Donald Trump’s Government cuts funding for NZ scientists’ trip to US

By RNZ

• The Trump Administration’s spending cuts cancelled a $51,000 grant for a scientific celebration.
• The event would have marked 150 years of scientific co-operation between the United States and New Zealand.
• Universities New Zealand’s Chris Whelan said there are no plans for an alternative event.

The Donald Trump Administration’s spending cuts have put paid to a celebration of 150 years of scientific co-operation between New Zealand and the United States.

Universities New Zealand chief executive Chris Whelan said the organisation received notification last month that a US$30,000 ($51,580) grant for a function in Washington had been cancelled.

“Unfortunately, we received a letter advising us that under President Trump’s executive order re-evaluating and re-aligning the United States’ foreign aid, that funding was cancelled. No other reason was given,” Whelan said.

He said the US State Department funding included travel by a New Zealand delegation to the US.

President Donald Trump's spending cuts have put paid to a celebration of 150 years of scientific co-operation between New Zealand and the United States. Photo / Getty Images

Whelan said the event would have marked 150 years since the US sent scientists to this country to observe the planet Venus passing between the sun and the Earth.

“The partnership dates back to the 1874 transit of Venus. The US dispatched two scientific expeditions to New Zealand for the purpose. One to the Chatham Islands, another to Queenstown,” he said.

Whelan said Universities New Zealand had been working on the project with the US Embassy in Wellington.

“It was seen as highly desirable to mark a major milestone, 150 years of scientific collaboration between our countries and a feel-good event and a good chance to publicise New Zealand in the US,” he said.

He said there were no plans at this stage for an alternative event and people were disappointed but understood such funding could be changed with a change of Government.

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