Our Partners & Funders
NIWA has working relationships with hundreds of organisations in New Zealand and overseas. Most of NIWA’s revenue is from contestable research funding and commercial consultancy work.
Revenue sources
In 2007–08, NIWA’s total revenue, including interest income, was $120.7 million.
Our main revenue sources were:
- Contestable public good research funding from the Foundation for Research, Science and Technology: 38% ($45.5 million)
- Contestable fisheries research contracts from the Ministry of Fisheries: 13% ($15.1 million)
- Commercial consultancy work: 41% ($50 million)
- Capability funding from the Ministry of Research, Science and Technology, paid direct to Crown Research Institutes to maintain core science capability: 8% ($10 million)
NIWA working with Māori
NIWA has over 85 working relationships with Māori groups throughout New Zealand. Some of these have been formalised through such mechanisms as:
- Memoranda of Understanding
- Letters of support
- Letters of intent
- Subcontracts.
The form of these arrangements depends on the requirements and wishes of our partners.
NIWA has developed specific protocols for iwi liaison. Our staff and management operate under a directive to develop effective, long-term working relationships with iwi, hapū, and Māori organisations.
See Te Kūwaha, our Māori environmental reseach centre
Our New Zealand collaborations – examples
New Zealand Climate Change Centre - www.nzclimatechangecentre.org
NIWA hosts the secretariat of the New Zealand Climate Change Centre. The centre is a joint initiative by all New Zealand’s Crown Research Institutes and two universities. These are:
- AgResearch
- ESR
- GNS Science
- Industrial Research Ltd
- Landcare Research
- NIWA
- Plant and Food Research
- Scion
- University of Canterbury
- Victoria University of Wellington.
The centre’s goal is to enhance the capacity of New Zealand, both domestically and in partnership with other countries, to anticipate, mitigate, and adapt to climate change. The centre facilitates collaboration to develop, communicate, and apply science-based solutions to climate change-related issues.
The New Zealand Energy Research Alliance - www.energyscape.co.nz
The New Zealand Energy Research Alliance brings together five of New Zealand’s largest organisations with a strategic focus on energy research. Its members are:
- CRL energy
- GNS Science
- Industrial Research Ltd
- NIWA
- Scion
The alliance’s goal is to enhance the scope, capability, and capacity of energy research to help New Zealand meet future energy challenges.
RiskScape - www.riskscape.org.nz
RiskScape, a joint venture between GNS Science & NIWA, aims to develop and implement a decision-support tool that readily compares the likely consequences of multiple hazards on a region. The Regional RiskScape system converts hazard exposure information into the likely impacts for a region, for example, damage and replacement costs, casualties, economic losses, disruption, and number of people affected.
Our international partners – examples
USGS
NIWA and the US Geological Survey (USGS) work together under a formal bilateral arrangement to facilitate scientific and technical cooperation in water resources science. The USGS (part of the US Department of the Interior) is the largest water, earth, and biological science and civilian mapping agency in the United States.
www.niwa.co.nz/news/mr/2007/2007-01-16-1
UK Met Office
NIWA is one of seven weather and climate organisations worldwide to have signed a collaboration agreement with the UK Met Office, making us operational users of its Unified Model.
