Callaghan Innovation

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Business applications have closed for 2017/18. The businesses awarded R&D Experience Grants can now recruit students. To find out more see How do I Apply below.

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How can the grant help me?

The R&D Experience Grant is an internship designed to suit work experience during the summer student break.

The student is expected to help you with a discrete R&D project or activity.

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How does it work?

Your business will receive funding of $7,200 (plus GST) for 400 hours of work upon proof of your payment to the student.

We facilitate an annual request for funding applications to identify the best commercial R&D opportunities for New Zealand students.

Participating businesses are advised in August of the R&D they have funding for and how many students they can recruit.

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Who can apply?

For businesses

To apply for an R&D Experience Grant, your business must be one of the following:

• Registered under the Companies Act.
• Registered under the Limited Partnerships Act.
• A Māori incorporation or trust established under the Te Ture Whenua Māori Act, a trust set up to manage assets as part of a Treaty of Waitangi settlement, a Māori statutory body, or a business controlled by one or more of these entities.

To qualify, your business must also:

• Have an active R&D programme i.e. a R&D budget and dedicated R&D staff
• Meet financial due diligence requirements.

For students

To be eligible for an R&D Experience Grant placement, students must:

• Have completed their first year of an undergraduate or honours degree, a postgraduate diploma or certificate, or co-joint undergraduate degrees. If graduated, this must have been in the last 12 months.
• Be studying science, technology, engineering, design or business at a New Zealand tertiary education institute.
• Be a New Zealand citizen or resident or hold a relevant visa.
• Not have been previously employed at the business.
• Not have been previously employed in the industry under a professional arrangement unless temporary (up to 3 months).

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How do I apply?

For Business 

Business applications have closed for 2017/18. 139 businesses have been awarded R&D Experience Grants: Businesses awarded 2017/18 R&D Experience Grants (PDF, 145.7 KB)

Businesses awarded R&D Experience Grants can now recruit students. For more information, please read the information and guides below.

For Students

Businesses will advertise their R&D Experience Grant placements from August 2017. Students can find placements through:

• University Career Hub
• The University of Waikato Cooperative Education Unit
• AUT interNZ
• University of Auckland's MyCDES Job board
• Job advertising sites such as Seek and Trade Me 
• Internship facilitators such as Summer of Tech 
• Polytechnic research and enterprise offices
• The successful businesses receiving grants

For more information, please read the guides below.

Key dates

Date	What's happening
May 2017	Business applications open
June 2017	Business applications close
August 2017	Business applicants notified of application outcome
1 December 2017	Last date for businesses to recruit a student
31 March 2018	R&D Experience student internships finish

Experience Grant guides

Guidelines - R&D Experience Grant 2017
Guidelines: Portal (IMS) Users - R&D Experience Grant 
R&D Experience Grant - Quick Facts for Businesses
R&D Experience Grant - Quick Facts for Students
R&D Experience Grant - Funding Agreement Example
R&D Experience Grant - Post Approval Checklist
R&D Experience Grant - Report Example

More information

For more information, contact us.