2021 Endeavour Fund successful proposals
We received 544 applications for research funding in the 2021 round of the Endeavour Fund and 69 were approved for funding.
On this page
The successful proposals for the 2021 Endeavour Fund were selected by the Science Board, an independent statutory Board, following review by independent experts from New Zealand and overseas.
The new contracts start on 1 October 2021.
Read the Minister's announcement(external link) – Parliament website
Diversity Data for the 2021 Endeavour Fund Investment Round [PDF 213KB]
Successful 2021 Smart Ideas
The successful Smart Ideas for 2021 are listed below.
Full list of Endeavour Round 2021 successful projects [PDF, 979 KB]
| Organisation | Title | Duration (years) | Contract Value (GST excl) |
|---|---|---|---|
| AgResearch Limited | Novel infant formula emulsions | 3 | $999,999 |
| Blue Carbon Services Limited | Quantifying Blue Carbon: kelp contribution to carbon sequestration in marine sediments | 3 | $1,000,000 |
| GNS Science | Agent models of tsunami evacuation behaviour to improve planning and preparedness | 3 | $999,999 |
| GNS Science | Assessing silent tsunami risk in the Tasman Sea/Te Tai-o-Rēhua | 2 | $1,000,000 |
| Landcare Research | Exploiting Fear for Integrated Pest Management | 3 | $1,000,000 |
| Landcare Research | Pollinator management through floral microbe-mediated behavioural manipulation | 3 | $999,999 |
| Massey University | High-Resolution Underground Imaging with Airborne Ground-Penetrating Radar | 3 | $1,000,000 |
| Massey University | Enhancing legume nitrogen fixation to reduce fertiliser use | 3 | $1,000,000 |
| Massey University | BioWhere: Developing Methods to Georeference New Zealand’s Biota from Text | 3 | $1,000,000 |
| National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research Limited | RotoTurf – seeding freshwater restoration | 3 | $999,999 |
| National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research Limited | Transforming scallop fishing: Non-destructive surveying and harvesting for economic acceleration and kaitiakitanga | 3 | $999,999 |
| National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research Limited | Carbon sequestration via New Zealand’s estuarine sediments: Implications for GHG budgets | 3 | $1,000,000 |
| PlantTech Research Institute Limited | A 3D model of radiation transport to enable high yield photosynthetic efficient crops | 2 | $1,000,000 |
| Te Pou Tiringa Incorporated | Whakapakari whānau - realising the potential of Māori from early childhood and over generations | 3 | $1,000,000 |
| The New Zealand Institute for Plant and Food Research Limited | Te tipu o nga ngaro huruhuru: managed native bees for productive agro-ecosystems | 3 | $1,000,000 |
| The New Zealand Institute for Plant and Food Research Limited | Rongoā Whatutoto - Advancing Rongoā Māori Therapeutic Applications through Innovative Technology | 3 | $1,000,000 |
| The New Zealand Institute for Plant and Food Research Limited | The bite of the bumblebee: Biomimicry in flower synchronization | 3 | $1,000,000 |
| The New Zealand Institute for Plant and Food Research Limited | Elucidating key mānuka genes determining honey value | 3 | $999,999 |
| The New Zealand Institute for Plant and Food Research Limited | Stealth crops: A novel concept in pest management | 3 | $999,999 |
| University of Auckland | Making electroceuticals effective through targeted neuromodulation | 2 | $999,060 |
| University of Auckland | Piecing together our past: developing technology and skills to reconstruct broken cultural artefacts | 2 | $1,000,000 |
| University of Auckland | Seismic strengthening of floor diapraghms with carbon fibre materials (CFRP) | 3 | $1,000,000 |
| University of Auckland | Sulfate prodrugs for antibody-drug conjugates as anticancer agents | 3 | $999,999 |
| University of Auckland | Sequentially knock out Phytophthora life stages: An effective solution to protect plants | 3 | $1,000,000 |
| University of Auckland | Novel device for delivering therapies to the inner ear | 3 | $1,000,000 |
| University of Auckland | Harnessing biological materials to make biodegradable electronic devices | 3 | $999,687 |
| University of Auckland | Improving IVF success rates through machine learning | 3 | $921,000 |
| University of Auckland | A Thumping Good Floor: Granular Metamaterials for Quieter Homes | 3 | $999,843 |
| University of Auckland | Mitigation of coastal wave impacts through innovative engineering and community engagement | 3 | $999,654 |
| University of Auckland | New chemistry to control kinase cell signalling in disease | 2 | $1,000,000 |
| University of Canterbury | Designing electrocatalytic electrodes to increase performance and lower the cost of redox flow batteries | 3 | $1,000,000 |
| University of Canterbury | Fungal biosynthesis of nisin for enteric methane mitigation | 2 | $1,000,000 |
| University of Canterbury | Building an integrative genomics framework to mitigate maladaptive reproductive traits in endangered species | 3 | $1,000,000 |
