Renowned researcher urges others to enter top awards

Philippa Howden-Chapman received last year's $500,000 Prime Minister's Science Prize in recognition of her efforts to improve housing for Kiwis. Photo / MICHAEL ROBERTS

One of New Zealand's top researchers is calling on fellow scientists to see that their work is nominated for major science awards this year.

Professor Philippa Howden-Chapman, who is based at Otago University's Wellington campus, received last year's $500,000 Prime Minister's Science Prize in recognition of her efforts to improve housing for Kiwis - especially for children in poor-quality homes.

"Winning the Prime Minister's Science Prize has made me feel even more confident about the value of our research and the importance of doing robust science that can potentially have an impact on policy developments," she said.

"The prize money is invaluable for the new studies we are doing on how to keep babies and young children out of hospital by improving their housing."

The award had also raised the profile of her team's work to address long-standing quality deficiencies in housing, and helped to highlight an important issue for New Zealand -- the impact poor housing can have on health and fuel poverty.

"It is rewarding to see that the work done by the He Kainga Oranga/Housing and Health Research Programme, and the work of other researchers, is contributing to a growing recognition that access to warm, dry, safe housing is central to New Zealanders health and wellbeing.

"One of the things that has been particularly rewarding to me personally is the number of people who have approached me to talk about how much it means to them to have someone speaking out on behalf of the many New Zealanders who have no choice or voice on this issue."

She encouraged other researchers to enter this year's Prime Minister's Science Prizes, which are New Zealand's most valuable science awards, before nominations close at the end of the month.

The prizes provide opportunities for the country's established and emerging scientists, science teachers and science communicators to share the prize money of $1 million, covering five categories.

The Prime Minister's Future Scientist Prize winner will be chosen as part of a secondary school national competition and has separate selection criteria.