WC 811: sector research

This page relates to the 2024-27 National Land Transport Programme.NZTA

Introduction

Work category 811 provides information on the sector research programme managed by NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA).

We (NZTA 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 and research programme portfolio reference groups. The programme purchases research from external researchers.

Transport Knowledge Hub(external link)

Qualifying activities

Qualifying activities comprise activities approved for inclusion in the research programme and the management of the research programme.

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 postgraduate-level university student transport-related research activity
• management of the research programme – research report editing, publication and promotion.

The NZTA 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) 2024 and the priorities detailed in the Transport Evidence Base Strategy.

Government Policy Statement on land transport 2024(external link)

Transport Evidence Base Strategy(external link)

Exclusions

This work category excludes research to support NZTA (for its own activities) – this is to be funded from the most appropriate activity class.

Developing the sector research programme

Information on the NZTA research programme is provided on the NZTA website.

Research programme

Funding assistance rate

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

Funding to this work category is approved for the 3 years of the National Land Transport Programme (NLTP), under the investment management activity class, when the NLTP is adopted by the NZTA Board.

Submitting activities for NLTP consideration and funding approval

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

Under this line item, we identify research topics in consultation with the sector through various channels such as the Transport Knowledge Hub. 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 NZTA and Ministry of Transport representatives, meets quarterly to review and endorse recommended research topics, prior to NZTA approving the topics for inclusion in the sector research programme.

Transport Investment Online(external link)

For guidance on using TIO, see the TIO learning and guidance page on our website.

Transport Investment Online (TIO) learning and guidance