Our partners & funders

NIWA has working relationships with hundreds of organisations in New Zealand and overseas. Most of NIWA’s revenue is from contestable research funding and commercial consultancy work.

Revenue sources

In 2014-2015, NIWA’s total revenue, including interest income, was $126.3 million.

Our main revenue sources were:

  • Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment: 51% ($64 million)
  • Ministry for Primary Industries: 12% ($15 million)

The remaining 37% of NIWA's funding came from a mix of work for organisations including local and central government, and the private sector.

Visit the MBIE website 

Visit the MPI website 

NIWA working with Māori

NIWA has a number of working relationships with Māori groups throughout New Zealand. Some of these have been formalised through such mechanisms as:

  • Memoranda of Understanding
  • letters of support
  • letters of intent
  • subcontracts.

The form of these arrangements depends on the requirements and wishes of our partners.

NIWA has developed specific protocols for iwi liaison. Our staff and management operate under a directive to develop effective, long-term working relationships with iwi, hapū, and Māori organisations.

See Te Kūwaha, our Māori environmental research centre.

Our New Zealand collaborations – examples

New Zealand Climate Change Centre

NIWA hosts the secretariat of the New Zealand Climate Change Centre. The centre is a joint initiative by all New Zealand’s Crown Research Institutes and two universities. These are:

  • AgResearch
  • ESR
  • GNS Science
  • Landcare Research
  • NIWA
  • New Zealand Climate Change Research Institute (VUW)
  • Plant and Food Research
  • Scion
  • Massey University
  • Victoria University of Wellington
  • University of Canterbury.

The centre’s goal is to enhance the capacity of New Zealand, both domestically and in partnership with other countries, to anticipate, mitigate, and adapt to climate change. The centre facilitates collaboration to develop, communicate, and apply science-based solutions to climate change-related issues.

Visit the New Zealand Climate Change Centre website 

RiskScape

RiskScape, a joint venture between GNS Science and NIWA, aims to develop and implement a decision-support tool that readily compares the likely consequences of multiple hazards on a region. The regional RiskScape system converts hazard exposure information into the likely impacts for a region, for example, damage and replacement costs, casualties, economic losses, disruption, and number of people affected.

Visit the RiskScape website 

Our international partners – examples

UK Met Office

NIWA is one of few the weather and climate organisations worldwide to have signed a collaboration agreement with the UK Met Office, making us operational users of its Unified Model. In 2015 NIWA was appointed a core partner, putting us at the governance table of this internationally renowned forecasting system.

Visit the UK Met Office website 

USGS

NIWA and the US Geological Survey (USGS) work together under a formal bilateral arrangement to facilitate scientific and technical cooperation in water resources science. The USGS (part of the US Department of the Interior) is the largest water, earth, and biological science and civilian mapping agency in the United States.

See our media release 'NIWA and USGS to cooperate in water resources science'

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Chief Executive John Morgan outlines NIWA’s capabilities, strategic direction and this year’s key science advances at a customer and stakeholder event in Wellington. [Credit: Dave Allen]

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NIWA 2014/2015 revenue by source. [Credit: NIWA]