Medtech pioneer appointed to research funding board

The board of the new government science funding body, Research Funding New Zealand, has been announced, and includes University of Auckland Distinguished Professor Sir Peter Hunter.

The new organisation has been established to “streamline research funding and provide independent, strategic investment decisions that support economic growth”, according to Science, Innovation and Technology Minister Dr Shane Reti.

Research Funding NZ will replace most existing research funding decision-makers, including the Marsden Fund Council, the Science Board, some MBIE functions, and the Health Research Council.

“The board brings together some of New Zealand’s most accomplished science and innovation leaders… to invest in research that delivers real-world benefits for New Zealanders, Reti says.

“For too long, New Zealand’s research funding system has been fragmented and overly complex, creating unnecessary red tape and diluting impact.”

Driving force in medtech and commercialisation

Auckland Bioengineering Institute founding director and world-leading heart modeller Sir Peter Hunter is a worldwide pioneer of human digital twin technologies – computerised mathematical models that simulate a person's body to predict health outcomes and test treatment options.

He has been a driving figure in establishing New Zealand's medical technology (medtech) research ecosystem.

“This is an exciting opportunity to produce a more connected science system, in terms of linking discovery science with outcomes across healthcare, environment and economics. It will also boost collaboration between universities, the new Public Research Organisations and industry,” Hunter says.

ABI director Professor Merryn Tawhai says Hunter’s appointment to the Research Funding NZ board “reflects the high regard in which he is held within New Zealand's science and innovation system, and extensive respect for his leadership”.

He brings the experience of having worked across a number of scientific disciplines, Tawhai says, as well as being a leading proponent of the Auckland Bioengineering Institute’s successful model of creating spin-out companies from foundational research, and working with funding agencies, both here and internationally.

“He is widely recognised for his collegial approach and his willingness to listen to and respect diverse perspectives," she says. "He also brings a deep understanding of New Zealand’s research system to the board.”

Hunter has received numerous accolades, including the Rutherford Medal, New Zealand's most prestigious science and technology award. He has been elected a Fellow of the Royal Societies both here and in the UK.

In 2024, he was knighted for services to medical science.

Minister Shane Reti says the transition to the new funding model will be phased “to ensure continuity and minimise disruption”. The Marsden Fund and Endeavour Fund will be among the first to move under the new structure, he says, with Research Funding NZ making decisions for upcoming funding rounds. All current research contracts will continue.

“Government investment across the full spectrum of science, from blue-sky research to applied and commercial innovation, will help grow the economy and improve health and wellbeing,” Reti says. 

“By fixing the basics of our funding system, we are building a stronger future for science, innovation and the researchers whose work improves our economy, health and resilience.”

The eight-person Research Funding NZ board includes a number of other University of Auckland present or former staff members and former students.

Chair Dr Emma Blott, who has worked for Fonterra and the Livestock Improvement Corporation, among others, is a School of Business alumnus, and Dr Meika Foster, founder of Edible Research Ltd, is an honorary associate professor at the University’s Liggins Institute.

Professor Aidan Byrne , Professor Dianne Gleeson, and Professor Brett Cowan are University alumni; Cowan and Gleeson are also former staff members.