New Chair for Marsden Fund Council

Professor Peter Hunter of the University of Auckland has been appointed Chair of the Marsden Fund Council.

Announcing the appointment, Minister of Research, Science and Technology Wayne Mapp said he is delighted to be able to appoint someone of Professor Hunter’s standing to the role.

“His prior experience on the Council coupled with his local and international reputation make him an ideal Chair,” said Dr Mapp.

The Council comprises eminent researchers who assess funding applications for the Marsden Fund. In the 2008/09 year the Fund invested $54 million in support of 91 research projects.

Professor Hunter has convened the Council’s Mathematical and Information Sciences panel since 2005. He succeeds Dr Garth Carnaby, who has chaired the Council since 2005. Dr Carnaby resigned as Chair on his election as President of the Royal Society, which administers the Fund.

Over the past thirty years, Professor Hunter has established himself as a leader in the rapidly developing field of computational physiology. As Professor of Engineering Science and Director of the Bioengineering Institute at the University of Auckland, he has contributed to ongoing collaboration between the fields of engineering science and physiology.

The Marsden Fund was established in 1994 to fund excellence in fundamental research in New Zealand. It is administered by the Royal Society of New Zealand and paid for by the Government through the Research, Science and Technology portfolio.