Researchers receive more than $30m in 2024 Endeavour funding round

13 September 2024

University news, Auckland Bioengineering Institute, Faculty of Engineering, Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, Faculty of Science

Endeavour Fund supports Innovative ideas and research excellence from Waipapa Taumata Rau, University of Auckland.

Professor Shane Cronin will investigate the threat to coastlines and data from volcanoes in the southwest Pacific.
Professor Shane Cronin (Faculty of Science) will investigate the threat to New Zealand coastlines and data from volcanoes in the southwest Pacific.

Researchers investigating novel treatments for type 2 diabetes, the potential impact on our coastline from volcanic eruption, and mixed reality technology to enhance planning for surgery are among the projects at the University of Auckland to receive $31.1m in the latest Endeavour research round.

The Endeavour Fund investment round totals $236.1m over the next five years and is administered by the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment.

The Endeavour Fund comprises two strands:

  • Research Programmes ($39m nationally) for ambitious and well-defined research ideas with high potential to transform New Zealand’s future.
  • The Smart Ideas ($18m nationally) strand supports researchers to rapidly test the feasibility of innovative research ideas.

The fund is administered by the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment.

Endeavour Research Programme funding 2024

  • Professor Peter Thorne, FMHS: A novel medical device platform to solve challenges for inner ear therapies, $8.3m
  • Professor Garth Cooper, Science: A novel disease-modifying medicine for type-2 diabetes, $7.8m
  • Professor Shane Cronin, Science: Anticipating threats to Aotearoa’s shores and data cables from southwest Pacific volcanoes, $6.9m

Endeavour Smart Ideas funding 2024 ($1m funding per project)

  • Dr Ho Seok Ahn, senior research fellow, Engineering:  Developing a reo Turi interpreter for Ngāti Turi
  • Dr Joa Paredes Marino, research fellow, Science: Hyper-explosive subaqueous volcano eruptions: why can small eruptions go hyper?
  • Professor Andrew Jeffs, Science: Novel live feed production for aquaculture
  • Dr Huidong Bai, research fellow, Auckland Bioengineering Institute: Enhancing real-time surgery planning and navigation with mixed-reality technology
  • Professor Jonathan Sperry, Science: Heavy drugs for improved glioblastoma prognosis
  • Dr Daniel McCormick, senior research fellow,  Auckland Bioengineering Institute: Transforming fracture management: new technology to enable smart orthopaedic implants
  • Dr Danae Larsen, senior lecturer, Science: Re-imagining sweetness through protein design
  • Dr Yuqian Lu, senior lecturer, Engineering: Ultra-flexible human-robot collaborative product assembly

Media contact: mediateam@auckland.ac.nz

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