2017 Endeavour Fund successful proposals
We received 408 applications for research funding from the 2017 Endeavour Fund, with 68 approved for funding.
On this page
The successful proposals were selected by the Science Board, an independent statutory Board, following robust assessment by around 220 New Zealand and international independent experts. The new research contracts started on 1 October 2017 with periods of between two and five years.
Read the Minister’s announcement on the Beehive website(external link)
Download a detailed summary of the successful research proposals [PDF, 480 KB]
Successful 2017 Smart Ideas
The successful Smart Ideas for 2017 are listed below:
Organisation |
Title |
Duration |
Contract value |
---|---|---|---|
AgResearch Limited |
AI on hooves: Multiplying elite sheep genetics by germline complementation |
3 |
$1,000,000 |
Harnessing ruminant milk proteolytic capacity to improve the nutritional quality and immune protective function of infant formula. |
3 |
$900,000 |
|
Transforming irrigation by surface-water assessment using acoustic detection and self-learning control logic. |
3 |
$1,000,000 |
|
Map and Zap: automated and high throughput mapping and environment friendly, laser-treatment control of weeds. |
3 |
$999,000 |
|
Institute of Geological & Nuclear Sciences Limited - Trading as GNS Science |
Tracing Hot Spots and Hot Moments of Nitrate Contaminant Input to Freshwater. |
3 |
$1,000,000 |
Novel inorganic composites for strong near infrared reflecting black coatings. |
2 |
$1,000,000 |
|
Next generation ultra-high frequency acoustic wave filters for 5G networks and beyond. |
2 |
$1,000,000 |
|
Flipping the paradigm: feeding methane to cows. |
3 |
$999,999 |
|
Landcare Research New Zealand Ltd |
The Lake Snow Toolbox: detecting and quantifying an emerging environmental problem |
3 |
$1,000,000 |
A fruit-fly screening model to accelerate development of species-selective vertebrate toxins |
3 |
$999,999 |
|
Lincoln Agritech Limited |
Magnetotactic bacteria for removing contaminants from manufacturing processes |
2 |
$1,000,000 |
Massey University |
Wastewater Treatment 'Advanced Extraction Modules': De-risking to enable end-user uptake |
2 |
$989,594 |
Design and manufacture of controlled release fertiliser system for precision nutrient delivery |
3 |
$999,327 |
|
Electro spun Bio printing Technology in the Production of Complex Collagen Tissues |
3 |
$998,532 |
|
MetOcean Solutions Limited |
Machine learning for convective weather analysis and forecasting |
2 |
$500,000 |
National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research Ltd |
Trace metal limitation of phytoplankton growth in New Zealand lakes |
3 |
$849,999 |
New Zealand Forest Research Institute Ltd Trading as Scion |
Small molecular change in cell walls for big impacts in pulp processing |
3 |
$998,574 |
Sequestering natural and anthropomorphic trace metals from water |
2 |
$978,523 |
|
The Research Trust of Victoria University of Wellington |
Reconstructing real world lights and reflectance models for Augmented and Mixed Reality |
3 |
$999,999 |
University of Auckland |
Mapping the genomic novelty and functional capacity of a typical groundwater ecosystem |
3 |
$995,229 |
Novel potent DNA alkylating agents as warheads for arming antitumour antibodies |
2 |
$1,000,000 |
|
Speleothem Records of New Zealand's Earthquake History |
2 |
$999,822 |
|
Portable and handheld device for diagnosis and differentiation of skin cancers |
3 |
$999,804 |
|
Selective capture, selective release: pulling intact cells from complex mixtures |
3 |
$869,316 |
|
Complete Atrial Fibrillation mapping using non-contact electrodes |
2 |
$1,000,000 |
|
