Biennial grants and University research programmes

Natural Hazards Commission Toka Tū Ake runs two contestable funding opportunities:

Biennial grants every two years
University research programmes every three years.

We make funding decisions in accordance with the requirements of the Natural Hazards Insurance Act 2023(external link) and our Resilience Strategy for Natural Hazard Risk Reduction 2024-2029 [PDF, 8.1 MB] which sets out our ambition to address New Zealand’s resilience challenges.

Biennial grants contestable round

Our 2026 biennial grants round opens soon.

Every two years, NHC Toka Tū Ake invites researchers and practitioners to submit proposals for biennial grants. This year we invite proposals that align with our updated Research Strategy [PDF, 2.9 MB] and Research Investment Priorities Statement 2025 [PDF, 2.2 MB].

NHC Toka Tū Ake has provided over $12.5 million in funding for more than 300 projects through the biennial grants round since they began in 1989. For the 2022 round, approximately $1 million in funding was allocated to 13 projects, and in 2024, approximately $1.1 million was awarded to 15 projects. This round we expect to award approximately $1.2 million across projects of up to $100,000 excl. GST per project.

The application process for biennial grants is to first submit an expression of interest (EOI) application. Successful EOIs will be asked to submit a full proposal.

Key dates for the 2026 round:

Round opens on 1 May 2025
EOI submission by midday Thursday 29 May 2025
Assessment of EOIs through June 2025
EOI outcomes in the first week of July 2025
Full proposals due mid-day Thursday 14 August 2025
Final funding decisions by mid-October 2025
Contracting between October and November 2025
Contracts begin January 2026

Once the round opens submissions must be made via the SmartyGrants(external link) portal.

Read more about the full process, eligibility, and how to apply in the documents below: 

We'll add additional information to this page as it becomes available. Please check back in for updates. 

If you have any questions, please get in touch using the email address at the bottom of this page. Let us know if you want to be added to our research-related email distribution list to keep up-to-date with our research news.

Successful Biennial Grants 2024

Every two years we award research funding to experienced and emerging researchers through this contestable grant programme for public good research.

Fourteen Biennial Grants projects were awarded in the latest round (2024-26). These projects have now all commenced.

See Toka Tū Ake EQC awards $1.2 million for research to boost New Zealand’s resilience to natural hazards

Research project title	Principal Investigator	Host Institution
Cascading coastal inundation losses on Māori assets in the southern Marlborough district: Integrating Te Ao Māori with contemporary science to quantify compounding coastal inundation losses for adaptive resilience	Dr Shaun Williams	NIWA
A history of fault activity in the vicinity of Aotearoa’s supervolcano	Dr James Muirhead	University of Auckland
Virtually flooded: Improved risk communication through immersive virtual reality	Prof Matthew Wilson	University of Canterbury
Dynamic Volcanic Ash Damage Forecasting for Aotearoa-New Zealand	Dr Josh Hayes	GNS Science
Geophysical imaging of the Paeroa Fault for improved earthquake modelling	Dr Brook Keats	GNS Science
Geological Modelling the Hamilton Basin to Improve Earthquake Ground Motion Simulation	Dr Andrew La Croix	University of Waikato
High spatial resolution simulation platform for integrating land use, economics, and infrastructure	Dr Robert Cardwell	Market Economics Ltd
Insurance settlement following the 2016 Kaikōura/Hurunui earthquake: a comparison of rural, town and city claimant experiences and behaviours	Mr Cameron Eade	Resilient Organisations
Comparative Analysis of Lifetime Costs: Base Isolated Buildings vs. Conventional Buildings	Dr Alex Shegay	University of Auckland
Slope hazard hotspots in Aotearoa's changing climate	Dr Katherine Yates	University of Canterbury
Lava flow impacts on buildings and infrastructure: taking lessons from La Palma to New Zealand	Dr Geoff Kilgour	GNS Science
InSAR monitoring of slopes to build back safer	A/Prof Martin Brook	University of Auckland
A national landslide risk assessment for residential housing	Dr Tom Robinson	University of Canterbury
Quantifying corrosion to improve Aotearoa’s built environment resilience to future volcanic eruptions	A/Prof Carol Stewart	Massey University

Successful University Research Programmes

Nine University Research Programmes (URPs) were awarded in the latest round (2024-26). These programmes will formally commence on 1 January 2024 and end on 31 December 2026.
Each programme contributes to NHC Toka Tū Ake's research capability development initiative as well as addressing key strategic priorities.

See Toka Tū Ake EQC awards $4.5m to universities for natural hazard research boost for more information.

University of Auckland

Engineering for stronger homes and better land in Aotearoa New Zealand.
Programme leader: Associate Professor Liam Wotherspoon.

Robust and low-damage structural design for housing.
Programme leader: Associate Professor Richard Henry.

University of Canterbury

Assessment and Mitigation of Liquefaction Hazards.
Programme leader: Professor Misko Cubrinovski.

Next-generation seismic hazard analysis for NZ.
Programme leader: Professor Brendon Bradley.

Resilience to Earthquake and Landslide Multi-Hazards
Programme leader: Dr Timothy Stahl.

Victoria University of Wellington

Earthquake Seismology and Tectonic Geodesy.
Programme leader: Professor John Townend.

University of Waikato

Developing an agent-based land-use modelling approach to understand future multi-hazard urban risk profiles.
Programme leader: Professor Iain White.

How misleading are past experiences when planning for future record-shattering rainfall extremes?
Programme leader: Dr Luke J. Harrington.