The Royal Society of New Zealand is an independent government body in New Zealand providing funding and policy advice in the fields of sciences and the humanities.
The Society was founded in 1867 by Sir George Grey as the New Zealand Institute as an apex organisation in science, with the Auckland Institute, the Wellington Philosophical Society, the Philosophical Institute of Canterbury, and the Otago Institute as constituents. Publishing transactions and proceedings was its main early function. The name was changed to Royal Society of New Zealand in 1933, a reference to the London-based Royal Society, a move requiring royal assent and subsequent act of parliament. In 2010, the remit was expanded to include the social sciences and the humanities.
Currently constituted under the Royal Society of New Zealand Act 1997 (as amended in 2012), the RSNZ exists:
- To foster in the New Zealand community a culture that supports science and technology, including (without limitation): (i) The promotion of public awareness, knowledge, and understanding of science and technology; and (ii) The advancement of science and technology education,
- To encourage, promote, and recognise excellence in science and technology,
- To provide an infrastructure and other support for the professional needs and development of scientists and technologists,
- To provide expert advice on important public issues to the Government and the community,
- To do all other lawful things which the Council considers conducive to the advancement and promotion of science and technology in New Zealand.
It is a federation of 49 constituent scientific and technological organisations, and also several affiliate organisations, and it has individual members.
The RSNZ's activities encompass:
Science funding – as a non-political funding distribution agency for government funding, particularly in science research and science education
Publishing – peer-reviewed journals such as NZ Journal of Botany and NZ Journal of Zoology
Meetings and seminars – most local branches and constituent scientific and technological organisations run seminar series of some descriptions, and the RSNZ promotes these and coordinates touring international lecturers.
Awards and medals – including:
Rutherford Medal (formerly the Gold Medal) – awarded annually for exceptional contributions to the advancement and promotion of public awareness, knowledge and understanding in addition to eminent research or technological practice by a person or group in any field of science, mathematics, social science, or technology
Pickering Medal – awarded annually to recognise people who have made outstanding contributions to New Zealand society and culture in science, mathematics, social science, and technology. Silver and Bronze medals are also awarded
Fleming Award – awarded every three years to recognise protection of New Zealand's environment
Hector Medal – awarded annually for outstanding work in chemical, physical or mathematical and information sciences by a researcher in New Zealand
Science education – promotes quality science education and plays a role in setting the national science curriculum
The RSNZ also administers the Prime Minister's Science Prizes.
The New Zealand Association of Scientists works in similar fields, but is constituted as an independent non-profit incorporated society and registered charity, rather than being constituted by an Act of Parliament. The Foundation for Research, Science and Technology works in similar fields, but as a crown entity is not independent from politics.
On 10 July 2008, the Society released a statement on climate change that said in summary:
The globe is warming because of increasing greenhouse gas emissions. Measurements show that greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere are well above levels seen for many thousands of years. Further global climate changes are predicted, with impacts expected to become more costly as time progresses. Reducing future impacts of climate change will require substantial reductions of greenhouse gas emissions.
