Recipients July 2025

Catalyst Seeding Fund

Funding Round Overview

Awarded Grants 

The Catalyst Seeding General Fund facilitates new small and medium pre-research strategic partnerships that cannot be supported through other means, and with a view to developing full collaborations. 

Descriptions of the funded projects are provided below the results table. 

Note that applications submitted towards the JSPS - Joint Research Projects Programme are currently awaiting completion of the New Zealand-Japan joint review process. Awarded grants will be listed at the completion of the joint review, expected to be in mid-December.

Principal Investigator: Professor Brendon Bradley, University of Canterbury - Te Whare Wānanga o Waitaha

Title: Next-generation seismic risk analysis using New Zealand as a natural laboratory

This proposal seeks to advance seismic risk modelling in New Zealand (NZ) by developing next-generation models that enhance understanding of seismic hazards, asset exposure, fragility, vulnerability, and time-dependent seismicity. Leveraging NZ's unique datasets from recent earthquakes (e.g., 2010-2011 Canterbury, 2016 Kaikōura) and serving as a global flagship, the project fosters collaboration between NZ PI Brendon Bradley (University of Canterbury) and UK PI Carmine Galasso (University College London).
Key innovations include: (1) high-resolution exposure models using satellite-based remote sensing (Overture Maps) and AI-driven convolutional neural networks on street-level imagery; (2) AI-based surrogate models from finite element simulations for efficient fragility and vulnerability functions; and (3) reduced-order earthquake cycle simulators to incorporate time-dependent hazards into catastrophe models.
The two-year seeding initiative aims to benchmark methods, develop prototypes, publish datasets and papers, and secure larger funding (>NZ$1M initially, >NZ$5M subsequently). Benefits include refined risk estimates to optimize engineering interventions, reduce reinsurance uncertainty premiums, and bolster NZ's resilience, while leveraging UK expertise in catastrophe modelling and industry connections.

Principal Investigator: Dr Jodie Johnston, University of Canterbury - Te Whare Wānanga o Waitaha

Title: Using rapidly evolving serial crystallography technology to inform rational design-led bioengineering of new biocatalysts

Bacteria synthesise vitamin K2, which in humans is essential for blood clotting and bone health. One key enzyme in the process bacteria use to make vitamin K2 is called MenD. In bacteria, vitamin K2 is vital for energy production—making MenD an attractive target for new antibiotics that could disrupt energy production in harmful bacterial pathogens. In safe, food-grade bacteria, the production of vitamin K2 via MenD can be used to produce vitamin K2 supplements for human consumption. MenD is also part of an enzyme family whose “side-jobs” have proven useful in synthetic biology applications, making novel chemicals for industry and pharma.

To maximise the use of MenD in health and industry, we need to understand how it works at the molecular level. That’s where a cutting-edge technique called serial crystallography comes in. It allows us to watch molecules in action—capturing fast, tiny changes that drive biological processes. Although this technology isn’t available in New Zealand, our team of biochemists and engineers will collaborate with experts at the Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron in Germany. Together, we aim to uncover how MenD works in real time, paving the way for improved supplement production as well as synthetic biology and drug development applications.

Principal Investigator: Professor Rod Dunbar, University of Auckland - Waipapa Taumata Rau

Title: Integrating Genomic and Spatial Proteomic Profiling to Unravel Ovarian Cancer Resistance and Therapeutic Opportunities

 Ovarian cancer is one of the most lethal cancers in women, with many patients eventually developing resistance to standard therapies. This project brings together researchers from the University of Auckland and the University of Edinburgh to develop new ways to understand and overcome treatment resistance by using cutting-edge imaging and molecular technologies.
This collaboration will integrate advanced imaging techniques that allow scientists to map the interaction between proteins and immune cells, with genomic data from international clinical trials. By combining these two powerful approaches, the team aims to identify new targets for treatment and uncover why some ovarian cancers stop responding to therapy.
This partnership connects New Zealand’s growing strengths in digital pathology and gynaecological cancer research with Edinburgh’s world-leading expertise in clinical oncology and ovarian cancer genomics. It will create opportunities for long-term research collaboration between the two countries and ultimately lead to more effective and personalised treatments for women with ovarian cancer.

