Issue 77 – Monday 23rd May 2022
Contents
HeadsUp
I was in the Bay of Plenty on the weekend hoping to get out to Moutohora Island. Unfortunately sea conditions did not comply. That’s the third thwarted island visit this year; earlier cancellations were due to Covid and that the vessel was Russian. Maybe it’s time to park my little Aotearoa’s Archipelago project for this year! It’s certainly a time to roll with what is possible and what is not. I hope you are all finding ways to nimbly navigate ways back into your research projects.
Back closer to home, one of the pleasures of being on campus more frequently than in recent months has been meeting up with colleagues for a coffee and yarn. Away from the set agenda of a meeting and the face-to-face intensity of zoom, there is a convivial pleasure in the coffee encounter. A mutual sharing of hopes and plans, a hearing of how lives – work as well as the R.O.L. (rest of life) – have unfolded during the latest chapter of covid times. In these days when larger gatherings can still feel a bit surreal (or risky for some), do take opportunities to connect and have one-on-one conversations. Keep the coffee and conversation flowing!
But there does come a time to gather as a team in a suitably spacious place. So, on Friday 10th June, we’ll have a min-staff retreat 12noon -3pm, venue TBC. There will be a catered lunch with an opportunity to offer some overdue thanks to JR and David both of whom left their respective HoS and DHoS roles while we were not meeting in person. Rangahau will then host a wananga /panel discussion on transdisciplinarity. This was a ‘deliverable’ in our School’s Implementation Plan so, as with the two other all-staff meetings each year (February and November) your attendance is respectfully requested.
Other reminders –
- ‘Discovery profiles’ – these need to be reviewed and edited by the end of the month (see recent emails from Melanie and Jan for details…)
- I would like to begin the cycle of interviews in June so that working through everyone in the school can proceed at a manageable pace. Please prepare your written reflection on Career Tools when requested.
- Promotions: Now is the time to decide whether this is the year to apply and if so, starting to assemble materials in light of the relevant standard and have a preliminary conversation with me.
- Thank you for the fulsome participation in our all-school workshop last week; 28 was a great attendance. The challenge seems to be being confronted with good ideas in the absence of knowing how they will be operationalised. George, Tom and I are assembling a submission and will circulate for comment prior to pushing ‘send’.
Have a great week!
Robin Kearns
General Announcements
Staff Please Read – Future University of Auckland Doctoral Scholarships
The University of Auckland Doctoral Scholarship Scheme is under review. There is a high likelihood the Guaranteed Doctoral Scholarships for domestic students with GPA > 8 will end with the new scheme having some strategic scholarships and some scholarships that will sit with faculty and be competitively allocated in 4 rounds a year. While we will have to see what final shape takes form if you have got domestic graduates who would qualify for the guaranteed scholarship and are still thinking about if/when to do a PhD it may be good to encourage them to make the decision and apply sooner rather than later!”
Supervisors and PhD Students Pre-Confirmation Please Read – PhD Proposals
A reminder the word limit on PhD proposals is 5000 words (excluding references) with the full guidelines in the PD8 document students receive on induction (or can be found on the PG Coursebuilder https://www.coursebuilder.cad.auckland.ac.nz/flexicourses/4112/publish/1/). Students are encouraged to submit your PhD Proposal offline to j.eccles@auckland.ac.nz as soon as it is ready to get the review and feedback underway before the official Wahapu confirmation process. Supervisors please do not approve the PhD Proposal on Wahapu before it has been reviewed as once you approve it is then locked in and a revised version (if needed) cannot be uploaded without an extension to the provisional year. Please also look carefully at the milestones you are approving as for example the confirmation presentation should not be signed off before it is actually done! ”
Postgraduate Research administration after the reforms (sounds like a Human Geography PhD title)
We have entered the new post-Liana realm of post-graduate research administration. It’s a lesson in just how much work is required in making systems work … and just how good Liana was at that job. Short of somehow stealing her back as the go to person for all queries, here’s a PG research specific guide to complement the more general post-reform guide to administrative roles produced in an earlier issue of P-Cubed:
- Postgraduate student administrative queries – first step is to consult https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/science/current-students/postgraduate-students.html. In practice, that site will direct you to direct most queries to sciencepg@auckland.ac.nz. Academic programme advisors, supervisors, and the relevant postgraduate advisors listed below are also points of contact for academic, pastoral and other queries.
