Te Niwha acknowledges and welcomes the announcement of the next phase of Infectious Diseases Research investment, which will be hosted by the New Zealand Institute for Public Health and Forensic Science (PHF Science) . PHF Science is a current co-host of Te Niwha, and the investment builds on the Te Niwha's achievements over the past three years. The official media release from the Government can be viewed here.
Please see the message below from Dr Ashley Bloomfield, Chief Executive, PHF Science.
I am pleased to let you know that, during a visit to our Kenepuru Science Centre, Minister Shane Reti has announced that PHF Science will host the next phase of the Infectious Diseases Research Platform.
This next stage builds on the success of the Te Niwha Infectious Diseases Research Platform that we have co-hosted with the University of Otago since 2022. The contract for this Platform will conclude in February 2026, having funded 95 research projects and involved over 300 researchers.
I want to acknowledge the tremendous effort from everyone involved over this time, including our University of Otago co-hosts. The ongoing investment in infectious disease research speaks to the importance and ongoing value of this work.
The next phase of this platform goes even further, with an investment of $75 million, over seven and a half years, allowing for longer-term approaches and the opportunity to grow a pipeline of researchers.
As the designated host of the next phase of this infectious diseases research , we think of ourselves as stewards of the funding, and we will work with the full range of stakeholders to develop and lead a strategic programme of research, building on the positive impacts, key capability and important relationships built through the first phase of investment under Te Niwha.
A steering group will be established quickly to guide the planning and transition into the next phase of the fund.
Next week is the Te Niwha Summit, where we will reflect on the achievements of the platform over the past three years, and begin to look ahead to the next stage. We are delighted to go into this event knowing there will be an ongoing investment in this important mahi. I look forward to seeing many of you there and kicking off the discussions about future research priorities, how we build further capability, and our aspirations for this substantial investment.
Thank you to everyone who has been involved in contributing to the work to date that has laid the foundations for this ongoing investment, and I look forward to sharing more as this new phase progresses.
Ngā mihi
Dr Ashley Bloomfield
Chief Executive, PHF Science