Tuesday 13 November 2018 2:37pm
Professor Paul Brunton.
There has been a rise in the number of Division of Health Sciences' early career researchers being successful in the Marsden Fund round this year, an increase being welcomed by the Division's Pro-Vice-Chancellor, Professor Paul Brunton.
There are two types of grants: Fast-Start grants worth NZ$300k over three years for early career researchers, and Standard grants that can be worth up to NZ$960k for three years.
Eight projects across the division have secured Fast-Start Marsden funding, three more projects than last year. A further 12 secured Standard funding.
Fast-Start funding has been awarded to:
- Dr Khoon Lim (Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and Musculoskeletal Medicine, UOC)
- Dr Sarah McKenzie (Dean's Department, UOW)
- Dr Rebecca Kinaston and Dr Michael Garratt (Department of Anatomy)
- Dr Soledad (Maria) Perez-Santangelo (Department of Biochemistry)
- Dr Simon Jackson, Dr Matthew McNeill, and Dr Sarah Saunderson (Department of Microbiology and Immunology).
Professor Brunton says it is particularly pleasing to see early career researchers being awarded funding.
“Our early career researchers are fundementally important across the division,” he says.
“They are making valuable contributions in a wide range of research areas and it's very rewarding to have so many recognised with Marsden funding this year.”
Four of the researchers who secured Fast-Start funding and two of those who received funding for standard projects are current or former early career development postdoctoral fellows in the Division.
Professor Brunton says that is a testament to the process around the awarding of post-doctoral fellowships and it is satisfying to see the investment being rewarded.
He highlights the fact that two of the Division's Heads of Department, Professor Michelle Glass (Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology) and Professor Catherine Day (Department of Biochemistry) have secured Marsden funding this year.
“It is an impressive achievement to be leading a department at the same time as successfully securing research funding of this magnitude.”
Overall, Division of Health Sciences researchers have been awarded more than NZ$13.2 million in this year's Marsden Fund round.
Professor Brunton says this is on a par with 2017 which was deemed to be a very successful year.
This year the University of Otago celebrated its most successful Marsden Fund round ever, securing NZ$28.5 million for 41 world-class research projects.
See also: University of Otago celebrates Marsden Fund success