| University of Canterbury | Transforming New Zealand’s ICT workforce using digital personalized interactive training | 3 | $999,753 |
| University of Canterbury | Non-invasive sap flow measurement and mechanisms for reliable tree syrup yield predictions | 3 | $999,999 |
| University of Canterbury | 3D bathymetric modelling of shallow freshwater bodies with short-wave, small-footprint aerial lidar | 2 | $999,924 |
| University of Canterbury | Distributed radio-localisation techniques to track flying insects with a UAV swarm | 3 | $999,705 |
| University of Canterbury | Production of technology-critical, strategic metals using molten oxide electrolysis | 3 | $999,999 |
| University of Otago | A metal isotope environmental toolkit for tracing emerging heavy metal pollutants | 3 | $1,000,000 |
| University of Otago | Rapid, innovative monitoring of pest and native species using aquatic environmental DNA | 3 | $1,000,000 |
| University of Otago | Novel Mānuka oil antibacterial medicaments to promote bone regeneration in oral wounds | 3 | $999,500 |
| University of Otago | Enhancing seed inoculants with bacteriophages to enable more sustainable agriculture | 3 | $1,000,000 |
| University of Otago | Sterilization of pests for conservation of native species using a cell-targeting approach | 3 | $1,000,000 |
| University of Otago | A transformative DNA diagnostic test for early-stage cancer detection | 3 | $1,000,000 |
| University of Otago | Controlling damaging invasive pests by learning from successful biocontrol | 3 | $999,999 |
| University of Otago | Space-ready radiometers for climate monitoring: using light to detect thermal radiation | 3 | $1,000,000 |
| University of Waikato | An ecosystem modelling platform to assist New Zealand lake management | 3 | $999,999 |
| University of Waikato | Quantifying past rainfall and climate extremes in New Zealand | 3 | $1,000,000 |
| Victoria University of Wellington | Optics-based distributed magnetic field and temperature sensor for enhanced power infrastructure reliability | 3 | $999,999 |
| Victoria University of Wellington | Better models of human emotions for interactive media | 3 | $999,999 |
| Victoria University of Wellington | Three-dimensional fluorescent optical memory for long-term data storage and preservation | 3 | $999,999 |
| Victoria University of Wellington | Transformational Methods for Assessing Subaqueous Volcanic Hazards in NZ and Beyond | 3 | $1,000,000 |
Successful 2021 Research Programmes
The successful Research Programmes for 2021 are listed below.
Full list of Endeavour Round 2021 successful projects [PDF, 979 KB]
| Organisation | Title | Duration (years) | Contract Value (GST excl) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cawthron Institute | *Fish futures: preparing for novel freshwater ecosystems | 5 | $12,071,874 |
| Cawthron Institute | *Ngā Punga o Te Moana: Anchoring our Open Ocean Aquaculture Future | 5 | $10,980,925 |
| GNS Science | Beneath the Waves: Preparedness and resilience to New Zealand’s nearshore volcano hazards | 5 | $13,300,000 |
| Landcare Research | *Te Weu o te Kaitiaki – Indigenous regeneration pathways | 5 | $15,950,000 |
| Landcare Research | *Moving the middle: empowering land managers to act in complex rural landscapes | 5 | $13,190,000 |
| Lincoln Agritech Limited | *Novel cellulose fibres regenerated from New Zealand plant resources for textile use | 5 | $8,292,825 |
| Massey University | Smart Bioplastic food packaging to extend shelf-life and reduce pollution | 5 | $9,265,324 |
| National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research Limited | *Transforming coastal lowland systems threatened by sea-level-rise into prosperous communities | 5 | $13,600,000 |
| Scion | *Seeing the forest for the trees: transforming tree phenotyping for future forests | 5 | $9,627,500 |
| Scion | Extreme wildfire: Our new reality – are we ready? | 5 | $11,250,000 |
| Scion | Vive la résistance – achieving long-term success in managing wilding conifer invasions | 5 | $12,850,000 |
| The New Zealand Institute for Plant and Food Research Limited | The Flowering Crisis: Confronting a changing climate’s threat to NZ’s tree crops | 5 | $14,500,000 |
| University of Auckland | *Wirelessly Powered Transport Infrastructure for a Low-carbon Future | 5 | $13,507,911 |
| University of Canterbury | A new electromagnetic imaging method for advanced food process optimization | 5 | $5,225,040 |
| University of Canterbury | Enabling unmanned aerial vehicles (drones) to use tools in complex dynamic environments | 5 | $9,837,002 |
| University of Otago | *Natural carbon sequestration in our southern fjords – a pathway towards carbon neutrality | 5 | $8,605,643 |
| University of Waikato | Restoring Urban Nature | 5 | $10,069,140 |
*Transform proposals
2021 success rates by organisation
The table below details the 2021 Endeavour Fund success rates by organisation.
