Mercia Barnes Research Grant

Supporting Aotearoa New Zealand research with a focus on supporting emerging and early career researchers.

About

The Mercia Barnes Research Grant specifically supports Aotearoa New Zealand research with a focus on supporting emerging and early career researchers.

The grant aims to assist and promote research in the area obstetrics & gynaecology (O&G) and reproductive health, to improve health outcomes for women, including gender diverse people, and their babies in Aotearoa.

Eligibility

The grant is open to emerging and early career researchers in the field of obstetrics, gynaecology and/or reproductive health that have the support of an Aotearoa New Zealand host research institution.

Preference is given to applicants that are FRANZCOG Trainees or early career RANZCOG Fellows (i.e. RANZCOG Fellows of less than five (5) years standing at the closing date of applications). Other applicants must outline how they qualify as an ‘emerging or early career researcher’ or how their research project is supporting emerging and/or early career researchers within the field.

Additionally, all applicants must:

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Primarily reside in Aotearoa New Zealand

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Undertake their research study in a hospital, university department or a research institute in Aotearoa New Zealand

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Have the support of a research project supervisor or mentor

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Have not been awarded another RANZCOG grant for the same research project

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Have not been awarded a Mercia Barnes Research Grant in the last three years from date of application

Mercia Barnes Research Grant Conditions

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Grant funds and tenure

Each grant is for a period of two years, unless otherwise agreed. Each Mercia Barnes Research Grant shall be up to a maximum value of $40,000 NZD.

The number of Mercia Barnes Research Grants available each year is determined by available funding (i.e. smaller and multiple grants may be considered).

Please note that this is a research only grant.

Apply

Applications will open again in 2027.

History of the grant

The Mercia Barnes Research Grant is named in memory of Dr Mercia Barnes.

Mercia was born in the small North Island town of Raetihi. An Otago graduate, she worked in a number of New Zealand hospitals before beginning her O&G training at St Helen’s in Christchurch. She was one of the first New Zealand women to train in obstetrics and gynaecology. She worked as a specialist at Waikato Hospital and was secretary of the NZ Council of RCOG, then the first secretary of the local college when it was formed in 1982. In 1990, she was elected President of the RNZCOG, a position she held until 1994.

Sadly, she died suddenly a few weeks after completing her term of office. Founding Trustees, Sir Graham Collingwood Liggins; Dr David Davidson and Dr Helen Sill set up the Mercia Barnes Trust in 1994 to recognise Mercia’s contribution to the O&G specialty and to promote research in women’s health in Aotearoa New Zealand. The Trust operated as a separate entity to RANZCOG, until 2024 when the Trust transitioned into the RANZCOG Women’s Health Foundation, and the Mercia Barnes Research Grant was established within the Foundation.

During the thirty years of its operation, the Mercia Barnes Trust provided funding to over 50 research projects in Aotearoa. This contributed to a wide range of research across Aotearoa. Areas of research undertaken include preterm delivery, hysterectomy, vulval cancer, premature ovarian failure, polycystic ovarian syndrome, endometriosis, dysmenorrhoea, small for gestational age babies, HPV testing, IVF and breastfeeding, maternal sleep practices and risk of late stillbirth, perinatal mortality, obstetrics – intrapartum care, cervical dysplasia, and biomedical science.

The College extends thanks to all who served as Trustees on the Mercia Barnes Trust over the years, including: