Innovation Fund

The NZAGRC operates a competitive Innovation Fund for researchers working towards agricultural greenhouse gas emissions-reduction solutions.

Background

The NZAGRC has established the competitive ‘NZAGRC Innovation Fund’. The first funding round took place in 2020. The next round is likely to take place in 2021.

2020 Innovation Fund round

Focus of the 2020 round

The NZAGRC Innovation Fund sought proposals that addressed one or both of the following research areas:

  1. Reducing methane emissions from enteric fermentation in grazing ruminants
  2. Reducing nitrous oxide emissions from ruminant animal deposited urine patches

Fundamental to applied projects were considered, but proposals had to significantly strengthen current research avenues and/or develop novel approaches that show major promise for bringing practical, farm-level solutions closer to on-farm implementation.

New Zealand pastoral farm

New Zealand pastoral farm

Features of the 2020 round

  • A total of NZ$2 million was available.
  • Individual projects could have a maximum value of $500,000 and a maximum duration of two years.
  • Proposals were invited from New Zealand-based research providers, organisations and companies.
  • Co-funding was strongly encouraged for all proposals and was mandatory for industry-led proposals (minimum 1:1 co-funding).
  • The research should be conducted in a manner that ensures the widest possible benefit to New Zealand. Therefore, unless there are strong reasons to protect Intellectual Property, for example commercialisation, it should be made public and freely available.
  • A single stage application process using a contract-ready application form.
  • Applications were evaluated by a specially constituted technical assessment panel who made funding recommendations to the NZAGRC Governance Group, who had final responsibility for approving funding.

Successful projects from the 2020 round

Four projects were successful in the 2020 round:

  • Targeting methanol formation for methane, led by AgResearch
  • Molecular tools for methane mitigation, led by the University of Auckland
  • Inhibiting ruminal methane using bromoform, led by AgResearch
  • On-farm delivery of methane inhibitors, led by DairyNZ

Key dates

Key dates for the 2021 Innovation Fund round will be posted here when available.

Share