The Marsden Fund was established by the government in 1994 to fund excellent fundamental research. It is a contestable fund administered by the Royal Society of New Zealand on behalf of the Marsden Fund Council. It operates under the Terms of Reference issued by the Minister of Science, Innovation and Technology. Marsden Fund research benefits society as a whole by contributing to the development
of researchers with knowledge, skills and ideas. The Fund invests in excellent, investigator-led research aimed at generating new knowledge, with the potential for long-term economic, environmental or health benefit to New Zealand. It supports excellent research projects that advance and expand the knowledge base and it contributes to the development of people with advanced skills in New Zealand. Competition for grants is intense. The Marsden Fund is regarded as the hallmark of excellence for research in Aotearoa New Zealand. A Marsden Fund Council of nine eminent researchers, chaired by Professor Gill Dobbie, is appointed by the Minister of Science, Innovation and Technology to make recommendations for funding. Selection criteria focus on the research merit of the proposal, the potential of the researchers to contribute to the advancement of knowledge, the enhancement of research skills in New Zealand (especially those of emerging researchers), and the potential for economic, environmental or health benefits for New Zealand. There are eight panels that help the Marsden Fund Council assess proposals. These are:
Biomedical Sciences
Cellular, Molecular and Physiological Biology
Earth Sciences and Astronomy
Ecology, Evolution and Behaviour
Economics and Human and Behavioural Sciences
Engineering and Interdisciplinary Sciences
Mathematical and Information Sciences
Physics, Chemistry and Biochemistry
Each year, the call for proposals is made in December. The deadline for proposals follows in February. Initially, applicants submit a short expression of interest (EoI). These are assessed by the appropriate panel, and the highest ranked are invited to submit full proposals. Each full proposal is scored by external referees – in 2024 approximately 641 referees were used to assess full proposals. In September of each year, the panels meet to decide their preferred projects. Referee reports, as well as applicant responses to their referee reports, are used in the final panel discussions. The recommendations of each panel are confirmed by the Marsden Fund Council, and ratified by the Royal Society Te Apārangi Council. The results of the funding are announced near the beginning of November. The Marsden Fund takes its name from physicist Sir Ernest Marsden (1889-1970) who made a remarkable contribution to science both in New Zealand and overseas. For more details about his life see the biography of Sir Ernest Marsden: https://www.royalsociety.org.nz/what-we-do/funds-and-opportunities/marsden/about/background/biography-of-sir-ernest-marsden/
