Victoria University’s Institute for Governance and Policy Studies (IGPS) has received NZ$7 million (AU$6.42 million) from the Gama Foundation.

The endowment has been given to support IGPS’ ongoing work. The charitable trust set up by Christchurch philanthropists Grant and Marilyn Nelson earlier gave NZ$3 million (AU$2.75 million) to IGPS in 2012 for its establishment.

Victoria’s Vice-Chancellor Professor Grant Guilford thanks Grant and Marilyn Nelson for their “extremely generous, thoughtful and far-seeing donation.”

“This is a wonderful endorsement of the work the IGPS has done and can do in the future to lead thinking on important questions facing society,” Guilford says in a media release. “It will allow Victoria to deliver real benefit for New Zealand.”

According to IGPS Director Michael Macaulay, a number of new research initiatives will be backed with the additional fund.

“It will allow us to bring in more research staff and more PhD students and to forge partnerships with government agencies to carry out specific research projects,” Macaulay says.

“The support from the Gama Foundation will substantially increase our capacity to do more.”

The Nelsons are pleased with the IGPS and the range of work it has carried out over the years. However, they realised the institution needed more funds to achieve its objectives. Consequently, they decided to increase the endowment to NZ$10 million (AU$9.17 million).

The IGPS, based in the School of Government within Victoria Business School, is a centre of independent research into improving governance management and decision-making in the public sector. The institute also undertakes public policy research on important contemporary issues.

Ongoing projects at IGPS include publishing Policy Quarterly, facilitating regular roundtables on climate change and contributing to New Zealand’s involvement in the Open Government Partnership, an initiative to bring about more open, transparent and accountable government.

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