News Article: New Zealand scraps science reform plan, prompting fears of budget cuts

Any science cuts would come not long before the current funding for 11 decade-old research groups, known as the National Science Challenges, runs out at the end of June. These collaborative initiatives focus on an array of issues facing New Zealand, including an aging population, the loss of biodiversity, and scarce, poor-quality housing. Researchers had expected the up to NZ$80 million funding for the challenges to be redirected toward new research programs identified under the reform plan. But now that funding could “become easy pickings” as the science ministry seeks to cut spending, says environmental scientist Troy Baisden, a co-president of the New Zealand Association of Scientists.