News
Prime Minister’s Prize awarded for a life-saving therapy for brain injury in newborns
MEDIA RELEASE: TE PŪIAKI PUTAIAO MATUA A TE PIRIMIA SCIENCE PRIZE A deceptively simple treatment that has prevented severe disability in thousands of newborns worldwide has been recognised as a transformative scientific advance – winning the Prime Minister’s Science Prize. The Fetal Physiology and Neuroscience team, from Waipapa Taumata Rau, … Read More
Student wins Prime Minister’s Future Scientist Prize for a road-safety app
MEDIA RELEASE: TE PUIAKI KAIPŪTAIAO ĀNAMATA FUTURE SCIENTIST PRIZE The Prime Minister’s Future Scientist Prize, for an innovative project by a secondary school student, was awarded to Jesse Rumball-Smith from Wellington College. Jesse designed a smartphone app to bring the advanced safety features of newer vehicles to all drivers, by using the … Read More
Science Communication Prize won for “myth busting”
MEDIA RELEASE: TE PUIAKI WHAKAPĀ PŪTAIAO SCIENCE COMMUNICATION PRIZE The Prime Minister’s Science Communication Prize has been won by Associate Professor Nic Rawlence from the University of Otago, Ōtākou Whakaihu Waka. A palaeogeneticist, Assoc Prof Rawlence directs the Ancient Ecology Lab in the University’s Department of Zoology. His team reconstructs … Read More
Emerging Scientist awarded for work on climate change and extreme weather
Media Release: Te Puiaki Kaipūtaiao Maea | Prime Minister’s MacDiarmid Emerging Scientist Prize Dr Luke Harrington, who leads the Climate Extremes and Societal Impacts research group at The University of Waikato, Te Whare Wānanga o Waikato, has won the Prime Minister’s MacDiarmid Emerging Scientist Prize. Dr Harrington has developed novel … Read More
Combining traditional knowledge with cutting-edge tech wins major Prize for Wellington teacher
MEDIA RELEASE: TE PUIAKI KAIWHAKAAKO PŪTAIAO SCIENCE TEACHER PRIZE Whaea Nan Walden-Moeung (Te Aitanga-a-Māhaki), of Wellington East Girls’ College, has won the Prime Minister’s Science Teacher Prize for 2025. Whaea Nan is an innovative educator who combines new technologies like 3D printing, laser cutting, and digital modeling with traditional … Read More
Prime Minister’s Science Prizes announced
Researchers who pioneered a new treatment for newborns with brain injury, an emerging scientist who developed ways to calculate how climate change is influencing extreme weather, and researcher who counters misinformation and disinformation on controversial scientific debates have been awarded Prime Minister’s Science Prizes. Also recognised are a teacher who … Read More
Billions of dollars gained from research on fungal partner of ryegrass
MEDIA RELEASE: TE PŪIAKI PUTAIAO MATUA A TE PIRIMIA SCIENCE PRIZE Dr Linda Johnson and the Endophyte Discovery Team from AgResearch have been awarded Te Pūiaki Putaiao Matua a Te Pirimia, the Prime Minister’s Science Prize. They have been awarded this prize for generating significant economic and environmental benefits from … Read More
Breathtaking – for better understanding and treatment of anxiety
Media Release: Te Puiaki Kaipūtaiao Maea | Prime Minister’s MacDiarmid Emerging Scientist Prize Dr Olivia Harrison, from Ōtākou Whakaihu Waka, University of Otago, has won Te Puiaki Kaipūtaiao Maea, the Prime Minister’s MacDiarmid Emerging Scientist Prize, for developing a multidisciplinary approach to understanding and managing anxiety. Olivia is a Rutherford … Read More
Student’s winning solution to remove pollutants from stormwater with plants
MEDIA RELEASE: TE PUIAKI KAIPŪTAIAO ĀNAMATA FUTURE SCIENTIST PRIZE Te Puiaki Kaipūtaiao Ānamata the Prime Minister’s Future Scientist is Rena Misra, a Year 13 student at Epsom Girls’ Grammar School in Auckland. Rena was awarded this Prize for her research on removing pollutants from stormwater, using fungi to enhance the efficiency of filtration … Read More
Winning science teacher making the invisible visible to his students
MEDIA RELEASE: TE PUIAKI KAIWHAKAAKO PŪTAIAO SCIENCE TEACHER PRIZE Te Puiaki Kaiwhakaako Pūtaiao the Prime Minister’s Science Teacher is Dr Aidan Kiely, a science teacher and Head of Science at Aorere College in South Auckland. Aidan was awarded this Prize for his skilled and committed teaching, focused on achieving equitable … Read More