Funding boost for Otago research
A research project bringing together world-leading experts to ensure New Zealand’s housing support system is sustainable, effective and whanau-centred has received $5.8 million from the Government.
Project leader and University of Otago (Wellington) academic Professor Nevil Pierse received the funding from the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment’s (MBIE) Endeavour Research Programme fund.
"Inadequate housing is one of the greatest barriers to the Government’s vision of ‘making Aotearoa New Zealand the best place to be a child’ and to improving the wellbeing of children and young people," he said.
Evidence used for New Zealand’s present suite of housing support policies was derived from overseas evidence with an adult focus, he said.
"That means that the effect of inadequate housing on tamariki and rangatahi, and their experiences within the housing support system is poorly understood.
"The Government is set to spend $30billion on housing over the next five years, but we don’t know what type of housing actually most benefits our children.
"The goal of this programme is to create evidence to support the development and realisation of housing support systems that improve outcomes for tamariki."
Researchers would explore the views and experiences of children and young people affected by housing instability and the housing support system, including their aspirations for housing, and evaluate the experiences of the housing support system and associated outcomes across the life course.
Prof Pierse’s project was among seven University of Otago projects granted a total of almost $12 million in the MBIE Endeavour funds, while six other projects were granted about $2.6 million in Ministry of Health Covid-19 funding.
Other University of Otago researchers who received $1 million MBIE Endeavour Fund Smart Ideas funding were mathematics and statistics associate professor Ting Wang (to build the first probabilistic forecasting tool for great earthquakes); energy programme director Associate Prof Michael Jack (for his project on understanding the long-term consequences of low-carbon pathways for buildings); Dr Graham Eyres (recovery of high-value, natural flavour compounds from untapped food processing sources); Dr Gianna Savoie (Moriori, Music and Manawa: Engaging Multisensory Experiences for Indigenous Cultural Revitalisation); Prof David Prior (Tere Tipako Tio: Rapid Extensive Antarctic Ice Sampling); and Associate Prof Rajesh Katare (Cell free synthetic exosomes incorporated nanomatrix for the treatment of ischaemic diabetic ulcer).
In April, the Ministry of Health announced a $9 million fund to support future research into the ongoing impacts of Covid-19 and research into future pandemic responses.
Otago researchers were awarded about $2.6 million for six projects.
