Changes ahead for health research funding

SECTOR UPDATE - Ministry of Health

The Government is making changes to how health research is funded and managed in New Zealand. The aim is to align funding with Government priorities, streamline processes, reduce duplication, and to make the system easier for researchers to navigate.

Under the new approach:

• Health research funding will shift from the Health Research Council to Research Funding New Zealand, within a new Health and Society investment area.
• The Health Research Council will be disestablished, with its functions shared across Research Funding New Zealand, the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE), and the Ministry of Health.
• A new National Standard on Ethical Conduct in Human Research will be introduced, led by the National Ethics Advisory Committee. All human research will be required to comply with this standard.
• Researchers will have the option to pay for a fast-track process for ethics review.

Planning starts in 2026, with full transition expected by 2028, subject to legislative change.

For more information about the new funding strategy for the science system visit MBIE’s website.

Source: Ministry of Health media release

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