The Profession of Research Management and Administration in Aotearoa New Zealand
The Emerald Handbook of Research Management and Administration Around the World
ISBN: 978-1-80382-702-5, eISBN: 978-1-80382-701-8
Publication date: 29 November 2023
Abstract
Within Aotearoa New Zealand (NZ) research, funding is sourced from a wide range of NZ and international governments, industries, and philanthropic organisations. This chapter primarily focusses on NZ government public sector funding of research and innovation and the impact this has on research management and administration (RMA) in NZ.
Along with an increase in the number and range of NZ organisations that compete for research funding, there has also been an increase in the complexity and range of roles that need to be undertaken by those involved in RMA. The Future Pathways green paper, released by the Ministry of Environment, Innovation & Employment in October 2021, has signalled a redesign of the ‘public’ research system, which could lead to further changes in the roles and responsibilities of RMA.
Keywords
Citation
Thomas, H. (2023), "The Profession of Research Management and Administration in Aotearoa New Zealand", Kerridge, S., Poli, S. and Yang-Yoshihara, M. (Ed.) The Emerald Handbook of Research Management and Administration Around the World, Emerald Publishing Limited, Leeds, pp. 567-575. https://doi.org/10.1108/978-1-80382-701-820231052
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2024 Heather Thomas
License
These works are published under the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY 4.0) licence. Anyone may reproduce, distribute, translate and create derivative works of these works (for both commercial and non-commercial purposes), subject to full attribution to the original publication and authors. The full terms of this licence may be seen at http://creativecommons.org/licences/by/4.0/legalcode
The New Zealand (NZ) Research Ecosystem
The Department of Scientific and Industrial Research (DSIR) was founded in 1926 by Ernest Marsden to support education and research. Competitive funding was introduced in the late 1980s followed by science sector reforms circa 1990 that saw the dissolution of the DSIR, separation of research policy and funding, and establishment of the Crown Research Institute (CRI).
Public sector funding of research and innovation primarily comes not only from business, science and innovation, and education budgets, but also from a range of other budgets including health, conservation, transport, primary industries, and social development. Since 2012, policy and funding functions are the responsibility of the Ministry of Business, Innovation & Employment | Hīkina Whakatutuki (MBIE1).
With responsibility for aligning Research, Science & Innovation (RSI) investment to the Government’s goals, MBIE develops and delivers policy, services, advice, and regulation to support economic growth and the prosperity and wellbeing of New Zealanders. As the primary distributor of public good research funds, MBIE invests both directly via contestable and devolved funding mechanisms, and indirectly through other agencies.
For example, in the 2020/2021 financial year, the Minister of Research, Science and Innovation (Ministry of Business, Innovation & Employment, 20152) was responsible for funding:
Strategic Science Investment Fund3 – supporting long-term programmes and scientific infrastructure for mission-led science to contribute to the economy, environment, and wellbeing, for example Tangaroa research vessel, nationally significant databases and collections.
Endeavour Fund – investing in the highest quality, mission-led research proposals for areas of future growth and critical need.
National Science Challenges – funding research projects to address issues of national significance.
Partnered Research Fund – achieving greater connections between researchers and end-users.
Catalyst Fund – improving international flows of people, ideas, investment, and trade through the support of international research relationships.
Marsden Fund, via the Royal Society Te Apārangi, for excellent fundamental research, and a range of fellowship funds.
Health Research Fund, via the Health Research Council, for improvement in health and wellbeing through health research.
Business funding to successfully develop new and improved products, processes, and services through R&D, and technology-driven innovation, via Callaghan Innovation.4
Regional institutes – to maximise the unique business, technology, and economic growth opportunities in their respective regions, via the Provincial Growth Fund.
The proportion of government ownership in NZ’s science system through the CRIs is larger than in many OECD countries.5 CRIs play an important role in supporting their sectors to innovate and grow. They undertake research to address NZ’s most pressing issues and to achieve economic growth by improving sectors’ productivity and improving the sustainable use of natural resources.
