University research

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Uniquely located between the islands of the Pacific and the ice shelves of Antarctica, New Zealand universities make the most of New Zealand’s unique landscape, which varies from deep oceans to rolling farmlands, busy cities and dark skies. 

New Zealand’s eight universities are all research-led educational institutions. Research of national and international quality and relevance is expected of modern universities and of academic staff, who may work alone or alongside postgraduate students and other staff employed on research projects. 

Universities, their staff, graduates and educational and research activities form an important backbone to the New Zealand economy. Universities train and produce highly skilled workers and produce research that underpins new growth and development. They nurture and develop the country’s future researchers and innovators. 

As well as a strong commitment to science, technology, engineering, health, agriculture and the built and natural environment, New Zealand’s universities enrich social and cultural understanding through research and teaching and learning in the arts, humanities and social sciences. 

The university sector has worked relentlessly to enhance teaching and research activities, to increase international relationships and profile, and to provide graduates with the skills they need to succeed in the workforce and in life. 

University research is vital to New Zealand. It produces new knowledge and disseminates that knowledge through: 

  • research-informed teaching that produces knowledgeable graduates 
  • publications that make knowledge readily available to others 
  • research collaborations with industry, government and others in higher education 
  • public lectures, debates, articles and other forms of media communication that aim to educate and inform the public 
  • consulting services, patents and other intellectual property that are made available to industry on a commercial basis. 

International research

New Zealand universities are committed to advancing international education, with key drivers including internationalisation of the curriculum, student experience, and collaboration and cooperation in research and teaching. The universities have established successful connections with overseas universities, international research organisations and other institutions to drive international research collaboration and academic staff exchange, as well as student mobility programmes for both incoming and outgoing students. 

Read more about international engagement with New Zealand universities

Māori and Pacific success

New Zealand universities are committed to building Māori and Pacific success. Through academic programme development, student support, transition and pathways, facilities development, scholarships, community outreach and university research, our universities have been progressively supporting and promoting Māori and Pacific student and staff aspirations in ways that enrich New Zealand. 

Open research

As part of the Open Access Programme, Universities New Zealand—Te Pōkai Tara has released an Open Research Statement on behalf of New Zealand's eight universities. It acknowledges the rights of Māori and other indigenous groups to determine the appropriate avenues for their data and sets out the determination of member universities to continue to pursue open access. 

Read our Open Research Statement

New Zealand universities research

Visit each of our universities to learn more about research in each institution.

University of Otago 

University of Auckland

Massey University 

AUT  

Lincoln University  

Victoria University of Wellington  

University of Canterbury 

University of Waikato 

Research funding

Adequate support for a high-quality research culture and infrastructure is essential to enable universities to achieve their purpose and mission. In addition to external grant income, the government supports the underlying research framework in universities and the promotion of high-quality research through the Performance-Based Research Fund. 

The Ministry of Business Innovation, and Employment supplies the main sources of research funding used by New Zealand's universities: 

 Further details on MBIE-administered funds can be found on MBIE's website 

Find out more