They were "cross-disciplinary, mission-led programmes designed to tackle New Zealand's biggest science-based challenges", funded through the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment.

The NSC initiative was developed over 2012–13 by the New Zealand government's Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) as a restructure of national scientific research funding.

[2][6] The selection panel consisted of William Denny, Ian Ferguson, Peter Hunter, Mary O’Kane, Jacqueline Rowarth, Richie Poulton, Charles Royal, David Penman, Elf Eldridge, and Rachael Wiltshire.

[4] Expert reaction to the review highlighted concerns over the way the challenges were initially selected, and whether the cost of governance means more could have been achieved through investing in existing funding mechanisms.

Shaun Hendy commented that "After some public input, the National Science Challenges were more or less selected by a panel led by Sir Peter Gluckman but most of us still find this process rather mysterious.