Advances in fermentation using underwater sound |
3 |
$999,999 |
|
Lens protein adhesives for use in ocular surgery |
2 |
$977,236 |
|
Impact for Spray Drying: Optimizing Drop Dynamics with Surface Designs |
3 |
$1,000,000 |
|
University of Canterbury |
Discovering petroleum associated with buried volcanoes |
3 |
$999,999 |
Low carbon magnesium oxide cement and hydrogen manufactured from olivine basalt |
3 |
$999,999 |
|
Development of a simple, general and novel assay platform for detecting and quantifying analytes in non-laboratory settings. |
3 |
$1,000,000 |
|
Manufacture of structure-optimised homogenous glycoprotein therapeutics |
3 |
$1,000,000 |
|
Building bioinformatic software for controlling protein expression |
3 |
$939,999 |
|
University of Otago |
Situated visualisation to enrich sports experience for on-site spectators |
3 |
$1,000,000 |
Building Better Biocontrols by switching reproduction in parasitoid wasps |
3 |
$939,999 |
|
Medical device for comprehensive brain monitoring using portable magnetic resonance technology |
2 |
$999,998 |
|
Mātauranga Māori guided discovery and development of new control methods for Phytophthora |
2 |
$1,000,000 |
|
Targeting unique virus proteins with small molecule inhibitors |
2 |
$927,440 |
|
University of Waikato |
Transforming Motion Error in Time-of-Flight Range Imaging to a High Value Measurement |
3 |
$953,424 |
Biologically based visual sensors for autonomous flight control and mobile robotics |
3 |
$999,759 |
|
NetStinky: Allowing Regular Users to Detect Compromised IoT Devices in Home Networks |
3 |
$997,182 |
Successful 2017 Research Programmes
The successful Research Programmes for 2017 are listed below.
Organisation |
Title |
Duration |
Contract value |
---|---|---|---|
AgResearch Limited |
Smarter Lives: New opportunities for dairy products across the lifespan |
5 |
$12,500,000 |
Accelerated evolution: a step-change in food fermentation |
5 |
$8,600,000 |
|
Cawthron Institute |
Emerging organic contaminants – managing risk for a safer NZ environment and economy |
5 |
$5,607,675 |
Optimising detection, diagnostic, prediction and management strategies for NZ aquaculture health |
5 |
$14,598,200 |
|
Institute of Geological & Nuclear Sciences Limited - Trading as GNS Science |
Our lakes’ health: past, present, future - Me hoki whakamuri kia haere whakamua |
5 |
$11,999,265 |
Economic opportunities and environmental implications of energy extraction from gas hydrates |
5 |
$7,663,790 |
|
Increased Utilisation of Geothermal Energy Through New Integrated Geoscience Methods |
5 |
$6,250,000 |
|
Earthquake-induced landslides and landscape dynamics: planning for, and avoiding landslide hazard and risk |
5 |
$8,192,115 |
|
Landcare Research New Zealand Ltd |
Advanced remote sensing of Aotearoa for next generation land cover mapping |
5 |
$7,750,000 |
Lincoln Agritech Limited |
Bacterial-fungal hybrid endophytes for nitrogen-fixation and stress tolerance in pine and ryegrass |
5 |
$7,213,045 |
Lincoln University |
Unlocking Export Prosperity from the Agri-food Values of Aotearoa New Zealand |
5 |
$4,000,000 |
Massey University |
He Tātai Whenua: A Te Ao Māori landscape classification |
4 |
$2,870,000 |
Maximising workforce participation for older New Zealanders: Opportunities, Challenges and Prospects |
5 |
$3,996,875 |
|
National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research Ltd |
Ross Sea Research And Monitoring Programme: is the world’s largest MPA effective? |
5 |
$11,134,920 |
New Zealand Winegrowers |
Growing returns through dissociating quality from productivity in NZ Pinot noir production |
5 |
$9,313,300 |
The New Zealand Institute for Plant and Food Research Limited |
