Breadcrumbs
Home ›
Science and technology
›
Science and innovation
›
Funding information and opportunities
›
Investment funds
...
›
Endeavour Fund
-
Investment funds
- Commercialisation Partner Network
- Catalyst Fund
- Endeavour Fund
- Envirolink Scheme
- National Science Challenges
- Partnerships
- PreSeed Accelerator Fund
- Regional Research Institutes Initiative
- Strategic Science Investment Fund
- Te Pūnaha Hihiko: Vision Mātauranga Capability Fund
- Te Pūnaha Hiringa: Māori Innovation Fund
- Unlocking Curious Minds contestable fund
Endeavour Fund
The Endeavour Fund plays a unique role in the science system through an open, contestable process with a focus on both research excellence and a broad range of impacts.
On this page
The Fund encourages researchers to sample a diverse range of ideas and conduct excellent research, with transformational potential. It will provide the highest potential impacts across a range of economic, environmental and societal objectives, and give effect to Vision Mātauranga.
Vision Mātauranga booklet [PDF, 359 KB]
The funding available
Endeavour funding is available through 2 mechanisms:
- Smart Ideas
- Research Programmes
Applications for funding are invited annually.
Smart Ideas
This investment mechanism catalyses and rapidly tests promising, innovative research ideas with high potential for benefit to New Zealand, to enable refresh and diversity in the science portfolio. Applicants can request between $0.4 million to $1 million, for a term of 2 or 3 years.
The indicative investment for Smart Ideas in the 2020 investment round is $18 million per year.
Research Programmes
This investment mechanism supports ambitious, excellent, and well-defined research ideas which, collectively, have credible and high potential to positively transform New Zealand’s future in areas of future value, growth or critical need. Applicants must request $0.5 million or more per year, for a term of 3, 4 or 5 years.
The indicative investment for Research Programmes in the 2020 investment round is $38.8 million per year.
See the Endeavour Fund Investment Plan 2019-2021 and Gazette Notice below for details on the policy objectives, investment signals, funding targets and the amounts of money available for the Endeavour Fund.
Endeavour Fund Investment Plan 2019-2021 [PDF, 565 KB]
Who can apply
Proposals need to meet the eligibility criteria set out in the Gazette Notice.
Endeavour Fund 2020 Investment Round Gazette Notice(external link)
Investment decisions
The Science Board makes its investment decisions in accordance with the Gazette Notice.
The Science Board’s funding decisions are informed by the reviews of independent assessors.
When making its investment decisions, the Science Board may decide to invest less than the total amounts indicated and may move funds between the investment mechanisms.