So BioHeritage National Science Challenge has ended – and what comes next?
BioHeritage was one of 11 National Science Challenges established in 2014 as mission-led research programmes. The Challenges, funded by MBIE, were time-bound, and all officially ended on 30 June this year. The office in Lincoln supporting BioHeritage finishes reporting and turns off the lights on 30 August 2024.
What’s happening with mission-led science and the science system?
The government has stopped Te Ara Paerangi processes (including National Research Priorities) and set up a Science System Advisory Group to provide advice to the government. A two-part report will be developed, with the second later this year with final recommendations for longer-term changes to the science system. You can sign up for updates. The Association of Scientists and PSA have initiated a campaign to highlight the risks of cuts to science funding, Save Science Coalition New Zealand Association of Scientists – Save Science Coalition
Where will BioHeritage tools and resources go?
All reports, data and research outputs are easily accessible and freely available at our data repository (Welcome – New Zealand’s Biological Heritage Data Repository (bioheritage.nz)), while the BioHeritage website (Biological Heritage NZ (bioheritage.nz)) will remain viewable for the next three years. After that, you can access the archived website via the archived website via the National Library of New Zealand.
BioHeritage’s videos are still accessible on BioHeritage’s YouTube channel, including the talks and presentations from Crazy & Ambitious 4 conference at www.youtube.com/@bioheritagechallenge9889
Any journal articles in press or to be published will be added to the data repository when they are published.
BioHeritage’s ‘life of contract’ summary from its final report, will be published by December 2024 along with the final lifetime reports of the other Challenges, on MBIE’s website National Science Challenges | Ministry of Business, Innovation & Employment (mbie.govt.nz).
There’s more about mission-led research at the NSC report produced earlier this year National Science Challenge Directors Discuss the Mission-led Approach to Science and Research
There’s a special issue of the Royal Society Journal, The National Science Challenge Experiment: Legacy and Lessons, to be published in late 2024/early 2025 – check at Journal of the Royal Society of New Zealand.
Also due out in early 2025 will be a special book about the challenge and learnings of BioHeritage National Science Challenge – keep in touch with the BioHeritage Alliance to get an invite to the launch of that pukapuka.
Who should I contact about any research?
In the first instance, contact the research programme co-leads or researchers via their organisations. If you can’t track down the relevant person, try the BioHeritage Alliance, the organisation established post-Challenge, hosted by Te Tira Whakamataki (Te Tira Whakamātaki | Māori Biodiversity Network (ttw.nz)).
What’s the BioHeritage Alliance?
Continuing the Challenge’s ways of working, the BioHeritage Alliance is being established to help to maintain relationships developed across the sector, share information and data, and coordinate research efforts needed to address key environmental issues. To facilitate the transition, the Alliance co-leads are reaching out to introduce the BioHeritage Alliance, and will enable stakeholders and interested parties to receive Alliance newsletters, invites to activities, and to stay involved.