There are currently seven CRIs, each aligned with a productive sector of the economy or a grouping of natural resources. They are AgResearch, the Institute of Environmental Science and Research, NIWA, Manaaki Whenua – Landcare Research, Plant & Food Research, GNS Science and Scion.
Additionally, the Tertiary Education Commission |Te Amorangi Mātauranga Matua (TEC)6 supports the tertiary and careers system to ensure New Zealanders are equipped with the knowledge and skills they need for lifelong success. It allocates a significant amount of research funding to tertiary education organisations (TEOs), through large competitive funds such as the Performance Based Research Fund7 and Centres of Research Excellence Fund.8
Research managers and administrators (RMAs) are present in a range of institutions, including 8 Universities, 7 CRI, 23 independent research organisations [Te Pūkenga comprising 16 Institutes of Technology and Polytechnic (ITP) and 9 industry training organisation (ITO)], 3 Wānanga9, funding bodies, Iwi and Māori businesses, independent consultants, and private sector companies.
Changes in the structure and role of research offices continue apace in response to changing priorities of government and funding agencies, which has led to the creation of new, specialist RMA roles including ethics, integrity, contracting, impact writing, and researcher development. Generation of economic, environmental, and social impact from research investment is also increasingly required by research funders. These new and evolving roles have required increased upskilling of RMA through conferences, accreditation, specialist professional training, e.g. law and project management.
Unique to NZ, partnerships with Māori, through co-design of research and innovation and honouring Te Tiriti o Waitangi10 (the Treaty of Waitangi)11 obligations, is a key Government focus and is intrinsic to the NZ research science and innovation strategy and science system. Māori have a special place in the research system as users and producers of research, as well as custodians, users, and producers of their unique body of mātauranga Māori (indigenous knowledge). As a Treaty partner, the government has a responsibility to ensure Māori research needs are addressed, Māori research aspirations are supported and new and traditional Māori knowledge is protected.
Evolution of the Profession in NZ
The formation of the Australasian Research Management Society (ARMS) in 1999 provided the opportunity for NZ RMAs to join an international association dedicated to the development of the profession, with representation through the NZ & Pacific Chapter. ARMS provides networking, training, and accreditation at various levels as well as an annual conference.12
In NZ, RMAs are usually designated as professional or support staff to differentiate them from academic, research, or technical staff. The designation ‘Research Support’ (RS) is used as a proxy for RMA, who are involved in the many facets of research management to enable a comparison of RS within NZ organisations. However, these numbers should be regarded as only an estimate, as other professional staff such as finance and human resources will most likely be included in CRIs but not necessarily in TEO RS numbers.
The number of RS staff in the TEOs is higher than in the CRIs; however, the percentage of RS to total staff is higher in CRI (Table 5.18.1).
Indicative RS 2021 Staff Numbers in TEO and CRI in NZ.
| 2021 | Total Staff | RS Staff | % RS |
|---|---|---|---|
| TEO | 43,685 | 2,275 | 5 |
| CRI | 3,757 | 490 | 13 |
The NZ RMA Community
Although ARMS membership (Fig. 5.18.1) is increasing, it represents only a small subset of RMAs in NZ as RMAs can attend the ARMS conference, events, and training without being ARMS members.
ARMS engagement in NZ has been challenging due to the distributed membership and low number of members outside of universities. Efforts to increase the engagement of members include the advent of NZ-specific training offerings such as Understanding Māori Data Sovereignty.
Within universities, the RMA community is also supported by the NZ University Research Offices (URONZ) group, which exists to increase collaboration and development of good practice. It includes a Directors’ group that meets regularly, a conference for RS staff, and specialist working groups, e.g. a Contracts Working Group. Traditionally, the annual conference was only open to university staff, but from 2022 it will be open to RS from other organisations.
NZ RMA Demographics
Data from funding agencies, government ministries, and organisation websites have been used to provide a snapshot of the current situation regarding the NZ RMA workforce.
