Science New Zealand

A new organisation – Science New Zealand – will promote the increasing important place science has in New Zealanders lives, Research, Science and Technology Minister Pete Hodgson announced today.

“Science and its daily contribution to society, is often ‘under the radar’, but there is growing acknowledgement of its place in society. I’m hoping Kiwis will become more conscious of how important the scientific community is to us all.”

“Science New Zealand is the initiative of New Zealand’s nine Crown Research Institutes (CRIs) and aims to promote the value of their science, and of all science in New Zealand.

CRIs have some excellent examples of how science assists New Zealand, including:

• HortResearch’s development of the gold kiwifruit,
• Landcare Research’s control of our possum population,
• AgResearch’s battle against the clover root weevil, and
• ESR’s DNA work to help catch criminals.

“The first initiative of Science New Zealand will be a website which offers New Zealanders an insight into the new science undertaken by CRIs, but which also allows the viewer to visit others sites, such as universities or the New Zealand Royal Society.”

For more information visit: www.sciencenewzealand.org