Rutherford Discovery Fellowships

The Rutherford Discovery Fellowships are an annual science fellowship in New Zealand. The fellowships, established in 2010, are administered by the Royal Society Te Apārangi through a competitive process. Ten fellowships are awarded nationally. The successful Fellows are announced in October/November each year. The awards made in 2023, to twelve recipients, were the final awards.

Fellowship scheme

The fellowships are administered by the Royal Society Te Apārangi through Terms of Reference established by the Minister of Science and Innovation, and are intended to "develop excellent researchers in New Zealand". The establishment of the scheme was funded by reprioritising funding from the existing James Cook Research Fellowships and the disestablished Foundation for Research, Science and Technology-funded Postdoctoral Fellowships. The fellowships provide up to $160,000 per annum for five years for ten researchers, and are aimed at early to mid-career researchers (three to eight years post-PhD). Applicants prepare a proposal describing their planned research at a named host institution, and a shortlist of applicants proceeds to interview. Successful Fellows are announced in October or November each year. The Fellowships are intended to be prestigious, and to "develop and foster the future leaders in the New Zealand science and innovation system by encouraging their career development and by enabling them to establish a solid track record for future research".

The Ministry of Science and Innovation commissioned a review of the scheme in 2011, following a public letter raising concerns about a gap in early and mid-career support for researchers. The review, conducted by the government Social Wellbeing Agency (The Hub), interviewed fellows, the selection panel, and representatives from host institutions and the Royal Society. A draft report is available but the final report and recommendations do not appear to have been made public. The scheme finished in 2023 with the awarding of $800,000 each to 12 fellows. The fellowship is among several funding schemes replaced by the New Zealand Mana Tūānuku Research Leader Fellowship.

Fellows

Year	Recipient	Host institution	Project title
2010	Donna Rose Addis	University of Auckland	Building our autobiographies: how the brain constructs past and future autobiographical events
	Ashton S. Bradley	University of Otago	The birth, life, and death of a quantum vortex dipole
	Murray Cox	Massey University	Computational reconstruction of genomic evolution
	Alexei J. Drummond	University of Auckland	Computational analysis for molecular ecology and evolutionary biology
	Paul P. Gardner	University of Canterbury	Bioinformatic approaches to functionally characterise RNAs
	Noam Greenberg	Victoria University of Wellington	Effective randomness, lowness notions and higher computability
	Jennifer Hay	University of Canterbury	Episodic word memory
	Eric Le Ru	Victoria University of Wellington	Surface-enhanced spectroscopy: from fundamentals to applications
	John N. J. Reynolds	University of Otago	Improving brain function: a balancing act
	Jason Tylianakis	University of Canterbury	Reweaving the web of life: the interplay of species traits and resource constraints during the assembly and disassembly of ecological networks in changing environments.
2011	Quentin D. Atkinson	University of Auckland	A Darwinian approach to understanding the cultural evolution of language and cooperation
	Nancy Bertler	Victoria University of Wellington	The Roosevelt Island Climate Evolution (RICE) project
	Peter C. Fineran	University of Otago	How do bacterial ‘adaptive immune systems’ protect microbial cells against viral infection?
	David Goldstone	University of Auckland	Trimming retroviral infection: Structural investigations of TRIM protein function
	Chris Hann	University of Canterbury	Advanced rocket system modelling and control for supersonic and hypersonic flight
	Justin M. Hodgkiss	Victoria University of Wellington	Time-resolved optical spectroscopy to guide the design of photoactive organic semiconductor devices
	Nicole Moreham	Victoria University of Wellington	The protection of privacy in English private law
	Wayne M. Patrick	Massey University	New insights into old problems: evolution of protein folds, protein functions and streamlined genomes
	Anthony M. Poole	University of Canterbury	How does complexity emerge in cellular systems?
