Sharples Pita: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to MinistersText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeSharples Pita: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers[Sitting date: 13 March 2014. Volume:697;Page:16679. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]8.Hon Dr PITA SHARPLES (Māori Party—Tāmaki Makaurau)to the Minister for Tertiary Education Skills and Employment: How does the Government intend on sustaining supporting and growing Māori-led research driven by Māori researchers with positive outcomes that support the goals and aspirations of whānau hapū and iwi in light of the decision by the New Zealand Royal Society not to fund Ngā Pae o te Māramatanga or any other Māori-led research organisation?Hon STEVEN JOYCE (Minister for Tertiary Education Skills and Employment):It is important to point out to the honourable Minister that at this stage that process has not been completed but nevertheless the Government is committed to unlocking the science and innovation potential of Māori knowledge resources and people. We are achieving that in a number of ways. For example the Vision Mātauranga Capability Fund builds capability to improve engagement between the science system and Māori users of research. In December last year I announced investment of more than $2.4 million for 18 research programmes in that regard. Furthermore since 2009 I am advised that total Government science investment in Māori knowledge and development for research and science activities specifically invested alongside Māori interest totals over $222 million.Hon Dr Pita Sharples: Does he have concerns that the chair of the Royal Society’s centres of research excellence advisory committee charged with undertaking the review is a commercial executive of companies such as Rio Tinto BNZ National Australia Bank OceanaGold and Ports of Auckland and holds merely an honorary doctorate rather than being an expert scientist himself?Hon STEVEN JOYCE: In regard to that person’s role that person does not actually evaluate the research quality of the applications but oversees the Centres of Research Excellence Fund selection process to ensure the process is applied consistently. The applications—of which there are around 27 I understand for about seven or eight centres of research excellence—are passed through five expert selection panels made up of independent scientists who review the research quality of the applications and then pass those that they recommend through to the Royal Society’s centres of research excellence advisory committee chaired by the person whom the member knows. The advisory committee while taking into account all the selection criteria has a focus on the remaining two criteria which are the contribution to New Zealand’s future development and the governance and management arrangements of those centres of research excellence.Hon Dr Pita Sharples: So does he have confidence in the review process undertaken by the New Zealand Royal Society when there is no one on the centres of research excellence advisory committee or the selection panel committee who is Māori or who has any expertise in mātauranga Māori?Hon STEVEN JOYCE: Yes I am confident that the panel had the expertise to independently assess centre of research excellence applications fairly. The process including the way in which it was set up is deliberately independent of politicians. Independent scientists not politicians are in the best position to judge research excellence and in terms of the applications for the centre of research excellence funding. As I said before the Tertiary Education Commission advised me that there were 27 separate applications from current and proposed centres of research excellence to be assessed with the seven or eight possible funded centres of research excellence.