- Staff administrative queries
- Matters to do with Honours and all sub-90 point masters theses – Gretel is normally the first port of call
- Matters to do with 90 and 120 masters theses – Phil Shane is first port of call
- PhD matters – Wahapū is the formal interface with the University for most students now and Jennifer Eccles is your contact in the School. For any students still on the old system please liaise with Jennifer.
- Anything that asks for an HoD (or nominee) signature – Nick Lewis is your first port of call
- Fire-fighting
- Masters’ supervisors will be receiving AS512 forms from sciencepg@auckland.ac.nz. Please complete Part A of the forms as quickly as possible and email to Phil Shane (ie recommend examiners and fill in any fields that are incomplete in terms of co-supervisors, student name and ID number, thesis title etc). DO NOT send AS512 forms to Robin. Phil will initiate the process of HoD nominee sign-off.
- More to come I’m sure….
- New processes are being developed centrally to administer Masters programmes, and we can expect to see something akin to Wahapū – especially given the changes to postgraduate programmes being signalled from Curriculum Transformation initiatives
Nick
Associate Professor, School of Environment
Whakawhanaungatanga – Communities
Halfway through transition period to public launch! 18% of faculty of science profiles have been reviewed!
We encourage everyone who has not done it yet, to complete the review of their profiles by the end of May, as Discovery Profiles will be visible publicly from early June. It is likely that irrelevant information was imported from your original profile. You may also want to update this profile picture you uploaded at the time you joined UoA! 😊
There are plenty of learning and support resources available. For more information please see the Discovery Profiles News and FAQs pages, or contact the Staff Service Centre.
Thanks for your continued support of this initiative.
Winds of Change 2022 – Applications Now Open for postgraduate students
Now in its third year, the Winds of Change programme has established a strong network of young leaders who come together online to investigate common climate change issues and how sustainable development strategies can be created for the future.
Who can apply?
Current and recently completed postgraduate students with an interest in climate change and a general background in the sciences, business, science communication, or the humanities. We will also consider applications for undergraduates in their final year of study that have demonstrated independent research experience. We expect that these candidates will discuss aspects of this research experience in their applications.
If you know potential candidates, encourage them to apply here by the 3rd of June: https://airtable.com/shr4YV9esGIabvDSG
Stories for world environment day
Central is pulling together some stories that focus on sustainability-linked projects/research at UoA, for multi-channel delivery to celebrate world environment day on 5 June. They are looking for 2 or 3 projects from FoS that focus on environmental sustainability. Would you like to have your project featured? Please email Stephanie Look
Geologize Practical Geocommunication online course
Last year, we acquired a 12 month site-license allowing all UoA staff and students, and limited alumni FREE access to Geologize’s critically acclaimed and widely accredited course, ‘Practical Geocommunication’. You also have FREE access to Geoscience Outreach in Schools mini-course (by Out There Learning Ltd) as part of the package until June 2022. All together this is worth $720 NZD per person, so please take advantage of this. Otago University are also now offering the course.
The training helps geoscientists become more effective and powerful public ambassadors for our field, something the geosciences urgently need. It will also look great on your CV, so there is nothing to lose and everything to gain from this opportunity. And as Warren Buffet, the famous American investor said “The one easy way to become worth at least 50 percent more than you are now, is to hone your communication skills”.
HOW TO ENROL ON THE COURSE
UoA’s unique access code is: auck-pggz-2122
1) Head over to https://training.geologize.org/courses/auckland (Links to an external site.)
2) Click on ‘UNIVERSITY ACCESS’
3) Register (Free. This MUST be your university address)
4) Click on the link ‘Have a coupon?’
5) Enter the code above. This will apply the discount.
6) Start learning!
The number of times this coupon can be used is limited to the those at UoA, so please do not share this code to those outside our institution. If you attempt to enrol with a non-UoA e-mail you will be unenrolled.
Learners follow the course at their own pace and you will have lessons, quizzes, assignments and the opportunity to interact directly Dr Haydon Mort, the course teacher through the forums. A certificate is provided at the end of the course, with the seals of the many international organisations who endorse this course.
Enjoy!
Martin Brook
Honours Research Projects and sub-90 points Masters dissertations
Dear colleagues,
Thank you to everyone who supervised and/or examined Honours Research projects and sub-90-point Masters projects/dissertations in 2021. Your time and effort in supervising students and/or examining projects in what was a disrupted year, protracted by deadline extensions, is greatly appreciated. The 2021 cohort should now be all finished and moving onto new things.
