FUNDING CALL

MBIE 2024 Endeavour Fund

About the Fund

The Endeavour Fund encourages researchers to consider a diverse range of ideas and conduct excellent research, with transformational potential. It will provide the highest potential impacts across a range of economic, environmental, and societal objectives, and give effect to Vision Mātauranga.

Key Things to Note

Funding is available through two investment mechanisms, each in support of the Fund's aims: Smart Ideas and Research Programmes.

Smart Ideas are intended to catalyse and rapidly test promising, innovative research ideas with high potential for benefit to New Zealand, to refresh and enable diversity in the science portfolio.

• Value: $0.4 - $1 million over the term of the contract
• Duration: 2 or 3 years
• *Total funding pool: $18 million

Research Programmes are intended to support ambitious, excellent and well-defined research ideas which have credible and high potential to positively transform New Zealand’s future in areas of future value, growth, or critical need.

• Value: $0.5 million or more per year
• Duration: 3, 4 or 5 years
• *Total funding pool: $39 million 

*For the 2024 investment round, the Science Board will aim to fund at least 49 Smart Ideas, and 19 Research Programmes. 

Eligibility for either stream must: 

• be designed so that the majority of benefits accrue outside of the Research Organisation or legal entity which represents the Research Organisation;
• be made under an investment mechanism specified in the Schedules to the 2024 Gazette Notice;
• be for research, science or technology, or related activities, the majority of which are to be undertaken in New Zealand;
• not benefit a Russian state institution or organisation that may be perceived as contributing to the war effort;
• research proposals can include some out-of-scope research outcomes (Health, Defence and Expanding Knowledge) and remain eligible, as long as the sum of these outcomes is less than 50% of the proposal’s outcomes; 
• meet any applicable timing, formatting, system or other similar administrative requirements imposed by MBIE; and 
• not for activities already funded elsewhere.

Refer to the Investment Plan 2022-2024 and the 2024 Gazette Notice for more details. Endeavour Roadshows will be held virtually on 2, 10 and 11 October 2023, with links to register at the end of this call.

Key Changes

• Smart Ideas and Research Programmes have separate Call for Proposals. 
• Registrations will open on 29 September 2023 in Pītau - MBIE's new Investment Management System. Pītau is expected to go live in mid September.

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 UniServices Funds Advisor Team.

Funds Categorisation information

• Supported tier: Partnered
• Process map: Link

Submission Process

Important notes

• RFM approval is not required at registration phase, however we recommend you discuss your intent to apply for this scheme, and general concept, with your relevant faculty representative as early as possible (eg HoD/ADR). 
• Your Endeavour registration contains core information on your proposal that cannot be changed after registration.
• You cannot submit a Concept or Proposal until you have registered.
• To access Pītau, you will also need a RealMe account. Please make sure that you set one up if you haven't so already. 

Submission portal

• Endeavour applications are submitted via Pītau, MBIE's new Investment Management System. For updates and more information, please visit our Research Hub page. 
• Returning applicants will receive a Pītau access code after Pītau goes live.
• New applicants contact the Funds Advisor Team (submissions@auckland.ac.nz) to create your User Profile. 

Submission steps for Smart Ideas

The process includes phase one registration, phase two concept and selected applicants will be invited to submit a full proposal.

Registrations: 

1. Notify your FIRST (research support) of your intent to apply for this scheme in order to receive important information and updates in relation to this fund. 
2. Submit registration in Pītau for Quality Assurance (QA) by Tuesday, 24 October 2023, at 12 noon.
3. Once your registration has been submitted to MBIE on your behalf you can create and begin working on your Concept.

Concepts: 

1. Submit your completed (final and compliant) Concept for QA in Pītau by Monday, 13 November 2023 at 12 noon. 
2. Create a record in the Research Funding Module (RFM/InfoEd) and submit for sign off by Monday, 13 November 2023 at 12 noon. 
3. Once checked, and any final revisions made, the Funds Advisor Team will submit to MBIE on your behalf by the funder deadline. 

Applicants invited by MBIE to submit a full proposal will be advised of further steps. 

Submission steps for Research Programmes

The process includes phase one registration, phase two full proposal. 

Registrations: 

1. Notify your FIRST (research support) of your intent to apply for this scheme in order to receive important information and updates in relation to this fund. 
2. Submit registration in Pītau for Quality Assurance (QA) by Monday, 27 November 2023 at 12 noon.
3. Once your registration has been submitted to MBIE on your behalf you can create and begin working on your Proposal. 

Full proposals: 

1. Submit your completed (final and compliant) Proposal for QA in Pītau by Monday, 26 February 2024 at 12 noon.
2. Create a record in the Research Funding Module (RFM/InfoEd) and submit for sign off by Monday, 26 February 2024 at 12 noon.
3. Once checked, and any final revisions made, the Funds Advisor Team will submit your Proposal to MBIE on your behalf by the funder deadline. 

Please note: Applications are required to be received on or before the above mentioned Funds Advisor Team deadline to allow time for our Quality Assurance process and any associated rework/revision of the application by the Principal Investigator. Only Faculty approved applications can be submitted by the Funds Advisor Team to MBIE.

Submission to the funder is conditional on fully approved RFM record in InfoEd.