Issue 62 – Monday 16th August 2021
Contents
HeadsUp
Last week all New Zealanders were reminded of the ever-present possibility of a Delta-variant outbreak and the likely response: ‘short, sharp’ Level 4 lockdowns. ‘Be prepared’ is the imperative at all levels,
Meanwhile I was having my own little lockdown after some ankle surgery. It’s been a nice break from commuting, but its felt strange to be at arms-length from so much going on. I hear the RTEA Ball was a great success – well done to those involved. And I hear the Te Manu Whititua hui – the launch of a process to enable staff to improve engagement with Māori – was such a success that not everyone who came could be accommodated. What a testament to an openness to enlarge our worlds!
My one big outing during the week was to have Covid-vax # 2 at the local medical centre. It felt a bit like election day: exercising a civic duty and stepping into the makeshift privacy of one of those flimsy cardboard booths. It’s such a greater leveler too. People from across the social spectrum were there to the jab (ahead of me was a modest Waiheke local who has tidy 50 million hits for a song on Youtube…).
Its all about risk management. Those Field Activity Forms we need to complete before we take students off-campus may feel as annoying as the afterburn of a jab in the arm but, at best, they provide pause for thought and the nudge to have a Plan B.
The sad downstream consequences of lax vigilance was in the media last week: a school Board of Trustees was charged with negligence for a drowning death at Waihi while students were on a geography trip.
Granted, form-filling itself cannot save a life. And granted, some questions on Field Activity Plans can seem banal (I recall my bemusement last year when asked what I would do if I lost all seven students I was taking to Waiheke for a day…). But the point is we have a duty of care in both the preparation and undertaking of anything in the ‘field’ (ie off-campus). It’s all about being prepared.
Another great way to be prepared is to become a registered First Aider. I did my two-yearly refresher recently and I would encourage others to get these credentials. And it turned out that vibrant Red Cross tutor was a geography graduate! Think of it this way: work is paying for your to gain a life skill. I admit to originally being motivated to do the introductory course to gain skills that could be handy when I’m away tramping in the backcountry.
Mercifully, like my locator beacon, I’ve never needed to activate those skills, but they are there, somewhere in my murky repertoire of know-how. And its not only in the backcountry or on our roads that emergencies happen. Those few of you who have been around as long as me will recall the day a student collapsed and sadly later died after giving a seminar. Once in a blue moon, as they say, emergencies and tragedies happen.
I certainly hope the moon does not turn blue any time soon. And I hope too we do not feel overly constrained in our aspirations and activities the risk-averse society we have become. Let us still engage and explore. But let’s recognize the duty of care that’s always there in our workplaces and wherever our research and teaching takes us.
Robin Kearns
Whakawhanugatanga – Communities
Science Research Showcase 2021
Are you enrolled in postgraduate research?
Are you keen to learn how to communicate your project effectively to a wide range of audiences?
Enter the Faculty of Science Postgraduate Research Showcase!
Registration closes on Friday 3rd September at 4 pm. Check the Science Research Showcase webpage for more details: https://www.auckland.ac.nz/…/pos…/research-showcase.html
Upcoming Events
PhD Seminar – Assembling Māori Kuku Economies
The Aotearoa government is signalling the increasing importance of Māori economies as new economic worlds are forming and new languages, actors and networks are coming to the fore. Emerging Māori economic entities are now competing on world markets as well as working to support iwi and hapū economies. Māori economies, however, are largely unexplored in the literature. Focusing on kuku (green-lipped mussels) this research examines how Māori economies are being assembled and how value is being constructed within them and derived from them. The work aims to highlight Māori economic agency and its connection to the possibilities that Māori economies generate and the benefits that they offer to Māori communities. The research brings together diverse economy approaches with a whakapapa based following methodology and will extend the nascent Māori diverse economies literature.
Zoom Link : https://auckland.zoom.us/j/96246586947?pwd=NjNFZk9tdUIyR3oxWCtEOFo1VFNKZz09
Supporting PhD Candidates
PhD students have been variously impacted by research disruptions and long separations from their families so as the stress continues to manifest in their morale and progress it is important we as supervisors take up opportunities to upskill ourselves to best support them. Please see https://www.staff.auckland.ac.nz/en/teaching-and-students/postgraduate-students/supervise-postgraduates.html for a full breakdown of opportunities but the workshops below by Dr Hugh Kearns and Dr Desiree Dickerson appear especially timely.
DR HUGH KEARNS WORKSHOPSWe’re pleased to present three new online supervisor workshops with Dr Hugh Kearns. You can now sign up for the following workshops: – Supervising research students flexibly – Giving good feedback – Research supervision masterclass |
| Rēhita ināianei | Register now |
SUPPORTING STUDENT MENTAL HEALTH AND WELLBEINGJoin this interactive online discussion with Dr Desiree Dickerson to develop a useful toolbox for navigating your students’ mental health. You will explore having an open-door policy, effective communication and fostering self-worth and capability. |
| Pānui tonu | Read more |
Rangahau – Research
PhD opportunity
Emma Sharp is currently recruiting for a fully-funded PhD on Kindness in Science in Aotearoa New Zealand. The PhD position will be embedded within Te Pūnaha Matatini, the Aotearoa New Zealand Centre of Research Excellence for Complex Systems. Te Pūnaha Matatini brings together ‘many faces’ – different disciplines, ways of thought, methods, and crucially, people – to define, and then solve, society’s thorny interconnected problems.
