Computer scientists chasing share of cash-for-excellence

By ADAM GIFFORD

Waikato University's computer science department is pushing hard to be one of a handful of Centres of Research Excellence (CoRE) to be financed under a Government plan.

Department head Professor Mark Apperley said Waikato was working with Auckland University and Auckland University of Technology on the proposal for a Research Centre for Information and Communications Technology Innovation.

Of the 54 proposals received by the fund administrator, the Royal Society, by yesterday's deadline, only three had an IT focus.

Massey University wants to set up an information science and technology research centre focusing on large-scale, distributed, data-intensive information systems, such as those used in biology or earth sciences or in large business systems.

Otago University is proposing to look at "intelligent interactive systems", or changing the way people have to interact with computers. Its proposal also includes researchers at Auckland and AUT.

The IT projects are competing against a broad range of applicants from other sciences, social sciences, engineering and the humanities.

It seems likely only three to six CoREs will get money.

"It's important ICT does get this sort of support for the future of the knowledge economy," Professor Apperley said.

Waikato was already doing world-class technological research in Machine learning, computer network simulation and measurement, human computer interaction, digital library technology and software engineering.

"We have an evolving innovation system where we go from fundamental research at the front end to being able to deliver commercial opportunities out the other end," Professor Apperley said.

"When you have enough research you can build up self-sustaining cycles.

"We see the CoRE as a way to provide better integration across our activities. Our five key research teams have good interaction now, but have not always been able to make the best of opportunities for exploiting developments as they come along."

Waikato is already bringing in money from commercialising its research. It has put its ground-breaking research on digital libraries in the public domain, but it has earned more than $200,000 advising organisations, including Unesco, the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation, the BBC and North Shore City Council, on the practical application of that research.

It has also brought in more than $2 million from Dag, a network traffic measuring device widely used in the telecommunications industry.

"It's just a printed circuit board with some specialised software - it's called Dag because it hangs off the end," Professor Apperley said.

A decision on which centres will be financed is expected by March.

Royal Society of New Zealand