The title of this 'manifesto' says it all in its inclusion of the word "recovery" - NZ science is unwell - its sustenance is tethering on decisions of those who don't know what is needed to alleviate the great weight stressing its backbone - the scientists who discover, validate and transfer skills and knowledge. How many people consciously realise that everything we know about our world and most technology we possess came from the process of science?

At least, that's the picture this manifesto paints and judging from the talk going on around the place (see the NZ Association of Scientists' response and an article in a recent National Business Review, NZ Science Talk blog), I suspect it's not far from the truth.

It's sad, really - that (one of) my chosen career paths already is already mapped with obstacles - obstacles that don't need to be there - on top of the obstacles intrinsic to the job. It tires me just to think about it. I hope my passion for science will pull me through every set back that I know I will encounter if NZ science is to continue in its current direction... brain drain? Either mine or NZ's, right?

Anyway, this post is just me wondering aloud. Keep in mind I don't really know enough about how science works in NZ to fully understand what this document states.

1. Develop a National Science Strategy
• identifies NZ's science needs/directions, resource/capability needs, international trends
• consider roles of government and private sector, identify/support necessary links
• I just find this weird - so what do we have now? Also, this seems like it'll take forever to pull together (like, by the time it is, it'd be out of date, OR it has to be so vague that this won't happen - but then it'd be so common sense, it'd be quite tragic to realise that whoever is in charge didn't understand it)
  
2. Establish an Office of the Chief Scientist
• Chief Scientist/Science Council directly advising the leader of the government
• OK, so I sorta thought that the HRC did that, but maybe I got it wrong and currently the HRC works under the direction of the Minister. But anyway, so is it saying that currently the NZ government is not advised by any scientists at all? That's also weird.
  
3. Enhance Innovation Policy
• "...it must acknowledge that innovation represents more than mere efficiency gains and enhancements to business practice."
• I think this is trying to say that creativity cannot be measured by some silly productivity measure! More money needs to be invested for potentially greater return that-is-not-guaranteed, but more likely to happen due to overcoming that resourcing barrier. It comes down to trying to build environments that foster useful creative thinking and oftentimes, idea-generation can appear an idle process to the superficial observer (or productivity measure).
  
• "To build an innovation-based economy we need policies that enhance relationships between the wider business sector, the Crown Research Institutes and universities. Science institutions need to co-operate with businesses, not compete with them as they do under current policy."
• Yeah, competition like that sucks - I think it's talking about resourcing again.
  
4. Ensure that Government Policy Processes are Evidence-Based
• "...NZ must have its best researchers involved in government's wider policy processes, providing input to policy and legislation."
• public intellectuals. enough said. (I still haven't finished that book)
  
5. Reduce Transaction and Compliance Costs
• "...must change the way our science is funded...the process should be less bureaucratic..."
• "bulk funding"
• "NZ also needs to develop high-quality retrospective science monitoring processes involving peer review."
• I think this fifth recommendation sits pretty close to the every day complaints around the place and is probably not a problem that sits only within science. But I think the theme among all the recommendations is pretty clear by now.
  
6. Continue to Increase Both Public and Private RS&T Investment
• "...increased investment in science, including basic science, is essential. Most science funding applications in NZ have a failure rate greater than 80%... not based on the quality of the proposal but solely as a consequence of having insufficient funding available"
• "NZ needs a deeper pool of research knowledge, ideas and opportunities. We need to retain excellent people. We need to build critical mass."
• "Many companies in NZ have taken up that challenge investing in RS&T and establishing their own climate of innovation...[list of companies] These companies believe in research. They invest in research... If NZ is to lift its GDP per capita to that of Australia or our European competitors, we need far more of these... businesses, which are based on strong RS&T. Most NZ businesses, however, do not look to RS&T to build their growth. Generally they invest far too little in this area compared with businesses in other countries."
  
7. Improve the Path to Commercialisation
• address link between innovation and commercialisation
• I guess they're talking about research ideas that are applicable to commercialisation, that is not to say that commercially-viable projects should have precedence over basic scientific research, but just that the disparity between the two needs to be looked at to ensure that it is easier to commercialise, if that is what is suitable
  
8. Promote Science Across the Entire Education System
• "NZ needs to at least double its number of science PhD graduates"
• I find that sort of weird, since where will these people come from and where will the funds/resources to educate them come from?
  
9. Build National Recognition of the Public Value of Science
• "...the application of public and private scientific research underpins the overall health and wealth of a nation."
• I agree that there is not enough respect given to science for its contributions to society. Many people see it as an intellectual pursuit.
  
10. Trust Science, Scientists and Scientific Institutions
• "... greater decision-making responsibilities to the science agencies"
• "... promoting cooperation, rather than competition"
• "... assisting scientist' development, particularly early in their careers."
  

Well, I'll leave you to ponder this for yourselves.

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