Principal Investigator: Professor Colin Simpson, University of Auckland - Waipapa Taumata Rau

Title: Singapore New Zealand joint research partnership for AI in Breast Cancer

 The collaboration aims to co-develop a multi-modal AI system for comprehensive breast cancer risk assessment, integrating clinical, imaging, and textual data to enable individualised, explainable, and clinically actionable predictions. The proposed system will jointly analyse mammographic images, structured clinical variables (e.g., age, family history, breast density, prior biopsy outcomes), and diagnostic screening reports generated by radiologists, thereby capturing both visual and contextual determinants of cancer risk. The methodological framework will leverage deep convolutional and transformer-based architectures for robust image feature extraction, medical foundation models pre-trained on large-scale clinical corpora to interpret and encode screening reports, and CLIP-based vision–language networks to align mammographic representations with corresponding textual descriptors. These representations will be integrated through multi-modal fusion networks to jointly model heterogeneous data sources and estimate both short-term and long-term individualised breast cancer risk. The co-development process will involve multi-institutional and demographically diverse datasets collected across different imaging systems to ensure model generalisability, robustness, and fairness across subpopulations. This unified multi-modal framework is expected to outperform single-modality models by holistically capturing phenotypic, radiologic, and clinical determinants of breast cancer, ultimately supporting personalised screening strategies, earlier detection, and more informed clinical decision-making.

Principal Investigator: Professor Alex Yip, University of Canterbury - Te Whare Wānanga o Waitaha

Title: Next-generation zeolite oxygen concentrator: a lifecare solution for COPD patients

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is a significant health issue affecting millions worldwide, including over 300,000 people in New Zealand, with higher impacts on Māori and Pacific communities. Similar challenges exist for indigenous groups in Taiwan. Respiratory illnesses like COPD cost New Zealand billions each year and lead to many hospital stays requiring oxygen support.

Current portable oxygen devices are expensive and consume a significant amount of energy, making them inaccessible to many who need them. This joint project between the University of Canterbury (UC) in New Zealand and National Taiwan University (NTU) aims to create more affordable, efficient, and long-lasting portable oxygen concentrators.

By combining expertise in materials science from UC and advanced testing methods from NTU, the team will develop better ways to produce oxygen from air. The goal is to enhance patients' daily lives, increase workforce participation, reduce healthcare costs, and promote equity in access to essential medical tools. This new collaboration will strengthen research ties between New Zealand and Taiwan, and help people with COPD worldwide breathe more easily.

Principal Investigator: Associate Professor Davide Comoletti, Victoria University of Wellington - Te Herenga Waka

Title: FAM171 proteins as candidate drivers of neuronal and synaptic pathology in Parkinson’s disease

 Abnormalities of the FAM171 family of proteins are involved in human brain disorders, including Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases, and dementia. Despite the available knowledge of the genetics and clinical implications of these proteins, their fundamental function at the cellular and brain level, and their structural features remain unknown. Our multidisciplinary, international Team in NZ (VUW), Belgium (VIB-KU Leuven), US (Yale), and the Netherlands (Delft) will coordinate cutting-edge structural and neuronal biology to define the cellular functions and structural features of the FAM171 family of proteins to advance our understanding of their function in human health and disease.

Principal Investigator: Professor Denise Taylor, Auckland University of Technology - Te Wānanga Aronui o Tāmaki Makau Rau

Title: From head to toe: Re-wiring balance with Smart Neuro-Tech

 Falls caused by loss of balance are the leading reason older adults lose their independence and suffer injury, making prevention a critical priority. This project takes a bold step toward preventing them by linking brain science, wearable technology, and community-based rehabilitation. We will use Mobile Brain/Body Imaging (MoBI) to capture brain activity during natural movement, offering insights into how the brain supports balance in real-world conditions. A smartphone-based Gait & Balance app will monitor walking patterns, while a gentle electrical signal to the inner ear, known as noisy Galvanic Vestibular Stimulation (nGVS), will support the brain’s ability to stabilise the body.

