Science policy

Labour has released its research, science, and technology policy. It's a geeky subject, I know, and pretty much irrelevant compared to the bigger issues, but its one I find interesting anyway.

The key problem faced by the science sector is the funding model. At present, research funding is contestable, allocated on a "winner take all" basis with a five-year lifespan. This was intended to produce higher standards through competition. Instead, it has led to career uncertainty and an erosion of New Zealand's science capability. Scientists essentially live hand to mouth, having to constantly worry about the next funding round and what will happen if their projects are not renewed. Research teams whose bids are unsuccessful tend to disappear; their members cannot sit around twiddling their thumbs for five years waiting for another chance, and neither can they easily switch the focus of their knowledge to another area (given the high degree of specialisation and the need to remain current, it is like starting again from scratch). Instead, they tend to either take early retirement, or move overseas, eroding both New Zealand's pool of knowledge and the very competition the funding model relies upon in order to work.

Labour's policy recognises this, with a move to longer-term, higher-value funding for proven research teams. Competitive grants will remain, but they will not be the sole source of funding. This will give scientists the stability needed to focus on their research, without the constant need to scan job openings in Australia. There's also an attempt to encourage more people to pursue science as a career, with more scholarships and the possibility of 5-year career establishment grants to help new researchers get started. Unfortunately, the problem in this area has really been a lack of jobs at the other end of the PhD, and while the new funding model may help that, the scope for employment is still highly restricted - meaning that people will still spurn science as a career.