October/November Funding Round The third and final funding round for 2024 was completed on the 21^st of November at the year-end meeting of the MPPT Trust Board and applicants were advised of outcomes the same day. Trustees considered 76 applications and approved 41 grants-in-aid (totalling $275,516). Twenty-six of 44 Project and Equipment (P&E), 14 of 29 Travel, and 1 of 3 Conference Support applications were approved for funding. A total of $1,001,326 was requested this round, substantially higher than previous rounds. The scientific committee strived to fund as many applications as possible, leading to grants-in-aid, or partial funding, for nearly all successful applicants. Higher funding amounts were given to higher scoring applications, based on decisions from the trustees, with a goal of encouraging the best of science and fostering optimal research outcomes.

A relatively new addition to the P&E grants is the requirement for two referee reports. Applications were marked down, only slightly in this round, if these two referee reports were not received. It is important that all applicants ensure that their chosen referees submit their reports by the due date required – this is the applicants responsibility. This will become a stricter criterion for applicants in future granting rounds. The other change in this round was the use of a standard CV format. Nearly all applicants adhered to this; we strongly encourage all applicants to use the standard NZ CV formats for all applications.

We are working on creating improved grant guidelines, including details of eligibility, broad assessment criteria, submission dates, and application information. These will be released, after consultation with the scientific committee and trustees, in 2025. The next funding round closes on 1^st March 2025, with rounds also on 1^st June and 1^st October 2025.

As previously advised, please note that if you have a previous grant for which a report is outstanding, you will not be able to access the application templates or submit through the portal until the report is submitted. If a report is outstanding, you will see a notification when you log in to your dashboard. Note that submission of a report is sufficient to proceed; approval of the report by your institution is not required for you to continue with your new application.

Applicants are reminded that there is a one-year stand-down period for projects and travel. Further, applications for travel are only considered if the date of travel occurs after the relevant Board meeting (2025 dates are: 24^th April, 31^st July, and 20^th November). This means that there is no retrospective funding. 

Scholarships and Fellowships funded by the Trust can be found under the Scholarships and Fellowships page. Further information, including stipends payable, is available from institutional graduate student offices that administer the Trust’s programmes.

The email address for all Trust correspondence is mppt@mppt.nz.