Past presidents include:
Captain Frederick Wollaston Hutton 1903–04
Sir James Hector 1905–06
Hon. George Malcolm Thomson 1907–08
Augustus Hamilton 1909–10
Thomas Frederic Cheeseman 1911–12
Charles Chilton 1913–14
Donald Petrie 1915
Sir William Blaxland Benham 1916–17
Leonard Cockayne 1918–19
Sir Thomas Hill Easterfield 1920–21
Harry Borrer Kirk 1922–23
Patrick Marshall 1924–25
Bernard Cracroft Aston 1926–27
James Allan Thomson (B. C. Aston reappointed May 1928, vice J. Allan Thomson deceased.) 1928
Clinton Coleridge Farr 1929–30
Hugh William Segar 1931–32
Robert Speight 1933–34
Right Rev. Bishop Williams 1935–36
William Percival Evans 1937–38
Rev. John Ernest Holloway 1939–40
Sir Gilbert Edward Archey 1941–42
Harry Howard Allan 1943–45
William Noel Benson 1946–47
Sir Ernest Marsden 1947
Sir Robert Falla 1948–50
Francis Raymond Callaghan 1950–52
Walter Reginald Brook Oliver 1952–54
David Miller 1954–56
Lindsay Heathcote Briggs 1956–58
Robin Sutcliffe Allan 1958–60
Joseph Keith Dixon 1960–62
Sir Charles Alexander Fleming 1962–64
Miles Aylmer Fulton Barnett 1964
Sir Charles Alexander Fleming (again) 1964–66
John Arthur Reginald Miles 1966–70
Richard Wright Willett 1970–74
Sir Malcolm McRae Burns 1974–77
Richard Kenneth Dell 1977–81
Edward George Bollard 1981–85
Trevor Hatherton 1985–89
John Newton Dodd 1989–93
Philippa Margaret Black 1993–97
Sir John Scott 1997–2000
Sir Gil Simpson 2000–2003
Jim Watson 2004–2006
Neville Jordan 2006–2010
Garth Carnaby 2010–2012
Sir David Skegg 2012–present
The Academy Council of the society from time to time elects as a Fellow of the Royal Society of New Zealand any person who in its opinion "has achieved distinction in research or the advancement of science or technology". The number of Fellows is limited to such number as is agreed from time to time between the Academy Council and the Council of the society. A Fellow is entitled to use, in connection with his or her name, either the letters FRSNZ, which stand for Fellow of the Royal Society of New Zealand, or such other letters or title as is agreed from time to time between the Academy Council and the Council.
The society has relatively few direct members, with most membership being via constituent organisations. The constituent organisations of RSNZ are:
Agronomy Society of New Zealand
Aotearoa New Zealand Evaluation Association (ANZEA)
Association of Social Science Researchers
Australasian Society of Clinical and Experimental Pharmacologists and Toxicologists (NZ Section)(ASCEPT)
Geological Society of New Zealand
Meteorological Society of New Zealand
New Zealand Institute of Surveyors
The Nutrition Society of New Zealand
New Zealand Archaeological Association
New Zealand Association for Research in Education
New Zealand Association of Clinical Research
NZ Association of Mathematics Teachers
New Zealand Association of Science Educators
New Zealand Association of Scientists
New Zealand Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
New Zealand Dietetic Association
New Zealand Ecological Society
New Zealand Freshwater Sciences Society
New Zealand Geographical Society
New Zealand Geophysical Society
NZ Geothermal Association
New Zealand Grassland Association
New Zealand Hydrological Society
NZ Institute of Agricultural & Horticultural Science
The New Zealand Institute of Food Science and Technology
New Zealand Institute of Economic Research
The New Zealand Institute of Chemistry
New Zealand Institute of Forestry
New Zealand Institute of Physics
New Zealand Marine Sciences Society
New Zealand Mathematical Society Inc.
New Zealand Microbiological Society
New Zealand Plant Protection Society
New Zealand Psychological Society Incorporated
New Zealand Society of Animal Production
New Zealand Society of Endocrinology
New Zealand Society for Oncology
The New Zealand Society for Parasitology
New Zealand Society of Plant Biologists (NZSPB)
New Zealand Society of Soil Science
New Zealand Statistical Association
New Zealand Veterinary Association
Operational Research Society of New Zealand
The Physiological Society of New Zealand Incorporated
Population Association of New Zealand
Royal Astronomical Society of New Zealand
Association of Social Anthropologists of Aotearoa/New Zealand
Sociological Association of Aotearoa NZ
Technology Education New Zealand (TENZ)
Regional Constituent Organisations ('branches') are geographical constituents and include:
Auckland Museum Institute (formerly the 'Auckland Institute')
Hawkes Bay Branch of the Royal Society of New Zealand
Nelson Science Society
Otago Institute for the Arts and Sciences
Royal Society of New Zealand Canterbury Branch
Royal Society of New Zealand Manawatu Branch Incorporated (formerly the 'Manawatu Philosophical Society')
Royal Society of New Zealand Rotorua Branch
Royal Society of New Zealand Wellington Branch (formerly the 'Wellington Philosophical Society')
The Waikato Branch of the Royal Society of New Zealand
Wanaka Branch of the Royal Society of New Zealand