Size of the RSI Workforce by Sector and Occupation
The RSI workforce includes technicians, support staff, and researchers. The make-up of the workforce varies by sector (Fig. 5.18.2). Support and technical staff comprise approximately 43–46% of personnel involved in R&D in the business and government sectors and 13% in the higher education sector (Ministry of Business, Innovation & Employment, 2021a).
As noted earlier, the designation ‘RS’ is being used as a proxy for those involved in RMA to enable a comparison of RS within NZ organisations.
Universities (Table 5.18.2) with education and research as their key core business activities tend to have substantial central research offices providing core administrative services, sometimes with appointments out to faculty level. In contrast CRIs (Table 5.18.3), which are research-only organisations aligned with natural resource groups or productive sectors of the economy, usually have smaller central research administrative support teams, with research management functions dispersed to a variety of roles within their divisions (e.g. business development managers) or in other central corporate services (such as finance or project management).
RS Staff Employed, or Contracted, in TEO, 2019–2021.
| Number of Staff | Full-time Equivalent Staff (FTE) | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | |
| Annual Totals | 1,680 | 2,010 | 2,275 | 920 | 1,145 | 1,190 |
| Ethnic group | ||||||
| European | 825 | 970 | 960 | 460 | 570 | 545 |
| Māori | 85 | 130 | 170 | 45 | 70 | 90 |
| Pacific Peoples | 60 | 60 | 95 | 35 | 35 | 40 |
| Asian | 420 | 445 | 455 | 250 | 295 | 285 |
| Other | 125 | 125 | 115 | 65 | 80 | 65 |
| Unknown | 185 | 295 | 505 | 75 | 105 | 170 |
| Age | ||||||
| Under 30 | 705 | 835 | 910 | 305 | 385 | 370 |
| 30–49 | 730 | 850 | 970 | 440 | 530 | 555 |
| 50–59 | 165 | 205 | 230 | 125 | 150 | 165 |
| 60–64 | 55 | 70 | 80 | 40 | 55 | 55 |
| 65 and over | 25 | 40 | 45 | 15 | 20 | 25 |
| Unknown | 5 | 15 | 40 | 0 | 0 | 15 |
| Gender | ||||||
| Female | 1,090 | 1,260 | 1,425 | 595 | 725 | 745 |
| Male | 590 | 730 | 795 | 325 | 415 | 420 |
| Another gender | nc | 20 | 55 | nc | 5 | 25 |
Source: Statistics derived from information provided to the Ministry of Education by TEOs.
Notes: Staffing counts are submitted by providers for the full calendar year.
Data in all tables, including totals, have been rounded to the nearest 5 to protect the privacy of individuals, so the sum of individual counts may not add to the total.
Te Pūkenga – The New Zealand Institute of Skills and Technology (NZIST) was established in 2020 as part of reforms of vocational education and includes the previous 16 ITPs.
‘nc’ (not collected) indicates that providers were not asked to report staff numbers in this category in the given year.
The total number of RS staff in NZ TEO has increased (Table 5.18.2) from 2019 to 2021. This increase has been variable across ethnic groups (Fig. 5.18.3) and age classes (Fig. 5.18.4). While the number of RS who have identified as male has increased, this is still a very female dominated profession (Fig. 5.18.5).
Across the seven CRIs, there is widespread variation in the numbers of research support staff (Table 5.18.3). This is possibly due to what roles each individual organisation counts as RS. It is not possible to know from the available CRI data if there have been similar changes in RS numbers, gender, or age over time in the different CRIs.
Staff Employed in NZ CRIs, by Designation, 2021.
| CRI | Research | Research Support | General | Senior Leadership | All Staff FTE | Staff Headcount |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AgResearch | 408 | 166 | 73 | 10 | 657 | 722 |
| ESR | 265 | 59 | 88 | 8 | 420 | 497 |
| GNS Science | 279 | 68 | 69 | 7 | 423 | 442 |
| Manaaki Whenua | 250 | 37 | 68 | 9 | 364 | 408 |
| NIWA | 461 | 60 | 130 | 9 | 653 | 697 |
| Plant & Food Research | 648 | 92 | 161 | 7 | 908 | 988 |
| Scion | 239 | 8 | 78 | 7 | 332 | 356 |
| All CRI | 2,550 | 490 | 667 | 57 | 3,757 | 4,110 |
Source: Science New Zealand (2021).
