Well, we now have a better idea of the Crown Research Institutes’ purpose in life followingtheir release of statements of core purpose (SCP).
It follows on from a CRITaskforce report in Feb. 2010 in which a major recommendation was to provide an individualCRI’s ‘clear, explicit and enduring strategic role’.
The SCPs were to be developed through high-level dialogue with CRIs and their stakeholdercommunities, and avoid duplication and boundary issues between CRIs, as well as noting areas wherethere is need for collaboration to progress national goals.
The SCPs outline each CRI’s purpose, outcomes, scope of operation and operating principles, ina two page format.
The full statements from the CRIs are available at
MoRST
, ordirect
The CRIs nominate themselves as the lead in the following areas under the scope of operationheading.
AgResearch
•Pasture-based animal production systems
•New pastureplant varieties
•Agriculture-derived greenhouse gas mitigation and pastoral climate changeadaptation
•Agri-food and bio-based products and agri-technologies
•Integratedsocial and biophysical research to support pastoral sector development
ESR
•Forensic science services
•Hard prevention from drugs andalcohol
•Surveillance of human pathogens and zoonotic diseases
•Domestic and exportfood safety in partnership with the regulator
•Impacts of the environment on human health,including groundwater, fresh and drinking water quality and safe biowaste use
•Integratedsocial and biophysical research to support decision making in environmental, public health andjustice sectors
GNS Science
•Geothermal energy, oil, gas, gas-hydrates (including carbonsequestration)
•Mineral and geobiological resources
•Geological hazards, riskmitigation and societal impacts of natural hazards
•Earth-system processes and landscapeevolution
•Groundwater processes and quality
•The geological component of globalenvironmental processes and climate change
•Application of nuclear and isotope science andion beam technology
IRL
•Manufacturing, production and process engineering technologies
•Materials, energy and minerals technology
•Electronic and information engineering
•Measurement standards
•Industrial chemical and pharmaceutical manufacturing
•Medical technologies
Landcare Research
•Catchment-level ecosystems (including wetlands) andrelated ecosystem services
•Terrestrial vertebrate pest control
•Terrestrial carbonprocesses and inventory, and other greenhouse gases from soil and land
•Land cover, land-usecapability and effects, and spatial land information that integrates across sectors and scales
•Soil characterization, processes and services
•Integrated social and biophysicalresearch to support sustainable land resource management, including natural and urbanenvironments
NIWA
•Aquatic resources and environments (with a focus on surfacefreshwaters and coastal environments)
•Oceans
•Freshwater and marine fisheries
•Aquaculture
•Climate and atmosphere
•Climate and weather hazards
•Aquatic and atmospheric-based energy resources
•Aquatic biodiversity (includingbiosystematics) and biosecurity
Plant and Food Research
•Novel fruit, vegetable and crop cultivars forthe horticultural and arable industries
•Sustainable production and processing systems forthe horticultural and arable industries
•Plant and seafood-based foods, ingredients andbiomaterials
Scion
•Sustainable forest management and tree improvement
•Forestry biosecurity and risk management and mitigation
•Wood processing, wood-relatedbioenergy, waste streams and other biomaterials
•Forestry and forestry-related ecosystemservices to inform land-use decision-making
Whether there’s enough critical mass, whether an integration and collaboration withuniversities, and whether there’s enough ‘industry’ to turn science into sellable ideasremains to be seen.
But, it’s a start.