Te Pūnaha Matatini has an active whānau group which supports early career researchers, committed to the Te Pūnaha Matatini values of manaakitanga and whakawhanaungatanga, offering supportive tuakana / teina learning environments.
Applications will be considered until the position is filled. Applications received by 31 October 2021 will receive full consideration.
Call for Nominations and Applications – Geoscience Society of New Zealand Awards
Premier Geoscience-wide Awards:
Hochstetter Lecturer
For a geoscientist with excellent public speaking skills to present new research to all branches of GSNZ. We welcome nominations of ALL members of the geoscience community for this award, from ECRs, through to senior geoscientists.
McKay Hammer
For the author(s) of the most meritorious geoscience paper(s) from the last 3 years (2018-2020).
GSNZ Honorary Member
Nominations are called for to recognise outstanding lifetime contributions to geoscience in New Zealand.
Hayward Geo-communication Award
Awarded to a NZ-based geoscientist or geoscientists for the most meritorious contribution to geocommunication in the previous 3 calendar years (2018-2020).
Young Researcher/Student Awards:
Hornibrook Award
For a postgraduate student undertaking a research project involving methods of stratigraphic correlation and of relevance to NZ and/or the southwest Pacific.
Jim Ansell Geophysics Scholarship
Post-graduate scholarship for NZ’s top up-and-coming geophysicist.
John Beavan Geodetic Fieldwork Grant
Support for students involved with geodetic research to undertake or participate in associated fieldwork.
Wellman Research Award
A contribution of approximately $3750 towards research in New Zealand. Contribution can cover field, travel, analytical expenses, etc (more details on website).
Werner F. Giggenbach Prize for Geochemistry
For the most outstanding geochemistry publication in 2020 by a NZ-based young researcher.
Special Awards:
S.H. Wilson Prize
Awarded in recognition of a lifetime of service in New Zealand Geochemistry.
New Zealand Geophysics Prize
For the most meritorious publication in NZ geophysics in the current and last 2 years (2019- 2021).
Harold Wellman Prize
Awarded for a recent discovery of important fossil material within New Zealand.
Kingma Award
Awarded to the most outstanding Earth science technician in New Zealand.
Alan Mason Historical Studies Fund
Up to $500 awarded to assist research on the history of Earth science in New Zealand.
Please email your nominations or applications to the Awards Subcommittee Convenor, Kat Holt, at vp@gsnz.org.nz, by the 1st of September 2021. For more details on the awards and to download nomination templates please visit http://gsnz.org.nz/awards
ANSTO 2022-1 Proposal Round – applications now open (applications close 31 August 2021).
The 2022-1 round for January – June 2022 access to the following facilities and capabilities at ANSTO closes on 31 August 2021:
- Biosciences- access awarded to this facility is valid for 12 months
- Centre for Accelerator Science – access awarded to this facility is valid for 12 months
- Isotope Tracing in Natural Systems- access awarded to this facility is valid for 6 months
- Nuclear Stewardship- access awarded to this facility is valid for 6 months
- Vivarium – access awarded to this capability is valid for 12 months
Submitting your proposal via the portal
Proposals must be submitted using the online system, https://portal.ansto.gov.au/. If you have forgotten your password, you can reset it at any time, by following the password reset link on the Portal login page.
Proposal deadline
The Proposal deadline is 11:59 pm on Tuesday 31 August 2021. The User Office will be able to provide assistance to 4pm on the day of proposal deadline. Please be aware that the proposal system may experience heavy use in hours leading up to the deadline, so ensure that your proposals are submitted earlier, if possible.
Need Assistance?
You can contact the User Office using the details below with any queries.
Email: user.office.nsw@ansto.gov.au
Hours: Monday- Friday 8:00am-4:00pm
ANSTO Australian Synchrotron Stephen Wilkins Thesis Medal – applications are open (applications close 1 October 2021).
ANSTO is seeking nominations for the ANSTO Australian Synchrotron Stephen Wilkins Thesis Medal.
This medal is awarded annually to the PhD student at an Australian or New Zealand University who is judged to have completed the most outstanding thesis of the past two years whose work was undertaken at and acknowledges the Australian Synchrotron, or the Australian National Beamline Facility (ANBF), or whose work acknowledges and was undertaken under the auspices of the International Synchrotron Access Program (ISAP) or the Australian Synchrotron Research Program (ASRP).
