The Royal Society of New Zealand, branded as the Royal Society Te ApÃÂrangi, is a not-for-profit body in New Zealand providing funding and policy advice in the fields of sciences and the humanities. These fundings (i.e., Marsden grants and research fellowships) are provided on behalf of the New Zealand Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment.
The Royal Society of New Zealand was founded in 1867 as the New Zealand Institute, a successor to the New Zealand Society, which had been founded by Sir George Grey in 1851. The institute, established by the New Zealand Institute Act 1867, was an apex organisation in science, with the Auckland Institute, the Wellington Philosophical Society, the Philosophical Institute of Canterbury, and the Westland Naturalists' and Acclimatization Society as constituents. It later included the Otago Institute and other similar organisations. The Colonial Museum (later to become Te Papa), which had been established two years earlier, in 1865, was granted to the New Zealand Institute.
Publishing transactions and proceedings was one of the institute's initial functions. It was granted a budget of 500 pounds, established through the Act, which was almost exclusively spent on the production and free distribution to members of incorporated societies.
James Hector was the manager of the institute and Director of the Colonial Museum and Geological Survey from 1867 until his retirement in 1903.
In 1933, the Institute's name was changed to Royal Society of New Zealand, in reference to the Royal Society of London, a move requiring royal assent and a subsequent Act of Parliament. In 2010, the organisation's remit was expanded to include the social sciences and the humanities.
In 2007, "" (MÃÂori for 'group of experts') was added to its name. In 2017, its sesquicentenary, it started using the shortened full name Royal Society Te ApÃÂrangi. Its legal name, as defined in legislation, remains Royal Society of New Zealand.
Constituted under the Royal Society of New Zealand Act 1997 (amended in 2012), the society exists to:
It is a federation of 49 scientific and technological organisations and several affiliate organisations, and also has individual members.
The Society's activities include:
The Society administers the Prime Minister's Science Prizes.
As part of its 150th anniversary celebrations, the Society published a series of 150 biographies of women who had contributed to knowledge in New Zealand, called "150 women in 150 words".
On 10 July 2008, the Society released a statement on climate change that said, in summary:
In 2021, a report by a working group appointed by the New Zealand Government proposed giving indigenous knowledge, or mÃÂtauranga MÃÂori, parity with Western science in the secondary-school curriculum. In response, seven University of Auckland academics âÂÂKendall Clements, Garth Cooper, Michael Corballis, Doug Elliffe, Robert Nola, Elizabeth Rata and John Werry â published a letter, âÂÂIn Defence of ScienceâÂÂ, in the 31 July issue of New Zealand Listener. They acknowledged mÃÂtauranga MÃÂoriâÂÂs cultural value but argued it âÂÂfalls far short of what can be defined as science itselfâ and warned that treating the two as epistemologically equivalent would be patronising.
Vice-chancellor Dawn Freshwater told staff the letter had âÂÂcaused considerable hurt and dismayâ and did not represent the universityâÂÂs view. The Tertiary Education Union called the wording âÂÂoffensive, racist [and] neo-colonialâÂÂ, arguing it ignored MÃÂori scholars who already combine science and mÃÂtauranga MÃÂori. A counter-letter organised by Shaun Hendy and Siouxsie Wiles labelled the original text âÂÂscientific racismâÂÂ; within forty-eight hours more than 2,000 people had signed it online. MÃÂori academics such as Daniel Hikuroa, Tara McAllister and Ocean Mercier argued that elements of mÃÂtauranga MÃÂoriâÂÂlike the maramataka lunar calendarâÂÂare demonstrably empirical and that science itself has often aided colonisation. By contrast, supporters including MP Paul Goldsmith (politician) and biologists Richard Dawkins and Jerry Coyne defended the seven authors and compared the proposed curriculum change to teaching creationism in science classes.
On 17 November 2021 the New Zealand Free Speech Union revealed that the Royal Society had opened a formal investigation into Fellows Garth Cooper and Robert Nola over alleged breaches of its Code of Conduct. Seventy Fellows later sent a motion of no confidence, accusing the Society of âÂÂshutting down useful debate and bringing international opprobriumâÂÂ. On 11 March 2022 the SocietyâÂÂs Initial Investigation Panel dismissed the complaints, stating that they relied on âÂÂcontentious expert opinionâ unsuitable for disciplinary adjudication.
Free Speech Union spokesperson Jonathan Ayling argued the investigation created a âÂÂchilling effectâ on dissent and showed the Society had âÂÂabandoned its own heritage of academic freedomâÂÂ. Literature professor Brian Boyd and chemist Peter Schwerdtfeger likewise criticised what they called an ill-considered attempt to police legitimate scholarly debate. Others maintain that free speech, academic freedom and tikanga MÃÂori are not inherently at odds. Legal scholar Carwyn Jones contends that wÃÂnangaâÂÂstructured deliberation guided by tikangaâÂÂâÂÂprotects and supports the free exchange of ideasâÂÂ, demonstrating that MÃÂori frameworks already embed rigorous debate. Conversely, critics such as Tina Ngata argue that invoking âÂÂfree speechâ here masks structural power imbalances and perpetuates the marginalisation of MÃÂori perspectives.
Debate over how to teach indigenous knowledge resurfaced in 2024 when Science published a series of commentaries. Some authors urged educators to âÂÂteach Indigenous knowledge alongside scienceâÂÂ, while others said moves toward epistemic âÂÂequal statusâ risked importing vitalism and other non-empirical beliefs into classrooms. After eighteen months of controversy, exam objectives referring to the MÃÂori concept of mauri were withdrawn from the national chemistry standards, though related teaching materials remain.
The list below shows all presidents of the Royal Society of New Zealand, known as the New Zealand Institute from 1867 to 1933, and since 2017 as the Royal Society Te ApÃÂrangi.
The Academy Executive Committee of the Society from time to time elects as a any person who in its opinion "has achieved distinction in research or the advancement of science, technology or the humanities." The number of Fellows is limited to such number as is agreed from time to time between the Academy Executive Committee and the Council of the Society. A Fellow is entitled to use, in connection with his or her name, either the letters FRSNZ, which stand for Fellow of the Royal Society of New Zealand, or such other letters or title as is agreed from time to time between the Academy Executive Committee and the Council. The first female Fellow, Kathleen Curtis, was elected in 1936.
Di McCarthy served as Chief Executive from 2007 to 2014. Andrew Cleland led the Society from 2014 until his retirement in 2021.
Cindy Kiro was appointed Ahorangi Chief Executive in October 2020, commencing on 1 March 2021; she left later that year on being appointed Governor-General of New Zealand, sworn in on 21 October 2021.
In July 2021 the Society announced that Paul Atkins would become Chief Executive; he took up the role on 29 November 2021. In September 2025 the Society announced that Justine Daw had been appointed as the next Tumu Whakarae | Chief Executive, to take up the position on 5 January 2026.
The Society has both individual and organisational members. Constituent organisations help the Society identify and address issues relevant to the research, knowledge and innovation sectors, and link into the research information and activities that the Society undertakes. These constituent organisations are:
Regional constituent organisations (branches) are geographical constituents and include:
The Society includes affiliate organisations that cover a diversity of disciplines, including policy, science education and the museum sector: