Research, Science and Technology - Policy Summary

Funding

The Green Party will change the funding model for research so that:

• 'Public good' research is split into base and contestable pools. Base funding to only be available to the public sector.

• Multi-disciplinary environmental and social issue projects are emphasised.
• Fundamental and applied science research is publicly funded, whilst private funds develop the resultant technologies.
• Clear ethical investment guidelines exist for venture capital funds.
• Businesses are encouraged to invest in R&D.
• Pooling of the R&D funds of SME's are facilitated.

Structures

The Green Party will advocate for a new science community structure to:

• Increase the career security of scientists.

• De-bureaucratise the administration system
• Establish greater links between researchers and society
• Widen the range of stakeholder groups influencing the direction of research in CRI's.
• Allow independent researchers to access contestable science funding.
• Maintain core support services.
• Encourage innovation and the development of small-scale appropriate technologies.
• To hold publicly funded research results in the public domain, with proceeds reinvested in research.

What Research?

Some of the Green's research priorities include climate change, environmental issues, biotechnology (non-GE), organics, renewable and efficient energy, sustainable transport, waste minimisation, conservation, alternative economics, work and technological change.

Technology

The Green Party will encourage the development of ethically acceptable technology by:

• Requiring grant schemes to include sustainability as a key criterion for funding.

• Creating an agency to dispense information about sustainable technologies.
• Providing financial encouragement for the adoption of new technologies.
• Encouraging the use of open source software.
• Supporting agricultural and horticultural advancements without patenting of life forms.
• Supporting the development of genetic technologies based on ethical screening and the precautionary principle on a case by case basis, so long as they are contained within the laboratory and are not applied to food production.

The Treaty and Science

The Green party will respect and support:

• Maori concepts of mauri and whakapapa as relevant ethical guidelines.

• Opposition to patents over life and genetic mixing across species barriers.
• The retention, with Maori, of intellectual property rights in the development of study of Maori knowledge, in partnership with local Maori in the public science system.

Science Education

The Green Party will focus on holistic science by:

• Requiring the inclusion of environmental science and ethics in all study programs.

• Encouraging integrated study.
• Expanding opportunities for primary & secondary teachers to undertake research.
• Encouraging interaction between researchers and school children.