	Nick T Shears	University of Auckland	Maintaining healthy marine ecosystems under increased anthropogenic stress and a changing climate
2012	Martin W. Allen	University of Canterbury	Ultraviolet vision – new frontiers in health and technology
	Barbara J. Anderson	University of Otago	Battlegrounds and safe havens: disentangling the roles of ecology and evolution in the response of biological communities to climate change
	Jessie Jacobsen	University of Auckland	Autism spectrum disorder: hunting for therapeutic targets using genetics
	Peter D. Mace	University of Otago	Molecular signalling mechanisms at the interface between cellular life and death
	Clemency Montelle	University of Canterbury	New perspectives on the history of the exact sciences in second millennium Sanskrit sources
	Shinichi Nakagawa	University of Otago	Multidisciplinary approaches to understanding the maintenance of biological variation
	Nicholas Rattenbury	University of Auckland	Toward Earth-II: completing the census of extra-sslar planets in the galaxy
	Lara Shepherd	Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa	Human-induced evolutionary processes on a recently colonised landmass: incipient domestication and spatial dynamics of species’ declines
	Geoff Willmott	Industrial Research Limited	The nanofluidic plumber: submicron transport in liquids
	Tim Woodfield	University of Otago	New frontiers in musculoskeletal regenerative medicine: biofabrication of cartilage and bone for entire joint resurfacing
2013	Brendon Bradley	University of Canterbury	Earth-shattering detective work: Uncovering the mysteries of unresolved ground motion and geotechnical case-histories from the 2010-2011 Canterbury earthquakes
	Dillon Mayhew	Victoria University of Wellington	The mathematics of space and language: matroids and model theory
	Robert McKay	Victoria University of Wellington	Antarctic ice sheet-Southern Ocean interactions during greenhouse worlds of the past 23 million years - and consequences for New Zealand climate.
	Suresh D. Muthukumaraswamy	University of Auckland	High-frequency brain activity in health and disease
	Suetonia Palmer	University of Otago	Improving evidence for decision-makers in chronic kidney disease
	Craig Radford	University of Auckland	Using passive acoustics to monitor ecosystem health.
	Jonathan Sperry	University of Auckland	Inert C-H bonds: A gateway to molecular complexity
	Elizabeth E. Stanley	Victoria University of Wellington	What happened to human rights?: Exploring the changing status of human rights in New Zealand.
	Daniel B. Stouffer	University of Canterbury	Toward a general theory of evolution in ecological networks
	Angela Wanhalla	University of Otago	Marriage: the politics of private life in New Zealand
2014	Louise Bicknell	University of Otago	Investigating the contribution of genetic variation to shaping human disease
	Alys R. Clark	University of Auckland	Biophysical models to predict markers of health in early pregnancy
	Francis L. Collins	University of Auckland	Nation and Migration: population mobilities, desires and state practices in 21st century New Zealand
	Katie Fitzpatrick	University of Auckland	Rethinking health education and promotion: health capital and diverse youth
	Jonathan E. Halpert	Victoria University of Wellington	Novel nanostructured materials and optoelectronic devices: solar cells and LEDs
	Kim M. Handley	University of Auckland	Who is eating what in coastal marine sediments? Understanding microbial contributions to coastal marine health, stability and ecosystem functioning.
	Michael Knapp	University of Otago	Evolution and conservation of the New Zealand bird fauna - a genomic approach
	James C. Russell	University of Auckland	Conservation complexity: scaling vertebrate pest control
	Alexander Harwood Taylor	University of Auckland	The signature-testing approach to the evolution of intelligence.