Increasingly, the requirement for RMA to have tertiary qualifications is becoming the norm. Given the wide range of roles and job descriptions of RMA, it is important to also appreciate that other qualifications such as project/financial/IP management or prior commercial/company experience can be very relevant.
The Future of RMA in NZ
In the author’s experience, many researchers who work with RMAs value them for the professional and specialist expertise and advice they offer and also for the critical connector role they play throughout the life cycle of research programmes. This is both between researchers and other functions (e.g. finance, HR, business development, legal, etc.) within their own organisation and externally with stakeholders and other RSI organisations. With the increased emphasis on cost/benefit/impact, it is not just about the ‘science’ anymore. Expectations on research impact are driving wider skills RS requirements (e.g. for impact writers, communications, stakeholder engagement, etc.).
The roles of some RMAs will change with the increasing ethical, financial, and legal compliance requirements that are necessary to manage the larger collaborative larger programmes being funded in response to the changing nature of research and scale problems. Such programmes also create opportunities for ‘centre manager’ type roles (i.e. senior RMA external to research offices). This is already evident in National Science Challenges, Platforms, Centres of Research Excellence (CoRE).
Competitiveness among R&D providers for external income to support their respective organisations’ research capabilities will increase as shown in the 2022 MBIE Endeavour Funding Round where 57% of the proposals submitted were from private/limited liability companies. The number of RMAs who are operating outside of research organisations and/or ‘freelancing’ with and for universities, CRIs, and other agencies is increasing. This pool of RMA consultants provides an essential workforce for organisations with fluctuating demands and needs and is changing the RMA ‘market’.
In NZ, the R&D system is focussed on the upcoming potential redesign of the ‘public’ research system following the release of the Future Pathways green paper (Ministry of Business, Innovation & Employment, 2021b). The intent is to identify processes to better deliver on whole-of-system research priorities and potential mechanisms to support, develop, and fund the RSI workforce. It will embed the Treaty across the design and delivery attributes of the system, and enable opportunities for mātauranga Māori. Based on past experience with changes in the structure of RSI organisations and funding arrangements the author hypothesises that any ‘redesign’ resulting from the MBIE green paper will undoubtedly impact on RMAs as will the increased, and well overdue, requirement for co-creation of proposals with all stakeholders, including more involvement of Māori in kaitiaki roles for Māori specific engagement, IP management, and contracting.
https://www.mbie.govt.nz/science-and-technology/science-and-innovation/, the public funder for research that creates economic, social and environmental benefits for New Zealand.
Established 2013 by the NZ government to support business Research & Development (R&D) and accelerate commercialisation in NZ.
Crown Agency that leads the Government’s relationship with the tertiary education sector in NZ, including the management of PBRF.
TEO fund for tertiary sector organisations via a four-yearly contestable fund.
Inter-institutional research networks, where researchers work together on commonly agreed work programmes.
Publicly owned tertiary institutions that provide education in a Māori cultural context.
