About the
Foundation
The Palmerston North Medical Research Foundation is a registered charitable organisation (Reg. No: CC36450) which makes available research funds to facilitate biomedical research in Palmerston North and its environs.
The Foundation meets once a year to allocate research funding in the following areas:
General Grant Funds
$15,000
The General Grant funds research to the value of $15,000.
Wilson Grant
$20,000
The Wilson Grant is available annually to fund research projects which relate to Cardiovascular Disease or Cancer, up to the value of $20,000.
Summer Scholarships
$7,000
Summer Scholarships support tertiary students during the summer vacation while they work on an appropriate Biomedical research project, up to $4000 on consumables on top of the $7000.
Visiting Professorship Grant
$10,000
The Visiting Professorship Grant funds 1 grant annually to the value of $10,000 to attract internationally renowned biomedical scientists to the Palmerston North region.
The Foundation
encourages
- Medically related projects, especially those of special relevance to the local region
- Research work which encourages co-operation between the local research institutions.
- Support of younger researchers.
- Seeding money to help establish new research programmes
- The Palmerston North region, with its Public Hospital, Massey University and Fitzherbert Science Centres, has a significant number of scientists engaged in biomedical research.
- The Foundation has been set up to support biomedical research in the region, particularly at the large research institutions.
The Foundation
promotes
- research that helps discover conditions conducive to health
- the causes of bodily and mental disorders
- preventative or therapeutic strategies
- the prevention or treatment or disease
- It also facilitates the spread of biomedical scientific knowledge and research findings.
To maintain its level of support and to encourage new researchers, the Foundation is largely dependent upon legacies and bequests.
Trust board
as of 2025
John Chrisp
PRESIDENT
Urological Surgeon, Crest Hospital
Dr Kathryn Stowell
VICE PRESIDENT
Massey University, Inst.
Fundamental Sciences
Fundamental Sciences
Dr Wendi Roe
VICE PRESIDENT
Massey University, Inst. Vet, Animal & Biomedical Sciences
Mr Michael Lawrence
SECRETARY
Naylor Lawrence & Associates Limited
Mr Brian McMeikan
Forsyth Barr
Dr Richard Isaacs
Appointee on behalf of PN Post-Graduate Medical Society - MidCentral Health, Oncology Department
Mrs Lynne Vautier
Vautier Pharmacy
Mr David Sheppard
Fitzherbet Rowe
Don Baken
Psychologist at Massey University
Rachel Anderson
AG Research
Dr James Irwin
Appointee on behalf of the Combined Medical Staff - MidCentral Health, Gastroenterology Dept
Dr John Bourke
Appointee on behalf of the PN Post Graduate Medical Society - MidCentral Health, Physician for Elderly
Dr Andrew Sutherland-Smith
Institute of Fundamental Sciences - Massey University
Dr Richard A.D Wigley
ONZM
Prof. Robert D Jolly
MNZM