A balancing act for an unknown future: exposing the teaching/research nexus at the University of Otago Ruth Kane Massey University, Palmerson North, New Zealand r.kane@massey.ac.nz Susan Sandretto University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand susan.sandretto@stonebow.otago.ac.nz Chris Heath University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand chris.heath@stonebow .otago.ac.nz Abstract: This paper examines the ways in which the teaching/research nexus is understood and experienced by two groups of academic staff (experienced and early career) in the Division of Sciences at the University of Otago, against the background of current tertiary reforms in New Zealand. Experienced lecturers described the essential intersection between their research and teaching and demonstrated their beliefs in practice, especially at first-year levels. Early career lecturers, however, articulated tensions in trying to balance their new responsibilities in both areas. We offer some suggestions as ways to develop and support links between research and teaching. Keywords: teaching/research nexus; Performance Based Research Fund (PBRF); academic staff development Introduction In 2002 the New Zealand government introduced a Tertiary Education Strategy to provide a new direction and a policy framework for the next five years (Ministry of Education, 2002). Underpinning this strategy is a new funding regime (Performance Based Research Funding) that will be based, in part, on an increased focus on research outputs. It is feared by some that the increased focus on research may take attention away from teaching excellence (Performance- Based Research Fund Working Group, 2002). Furthermore, it was proposed that the teaching/research nexus enshrined in the New Zealand Education Act 1990 (New Zealand Government, 1990) be confined to postgraduate programmes (Tertiary Education Advisory Commission, 2001). In New Zealand the Education Amendment Act states that teaching and research in universities are “closely interdependent, and most of their teaching is done by people