Prof David Bilkey, of the University of Otago psychology department, has been appointed to the Marsden Fund Council.
Science and Innovation Minister Steven Joyce on Wednesday announced the appointment for a three-year term, starting on March 1.
Prof Bilkey will also convene the council's Economics and Human and Behavioural Sciences panel.
Prof Gillian Dobbie, of Auckland University, and Prof Roger Nokes, of Canterbury University, have also been appointed new members.
All appointees were ''highly regarded researchers, both domestically and internationally'', Mr Joyce said.
Prof Juliet Gerrard had been reappointed as chairwoman of the council, Prof Robert Hannah as convener of the Humanities panel, and Dr Ian Ferguson as convener of the Cellular, Molecular and Physiological Biology panel for three-year terms.
The Marsden Fund supports excellent investigator-initiated research and is administered by the Royal Society of New Zealand.