	Priscilla M. Wehi	Manaaki Whenua – Landcare Research	Indigenous ecological knowledge, introduced species, and the new New Zealand environment
2015	Jane R. Allison	Massey University	Deciphering molecular choreography
	Peng Du	University of Auckland	A joint experimental-modelling strategy for translational gastrointestinal electrophysiology and motility
	Miro Erkintalo	University of Auckland	Lighting up New Zealand: Next-generation laser sources for scientific and industrial applications
	Nick Golledge	Victoria University of Wellington	Modelling the response of the Antarctic ice-sheet to a warming world and its contribution to future sea-level rise
	Annette M. E. Henderson	University of Auckland	Born and raised to cooperate: Identifying how experience shapes our cooperation foundation
	Cate Macinnis-Ng	University of Auckland	Thirsty forests under future climates: impact of drought on native ecosystems
	Troy L. Merry	University of Auckland	Beta-catenin facilitates skeletal muscle glucose transport and pancreatic beta-cell insulin secretion
	Kevin Norton	Victoria University of Wellington	Are the hotspots cold? Using the world's fastest forming soils to measure the contribution of weathering and erosion to global climate stability
	Geoffrey Rodgers	University of Canterbury	Ground-Shaking Research: Damage-Free Buildings and Novel Seismic Monitoring Methods for Resilient Cities
	Emma L. Scotter	University of Auckland	The Theory of (not quite) Everything: The neglected role of the blood-brain-barrier in motor neuron disease
	Logan C. Walker	University of Otago	Preparing for the future of genomic medicine
	Gwenda M. Willis	University of Auckland	What stops convicted sex offenders from reoffending? Developing a strengths-based framework for sexual violence prevention
2016	Baptiste Auguié	Victoria University of Wellington	Light and chirality at the nanoscale
	Federico Baltar	University of Otago	What makes ‘normal’ normal? Alternative microbial carbon and energy acquisition mechanisms in the neglected high-nutrient low-chlorophyll (HNLC) areas of the ocean
	Adam Hartland	University of Waikato	Unlocking the karst record: quantitative proxies of past climates from speleothems
	Yoshihiro Kaneko	GNS Science	Structural controls on earthquake behaviour in the Hikurangi subduction mega-thrust
	Jenny Malmström	University of Auckland	Signals to cells when and where they are needed
	D. G. G. McMillan	University of Canterbury	Biomembrane nanotechnologies for exploring pathogen respiratory adaptation to identify and develop novel antibiotics
	Huw Horgan	Victoria University of Wellington	Accelerating ice – the role of water in the flow of ice sheets
	Jeremy G. Owen	Victoria University of Wellington	Harnessing the biosynthetic potential of uncultivated microbes for the discovery of new antibiotics
	Nicole Roughan	University of Auckland	Jurisprudence without borders: a pluralist theory of law
	Rachael C. Shaw	Victoria University of Wellington	Wild intelligence: exploring the evolution, function and conservation applications of cognitive traits
	Virginia G. Toy	University of Otago	Weaving the Earth's weak seams: manifestations and mechanical consequences of rock fabric evolution in active faults and shear zones
2017	Emma L. Carroll	University of Auckland	Family matters: developing close kin mark recapture methods to estimate key demographic parameters in natural populations
	Claire Charters	University of Auckland	Constitutional Transformation to Accommodate Maori in Aotearoa/New Zealand: Lessons from Around the Globe
	Aniruddha Chatterjee	University of Otago	Investigating the origin and consequences of epigenetic alterations in cancer metastasis
	Christopher E. Cornwall	Victoria University of Wellington	Physiological and environmental controls of coralline algal calcification under climate change
	Alex Gavryushkin	University of Otago	Online algorithms in evolutionary biology
	David Hayman	Massey University	From individuals to populations: multi-scale approaches to pathogen emergence
	Marwan Katurji	University of Canterbury	The invisible realm of atmospheric coherent turbulent structures: Resolving their dynamics and interaction with Earth's surface
	Yvette Perrott	Victoria University of Wellington	Realising the potential of galaxy clusters as cosmological probes
	Maxim S. Petrov	University of Auckland	Deciphering the metabolic pathways underlying post-pancreatitis diabetes
	Melinda Webber	University of Auckland	Kia tu rangatira ai nga iwi Maori: Living, succeeding, and thriving as iwi Maori
2018	Timothy Angeli	University of Auckland	Electrophysiologically-based diagnostics and therapeutics for gastrointestinal disorders: bridging the gap from engineering benchtop to clinical bedside
	Ceridwen Fraser	University of Otago	The race for new space: disentangling the processes that shape global patterns of biodiversity
	Sarah Diermeier	University of Otago	Long non-coding RNAs as new drivers of tumour progression
