Marsden Fund — Fast-Start
Funds early doctoral researchers in the first decade after graduation through the Marsden Fast-Start track.
The Marsden Fast-Start grant category, introduced in 2001, is dedicated to researchers within seven years post-PhD and runs within the same annual Marsden Fund cycle. In the 2018 cohort the Fast-Start success rate was approximately 14.8%, somewhat higher than the Standard grant track. In the 2025 round, 37 Fast-Start grants were awarded. Fast-Start grants are subject to the same scope change as the parent Marsden Fund — humanities and social sciences were eliminated in December 2024. All Fast-Start applicants must hold a NZ-affiliated position.
Each grant below is a distinct funding opportunity with its own eligibility, scope, and deliverables.