Our Partners

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Our Challenge Parties

The 18 Challenge Parties include all eight of Aotearoa New Zealand’s universities and seven Crown Research Institutes.

They are instrumental in supporting and promoting BioHeritage, working with us to foster collaboration and to share research effort to create impact in our three areas: Whakamana/Empower, Tiaki/Protect, Whakahou/Restore.

We take an innovation system approach to working with the Challenge Parties. This entails sharing resources, knowledge and funding to create national-scale impacts and benefits for Aotearoa New Zealand.

You can read our BioHeritage Strategy for 2019-2024 here.

Challenge Parties and Representatives

AgResearch: Dr Marie Bradley

Auckland University of Technology: Catherine Redmond

Cawthron Institute: Dr Roger Young

Department of Conservation: Dr Clement Lagrue

ESR: Wim Nijhof

GNS Science: Greg Holland

Lincoln University: Prof Grant Edwards (co-chair)

Manaaki Whenua - Landcare Research: Dr Fiona Carswell

Massey University: Dr Simon Hills

Ministry for Primary Industries: Megan Verry

NIWA: Dr Rob Murdoch

University of Otago: Anne O’Connell

Plant & Food Research: Mark Piper (co-chair)

Scion: Dr Tara Strand

Te Herenaga Waka - Victoria University of Wellington: Dr Jared Scarlett

University of Auckland: Prof Jim Metson and Anne Casey

University of Canterbury: Prof Ian Wright

University of Waikato: Prof. Karin Bryan

Flagship Sites

Flagship Site partnerships are a way to help achieve a fundamental shift in the way we conduct science and research activities in New Zealand. In particular, we believe that transformational environmental change can only be achieved through partnerships with Māori, community, industry and the private sector.

These sites reflect our values around:

  • Iwi, community, philanthropy, government and sector engagement.
  • High-level collaboration and shared funding.
  • Aspirations to tackle top-priority pest threats, and enable native animals and plants to flourish.
  • Activities spanning both conservation and the primary sector.
  • Recognition of the role of Māori as leaders, governors and kaitiaki in innovative regional-scale restoration, and national profile.
  • Supporting research that aligns strongly with the BioHeritage Strategy.

International Partnerships

We focus on building high-impact, enduring international partnerships as a way of leveraging international expertise and developing global networks for Aotearoa researchers.

We have an International Science Advisory Panel who periodically review and inform our work from an international perspective. This approach has resulted in new collaborations and opportunities that have the potential to increase research impact in our investment areas.

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