	Jay Marlowe	University of Auckland	Dislocation in an age of connection: Mapping refugee settlement trajectories within an increasingly mobile world
	Jonathan Squire	University of Otago	Cosmic Turbulence, Microinstabilities, and the Magnetisation of the Universe
	Karen Stockin	Massey University	The application of Artificial Intelligence (AI), innovative technologies and evolutionary theory to address the conservation-welfare nexus during human-wildlife interactions
	Lisa Te Morenga	Victoria University of Wellington	Naku te rourou, nau te rourou, ka oranga ai te iwi (With my food basket and your food basket the people will be well)
	Alice Theadom	Auckland University of Technology	Developing a biopsychosocial model of mild traumatic brain injury
	Jonathan Tonkin	University of Canterbury	Rethinking ecological networks in changing environments
	Krushil Watene	Massey University	Intergenerational Justice: Obligations and Decision-Making
2019	David Aguirre	Massey University	Ecosystems on unstable foundations: examining the potential for coral and macroalgal responses to global change
	Olivia Faull	University of Otago	Breathing and anxiety: Understanding the miscommunication between brain and body, and how best to treat it
	Jodie Hunter	Massey University	Developing Mathematical Inquiry Communities: Using a strength based approach to provide equitable opportunities to learn mathematics for diverse learner
	Andrew McDaid	University of Auckland	Uncovering new knowledge of neurological and musculoskeletal rehabilitation mechanisms using novel data-driven methods
	Alexander Melnikov	Massey University	Applications of modern computability
	Volker Nock	University of Canterbury	Electrotaxis and protrusive force generation in fungal and oomycete pathogens – Pathways to new biocontrol strategies
	Melanie Ooi	University of Waikato	Resilient and efficient light-based plant detection and characterisation for precision agriculture and environmental sustainability
	Matthew Roskruge	Massey University	The economics of social capital from a Māori perspective
	Damian Scarf	University of Otago	The Belonging Project
	Jenni Stanley	University of Waikato	What does protection sound like? A modern approach to understanding New Zealand's underwater soundscapes and acoustic pressures
	Ágnes Szabó	Massey University	Growing old in an adopted land: Cross-fertilizing ageing and acculturation research
2020	Siautu Alefaio-Tugia	Massey University	Redefining the humanitarian landscape: Pacific-diasporic disaster resilience
	Michele Bannister	University of Canterbury	Emissaries from the darkness: understanding planetary systems through their smallest worlds
	Nathaniel Davis	Victoria University of Wellington	Pushing the limits on renewable energy technology through hybrid organic/inorganic nanomaterials
	Jemma Geoghegan	University of Otago and ESR	Ecological barriers and drivers of virus emergence
	Nathan Kenny	University of Otago	Stretched mussels: tracing the genetic basis of resilience to climate change and ocean acidification in cultured green-lipped mussels (kuku) from genome to embryo
	Gabor Kereszturi	Massey University	Caught in action - volcano surveillance with hyperspectral remote sensing
	Libby Liggins	Massey University	Tohu of change for Aotearoa New Zealand’s marine biodiversity
	Martino Lupini	Victoria University of Wellington	Computing the shape of chaos
	Jaimie Veale	University of Waikato	Health inequities, social determinants of health, and gender affirmation: Transgender health research guided by principles of self-determination and informed consent
	Adele Williamson	University of Waikato	In extremis: how bacteria replicate, repair and diversify their genomes in challenging environments
2021	Alana Alexander	University of Otago	Creating purakau of past, present, and future conservation impacts using genomics
	Htin Lin Aung	University of Otago	Development of patient- and community-centric tuberculosis healthcare services: a multidisciplinary approach to close the health inequalities gap
	Amanda Black	Lincoln University	Genomes to giants: restoring resilient soil ecosystems in kauri forests
	Calum Chamberlain	Victoria University of Wellington	Probing the variability in earthquake nucleation mechanisms in New Zealand
	Kelly Dombroski	University of Canterbury	Transitioning to caring economies through transformative community investments
	Jessica Lai	Victoria University of Wellington	Patents and power: a critical analysis of knowledge governance
	Khoon Lim	University of Otago	3D bioprinting of functional vascular networks
	Samuel Mehr	University of Auckland	Psychological and cultural foundations of music
	Sereana Naepi	University of Auckland	Planning for change: an analysis of neoliberalism, equity and change in higher education
	Michael Price	Victoria University of Wellington	The physics of next generation solar panels and light emitters for sustainability
	Justin Rustenhoven	University of Auckland	Cleaning the brain drains: augmenting meningeal lymphatic dysfunction in aging and neurodegenerative disease to alleviate cognitive decline.
