Scientists speak out over funding

By SIMON COLLINS

Some of New Zealand's most eminent scientists have put their names to an open letter warning that the country's short-term science funding system is driving researchers overseas.

A world expert on the origins of language, psychologist Mike Corballis, superconductor researcher Jeff Tallon, New Zealand-born Oxford zoologist Alan Cooper and genetically modified crop breeders Tony Conner and Colin Eady are among 725 scientists who have signed the letter to Science Minister Pete Hodgson.

Signatures were gathered on a website over the past year and a delegation presented the letter to Mr Hodgson this week. Most signatories work in Crown research institutes and represent a sizeable chunk of their 4000 staff.

Landcare senior soil scientist Craig Ross was a member of a science advisory group to former Science Minister Simon Upton when the Crown institutes were created in 1991-92, but said he was now disillusioned.

"I was quite optimistic at that time because it was quite a new direction and science was aligning itself much more closely with industry and moving the country forward," he said.

"But it's like a lot of things in New Zealand. The free-market, competitive model has had all sorts of unforeseen consequences, a lot of which are pretty adverse. The key one is the standing of careers in science."

Dr Ross, who had 20 years with the former Soil Bureau before it was divided up among the new research institutes in 1992, said he had seen 16 rounds of redundancies in the bureau and then Landcare since 1988.

He was personally given notice of redundancy unless he could find new funding for his work by May this year, and is now doing short-term work for mining and forestry companies that guarantees his job only until next June.

"Thirty-two years of soil/environmental science experience counts for nothing in Crown research institute science," Dr Ross told Mr Hodgson in comments added to the open letter.

"Careers in science are now short-term periods between funding 'lotteries'."

Scientist after scientist added notes to the open letter saying they "could not recommend science as a career to my children", were now leaving science "due to the massive funding and employment uncertainties", or were leaving the country because "the best place for my skills in the future will be offshore".

A molecular biologist completing a post-doctoral fellowship in Canada was "considering retraining to a totally different field so that I can return to New Zealand with a 'better' career. Why should I return to New Zealand as a scientist?".

Dr Ross said Mr Hodgson had taken a step in the right direction this year with a shift in science funding to longer-term performance-based funding.

The Foundation for Research, Science and Technology has also signalled that it will make up for a $3 million cut in soil science funding last year by giving $2.5 million a year to a new soil research collaboration of four research institutes.

But Dr Ross said he was no more optimistic than he was a year ago "because the officials in Wellington have a habit of changing things on a yearly basis". He believed bigger blocks of money needed to be committed for "decent chunks of time".

Public Service Association organiser Malcolm Blair, who facilitated the open letter but said it was not a PSA initiative, said Mr Hodgson "gave a very positive response" to the delegation.

The group expects to meet Mr Hodgson again in the next few weeks.

Public Service Association:
Submission to the Minister of Research, Science and Technology