The members of Science New Zealand are the nine Crown Research Institutes, the crown-owned science and commercialisation companies, established by Parliament in 1992 to do research of benefit to New Zealand. The Crown Research Institutes must win work from clients, and are not bulk-funded by Government.

The purpose of Science New Zealand is to foster appreciation of the value of science and technology in creating economic, environmental and social wealth for New Zealand; and to provide policy, organisational, relationship and advocacy support for Crown Research Institutes.

Crown Research Institutes (CRIs) are the science research businesses owned by the New Zealand Government. There are nine Crown Research Institutes:

• AgResearch
• Crop & Food Research
• Environmental and Scientific Research (ESR)
• GNS Science
• HortResearch
• Industrial Research Limited (IRL)
• Manaaki Whenua, Landcare Research
• National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (NIWA)
• Scion (formerly Forest Research)

The Crown Research Institutes are, collectively, the largest providers of science research in New Zealand. Their clients include central and local government and private sector markets in New Zealand and abroad. They are involved in all sectors, with their work contributing to economic, environmental and social results which support existing sectors, products and processes; and also challenge and transform. Their task is to do great science, and to ensure that it is taken through to application of benefit to New Zealand.

Stories showing the value of science and its application
The Science New Zealand website aggregates stories from around New Zealand and the world, showing how science and its application makes a difference. The focus is on science and technology that benefits New Zealand, and comes from Crown Research Institutes, their associates, subsidiaries, and joint ventures or collaborations. The website is organized under ‘new science’, new thinking’ and ‘new value’ www.sciencenewzealand.org