Successful 2023 Unlocking Curious Minds contestable fund investment round proposals
Through the 2023 funding round, the Unlocking Curious Minds contestable fund is supporting 12 projects aimed at engaging more New Zealanders in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM).
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The 2023 investment round of the Unlocking Curious Minds contestable fund awarded $1.602 million on the following grants, which will start on 1 February 2023.
View the public statements for these successful applicants along with information on who has been funded in previous rounds on our webpage:
| Project title | Organisation | Funding (excl GST) | Region | Term |
| Soilsafe Kids: Connecting school children and community through diverse soil knowledges | University of Auckland | $150,000 | Northland Region, Auckland Region | 11 months |
| Smokefree Science Showcase - The STE(A)M behind the smoke (& mirrors) | Otago Museum Trust Board | $150,000 | Northland Region, Auckland Region, Bay of Plenty Region, Gisborne Region, Wellington Region, Otago Region, Southland Region | 17 months |
| Air We Share: Empowering children and communities to reduce airborne infection risk | National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research Limited | $150,000 | Northland Region, Auckland Region, Waikato Region, Bay of Plenty Region, Gisborne Region, Hawkes Bay Region, Taranaki Region, Manawatu-Wanganui Region, Wellington Region, Tasman Region, Nelson Region, Marlborough Region, West Coast Region, Canterbury Region, Otago Region, Southland Region | 11 months |
| Pūtaiao mō te Ao Tūroa - The Science of Nature II | Whenua Iti Trust – trading as Whenua Iti Outdoors | $55,224 | Tasman Region, Nelson Region, Marlborough Region, West Coast Region | 11 months |
| Moanamana - Building NZL's Blue Belt | Boat & Beach Wise Trust | $150,000 | Northland Region, Auckland Region, Waikato Region, Bay of Plenty Region, Wellington Region, Nelson Region, Canterbury Region | 12 months |
| Exploring the role of micro-wetlands in building localised climate change resilience. | EcoQuest Education Foundation | $150,000 | Waikato Region | 12 months |
| Student-led detection of invasive species in our marine environment via molecular surveillance | Otamarua Bush and Boat, Limited - Trading as Sails for Science | $115,091 | Northland Region | 11 months |
| Fungal taonga and traditional uses – students welcomed to national collections and labs | Landcare Research New Zealand Limited – trading as Manaaki Whenua | $131,000 | Northland Region, Auckland Region, Waikato Region | 10 months |
| Te ohomauri o Wairere. The empowering life force of Wairere | University of Waikato | $132,000 | Waikato Region | 11 months |
| Weaving a pathway to programming through pūrakau tīpuna. | University of Canterbury | $149,846 | Tasman Region, Nelson Region, Marlborough Region, West Coast Region, Canterbury Region, Otago Region, Southland Region | 11 months |
| Patua te Tukumate Rāwaho (Myrtle Rust Busters) | New Zealand Forest Research Institute Limited - trading as Scion | $146,368 | Bay of Plenty Region, Canterbury Region | 11 months |
| Tūhura Papatūānuku: a noho-marae based earth and environmental sciences wānanga | Institute of Geological & Nuclear Sciences Limited - trading as GNS Science | $122,489 | Northland Region | 10 months |
Last updated: 07 December 2022