N O T E H U R I H U R I N G A | O N R E F L EC T I O N
NO TE HURIHURINGA ON REFLECTION PROFESSOR DAVID BILKEY CHAIR, MARSDEN FUND COUNCIL
Kia ora koutou There is no doubt that 2020 will be identified as the year of COVID-19. This virus has dominated the news, rearranged our behaviour and affected all of us in many ways. For some of us the consequences have been tragic, and I wish to extend my sympathies to those who have lost whānau, colleagues and loved ones either here or abroad. There have been disruptions and challenges for all of us, and for many in our research community the pandemic has had an impact on our ability to manage or conduct research programmes. This includes difficulties generated when lockdowns have intruded into our work, delays in sourcing material from overseas, and major problems with research that has an international component. Those in the early stages of their research career may have found it particularly difficult. For example they may have lost opportunities to take up the ‘overseas experience’ that is often a critical part of skill development post-PhD, or through feeling particularly vulnerable as research institutions restrict hiring in an attempt to cut costs. The Marsden Council is aware of these issues and, where we can, we are working to help mitigate against some of the effects. On a more positive note, one particularly notable aspect of the COVID-19 response has been the Government’s reliance on advice from researchers to underpin evidence-based decision-making. This has been cited by many as one of the reasons Aotearoa has managed to get through the pandemic as well as it has. We should thank all of those researchers who tirelessly provided support through the pandemic, whether that has been through technical advice, providing expertise on everything from testing protocols, policy impact, and modelling of disease transmission, through to public outreach and science communication.
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One thing that 2020 has taught us is that resilience is key. Whether we are talking about psychological, economic or structural resilience, one factor that has supported resilience during 2020 is having this expertise available in a wide range of fields. This kind of resilience has been built on a broad-ranging research infrastructure that has been ready and available to provide support during this moment of crisis. I am certain that the Marsden Fund has played an important role over the last 25 years in helping to ensure that that expertise has been available when called upon. While the key aims of the Marsden Fund are to support investigator-led research aimed at generating new knowledge and to foster creativity and innovation in the research sector, it also has the objective of contributing to the development of advanced skills in Aotearoa. It is this latter aspect that I believe has helped underlie our country’s response to COVID-19 over the last year.
The COVID-19 response has been the Government’s reliance on advice from researchers to underpin evidence-based decision-making. This has been cited by many as one of the reasons Aotearoa has managed to get through the pandemic as well as it has.
