The Government has formed the science board and the innovation board as part of the new Ministry of Science and Innovation.
The science board will allocate science funding to research organisations.
The innovation board will make funding decisions related to business-oriented programmes.
University of Otago vice-chancellor Prof Sir David Skegg will head the science board.
He has been appointed for three years.
Dr Skegg has an international reputation for scientific research and was awarded the Royal Society of New Zealand's Sir Charles Hercus Medal in 1999.
He is retiring as vice-chancellor on July 31.
Prof Harlene Hayne, deputy vice-chancellor research and enterprise at the university and deputy chairwoman of Otago Innovation Ltd, will serve on the innovation board.
Prof Hayne is based in Dunedin and has been appointed to the board for two years.
Prof Warren Tate, the university's associate dean research (health sciences division) has also been appointed to the innovation board.
Prof Tate has served on international science policy bodies in Europe and the Asia-Pacific region.
Last year, he won the Royal Society of New Zealand's Rutherford Medal.
Based in Dunedin, Prof Tate has been appointed for two years.
Prof Kurt Krause, head of the university's department of biochemistry and director of the Webster Centre for Infectious Diseases at the university, has been appointed to the Marsden Fund Council.
Prof Krause spent most of his earlier career in the United States.
Research, Science and Technology Minister Wayne Mapp announced the memberships of the boards yesterday. "These boards will be key players in the Government's reforms to improve the science and innovation system," he said in a statement.
The two boards would be associated with the new Ministry of Science and Innovation and would help ensure that New Zealand businesses were innovative, internationally competitive and contributing to economic growth.
They would fund the high-quality research needed to increase productivity and raise the country's standard of living, Dr Mapp said.
Dr William Rolleston, founding shareholder and director of South Pacific Sera, will chair the innovation board.
The new ministry becomes fully operational on February 1.
The boards are.-Innovation: Dr William Rolleston (chairman), Prof Harlene Hayne, Sarah Kennedy, Dr Alastair MacCormick, Stuart McKenzie, Phil O'Reilly, Grant Ryan, Peter Townsend.
Science: Sir David Skegg (chairman), Prof Richard Blaikie, Denise Church, Prof Peter Hunter, Dr Wendy Nelson, Dr Rolleston, Prof Charles Royal, Prof Warren Tate.
Marsden Fund Council new members: Prof Kurt Krause, Prof Linda Smith, Prof David Williams.