Nominations are invited for the 2021 ANSTO Australian Synchrotron Stephen Wilkins Medal, which will be awarded to the candidate producing the most outstanding thesis and whose degree was awarded, but not necessarily conferred, after the 1st July 2019. The awardee will receive a monetary prize of $3,000 funded by a bequest from the Wilkins family and by ANSTO to support career development.
Application deadline – Close of Business Friday 1 October 2021
For more information, please visit the ANSTO website.
IAEA Marie Sklodowska-Curie Fellowship Programme (MSCFP) – applications are open (applications close 30 September 2021).
The IAEA is pleased to inform you that the application process is open for students interested in applying for a scholarship from the IAEA Marie Sklodowska-Curie Fellowship Programme (MSCFP) for the academic years 2021/2022 and 2022/2023.
The IAEA Marie Sklodowska-Curie Fellowship Programme (MSCFP) aims to help increase the number of women in the nuclear field, supporting an inclusive workforce of both men and women who contribute to and drive global scientific and technological innovation. The Programme aims to inspire and encourage young women to pursue a career in the nuclear field, by providing highly motivated female students with scholarships for Master’s programmes and an opportunity to pursue an internship facilitated by the IAEA.
Scholarships are awarded annually, with up to 100 female students selected per year depending on the availability of funds. Consideration is given to geographic, field of study, and linguistic diversity. The selected students are awarded up to €20,000 for tuition costs and up to €20,000 for living costs for the duration of their Master’s programme.
APPLICATION DEADLINE: 30 September 2021
For more information on the MSCFP, including instructions on how to apply, application requirements, and well as testimonials from current MSCFP recipients, please visit: www.iaea.org/MSCFP
Publications
| Result Number | Document title | Authors | Year | Source | Cited by |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
1
|
Constraints on assembly of Tongariro and Ruapehu andesite magmas based on Sr-isotope compositions of plagioclase and groundmass | Cocker, K., Shane, P., Stirling, C.H., Reid, M.R. | 2021 | Lithos
400-401,106406
|
0 |
More Information
Need to store and share research data? Request Research storage or UoA Dropbox for research
Queries about virtual machines? Virtual machine consult or Nectar Research Cloud?
ResearchHub: connects people, resources, and services -research-hub.auckland.ac.nz
Remote working issues: Please refer to the remote working page. If you do not find the answers to your questions, please log a call on the IT Portal for any IT-related issues or contact the Staff Service Centre for other queries.
Two-factor Authentication : Authy
https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/about-us/about-the-university/identity-and-access-management/two-factor-authentication/download-authy-for-desktops.html
YubiKeys work but of course require a USB port.
VPN: Instructions on how to install
VPN, Linux: FortiClient is running fine on Linux. Check the VPN link listed above.
VPN, Mac desktops: (information from April, may be outdated). Students may need IT to make their machines mobile and install FortiClient directly from the website. They will also need to set-up two-factor authentication by downloading an app like “Authy” on their phones and then setting up their University of Auckland account. I suggest people do this part before IT gets to them to make the process faster. To do that, they can use the instructions on this page:
To get a mobile account set up, log a service request or go to one of the service kiosks. It is unclear how this is being done remotely but I am sure this can be done. Please let me Ingo (i.pecher@auckland.ac.nz) know if you have managed to install FortiClient on their macs remotely.
FlexIT and Remote Access
FlexIT is straight-forward for remote access to computing power and programs. Alternatively, check if your project/group or so has a virtual machine. Remote desktop access to specific machines can be set up by IT but may note be reliable. Check the Staff Service Center https://uoaprod.service-now.com/sp.
Remote access is possible to some workstations in the geocomputational lab for research, and on a needs basis. This may be a viable solution for specialized data analysis. Please look into alternatives: It is unclear however, if/how on-site desktops can be maintained, if needed..
FlexIT access and requests: Use the FlexIT form in the IT Portal to request access as a staff member, to ask for an application be added, or to report any issues or faults.
FlexIT, Linux: Please check FlexIT link: https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/students/my-tools/flex-it.html. It does not have any information on Linux but should be useful for “translation”.
Depending on your browser (in particular, Firefox), you also need to do the following, from https://communities.vmware.com/thread/595554.
“…tested with the Horizon 4.8.x and 4.10.x clients and Firefox v64.0. Both are 64bit versions, running on Ubuntu 18.04.1
Download the client from the VMWare Horizon Client for 64-bit Linux
In Firefox, open about:config and click through the warning.
Add a new boolean entry called network.protocol-handler.expose.vmware-view and set the value to false
Create a file called `test.html` somewhere on your computer and put the following in it: test
Open the file in Firefox and click on the link, which should prompt you for a path to open the link.
Select /usr/bin/vmware-view and it should work for future uses! “
(1) was provided by UoA but I think it works with generic software from VMWare as well.
Check with Ingo (i.pecher@auckland.ac.nz) if you run into problems.
Software licenses: Software vendors have relaxed their licensing to allow students to install software at home, rather than relying on Flex IT. There is a running list here https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/students/my-tools/flex-it/install-software.html
Please email content to P-cubed-content for next edition of P-cubed by Friday