Changes in Government Funding of Science, Innovation, and Technology w/ Professor Nicola Gaston: 29th April, 2026

In March, the Prime Minister’s Science, Innovation, and Technology Advisory Council released a report to the Prime Minister calling for a change in how science, innovation, and technology are funded in Aotearoa New Zealand. Of the $1.7 billion of government spending on science, innovation, and technology, the report identified $839 million for potential reprioritisation. Needless to say, this marks a large shift in how research will be done in Aotearoa New Zealand, with an increased emphasis on ‘mission-led’ research (where the government determines what research is funded) compared to ‘investigator-led’ research, which is competitively funded and curiosity-driven. Within this ‘mission-led’ approach, the report calls for increasing funding for ‘advanced technology’, such as AI. However, many scientists are concerned with what this approach will mean for the areas Aotearoa excels in, and point to the significant disruption that the pursuit of ‘fashionable’ research, directed by bureaucrats, will cause. So to better understand this shift in the direction of science research in Aotearoa New Zealand, producer Theo spoke with Professor Nicola Gaston, Director of the MacDiarmid Institute for Advanced Materials and Nanotechnology, and Professor of Physics at the University of Auckland.