Issue 92 – Monday 19th December 2022
Contents
HeadsUp
As I write the last Heads-up for this year, I have just cancelled two routine meetings whose participants are already on annual leave. Last week seemed a sequence of saying “if I don’t see you before Christmas, have a good one”. With business all but done for the year, I am turning attention to rather a lot of long-languishing emails in the inbox as well as finding reviewers for submissions to the journal I edit. And some planning for 2023. For the latter, signing a book contract brings a strong resolve to quarantine a day a week next year for writing. This Head of School job is 0.60FTE on paper but I seem to fail to bring it down below 0.90. There are clearly New Year’s resolutions ahead…
For now, I feel gratitude for so much in the year that’s all but over. First and foremost, there is gratitude for the ecology of support that has surrounded me, especially: Michael, Patricia, Iliane and Anna in Group Services; Tom and George in their DHoS roles; Steering Group members and especially discipline heads and platform leads; Kelly and team in Research Services; and Blair, Dave, Andres and team in Technical Services; Louise, Ganga and colleagues in Finance. There will be others I’ve missed mentioning. This job would not be doable without people who daily step up, take initiative and undertake tasks without reminders or receiving regular expressions of gratitude.
We’ve come a long way this year, emerging from the cave of covid restrictions. Gathering in person again for the first time in months, back on May 1st , feels like a good long while ago. There’s been a fair bit of water under the bridge as we have moved from exclusively online to more in-person engagement again. Here’s to looking ahead to a less disrupted 2023. But, also, let’s look ahead to a livelier more engaged School ‘culture’, something I am sure will be easier to contemplate on the far side of a good solid break.
Whatever you get up to for the holiday period, I hope it is restorative and you keep safe. If you do happen to come to Waiheke, be in touch. I’d love to meet up for a wine on the beach and a non-work yarn. Kassie my Labrador is always up for that, though summer hours mean it now needs to be within certain hours for her. Restricted Lab access 😊
All best for the festive season.
Robin Kearns
Whakawhanaungatanga – Communities
Fame and cash for sharing your best School of Environment mini vlog (videos)
The ENV Outreach Committee is looking for exciting, funny and engaging mini vlogs (i.e. video collage) to upload to the soon to launch School of Environment Instagram account.
With Summer soon to arrive, we would love to receive mini vlogs from studies of our environment and people, field work, lab experiments, data analysis or a mix of it all!
Videos from students, academic and technical staff are all welcome!
Think of the mini vlog as “A day in the life of …” related to school of environment research or careers. Of course you could record material over several days. Here is an example -of many- on how to make a mini vlog (you can also make them directly in the Instagram or TikTok apps).
Prizes (prezzy cards):
1st place: $200
2nd place: $100
3rd place: $75
4th -10th place: $ 30
Rules:
– The mini vlog has to be under 15 seconds.
– If filming others, make sure you don’t see their faces or you have their consent (model consent form attached). Avoid having under 18-year olds in the video.
– You don’t have to be in the mini vlog if you don’t want to, neither do you have to talk.
– Keep all mini vlogs G-rated as they may be made public. This includes no swearing or alcohol consumption, and also conforming with all University regulations.
– Some guidelines are found here, including the use of music.
Submissions may be uploaded (with credit) to the School of Environment Instagram account.
Please email env-comms@auckland.ac.nz that you have submitted and the model consent form (if needed). Submit the mini vlog by Feb 15th to this google drive link.
Enjoy vlogging, happy holidays and have a great Summer break!
Shanice, Thomas and Mila
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For those unfamiliar with the social media slang:
Funding
DRDF Call for proposals
We are opening the call for DRDF proposals (former PBRF) early this year to allow as many people to apply as possible.
The guidelines are available here and the application form, here.
In addition to the usual activities, we are keen to see applications from groups with shared research interests and who would like to support engagement activities within our school, throughout the year and involving PG research students (seminar series, reading/writing groups, retreat, workshops etc.)
Please email the form (or your questions) to melanie.kah@auckland.ac.nz by 15th February 2023.
Vision Mātauranga WORK den:
One-one WORK den to discuss any upcoming grant applications (such as the 2023 Marsden round) with the Vision Mātauranga advisors. The purpose of the WORK den is to provide a ‘think tank’ opportunity for researchers to seek guidance, understanding and advice from the Faculty Māori advisors on Vision Mātauranga/Responsiveness to Māori. Please view this as a time to express where your research will be a feature. An opportunity to discuss your idea(s) with Vision Mātauranga advisors and work together to identify ways in how Vision Mātauranga can be embedded.
- Date: Thursday 2nd February 2023. The session will be via zoom, you are welcome to bring other members of your team to your session (including your local research support team) and a recording of the session will be made available for you.
- To ensure the time is useful for all involved, please complete the registration form You will be asked to provide a short video explaining where you see opportunities to embed Vision Mātauranga into your research. Please complete the registration form by Friday 27th January 2023.
Any questions, email to vmresponsiveness.science@auckland.ac.nz
Ngā Ara Whetū 2023 Doctoral Scholarships
Ngā Ara Whetū is delighted to announce that we have three UoA doctoral stipends to award in 2023. The purpose is to support the mission of our centre, particularly fostering transdisciplinary research. Therefore, the supervisors must be affiliated to Ngā Ara Whetū and come from at least two different Faculties/large scale research institutes. It’s easy to become an affiliate, UoA academics just need to email ngaarawhetu@auckland.ac.nz and you will be added to our list. We invite students to apply for the scholarships by 1 March 2023.
More information, including the application form, can be found on the University of Auckland Doctoral Scholarships page in the Faculty/LSRI/USC Doctoral Scholarship Strategies and Opportunities section:
If you have any questions, please email ngaarawhetu@auckland.ac.nz.
| Royal Society New Zealand – Marsden Fund | |
| The Marsden Fund invests in excellent, investigator-led research aimed at generating new knowledge, with long-term benefit to New Zealand.
Three types of awards are offered: • Fast-Start: for emerging researchers – to give an impetus to their careers by promoting them as sole Principal Investigators (PI) in their own research programme • Standard: for established and emerging researchers • Council Award: for projects that are interdisciplinary in nature, with larger teams |
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| Value/Duration: | Internal Deadlines: |
All grants are for a maximum of three years and are GST exclusive.
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Due to Funds Advisor Team by 12 noon, Tuesday 7 February 2023.
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| Further Information (funding call, guidelines, registration info):
If you are interested in applying, please follow instructions in the UoA funding call to register your interest and inform FIRST (Kelly, Dianne, or Franca). |
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| Ministry for the Environment – Plastics Innovation Fund Round 2 – Te Tahua Pūtea mō te Kirihou Auaha | |
| The Plastics Innovation Fund supports projects that will minimise plastic waste and its harm on the environment. They are seeking to fund projects that find ways to use less plastic and make what we do use reusable or recyclable. It should be noted that applicants are required to secure at least 50% co-funding. | |
| Value/Duration: | Internal Deadlines: |
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· EOI deadline from 1 November 2022 to 30 June 2023
· The Funds Advisor team will accept EOIs at any time during this period for a QA check provided that you allow at least 7 working days before final submission to the funder. |
| Further Information (funding call, guidelines, registration info):
Please register or make contact with FIRST (Kelly, Dianne, Franca) if you wish to make a submission. |
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| 2023 MBIE Endeavour Fund – Research Programmes | |
| The Endeavour Fund supports excellent research with the potential to positively transform New Zealand’s economy, environment and society
Research Programmes are intended to support ambitious, excellent and well-defined research ideas which have credible and high potential to positively transform New Zealand’s future in areas of future value, growth, or critical need |
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| Value/Duration: | Internal Deadlines: |
| · Value: $0.5 million or more per year
· Duration: 3, 4 or 5 years |
· Registration: 12 noon, Friday 25 November 2022
· Full proposal: 12 noon, Monday 20 February 2023 |
| Further Information (funding call, guidelines, registration info):
Please register with FIRST (Kelly, Dianne, Franca) if you wish to make a submission. |
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| Toka Tū Ake EQC University Research Programme (URP 2024-26) | |
Since the 1990s, Toka Tū Ake EQC has provided funding to tertiary institutions across New Zealand. This funding has helped to support research capability in natural disaster risk reduction. From 2020, Toka Tū Ake EQC funding introduced a three-year University Research Programme for tertiary institutions focused on:
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| Value/Duration: | Internal Deadlines: |
| · Projects can be up to a maximum duration of 36 months
· The award is up to NZD150,000/annum |
· EOI Deadline: 5pm Wednesday 2 November 2022.
· Full Proposal Deadline: Wednesday 22 March 2023 |
| Further Information (funding call, guidelines, registration info):
Please register with FIRST (Kelly, Dianne, Franca) if you wish to make a submission. |
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Rangahau – Research
FoS Vision Mātauranga Hui
As part of the Vision Mātauranga support for researchers within Te Whare Pūtaiao Faculty of Science, the Māori advisors’ team will be running a two hour Vision Mātauranga Hui on Tuesday 24 January 2023 from 2:00 – 4:00pm (Building 119-130).
So we have an idea of the numbers attending, could you please complete the registration form.
In advance of the session, please see the Rresponsiveness to Māori tool to map out your proposal ideas and how they connect with Māori aspirations, build Māori capability and capacity, and look at how you can ensure your research is reaching Māori communities. Although we will not be focused on this document, it may help you as you look to see how your research can be responsive to Māori, and you are welcome to bring it with you to the session
Health, Safety and Wellbeing
Health & Safety Tip
Publications
Ribó M, Watson SJ, Macdonald H and Strachan LJ (2022), Evolution of marine gravel dunes on the open shelf under multi-directional currents conditions. Front. Earth Sci. 10:1045716.doi: 10.3389/feart.2022.1045716.
Ana Markic, James H. Bridson, Peta Morton, Lucy Hersey, Andrea Budiša, Thomas Maes, Melissa Bowen, Microplastic pollution in the intertidal and subtidal sediments of Vava’u, Tonga, 2023, Marine Pollution Bulletin, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2022.114451.
Schloffel-Armstrong, S. (2022) Find an island: Can British journalist Owen Hatherley’s ‘adventure’ in this dominion teach us anything about Auckland’s built environment? Metro Magazine. Summer Edition.
R Kearns (2022) Reflections on Human Geography’s Methodological ‘Turns’
In The Routledge Handbook of Methodologies in Human Geography (Eds Coen, S, Lovell, S & Rosenberg, M. ) pp 61-69. Taylor & Francis