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NZAGRC Innovation Fund

Background

The NZAGRC operates a competitive Innovation Fund for researchers working on solutions for reducing agricultural greenhouse gas emissions. The first funding round took place in 2020 and a second round closed in mid-April 2021. Results from that second round, and information about future funding rounds will be posted here when available.

2021 Innovation Fund round

Overview

A second round of the NZAGRC Innovation Fund took place from March to April 2021, seeking Expressions Of Interest (EOIs) that addressed the following research area:

  • Reduction of methane and/or nitrous oxide emissions from agricultural activities in New Zealand.

Successful applications must develop novel approaches and/or significantly strengthen current research avenues that show major promise for bringing practical, farm-level solutions closer to on-farm implementation.

Features

  • A total of $4 million (NZD) is available.
  • Individual projects will have a maximum value of $800,000 and a maximum duration of 2 years, starting 1 July 2021.
  • Applications are invited from New Zealand based research providers, organisations and companies.
  • A two-stage process will be followed:
    • Stage 1: submission of EOIs and shortlisting by a Technical Assessment Panel (TAP)
    • NZAGRC staff work with approved shortlisted applicants to develop contract-ready research proposals.
  • The specially constituted TAP will evaluate EOIs and make recommendations to the NZAGRC Director on which projects should move to Stage 2. The NZAGRC Director will decide which projects move to Stage 2, taking the TAP recommendations into account along with the existing NZAGRC funding portfolio and broader New Zealand funding landscape.
  • Research projects should be conducted in a manner that ensures the widest possible benefit to New Zealand. Therefore, unless there are strong reasons to protect Intellectual Property, it should be made publicly and freely available.
  • Co-funding is strongly encouraged for all applications, and applications involving industry should have significant co-funding.

Key dates

 

 Date Activity 
 16 March Round opens 
 13 April EOIs close, 9am 
 26-30 April Technical Assessment Panel meets 
 7 May NZAGRC notifies applicants of outcomes and works with short-listed applicants to develop a detailed, contract-ready research proposal 
 30 May Successfully negotiated proposals submitted to NZAGRC Governance Group for funding approval 
 1 July  Contracting complete; projects commence

 

Key documents

Download the 2021 Innovation Fund guidelines here: pdf NZAGRC 2021 Innovation Fund Guidelines (0.09MB) (UPDATED 07/04/21)

 

2020 Innovation Fund round

The first round of the NZAGRC Innovation Fund opened in July 2020, with $2 million available for projects from New Zealand-based research providers, organisations and companies. Proposals were sought for projects, up to two-years in duration, that addressed one or both of the following research areas: 

  1. Reducing methane emissions from enteric fermentation in ruminants
  2. Reducing nitrous oxide emissions from ruminant animal deposited urine patches

As with the second round, proposals had to significantly strengthen current research avenues and/or develop novel approaches that show major promise for bringing practical, farm-level solutions closer to on-farm implementation.

Four projects were selected, worth a total of $1.72 million:

  • Targeting methanol formation for methane, led by AgResearch
  • Molecular tools for methane mitigation, led by the University of Auckland
  • Inhibiting ruminal methane using bromoform, led by AgResearch
  • On-farm delivery of methane inhibitors, led by DairyNZ

Members