

The Research Committee is responsible for developing The University of Auckland's policy on research-related matters and the management and administration of these policies. The committee is also responsible for establishing and monitoring units, centres, and institutes, allocating University-sponsored research funds and overseeing externally-funded research contracts in the public domain such as those from the Foundation for Research, Science and Technology, the Health Research Council, the Tertiary Education Committee and the Royal Society of New Zealand.

Read about the Research units, institutes and centres

The commercialisation of research at the University is managed by Auckland UniServices Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary of the University established in 1989.

UniServices, the largest commercialisation company of its kind in Australasia, develops partnerships ranging from small research and consultancy contracts to multi million dollar projects drawing on the expertise of the University's schools, faculties and research centres.

Uniservices works alongside academic staff to identify and protect discoveries with commercial potential, find business partners and negotiate licence agreements. It protects the University's intellectual properties and has an extensive portfolio of new technologies available for commercial licensing.

To find out more about UniServices, see Commercial Research.