KEY POINTS:
New Zealand's lack of funding for basic research is a "slow-burning catastrophe" that is contributing to the brain drain, a group of the country's top thinkers said yesterday.
In an open letter to Science Minister Pete Hodgson, 460 of New Zealand's leading scientists and academics urged the Government to treble the Marsden Fund, New Zealand's core basic research fund.
The scientists come from universities, crown research institutes and independent research institutes.
They include leading figures such as Margaret Brimble, Jim Salinger, Neil Ashcroft and Bruce Baguley.
The letter's author, Professor Jeffery Tallon of Victoria University, said New Zealand spends just over over 1 per cent of its GDP on science research, compared with other OECD countries such as Denmark that spend more than 3 per cent.
The country's spend on scientific research had actually dropped 17 per cent in the past 10 years, despite political rhetoric about the push for a "knowledge-based" economy, he said.
Professor Tallon said advances in pharmaceutical development and disease research were being hampered.
While New Zealand's research abilities were reversing and productivity declining, its competitors abroad were rapidly expanding their investment, Professor Tallon said.
"We need to wake up. Collectively in New Zealand we haven't got our heads around that we're in direct competition with the rest of the world.
"We're falling behind. It's a slow-burning catastrophe."
The Marsden Fund dispenses about $39 million to researchers each year - enough to fund just 7 per cent of research applicants.
The paucity of funding had caused a "disenchantment amongst researchers", Professor Tallon said, meaning jobs were on the line.
He said "outstanding young people" were emigrating to countries where the research environment was "more positive and rewarding".
In the opinion of the scientists, the 93 per cent failure rate for bids was "absolutely unacceptable".
"This is not just our view, but one that has been articulated in independent reviews, government statements and recently in the OECD Review of Innovation Policy in New Zealand."
Mr Hodgson said last night that there were "no plans to dramatically increase the Marsden Fund, any more than there are plans to raise the health research fund, or other funds".
He pointed out the Marsden Fund made up just a small part of the country's $700 million research spend, of which about 40 per cent was spent on basic research, comparing well with other Western countries.
WHAT THE SCIENTISTS WANT
* The "basic research" Marsden Fund to increase three fold, from $39 million per year to nearly $140 million.
* Policies to stem exodus of the country's young scientists.
* A rise in research spending from about 1 per cent of GDP now, to about 3 per cent of GDP.
JIM SALINGER
NIWA principal scientist and climate change expert, he contributed to the Inter-Governmental Panel on Climate Change that won the Nobel Peace Prize last year.
BRUCE BAGULEY
Co-director of the Auckland Cancer Society Research Centre and principal research fellow of the Auckland Cancer Society.
MARGARET BRIMBLE
Chair of organic and medicinal chemistry at the University of Auckland and winner of the 2007 Unesco Women in Science Laureate Award.
NEIL ASHCROFT
Professor of theoretical condensed matter physics at Cornell University, New York, and visiting professor at Canterbury University.