Filling the void: boosting the nutritional content of NZ fruit |
5 |
$5,150,000 |
The Research Trust of Victoria University of Wellington |
Improved sea-level rise projections for New Zealand to better anticipate and manage impacts |
5 |
$7,107,435 |
ECLIPSE – Eruption or Catastrophe: Learning to Implement Preparedness for future Supervolcano Eruptions |
5 |
$8,246,225 |
|
Tissue repair technologies based on novel sulfated sugars |
5 |
$6,203,540 |
|
Ultra-high speed superconducting machines for hybrid-electric aircraft |
5 |
$6,299,995 |
|
Unversity of Auckland |
Development of robust IPT pavement systems for electric vehicles |
5 |
$11,825,955 |
Smart sensing of physiology to grow the NZ Medtech industry |
5 |
$11,981,875 |
|
Fast, Efficient and Tailored Pulsed Laser Micromachining and Additive Manufacturing |
5 |
$11,802,990 |
|
University of Canterbury |
Community concerns, key species and wahi taonga – recovery trajectories of the marine ecosystem from the Kaikōura earthquakes |
4 |
$3,184,344 |
Map-based tools for Community and Rūnanga-led sustainable town planning in small and medium settlements in New Zealand |
5 |
$2,570,250 |
|
University of Otago |
Developing and applying next generation genomic selection to rapidly improve honeybee performance |
5 |
$6,344,620 |
Real-time analytical molecular diagnostic laboratory in the palm of one’s hand |
4 |
$5,999,792 |
2017 success rates per organisation
The table below details the 2017 Endeavour Fund success rates by organisation.
We are pleased to confirm that the overall success rate is higher in 2017. A lower number of proposals were submitted compared to 2016 and the proposals were of higher quality. There was also an additional $10 million per year funding made available through Budget 2017.
Organisation | Proposals submitted | Proposals approved | Success rate |
---|---|---|---|
AgResearch Limited | 38 | 6 | 15.79% |
Aqualinc Research Limited | 2 | 0 | 0.00% |
Auckland University of Technology | 23 | 0 | 0.00% |
Avertana Limited | 1 | 0 | 0.00% |
Cawthron Institute | 7 | 2 | 28.57% |
CRL Energy Ltd | 2 | 0 | 0.00% |
Elemental Group Limited | 1 | 0 | 0.00% |
Institute of Environmental Science and Research Limited | 5 | 0 | 0.00% |
Institute of Geological & Nuclear Sciences Limited - Trading as GNS Science | 19 | 8 | 42.11% |
Landcare Research New Zealand Ltd | 10 | 3 | 30.00% |
Lincoln Agritech Limited | 9 | 2 | 22.22% |
Lincoln University | 9 | 1 | 11.11% |
Massey University | 16 | 5 | 31.25% |
Medical Research Institute of New Zealand | 1 | 0 | 0.00% |
Methodist Mission Southern | 1 | 0 | 0.00% |
MetOcean Solutions Limited | 2 | 1 | 50.00% |
Motu Economic and Public Policy Research Trust | 1 | 0 | 0.00% |
National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research Ltd | 49 | 2 | 4.08% |
New Zealand Forest Research Institute Ltd Trading as Scion | 12 | 2 | 16.67% |
New Zealand Leather and Shoe Research Association (Inc) | 2 | 0 | 0.00% |
New Zealand Winegrowers | 2 | 1 | 50.00% |
NZ Heavy Engineering Research Association | 1 | 0 | 0.00% |
Opus International Consultants Limited | 1 | 0 | 0.00% |
The Family Centre, Social Policy Research Unit | 1 | 0 | 0.00% |
The New Zealand Institute for Plant and Food Research Limited | 10 | 1 | 10.00% |
The Research Trust of Victoria University of Wellington | 37 | 5 | 13.51% |
Toi Ohomai Institute of Technology | 1 | 0 | 0.00% |
Unitec Institute of Technology | 1 | 0 | 0.00% |
University of Auckland | 70 | 12 | 17.14% |
University of Canterbury | 23 | 7 | 30.43% |
University of Otago | 27 | 7 | 25.93% |
University of Waikato | 23 | 3 | 13.04% |
Waikato Institute of Technology | 1 | 0 | 0.00% |
Grand total | 408 | 68 | 16.67% |