2022	Ruggiero (Rino) Lovreglio	Massey University	Pedestrian Evacuation Dynamics
	Laura Revell	University of Canterbury	Airborne microplastics in a changing climate
	Michelle LaRue	University of Canterbury	Southern Ocean connections: A metacommunity approach to understanding changes in the marine predator guild
	Patrick Savage	University of Auckland	The music-language continuum: A global analysis
	Guy Sinclair	University of Auckland	Governing the Pacific: International Legal Ordering in Moana-nui-a-Kiwa
	Hannah Waddington	Victoria University of Wellington	Transforming the clinical pathway for young autistic children and their whānau in Aotearoa New Zealand
	Holly Winton	Victoria University of Wellington	Southern Ocean phytoplankton and climate: Understanding the ability of phytoplankton to modulate climate in a warmer world
	Julie Deslippe	Victoria University of Wellington	Plant-soil interactions, biodiversity and mountain ecosystem function in an era of global change
	Kelly Blincoe	University of Auckland	Towards more inclusive software engineering practices and tools to retain women in software engineering
	Mathew Anker	Victoria University of Wellington	Lanthanide(II) Hydrides for Nitrogen Fixation and Ammonia Production
	Phoebe Macrae	University of Canterbury	Cross-disciplinary characterization of upper aerodigestive function
2023	Natalia Amy Yewdall	University of Canterbury	Enhancing enzyme networks in condensates for carbon capture and sustainable synthesis
	Simon J. Barker	Victoria University of Wellington	Magma forensics at New Zealand’s volcanoes: understanding the magmatic systems and processes that drive eruptions
	Kimberley O'Sullivan	University of Otago	HOusing, energy, and MEntal health and wellbeing (HOME) Programme
	Elizabeth Macpherson	University of Canterbury	Blue Carbon Futures in Aotearoa New Zealand: Law, Climate, Resilience
	Rosemary Brown	University of Otago	Wiring the brain for motherhood: the critical role of hormones in maternal mood and behaviour
	Megan Leask	University of Otago	Omics and molecular strategies for precision medicine target discovery in Māori and Pacific peoples
	Emma Nolan	University of Auckland	Tools for our future: harnessing NZ-specific advanced cancer models to drive research discovery in Aotearoa
	Lara Greaves	Victoria University of Wellington	More than the 3 Ps: Enhancing Participation in Politics, Policy, the Public Sphere, and Political Science
	Tom Logan	University of Canterbury	Incorporating cascading risk and multiple uncertainties into climate adaptation planning
	Rebecca Lawton	University of Waikato	Help for kelp in a warming world: A multi-disciplinary toolkit to identify resilience and improve heat tolerance of kelp for restoration and aquaculture
	Marta Rychert	Massey University	Harm reduction industries or harmful corporations? Investigating digital and social media influence strategies of the emerging international legal cannabis industry and cannabis vaping sector
	Emma Sharp	University of Auckland	Aotearoa New Zealand's diverse soil values: Examining the ontological politics of soil 'management' from the ground up

Source: Royal Society Te Apārangi