References
Ministry of Business, Innovation & Employment 2015, OctoberMinistry of Business, Innovation & Employment. (2015, October). National Statement of Science Investment 2015–2025. New Zealand Government. Retrieved November 26, 2022, from https://www.mbie.govt.nz/assets/2eaba48268/national-statement-science-investment-2015-2025.pdf
Ministry of Business, Innovation & Employment 2021a, OctoberMinistry of Business, Innovation & Employment. (2021a, October). The Research, Science and Innovation report – 2021. New Zealand Government. Retrieved November 26, 2022, from https://researchscienceinnovation.nz/pdf/research-science-and-innovation-system-performance-report-2021.pdf
Ministry of Business, Innovation & Employment 2021b, OctoberMinistry of Business, Innovation & Employment. (2021b, October). Research, Science and Innovation. New Zealand Government. Retrieved November 26, 2022, from https://www.mbie.govt.nz/dmsdocument/17637-future-pathways-green-paper
Science New Zealand 2021Science New Zealand. (2021, September 7). Value of Crown research institutes in Aotearoa New Zealand’s science system today. A report for Science New Zealand. Retrieved November 26, 2022, from https://issuu.com/sciencenewzealand.org/docs/value_of_cris_in_the_nz_science_system_08-09-21
Stats NZ (n.d.)Stats NZ. (n.d.). Research and Development Survey. Stats NZ jointly with the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE). Retrieved November 26, 2022, from https://datainfoplus.stats.govt.nz/Item/nz.govt.stats/4394653f-7947-487b-b0c7-dd48edb45822?_%20/nz.govt.stats/
Acknowledgements
The author would like to acknowledge the contributions from:
Caroline Pratt, Antarctica NZ: 
0000-0001-9195-718X 
Writing – review & editing; Dr Maxine Bryant, AgResearch Ltd: 0000-0002-4944-0774 Writing – review & editing; Melissa Climo, Bridger Consulting: 0000-0002-1725-0933 Writing – review & editing.
- Prelims
- Introduction and Structure
- Introduction to Part 1
- Section 1: History
- Chapter 1.1: The Contribution of International Donors to African Research Management
- Chapter 1.2: History of Research Administration/Management in North America
- Chapter 1.3: Research Managers and Administrators in Asia: History and Future Expectations
- Chapter 1.4: History of Research Management in Australia and New Zealand
- Chapter 1.5: History of RMA in Central and Eastern European Countries
- Chapter 1.6: The Development of Research Management and Administration in Europe: A Short History
- Chapter 1.7: The Establishment and History of the International Network of Research Management Societies
- Section 2: Context
- Chapter 2.1: A Novel Definition of Professional Staff
- Chapter 2.2: The Research Administration as a Profession (RAAAP) Survey
- Chapter 2.3: Routes into Research Management and Administration
- Chapter 2.4: Research Management as Labyrinthine – How and Why People Become and Remain Research Managers and Administrators Around the World
- Chapter 2.5: Where Do RMAs Work?
- Chapter 2.6: The Establishment of a Research Project Management Office at a Medical School in University of São Paulo, FMRP-USP, Brazil
- Chapter 2.7: RMA Education, Training and Professional Development in North America and Europe
- Chapter 2.8: Pathways Towards the Creation of RMA Associations
- Section 3: Identity
- Chapter 3.1: From Conceptualisation to Action – The Quest for Understanding Attitudes of Research Managers and Administrators in the Wider World
- Chapter 3.2: Exploring Forms of Knowledge and Professionalism in RMA in a Global Context
- Chapter 3.3: Understanding Organisational Structures in RMA – An Overview of Structures and Cases in a Global Context
- Chapter 3.4: Research-related Information Management: Reflections from Southern African Practitioners
- Chapter 3.5: Empirical and Empathetic Approaches Taken by Science, Technology and Innovation Coordinators in Southeast Asia
- Chapter 3.6: The Influence of RMA Associations on Identity and Policymaking Internationally
- Chapter 3.7: Evolution of Professional Identity in Research Management and Administration
- Section 4: Professionalism
- Chapter 4.1: Professionalisation of Research Management and Administration in Southern Africa – A Case Study
- Chapter 4.2: Professionalisation of Research Support in Hungary Through the Lens of the Non-research Specific Requirements of Horizon Europe
- Chapter 4.3: Professional Staff in Support Services in Education and Research – How to Connect Research with Practice
- Chapter 4.4: Professional Associations and Professional Development Frameworks
- Chapter 4.5: RASPerS: Prevalence of Occupational Stress and Associated Factors in RMA Professionals
- Chapter 4.6: A Profession in the Making: Insights from Western Balkan Countries
- Chapter 4.7: Key Perspectives for a Long-term Career – Statistical Analysis of International Data for a New Profession
- Chapter 4.8: Diversity and Internationalisation: A New Core Competence for Research Managers?
