THE RESEARCH TRUST OF VICTORIA UNIVERSITY OF WELLINGTON

Their core work

The Research Trust of Victoria University of Wellington (now Te Herenga Waka) manages the international research engagement of one of New Zealand's leading universities. Their H2020 portfolio spans three distinct domains: cognitive science and consciousness studies, Antarctic geoscience and ice sheet dynamics, and criminology focused on transnational trafficking networks. They contribute specialized Southern Hemisphere expertise — particularly Antarctic fieldwork access and Pacific-region criminal network analysis — to European-led consortia.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

Their early H2020 involvement (2017-2018) centered on cognitive science — specifically embodied cognition, predictive processing, and consciousness research through the XSPECT project. From 2018 onward, their focus shifted markedly toward two very different fields: Antarctic earth sciences (WAMSISE) and criminology of transnational trafficking (TRANSFORM). This diversification suggests a university trust channeling multiple departments into EU funding rather than a single group deepening one research line.

Their most recent and best-funded project is in criminology (TRANSFORM, running to 2025), suggesting growing engagement in security and justice research with European partners.

How they like to work

RTV exclusively joins projects led by others — zero coordinator roles across four projects, always participating as a partner or third party. They work in medium-to-large consortia (32 unique partners across 12 countries), contributing specialized expertise rather than driving project design. This makes them a reliable, low-friction partner to invite when you need specific New Zealand or Southern Hemisphere capabilities.

They have collaborated with 32 unique partners across 12 countries, reflecting broad geographic reach for a New Zealand institution. Their network spans Europe widely but is built through individual project connections rather than repeated partnerships.

What sets them apart

As one of very few New Zealand research institutions active in H2020, RTV offers something most European partners cannot: direct access to Southern Hemisphere research contexts, particularly Antarctic fieldwork and Pacific-region crime networks. Their TRANSFORM project brings a non-European perspective to studying transnational criminal flows involving antiquities, wildlife, and fossils — a vantage point that complements European-centric analysis. For consortium builders needing genuine global coverage or Oceania representation, they are a natural choice.

Highlights from their portfolio

• TRANSFORM
  Largest funded project (EUR 247,334) with an unusual research angle — treating trafficked objects (antiquities, wildlife, fossils) as agents within criminal networks.
• WAMSISE
  Antarctic ice sheet evolution research offering rare Southern Hemisphere geoscience expertise to a European consortium.