In 2022, we have students completing Honours and MENVSCI 30-point research projects, and Bachelor of Advanced Science 60-point dissertations, with submissions in Semester 1 (Monday 27 June) and Semester 2 (Monday 14 November).
For your diary:
- S1 Honours and MENVSCI Oral presentations– Wednesday 8 June. Time and venue to be confirmed.
- S2 Honours, MENVSCI and BAdvSci Oral Presentations – Wednesday 26 October. Time and venue to be confirmed.
These are on the same day as Masters presentations and every effort will be made to avoid clashes.
Finally, if you are supervising Honours/MENVSCI/BAdvSci students this year, please ensure their project is achievable within the one- or two-semester timeframe and that it can be completed under pandemic conditions. Please encourage your student(s) to meet the end-of-semester submission date too, even if Covid-19 extensions are again offered by the Faculty; it is helpful to the students, for getting grades back in time to go on to further study or work, and to those involved in the examination process if we can all stick to the schedule.
Kind regards
Gretel Boswijk
(Honours coordinator)
Masters Research Seminars 8 June 2022 — Rm 302-G20
Students who started in S2, 2021 will present their preliminary results. These are 10 minute oral talks followed by 5 minutes of questions. They are designed to assist students with the direction that their project is going in. Supervisors should support their students and all staff should support the research culture in our school.. This is an on-campus seminar series. However, we may revert to Zoom if campus access is not possible. Below is a preliminary schedule.
Cheers,
Phil Shane (coordinator)
| Time | Name | Topic | |
| 9.00 | KoKo | Lat | rock mass quality from seismic refraction surveying |
| 9.15 | Adi | Levy | Engineering Geological and Liquefaction Assessment |
| 9.30 | James | Wilson | Rock Characteristics on foreshore morphology |
| 9.45 | Amber | Peek | Environmental Education and Data Generation |
| 10.00 | Kenzi | Yee | Insects as food (for who?) |
| 10.15 | Elliot | Stevens | ‘Voice of the River’ in catchment management |
| 10.30 | Jaynie | Yang | Root production and root exudations in kauri forests |
Kia Ora Disaster Researchers!
Welcome to the Disastrous Doctorates 2022 has a new date! The DD2022 symposium is rescheduled for 11-13 July. It will be hosted by The University of Auckland in Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland. At this time, this conference is moving forward with in-person attendance.
Please follow us on Twitter and Facebook for the most up-to-date information.
Disastrous Doctorates is an annual multi-day symposium for PhD students enrolled at a New Zealand university who are directly studying disaster-related topics. It is organized by PhD students for PhD students. The symposium provides a forum for students to network and learn from each other and subject experts, share best practices and learn helpful tips on managing a PhD career and beyond. We welcome students from across the full range of disciplines, including social sciences, engineering, geology, geography, and law.
Please register on the link below;
Official Registration Form – Disastrous Doctorates (wordpress.com)
Presentation of PhD research in EGU-2022
Niraj Bal Tamang, a third year PhD student at the School of Environment, is presenting his ongoing research titled “Network-scale analysis of sedimentary hotspots in dynamic, seismically-active steepland rivers” in the European Geosciences Union (EGU) General Assembly 2022 at Vienna, Austria. The work is based upon the interaction of the network-scale sediment transport modelling and the individual channel classification in 16 catchments of the upper South Island, New Zealand, from where the sediment transport behavior in the form of sedimentary hotspots will be tied up with the respective channel type and the overall pattern is analyzed to give the response. The presentation (ID EGU22-1395) is scheduled under GM2.1 program within New approaches for monitoring and modelling sediment transport section, at 18:17-18:24 (CEST) on May 26, and also has been highlighted by the session convenors for public interest.
More details about the program and abstract can be accessed through the following link:
Tamang, N. B. and Tunnicliffe, J.: Network-scale analysis of sedimentary hotspots in dynamic, seismically-active steepland rivers, EGU General Assembly 2022, Vienna, Austria, 23–27 May 2022, EGU22-1395, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu22-1395
SouthSci and WeSTEM – STEM Partner Role Description
Participatory science platforms (PSP) connect STEM experts with school and community groups, to explore a research or design question and engage youth in STEM. Please see for more information: SouthSci WeSTEM STEM partner role – 2022.