- Part 2 - Section 5: Country Specific Chapters
- Chapter 5.1: Introduction to the RMA by Country Chapters
- Africa
- Chapter 5.2: Research Management and Administration in Kenya in a Challenging Research Environment
- Chapter 5.3: The Profession of Research Management and Administration in Nigeria
- Chapter 5.4: The Profession of Research Management and Administration in South Africa
- North America
- Chapter 5.5: The Profession of Research Management and Administration in Canada
- Chapter 5.6: The Profession of Research Management and Administration in the Caribbean Community
- Chapter 5.7: Research Administration in the United States
- South America
- Chapter 5.8: Research Management and Administration in Brazil
- Chapter 5.9: Maturity in the Professionalisation of the Research Managers and Administrators in Colombia
- Asia
- Chapter 5.10: Development of RMA in China
- Chapter 5.11: The Profession of Research Management and Administration in India
- Chapter 5.12: The Profession of Research Management and Administration in Japan
- Chapter 5.13: Development of Research Management in Malaysia
- Chapter 5.14: Research Management and Administration in Pakistan's Context
- Chapter 5.15: Research Management and Administration (RMA) in Singapore: Development of RMA Capability in Nanyang Technological University (NTU)
- Chapter 5.16: Research Management and Administration in Vietnam
- Australasia
- Chapter 5.17: The Emergence of the Research Management Profession in Australia
- Chapter 5.18: The Profession of Research Management and Administration in Aotearoa New Zealand
- Central and Eastern Europe
- Chapter 5.19: The Profession of Research Management and Administration in the Baltic Countries: Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania
- Chapter 5.20: RMA in Belarus: Not Yet a Full-Fledged Profession But an Important Part of R&D Activities
- Chapter 5.21: Research Management and Administration in Cyprus
- Chapter 5.22: The Profession of Research Management and Administration in Czechia
- Chapter 5.23: Research Management and Administration in Poland
- Chapter 5.24: The Profession of Research Management and Administration in Romania
- Chapter 5.25: Evolution of RMA in Slovenia
- Chapter 5.26: Research Management and Administration in the Western Balkans
- Western Europe
- Chapter 5.27: Areas of Research Management and Administration in Austria
- Chapter 5.28: The Profession of Research Management and Administration in Denmark
- Chapter 5.29: The Profession of Research Management and Administration in Finland
- Chapter 5.30: The Profession of Research Management and Administration in France
- Chapter 5.31: The Profession of Research Management and Administration in Germany
- Chapter 5.32: The Profession of Research Management and Administration in Iceland
- Chapter 5.33: The Profession of Research Management and Administration in Ireland
- Chapter 5.34: The Profession of Research Management and Administration in Italy
- Chapter 5.35: The Profession of Research Management and Administration in the Netherlands
- Chapter 5.36: The Profession of Research Management and Administration in Norway
- Chapter 5.37: The Profession of Research Management and Administration in Portugal
- Chapter 5.38: The Development of the RMA Profession in Catalonia (Spain)
- Chapter 5.39: The Profession of Research Management and Administration in Sweden
- Chapter 5.40: The Profession of Research Management and Administration in the UK
- Middle East
- Chapter 5.41: Research Management and Administration in Qatar
- Chapter 5.42: Research Management and Administration in Saudi Arabia: Transitioning From an Oil to a Knowledge-based Economy
- Chapter 5.43: Research Management and Administration: An Emerging Profession in the UAE
- Chapter 5.44: Reflections on Research Management and Administration in Various Countries Around the World
- Section 6: Reflections
- Chapter 6: Emerging Trends and Insights in Research Management and Administration
- Glossary
- References
- Index