By integrating these tools, we can observe how the brain and body work together in real time to maintain balance, and how subtle sensory enhancements can make movement safer. Our aim is to develop rehabilitation tools that are accessible in everyday environments, empowering people to improve balance at home, in their communities, and beyond. Guided by Māori partners, the project embraces Māori concepts of hauora (wellbeing) and prioritises equitable outcomes for communities most impacted by falls. Our ultimate goal is simple: fewer falls, enhanced balance, and extended independent living for older adults.

Principal Investigator: Associate Professor Melissa Bowen, University of Auckland - Waipapa Taumata Rau

Title: How much carbon is exported into the deep ocean from the Ross Sea?

 Our project combines new expertise in estimating anthropogenic CO2 uptake in the ocean with measurements of organic and inorganic carbon and flow rates to estimate the flux of carbon into the abyssal ocean from the Ross Sea. Samples will be collected on an R/V Tangaroa voyage along the path of the dense water as it flows from the shelf into the deep ocean. From these observations we will identify the origin of the carbon (anthropogenic CO2, natural CO2, organic and inorganic particulate and suspended matter, marine and terrestrial sources) and estimate the flux of carbon into the global abyssal ocean by combining the estimates of carbon with estimates of volume transport. The results will be an estimate of the significant, and potentially highly variable, amount of carbon delivered to the global abyssal ocean by physical and biological processes on the Antarctic shelves. The results will be central to understanding the contribution of this rapidly changing region to the global carbon cycle.

Principal Investigator: Dr Timothy Allison, University of Canterbury - Te Whare Wānanga o Waitaha

Title: Unlocking the GlyCode of milk proteins – discovery of beneficial glycans with frontier mass spectrometry

 Proteins derived from dairy milk are a significant protein source across the world, and a major export commodity for New Zealand. Milk proteins are complicated molecules in part because of the natural attachment of heterogeneous sugar-based polymers, which play biological roles in how lactation supports calf growth and protection from disease. The sugar polymers on dairy milk proteins also play important roles in human health and nutrition, and have functional properties in high-value dairy products.

Determining the precise patterns of these complex sugar polymers on milk proteins has been analytically challenging. Here, we will develop a new method to measure these patterns, based on state-of-the-art just-released mass spectrometry technology, by establishing a new research area with UK-based partners at the University of Oxford and University of Edinburgh. This new information will enable a more informed understanding of milk protein roles in human health and nutrition, and may lead to ways of developing higher-value dairy products, ultimately enhancing the value of milk proteins to the New Zealand economy. 

Principal Investigator: Dr Paul Franklin, Earth Sciences New Zealand

Title: Delivering fish friendly flood management infrastructure

 Land drainage and flood risk management (LDFRM) infrastructure, such as flood pumps, stop banks and tide gates, is vital for protecting life, property, and productive land throughout lowland areas worldwide. There are >240 flood pumps and >800 tide/flood gates in New Zealand. However, the impacts of LDFRM infrastructure on aquatic ecosystems and biodiversity remain largely unseen. Evidence is increasingly pointing towards significant adverse effects – habitat degradation, loss of access to key habitats, and high rates of injury and mortality following entrainment in flood pumps. Collectively, these factors contribute to the loss of New Zealand’s taonga species.

Climate change will increase demands on existing LDFRM infrastructure and drive its expansion to new areas. There is an urgent need to deliver evidence-based climate adaptation solutions that balance the competing needs of nature and society. This project will connect international experts to share knowledge and investigate the application of world-leading approaches (including advanced sensor technology) to designing, testing and implementing ecologically sustainable LDFRM infrastructure. This project will reimagine the design of critical LDFRM infrastructure, such as flood pumps and tide gates, to enable the recovery of freshwater biodiversity while also ensuring the protection of life and productive land in a changing climate.

