Kyle Higham
@kylehigham.bsky.social
Science, innovation, intellectual property, and complex systems :)
Fellow @ Motu, PI @tepunahamatatini.bsky.social
🇳🇿➡️🇨🇭➡️🇯🇵➡️🇳🇿
Fellow @ Motu, PI @tepunahamatatini.bsky.social
🇳🇿➡️🇨🇭➡️🇯🇵➡️🇳🇿
Pinned
Kyle Higham
@kylehigham.bsky.social
· Dec 5
In light of the Government's push to get a 'return on investment' (ROI) from research funding, perhaps it is as good a time as any to talk about just how hard it is to measure this supposed ROI for research in general. Let's take a trip into the weeds! ⬇️
Reposted by Kyle Higham
More cuts to the Marsden Fund. This time $20 million from the annual budget cut starting next year. This is on top of previous cuts by this government. They are trying to skip the 'priming the pump' step of public research as a driver of the economy. How well that is going to work?
#NZPOL
#NZPOL
Fewer Marsden Fund grants after government cuts
A major research fund has been forced to slash its grant allocation by more than $20 million next year.
www.rnz.co.nz
September 6, 2025 at 8:48 PM
More cuts to the Marsden Fund. This time $20 million from the annual budget cut starting next year. This is on top of previous cuts by this government. They are trying to skip the 'priming the pump' step of public research as a driver of the economy. How well that is going to work?
#NZPOL
#NZPOL
Reposted by Kyle Higham
Want to come to New Zealand this summer? The call for abstracts for the Capital City Complex Systems Symposium 2026 is now open: forms.gle/g22s2dR85oFq... 🧪
August 29, 2025 at 3:58 AM
Want to come to New Zealand this summer? The call for abstracts for the Capital City Complex Systems Symposium 2026 is now open: forms.gle/g22s2dR85oFq... 🧪
Reposted by Kyle Higham
I see the ghouls are fretting about higher taxes making rich people leave the country - the dreaded 'capital flight' 😱.
I mean where do you even start with this crap? Well, not by arguing about estimates of how many millionaries we'll lose. Let's rehearse some lines... [1/n]
I mean where do you even start with this crap? Well, not by arguing about estimates of how many millionaries we'll lose. Let's rehearse some lines... [1/n]
May 18, 2025 at 7:46 AM
I see the ghouls are fretting about higher taxes making rich people leave the country - the dreaded 'capital flight' 😱.
I mean where do you even start with this crap? Well, not by arguing about estimates of how many millionaries we'll lose. Let's rehearse some lines... [1/n]
I mean where do you even start with this crap? Well, not by arguing about estimates of how many millionaries we'll lose. Let's rehearse some lines... [1/n]
Reposted by Kyle Higham
Oh do F off
NZ First introduces bill seeking referendum on fluoride in drinking water
www.stuff.co.nz/politics/360...
NZ First introduces bill seeking referendum on fluoride in drinking water
www.stuff.co.nz/politics/360...
NZ First introduces bill seeking referendum on fluoride in drinking water
The bill aims to mandate local authorities to hold a binding referendum on water fluoridation.
www.stuff.co.nz
February 11, 2025 at 2:17 AM
Oh do F off
NZ First introduces bill seeking referendum on fluoride in drinking water
www.stuff.co.nz/politics/360...
NZ First introduces bill seeking referendum on fluoride in drinking water
www.stuff.co.nz/politics/360...
The IP component of the incoming reforms has gone largely without comment; however, the idea that giving a larger share of IP to scientists will incentivise commercialisation really shows how little this government understands the motivations of those who produce public goods.
January 27, 2025 at 5:18 AM
The IP component of the incoming reforms has gone largely without comment; however, the idea that giving a larger share of IP to scientists will incentivise commercialisation really shows how little this government understands the motivations of those who produce public goods.
Reposted by Kyle Higham
Something to keep in mind for 2025
Written by James Miller of A Small Fiction
Written by James Miller of A Small Fiction
January 1, 2025 at 6:12 PM
Something to keep in mind for 2025
Written by James Miller of A Small Fiction
Written by James Miller of A Small Fiction
I know economists love concise paper titles, but this is getting a little ridiculous...
The opening of the Suez Canal in 1869 led to a 72 percent relative increase in bilateral exports for affected country pairs and a likely permanent increase in world trade, from David S. Jacks, Christopher M. Meissner, and Nikolaus Wolf https://www.nber.org/papers/w33250
December 20, 2024 at 10:04 AM
I know economists love concise paper titles, but this is getting a little ridiculous...
Reposted by Kyle Higham
In light of the Government's push to get a 'return on investment' (ROI) from research funding, perhaps it is as good a time as any to talk about just how hard it is to measure this supposed ROI for research in general. Let's take a trip into the weeds! ⬇️
December 5, 2024 at 3:41 AM
In light of the Government's push to get a 'return on investment' (ROI) from research funding, perhaps it is as good a time as any to talk about just how hard it is to measure this supposed ROI for research in general. Let's take a trip into the weeds! ⬇️
To add my two-cents - I have active projects that aim to understand how science is commercialised, how research findings are used (or not) by policymakers, and systemic policy barriers to innovation.
These are all classifed as social science.
newsroom.co.nz/2024/12/05/a...
These are all classifed as social science.
newsroom.co.nz/2024/12/05/a...
Anne Salmond: Govt de-funding the mind
Comment: The Government's decision to cut humanities and social science research from its major funding stream is both bad policy and scientifically illiterate, writes Dame Anne Salmond
newsroom.co.nz
December 4, 2024 at 9:53 PM
To add my two-cents - I have active projects that aim to understand how science is commercialised, how research findings are used (or not) by policymakers, and systemic policy barriers to innovation.
These are all classifed as social science.
newsroom.co.nz/2024/12/05/a...
These are all classifed as social science.
newsroom.co.nz/2024/12/05/a...