Currently funded projects
Natural Hazards Commission Toka Tū Ake invests around $10 million in research annually, via our competitive and non-competitive research funding programmes. The projects listed below represent our current projects (still in progress) and recently completed (in the past 12 months).
If you are looking for the full list of NHC Toka Tū Ake research papers and publications, search all research reports.
Current research projects
| Investment type | Title | Principal investigator | Organisation |
| Biennial Grants | Repairs and Retrofits for Resilient Wall Building Structure | Santiago Pujol | University of Canterbury |
| Biennial Grants | A High-Resolution NZ Vs30 Map Update with Increased Data Integration | Dr Robin Lee | University of Canterbury |
| Biennial Grants | Te Tāwharau o Rūaumoko | Dr Acushla Sciascia | Māpuna Consultants |
| Biennial Grants | Dynamic probabilistic forecasting from synthetic seismicity catalogues | Dr Camilla Penney | University of Canterbury |
| Biennial Grants | Lateral loading retrofit of suspended timber floors | Dr Catalina Miranda | Massey University |
| Biennial Grants | How active are Auckland's fault lines? | Dr James Muirhead | University of Auckland |
| Biennial Grants | Exploring Narrative and Acceptance of Nature-Based Solutions to Natural Hazards | A/Prof Caroline Orchiston | University of Otago |
| Biennial Grants | Determining the volcanic hazard of Ōkataina with seismic imaging | Dr Eleanor Mestel | Victoria University of Wellington |
| Biennial Grants | Improving Seismic Resilience and Repairability of Light Timber-Framed Residential Buildings | Dr Ashkan Hashemi |
University of Auckland |
| Biennial Grants | Addressing intention-to-action gap in household disaster preparedness and mitigation | Ms Manomita Das |
Massey University |
| Biennial Grants | Disaster insurance models for communal-living: Resilience for marae-centred communities | Prof Rebecca Bednarek | Victoria University of Wellington |
| Biennial Grants | A Novel Low-Damage Demountable Floor-Frame Connection for Seismic Regions | Prof Rajesh Prasad Dhakal | University of Canterbury |
| Biennial Grants | Informing Nature-Positive Insurance: Valuing Homeowner Preferences for Landslide Risk Reduction | Dr Stefania Mattea | Market Economics |
| University Research Programme | NHC Toka Tū Ake Programme in Earthquake Seismology and Tectonic Geodesy | John Townend | VUW |
| University Research Programme | Next-generation seismic hazard analysis for New Zealand | Brendon Bradley | UC |
| University Research Programme | Building resilience through earthquake and landslide multi-hazard research in New Zealand | Professor Andy Nichol | UC |
| University Research Programme | Assessment and Mitigation of Liquefaction Hazards | Misko Cubrinovski | UC |
| University Research Programme | Seismic hazard of the southern South Island the neglected provinces | Mark Stirling | UoO |
| University Research Programme | Engineering for stronger homes and better land in Aotearoa New Zealand | Liam Wotherspoon | UoA |
| University Research Programme | Advancing national and community-based public education for impactful change | Associate Professor Julia Becker | Massey University |
| Post Graduate programme | Integrated Intelligent Structural Control and Health Monitoring Using Innovative Methodologies | Sherif Beskhyroun | AUT |
| Targeted Science Investment | Practical dynamic analysis techniques for seismic resilient structures with friction connections | Ashkan Hashemi | UoA |
| Targeted Science Investment | Its Our Fault | Nicola Litchfield | GNS |
| Targeted Science Investment | DEVORA | Graham Leonard | GNS |
| Targeted Science Investment | National Lifelines Infrastructure Vulnerability Assessment 2022 Edition | Roger Fairclough | NZLC |
| Targeted Science Investment | Te Toi Whakarururhau o Aotearoa | Cassie Kenney | Massey |
| Targeted Science Investment | Tribunals and Post-Disaster Dispute Resolution: A Christchurch Case Study | Toni Collins | UoC |
| Targeted Science Investment | Identifying and forecasting earthquake- and rainfall-induced movement patterns of large, populated landslides: A Nelson case study | Chris Massey | GNS |
| Loss Modelling/Impact Estimation | Chimney Damage Fragility Function | Virginie Lacrosse | Tonkin & Taylor |
| Loss Modelling/Impact Estimation | Lower Hutt Scenario Modelling | Virginie Lacrosse | Tonkin & Taylor |
| Loss Modelling/Impact Estimation | New Zealand Volcano Hazard and Risk Model (NZVHRM) | Graham Leonard | GNS |
| Loss Modelling/Impact Estimation | GNS Contribution to Residential fragility, liquefaction and topographic amplification modules (SOW4) | SR Uma | GNS |
| Loss Modelling/Impact Estimation | Tsunami impact and loss modelling in Hawkes Bay | Bill Fry and William Power | GNS |
| Loss Modelling/Impact Estimation | Land Use Planning - Riskscape Case Studies | Edith Bretherton | GNS |
| Loss Modelling/Impact Estimation | National Liquefaction Model | Virginie Lacrosse | Tonkin & Taylor |
| Loss Modelling/Impact Estimation | Machine Learning - Mis-Prediction of Liquefaction Damage | Virginie Lacrosse | Tonkin & Taylor |
| Science to Practice | Assessment of Plan Irregularity Limits in NZS 1170.5 | Max Stephens | UoA |
| Science to Practice | ATC 145 Guide for repair of earthquake damaged buildings to achieve future resilience | Nicholas Brooke | Compusoft engineering limited |
| Science to Practice | Slope Stability Guidance | Richard Justice | NZGS |
| Science to Practice | Low Damage Seismic Design Technical Information - Gap Analysis | Hamish McKenzie | SESOC |
| Science to Practice | Whole-of-Building Approach to Improve Seismic Retrofits of Buildings in New Zealand | Santiago Pujol | UoC |
| Other | GeoNet | GNS |