14 February 2025
FUNDING CALL
Catalyst Seeding (Round 1)
About the Scheme
Catalyst Fund supports activities that initiate, develop and foster collaborations leveraging international science and innovation for New Zealand’s benefit.
Catalyst: Seeding facilitates new small and medium pre-research strategic partnerships that cannot be supported through other means, and with a view to developing full collaborations that could be supported through Catalyst: Strategic over time. Funding is for research exchanges, research activities, and expenses related to hosting workshops for new strategic research partnerships with international collaborators.
Key Things to Note
Notable eligibility changes for the 2025 funding opportunities
The Catalyst Fund investment plan (released in December 2024) identifies six priority research areas, which are:
- Quantum technology
- Health and biomedicine
- Biotechnologies
- Artificial Intelligence
- Antarctic research
- Space and Earth observations
Subject to the number and quality of submitted applications, proposals aligning with the Catalyst Fund priority research areas are expected to make up 75% of awarded Catalyst: Seeding contracts unless otherwise noted in the specific programme requirement for each sub-programme. The remaining 25% of awarded contracts can be in any field of research including social sciences and the humanities.
Assessment Criterion 3 has been amended to further reward proposals that articulate a clear line of sight to expected benefits of national and global significance in line with New Zealand’s science priorities, and which initiate link with relevant New Zealand research capabilities to facilitate research/knowledge transfer.
Grant Value
Catalyst: Seeding - A maximum of NZ$80,000 (excl. GST) is available per proposal for projects lasting up to two years.
*Note that 75% of the awarded Catalyst: Seeding contracts will be expected to be made up of proposals that align with the priority research areas.
For help developing your application please contact your local support (FIRST) team. If you have any funder specific queries or require funder portal help, please contact the Research Funding Team.
Internal Deadline: 12noon, Tuesday 8 April 2025
Funds Categorisation Information
Submission Process
- To register, please email the following information to the Research Funding Team via submissions@auckland.ac.nz: title, full name, email address, faculty and department or click the above button to get registered on the portal.
- You will then receive the link to access your account on the Catalyst Portal. Once complete, please submit it to the Research Funding Team by 12 noon, Tuesday 8 April 2025.
- Create a record in the Research Funding Module (RFM) uploading all application documents and submit for faculty sign off by 12 noon, Tuesday 8 April 2025.
- Following on from the QA, the Research Funding Team will submit the application on your behalf to the Funder before the deadline.
Please note: Applications are required to be received on or before the above-mentioned deadline to allow sufficient time for the Quality Assurance (QA) process and any associated rework/revision of the application by the Principal Investigator.
