Direction to: The Foundation for Research, Science and Technology (“the foundation”).
Under section 8A of the Foundation for Research, Science, and Technology Act 1990, I direct the foundation to allocate funds in accordance with Envirolink (‘‘the scheme”) as specified in this notice.
Nature of the Scheme
The intended outcome of the scheme is to increase the return on investment in environmental research, science and technology by facilitating its uptake by regional councils.
The foundation will work with nine trial regional councils (“the trial regional councils”)1, the remaining regional councils (“regional councils”)2, Crown Research Institutes (“CRIs”)3, universities4 and research associations5.
Scheme Objectives
Projects that meet the scheme’s objectives are eligible to receive funds from the foundation.
The scheme’s objectives are to:
? improve science input to the environmental management activities of regional councils;
? increase the engagement of regional councils with the environmental research, science and technology sector; and
? contribute to greater collective engagement between councils and the science system generally.
Operating Principles/The Mechanism
The scheme will be administered by the foundation.
Envirolink is available to support two areas of environmental management which are:
? advice; and
? tools.
The foundation will allocate funds to those proposals that, in its view, meet the following criteria:
? Small advice grant (up to $5,000.00 per grant):
An initial expert consultation available to the trial regional councils to access existing expertise and knowledge to identify a council’s information needs, science techniques and/or any training requirements for these techniques.
? Medium advice grant (up to $20,000 per grant):
A detailed expert consultation available to the trial regional councils, for discrete projects or as a second phase of an initial small grant project, to apply existing knowledge held by scientists to environmental issues in a region.
? Tools:
Available to all regional councils to develop or adapt existing resource management tools for use by all regional councils. All regional councils must agree a prioritised list of resource management tools to be funded each year.
The foundation may delegate authority to CRIs, research associations and universities to be its approved agents for advice grants in respect of the scheme.
The foundation may delegate authority to regional councils to be its approved agents in respect of the scheme only with prior ministerial approval.
Further instructions and requirements of applicants will be communicated by the foundation, including on its web site.
Funds not allocated by the foundation in any financial year will be rephased to the ensuing financial year and used only for the scheme.
Should the funds be fully allocated by the foundation prior to the close of any financial year, the foundation will notify regional councils, CRIs, universities, research associations and the Ministry of Research, Science and Technology
(“the ministry”) that no more proposals may be received
in that financial year.
In administering the fund, the foundation will:
? ensure the trial regional councils are actively participating in obtaining advice grants by initiating projects; and
? ensure the process is flexible and responsive to regional councils’ needs.
Allocation of Funding
Funds available to the scheme will be published each year
in the estimates of appropriations.
Period of Operation
The scheme commences operation on 1 November 2005
in trial form.
Its continuation and mode of operation will be evaluated in an ongoing manner for the duration of the trial (two years) by the ministry.
The scheme will continue beyond two years, but its method of operation will be reviewed at this time, with a view
to updating this ministerial notice by 30 November 2007.
Monitoring Agency
Monitoring and review of the scheme, including of the implementation of this ministerial notice by the foundation and the extent to which the scheme achieves its stated objectives, will be carried out by the ministry.
Dated this 2nd day of October 2005.
STEVE MAHAREY, Minister of Research, Science and Technology.
Notes
1For the purposes of this scheme, the regional councils in the trial are limited to the following:
West Coast Regional Council, Northland Regional Council, Gisborne District Council (unitary authority), Environment Southland, Hawke’s Bay Regional Council, Horizons Regional Council, Tasman District Council (unitary authority), Nelson City Council (unitary authority) and Marlborough District Council (unitary authority).
2For the purposes of this scheme, regional councils include both regional councils and unitary authorities as defined by the Local Government Act, 2002.
3For the purposes of this scheme, Crown Research Institutes are those governed by the Crown Research Institutes Act 1992.
4Universities include those entities defined as such and governed by the Education Act 1989.
5Any New Zealand-based not for profit research associations and the Cawthron Institute.