The government is putting $9 million towards research into the Covid-19 pandemic.
Andrew Little Photo: RNZ / Angus Dreaver
Health Minister Andrew Little announced the funding this morning, which comes out of the $74.1b Covid-19 Response Fund, saying New Zealand needed to build on what had been learnt over the past two years.
It will be open to qualified research providers for research addressing knowledge gaps in Covid-19 and the national immunisation programme.
"We are looking at a whole range of things, such as how different sectors of society, including Māori, Pacific and disabled communities, are affected by Covid, and what we have learnt about working with them. This will help us understand what still needs to be done and prepare for future pandemics," Little said.
"We're also looking at how the methods used to get four million people vaccinated against Covid-19 can be used in other vaccination programmes."
The funding opens for research proposals from next Tuesday, 19 April, and closes on 10 June.