Principal Investigator: Dr Geoff Kilgour, Earth Sciences New Zealand

Title: Towards a new understanding of gas-driven volcanic eruptions through the quantitative assessment of hydrothermal seal failure

 Ruapehu is one of New Zealand’s most active volcanoes. It has an extensive record of small, highly regular, gas-driven eruptions that impact the summit plateau and are preceded by relatively little to no effective warning. This type of eruption remains a key challenge for the global volcanology community.

The high frequency of gas-driven eruptions at Ruapehu is partially controlled by the presence of an active hydrothermal system. Using novel experimental methods, we have shown that acidic fluids cause mineral precipitation, to the point of seal formation that is an efficient barrier to fluid or gas flow.

To extend this experimental analysis beyond current scientific understanding, we now seek to collaborate with global experts in porous flow mechanics, including failure mechanics of competent rock to assess the evolving strength of a mineral seal. We seek to constrain the mechanics of seal failure, which will lead to a greater understanding of the deformation and seismic signals before failure (and eruption) and the potential size of an eruption based on the mechanical strength of the seal. The collaboration formed from this project will help derive new understanding of seal failure, feeding directly into fundamental new knowledge of gas-driven eruption priming and eruption.

Principal Investigator: Dr Rebecca McDougal, Bioeconomy Science Institute

Title: Future-proofing forestry: a coordinated response to the conifer biosecurity threat Lecanosticta acicola

A new international partnership between scientists in New Zealand, the USA, and Spain is working to protect New Zealand’s forests from serious biosecurity threats. The focus is on developing advanced biotechnology tools to detect and manage diseases like Lecanosticta acicola, a fast-spreading pine needle disease that has already devastated forests in Spain. If it reaches New Zealand, it could severely impact Pinus radiata, the country’s most important commercial tree species.

Forestry is a vital part of New Zealand’s economy, generating over $5 billion in exports each year, supporting 40,000 jobs, and helping offset nearly a third of the country’s carbon emissions. But diseases like Dothistroma and Phytophthora are already causing millions in losses annually. Current tools to detect these threats are not sensitive enough, and New Zealand needs to improve its preparedness for this threat, Lecanosticta.

This project will bring together global expertise to develop relationships that will create faster, more accurate detection methods, like molecular diagnostics and biosensors, and build a long-term strategy to keep forests safe. It will also involve workshops to shape future research and funding. With industry support likely, this work will help ensure early warning systems, effective responses, and stronger protection for New Zealand’s forests.

Principal Investigator: Professor Melody Smith, University of Auckland - Waipapa Taumata Rau

Title: Healing Effects of a Tea Ceremony in Green space for Older Adults with Dementia and Their Caregivers

 Aotearoa New Zealand and Japan are both grappling with the rapid growth of ageing populations, leading to significant health, societal, and economic challenges. Aged residential care facilities (ARCs) are essential for providing comprehensive health care, companionship, and safety for older people living with dementia (OPWD). However, ARCs face challenges in delivering optimal care, including the unmet needs, residents’ loneliness, limited capacity and resources, caregiver burnout, and workforce shortages. Our project addresses the urgent need to support OPWD and carers. Evidence shows that greenspace exposure, Matcha (green tea) consumption, and engaging in tea ceremonies can enhance well-being. The multidisciplinary project team have been developing a novel intervention (an integrated ARC-based tea ceremony, including Matcha and greenspace) with early evidence suggesting acceptability. This project aims to explore opportunities and challenges to intervention implementation and scalability. Activities include environmental scans, seminars, workshops, the development of terms of reference, a website, a study protocol; and at least one funding application. The project is supported by a multidisciplinary team with expertise in greenspace, mental health, palliative care, ARC, and minority ageing. Ultimately, the project aims to produce a scalable, evidence-based intervention that improves care quality, supports workforce retention, and contributes to sustainable, age-friendly care models.