Royal Society Te Apārangi

The Royal Society was founded in 1867 as the New Zealand Institute, a successor to the New Zealand Society, which had been founded by Sir George Grey in 1851.[2] The Institute, established by the New Zealand Institute Act 1867, was an apex organisation in science, with the Auckland Institute, the Wellington Philosophical Society, the Philosophical Institute of Canterbury, and the Westland Naturalists' and Acclimatization Society as constituents. It later included the Otago Institute and other similar organisations. The Colonial Museum (later to become the Dominion Museum and then the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa), which had been established two years earlier, in 1865, was granted to the New Zealand Institute. Publishing transactions and proceedings was one of the Institute's initial functions. James Hector was the Manager of the Institute and the Director of the Colonial Museum and Geological Survey from 1867 until his retirement in 1903.[3]

In 1933, the Institute's name was changed to Royal Society of New Zealand, in reference to the Royal Society of London,[2][4] a move requiring royal assent and a subsequent Act of Parliament.[5] In 2010, the organisation's remit was expanded to include the social sciences and the humanities.[6]

In 2007, Te Apārangi (Māori for "group of experts") was added to its name, and in 2017, its sesquicentenary, this was shortened to Royal Society Te Apārangi. Its legal name, as defined in legislation, remains Royal Society of New Zealand.[7]

Constituted under the Royal Society of New Zealand Act 1997 (amended in 2012), the Society exists to:

1. 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,
2. Encourage, promote, and recognise excellence in science and technology,
3. Provide an infrastructure and other support for the professional needs and development of scientists and technologists,
4. Provide expert advice on important public issues to the Government and the community,
5. 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 scientific and technological organisations and several affiliate organisations, and also has individual members.

The Society's activities include:

• Science funding – as a non-political funding distribution agency for government funding, particularly in science research and science education. The Society administers the contestable Marsden fund for 'blue skies' research. In 2021 a one-off round of thirty post-doctoral fellowships, the MBIE Science Whitinga Fellowships, was announced, to be administered by the Society.[8]
• 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 description; the Society 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
  • Fleming Award – awarded triennially to recognise protection of New Zealand's environment[9]
  • Hector Medal – awarded annually for outstanding work in chemical, physical or mathematical and information sciences by a researcher in New Zealand
  • Hutton Medal – Earth, plant and animal sciences award for outstanding work by a researcher in New Zealand, awarded annually.
  • 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.
  • Te Rangi Hiroa Medal – awarded for work in social sciences
• Science education – promotes quality science education and plays a role in setting the national science curriculum

The Society administers the Prime Minister's Science Prizes.[10]

The New Zealand Association of Scientists works in similar fields, but is constituted as an independent non-profit incorporated society and registered charity,[11][12] rather than being constituted by an Act of Parliament.

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.[13]

The list below shows all presidents of the Royal Society of New Zealand, known as the New Zealand Institute from 1867 to 1933, and since 2017 as the Royal Society Te Apārangi.[14]

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 first female fellow, Kathleen Curtis, was elected in 1936.[15][16]

The Society has relatively few direct members, with most memberships arising through constituent organisations. These constituent organisations are:

Regional Constituent Organisations (branches) are geographical constituents and include:[17]

• Auckland Museum Institute (formerly the Auckland Institute),[18] the membership body of Auckland War Memorial Museum
• Hawkes Bay Branch of the Royal Society of New Zealand
• Nelson Science Society[19]
• Otago Institute for the Arts and Sciences[20]
• Royal Society of New Zealand Canterbury Branch
• Royal Society of New Zealand Manawatu Branch Incorporated (formerly the 'Manawatu Philosophical Society'[21])
• Royal Society of New Zealand Rotorua Branch
• Royal Society of New Zealand Wellington Branch (formerly the 'Wellington Philosophical Society'[22])
• The Waikato Branch of the Royal Society of New Zealand
• Wanaka Branch of the Royal Society of New Zealand

The Society includes Affiliate Organisations that cover a diversity of disciplines, including policy, science education and the museum sector:

• Discovery World
• Environmental Protection Authority
• House of Science (HoS NZ Charitable Trust)
• International Institute of Refrigeration (NZ National Cttee)
• Medical Research Institute of New Zealand
• Motu Economic and Public Policy Research
• National Science-Technology Roadshow Trust
• New Zealand Association of Economists
• New Zealand Association Impact Assessment
• New Zealand Tree Crops Association
• Opus Intl Laboratories
• Science Alive
• Statistics Research Associates Ltd
• Te Manawa: Science Centre/Manawatu Museum
• Water New Zealand

• Home page
• Royal Society of New Zealand Act 1997
• New Zealand Journal of Botany at SCImago Journal Rank
• New Zealand Journal of Botany at HathiTrust Digital Library
• New Zealand Journal of Botany at Botanical Scientific Journals