Full list of Endeavour Round 2021 successful projects [PDF, 979 KB]
| Organisation | Number applied | Number successful | Success rate (%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| AgResearch Limited | 12 | 1 | 8.3 |
| Aqualinc Research Limited | 3 | 0 | 0.0 |
| Auckland University of Technology | 26 | 0 | 0.0 |
| Barenbrug New Zealand Limited | 1 | 0 | 0.0 |
| Beef + Lamb New Zealand Limited | 1 | 0 | 0.0 |
| Blue Carbon Services Limited | 1 | 1 | 100.0 |
| Bodeker Scientific Limited | 6 | 0 | 0.0 |
| BRANZ Limited | 1 | 0 | 0.0 |
| Cawthron Institute | 8 | 2 | 25.0 |
| Climate Acuity Limited | 2 | 0 | 0.0 |
| Crow's Nest Research Ltd | 1 | 0 | 0.0 |
| Gillies McIndoe Research Institute | 1 | 0 | 0.0 |
| GNS Science | 10 | 3 | 30.0 |
| Institute of Environmental Science and Research Limited | 2 | 0 | 0.0 |
| Kimer Med Limited | 1 | 0 | 0.0 |
| Kry10 Limited | 1 | 0 | 0.0 |
| Landcare Research | 9 | 4 | 44.4 |
| Lincoln Agritech Limited | 10 | 1 | 10.0 |
| Lincoln University | 6 | 0 | 0.0 |
| Maori And Indigenous Analysis Ltd | 1 | 0 | 0.0 |
| Massey University | 37 | 4 | 10.8 |
| MetService | 1 | 0 | 0.0 |
| MRCagney (NZ) Limited | 1 | 0 | 0.0 |
| National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research Limited | 36 | 4 | 11.1 |
| New Zealand Institute for Minerals to Materials Research Limited | 1 | 0 | 0.0 |
| Nga Uri O Te Ngahere Trust | 1 | 0 | 0.0 |
| NZ Heavy Engineering Research Association | 1 | 0 | 0.0 |
| PlantTech Research Institute Limited | 1 | 1 | 100.0 |
| Scion | 20 | 3 | 15.0 |
| Sustainable Energy Advice Limited - SEA | 1 | 0 | 0.0 |
| Te Pou Tiringa Incorporated | 1 | 1 | 100.0 |
| Te Whare Wananga o Awanuiarangi | 1 | 0 | 0.0 |
| The Insides Company Limited | 1 | 0 | 0.0 |
| The New Zealand Institute for Plant and Food Research Limited | 22 | 6 | 27.3 |
| Toi Ohomai Institute of Technology | 1 | 0 | 0.0 |
| Unitec New Zealand Limited | 1 | 0 | 0.0 |
| University of Auckland | 121 | 12 | 9.9 |
| University of Canterbury | 50 | 10 | 20.0 |
| University of Otago | 43 | 9 | 20.9 |
| University of Waikato | 39 | 3 | 7.7 |
| Verum Group Limited | 1 | 0 | 0.0 |
| Victoria University of Wellington | 55 | 4 | 7.3 |
| VR Voom Limited | 1 | 0 | 0.0 |
| Weather Radar New Zealand Limited | 1 | 0 | 0.0 |
| WSP New Zealand Limited | 1 | 0 | 0.0 |
| Xerra Earth Observation Institute Limited | 1 | 0 | 0.0 |
| Zambyl Limited | 1 | 0 | 0.0 |
Last reviewed: 12 April 2022