WC 811: Sector research

This page relates to the 2021-24 National Land Transport Programme.

Introduction

Work category 811 provides guidance on the sector research programme managed by Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency.

We (Waka Kotahi as investor) manage this work category in consultation with the Ministry of Transport and local government. The primary avenue for input on research topics is through the Transport Knowledge Hub’s topic hubs. The programme purchases research from external researchers.

Transport Knowledge Hub(external link)

Qualifying activities

Work category 811 is available to the investment management activity class.

Investment management

Examples of qualifying activities

Examples of qualifying activities include but may not be limited to:

• directed research identified and developed in consultation with the sector
• agile/rapid research developed in response to a particular issue or concern (generally lower value pieces of research)
• partnership funding for Austroads and Australian Centre for Rail Innovation research
• support for university level student transport-related research activity
• management of the research programme – research report editing, publication and promotion.

The Waka Kotahi research programme invests in innovative and sector-relevant research, which plays a critical role at the forefront of land transport thinking and contributes to achieving the government's goals for transport. The research is developed with reference to the strategic priorities detailed in the Government Policy Statement on land transport (GPS) 2021 and the priorities detailed in the Transport Evidence Base Strategy.

Government Policy Statement on land transport 2021(external link)

Transport Evidence Base Strategy(external link)

Exclusions

This work category excludes:

• research to support Waka Kotahi (for its own activities) – this is to be funded from the most appropriate activity class.

Developing the sector research programme

Information on the Waka Kotahi research programme is provided on the Waka Kotahi website.

Research programme

Funding assistance rate

Sector research is a Waka Kotahi nationally delivered programme of activities, funded 100% from the National Land Transport Fund.

Funding to this work category is approved for the three years of the National Land Transport Programme (NLTP), under the investment management activity class, when the NLTP is adopted by the Waka Kotahi Board.

Submitting activities for NLTP consideration and funding approval

Waka Kotahi submits these activities as a single sector research line item using the improvement activity module in Transport Investment Online (TIO).

Under this line item, we identify research topics in consultation with the sector through various fora such as the Transport Knowledge Hubs. We then develop and prioritise research topics with the Ministry of Transport and local government representatives as appropriate. A Research Programme Governance Group, consisting of Waka Kotahi, Ministry of Transport and Local Government NZ representatives, meets quarterly to review and endorse recommended research topics, prior to Waka Kotahi approving the topics for inclusion in the Sector Research Programme. 

Transport Investment Online(external link)

User guides for TIO are available in TIO.