Dustsafe Aotearoa: our new community programme
Are you interested to know the concentration of metals in your home dust and/or, would you like to support colleagues (Emma and Melanie) and PG student (Declan) in mapping metals in home dust across Aotearoa NZ?
It is a free and easy! You just need to complete a short survey online and bring your dust to reception Level 6 (we are happy to get your whole vacuum bag if that’s easier).
Feel free to share this opportunity with your family, friends and broader community. It is a time-limited programme, so we hope to receive your sample soon!
Check out the details on our website at http://dustsafe.auckland.ac.nz.
Funding
Plastics Innovation Fund
***Application Deadline 20 June 2022***
The purpose of the Plastics Innovation Fund is to support projects that will minimise plastic waste and its harm on the environment. The fund is seeking to fund projects that find ways to use less plastic and make what we do use reusable or recyclable. It is targeted at projects that: minimise plastic waste; support circular solutions; protect the environment from harm; support the reduction of imported plastic; and improve the behaviour of people and businesses (up the waste hierarchy). For further information visit the funder website or refer the Funder guidelines. You can also view a One-hour webinar about the fund
Waka Kotahi Innovation Fund
Waka Kotahi Innovation Fund has been set up by Waka Kotahi (NZTA) to support the private sector to develop and accelerate innovative solutions that will help to solve some of New Zealand’s biggest transport challenges. Hoe ki angitū is only open to the private sector which includes: Start-ups, Iwi, Domestic and international companies, Community groups, Research institutions, and University groups. The funding available for round one of Hoe ki angitū is $3.5 million.
Internal Deadline for application: 5pm Wednesday 22 June 2022. Email your title, full name, email address, faculty/department and the funder/scheme to the Funds Advisor Team via submissions@auckland.ac.nz to receive the application template.
A webinar about this funding round will be held by the funder on 25 May 2022 at 12:30pm. To attend the webinar use this link to register with the funder.
FoS New Staff Grant
Eligible new staff will be able to apply for a New Staff grant of $20k.As we are transitioning to a new internal funding process, all new staff who have joined the Faculty since 1 January 2020 will be eligible to apply in 2022. Applications are now open and the closing date for submission is 30th June 2022. Full details, guidelines and the application form are available on the Faculty of Science Staff Intranet – New Staff Research Grant page.
Call for Applications: New Zealand-German Academic Exchange Programme
Education New Zealand supports early-career researchers from New Zealand to collaborate on research projects in Germany. The call for the Programmes for Project-Related Personal Exchange (PPP) opened on 6 April 2022 (CET). You can find more information about the programme, application requirements, and the link to the application portal on the Education New Zealand Scholarships and Grants site.
Applications will close on 30 June at 11:59 PM NZT.
For any questions, please contact Jina Kim, International Networks Coordinator on jina.kim@auckland.ac.nz
Background information:
New Zealand-German Academic Partnership Event recording of the event.
For more information on the PPP mobility scheme, including requirements for applicants, please follow: https://www.daad.org/en/ppp/
2023 MBIE Endeavour Fund Support Sessions
Details on the support for MBIE Endeavour Fund 2023 is available on the Research Hub. There are a number of other events and workshops on offer, details of which can be found on the Research Hub.
The Research Committee Funding available
This is for activities to benefit Postdocs and RFs and allow them to connect.
To all those who fall into the following categories:
– Postdocs/Research Fellows;
– People conducting research on non-permanent contracts at the post-doctoral level,
We invite you to contact the new RF rep in the Rangahau/Research committee Joa Paredes-Mariño (for RFs/postdocs) joa.paredes.marino@auckland.ac.nz, for further information
3k writing grant available for students
Funds are available to support students writing up their thesis as publication(s). Each grant is worth $3000 (120 hours at 25$ all included). There is no deadline to apply. Applications are evaluated as they come by members of Rangahau (2 weeks turn over max.), until we use all the funds available.
Do you have a good candidate in mind? Please complete this form and submit to melanie.kah@auckland.ac.nz.
Funding for class meet and greets
The Student Experience Committee has limited funding available for class related activities. If you want to run a class event, online or otherwise (challenging given the current restrictions), and would benefit from some funds, please contact Joe (j.fagan@auckland.ac.nz). The Committee would prefer to fund several small events rather than one big one (but we are open to suggestions).
Health, Safety and Wellbeing
Please email content to Iliane Gomez Vilchis for next edition of P-cubed by Friday