Identifying research priorities for investment
Working closely with industry groups, councils and central government, BRANZ identifies and refines research priorities for Building Research Levy investment.
Read about how we identify information needs in the building sector.
BRANZ research portfolio
The BRANZ research portfolio consists of research activities conducted by BRANZ research teams and external research agencies.
It comprises seven key research areas:
- Low-carbon
- Quality and performance of homes and buildings
- Resilience of the built environment
- Vibrant industry
- Thriving cities, regions and communities
- Meeting Aotearoa New Zealand's population needs
- Housing affordability.
Find out more about the BRANZ research portfolio
Investment portfolio statement
Information gathered from industry groups informs our investment signals, which are published annually in the Building Research Levy investment portfolio statement.
This document signals BRANZ's priorities for research in 2023/24 priorities for research.
The Building Research Levy investment portfolio statement from the previous year is available here.
BRANZ Inc. as steward of the Levy
BRANZ Inc. is the steward of the Building Research Levy and invests the Levy through a range of mechanisms which include:
- Work initiated and contracted with BRANZ Ltd (this can include sub-contracts with external providers);
- Work initiated and contracted with external providers (this can include sub-contracts with BRANZ Ltd);
- Scholarships to support the next generation of researchers and help support tertiary capability elsewhere in New Zealand;
- Strategic initiatives that invest in significant activities above and beyond BRANZ’s baseline of research investment; and
- Agile investments that are able to respond to urgent industry issues or take advantage of opportunities that may emerge outside of programmed investment rounds.
Funding for external research providers
Building Research Levy is allocated to research programmes and stand-alone work undertaken by universities, Crown research institutes (CRIs) and independent research providers. These include:
- external providers who submit proposals that address priorities published in our research prospectus
- scholars and early-stage researchers pursuing innovative research
- out-of-cycle research that addresses urgent research needs and timely opportunities.
RE:INVEST
Our annual publication RE:INVEST (formerly Levy in Action) details the latest Building Research Levy investments.
-
RE:INVEST 2023
Includes project summaries for new research funding awarded from August 2022 to August 2023.
View more
Previous RE:INVEST and Levy in Action documents are available here.
-
Building Research Levy
The Building Research Levy Act 1969 authorises the levying of building contractors. This provides funding for research into improved techniques and materials that benefit the entire building system.
View more -
Identifying building system needs
BRANZ identifies emerging information needs through surveys and by engaging with industry groups, government agencies and the research community. We then prioritise our work based on these needs.
View more -
Scholarships for building research
BRANZ funds scholarships for university students to undertake building research. Current research areas include low-carbon construction, sustainable building, home maintenance, environmental resilience and mental health and wellbeing.
View more -
Research funding for external providers
The Building Research Levy funds projects from a range of research and knowledge providers including universities, Crown research institutes, independent research organisations, industry bodies and private providers.
View more