Issue 93 – Tuesday 31th January 2023
Contents
HeadsUp
This was going to be the “welcome back, hope you had a great summer break” commentary. Well, there were some days that were glorious and quintessentially summer. And in due course I look forward to hearing how you spent them. But for now, here we are, working from home again. Heartbreakingly for some of us, there is also cleaning up flood debris or even reassessing what and where home is.
I won’t repeat in any detail the content of the VC’s email to everyone. Nor will I repeat my own sent yesterday, other than to remind you that an order from the Secretary of Education, endorsed by the VC, extended my urging we work from home for the time being. We are asked to work from home until Feb 7th. Some of you may have the extra challenge of parenting, given schools are closed. As I said yesterday, be kind to yourselves and if you need to take time to deal with the immediacy of home life please do so. We cannot effectively work if we are seriously preoccupied.
Mercifully, perhaps, we only have one Summer School offering underway and I am grateful to Nick Richards for his flexibility in sorting out a solution to no field trips being possible this week.
The other adjustment we need to accommodate is use of Labs. The Technical Services team is not on site this week. Please bear in mind the VC’s exhortation: “Staff who do not have a pressing need to be on campus should work from home”. If you feel you must enter one of our labs, you must also contact Blair. He will either direct you to who needs to be present or arrange for he, or one of his team, to come onto campus to oversee your visit/lab work. This is a requirement not a request.
Please be aware that students you are supervising may have encountered flood related challenges and directly ask them how they are doing. If they are affected remind them that the student emergency fund is still operating. For longer-term disruption for PG students, suspensions are possible via the standard routes.
On a brighter note, I am happy to welcome four new staff: Tom Dowling (Lecturer in GISci) and Anthony Gampell (PTF) as well as Rachael Boswell and Joel Rindelaub (Postdocs working with me and Jenny Salmond, respectively). Please be on standby for a first-week-of semester call-out for drinks and nibbles, at which we can welcome these colleagues.
Looking ahead, I have considered what I discern to be a certain fatigue with three School retreats each year in which we ‘retreat’ no further than another room on campus. To try something new this year, as well as respond to popular requests, we will go ‘back to the future’ and return to the staff meeting model (with at least one mid-year retreat day that will be well and truly off campus). You will have received Outlook invitations. The first of only 4 staff meetings of the year will be Tuesday 21st February 10-11am. Attendance is expected, but zoom and/or recording will be attempted for those eg ill or on RSL.
Having just four meetings and a strategy retreat does mean we continue to rely on emailed School communications. I therefore ask that you make a priority of regularly reading p-Cubed.
I also that you help Technical Services with their survey (discussed elsewhere in p-cubed this week) and ensure you complete Field Activity Plans are submitted in a timely manner.
I also ask that in lodging Concur claims you consolidate requests for seeking reimbursement to once a month. Multiple claims for smallish sums becomes a time-consumptive make-work project for he who needs to sign them off!
Finally…Covid (sorry, amid flood concerns, this may seem very last year). However, thanks to some investigations prompted by Jen Eccles’ forthcoming field course to Te Waipounamu (the South Island), we have established that our duty of care must extend to accommodating participants if they acquire Covid while away and need to isolate. This applies to any field trip that is a flight rather than drive away. So, if you are planning such a trip, please contact Michael Groom for details and the School will cover the premiums.
That’s it for this rain-disrupted week. Hang in everyone and do be in touch if you need assistance.
Robin Kearns
General Announcements
Laboratory Survey for Staff
The Technical Services team would like to undertake a small survey to understand the expectations around school laboratories and support.
This link will remain active until March 1st 2023.
Please direct any questions to Blair.
https://auckland.au1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_8qPEWuhBB0BxR1s
CapEx Requests for 2024
Applications are now open for 2024 CapEx requests. We have decided to give a longer time frame than usual, so more staff have the opportunity to submit. This link will remain active until April 15th 2023.
If you have an item that isn’t on the list for this year (P2) then please submit a request so we know its still needed. Blair will email those staff directly.
Please direct any questions to Blair.
https://auckland.au1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_bJXjoluewgiVizs
Funding
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.
| Climate Change AI – Innovation Grants | |
| The CCAI Innovation Grants aim to encourage research activity that addresses these challenges. The second cycle allocates grants for research projects that apply AI to help study, mitigate, or adapt to climate change. Projects that address AI governance in the context of climate change or that assess the climate impacts of AI and its applications are also eligible for funding. | |
| Value/Duration: | Internal Deadlines: |
| •In this cycle, up to USD150,000 (circa NZD228,000) will be allocated per proposal.
•The duration of the project can be up to 12 months. Project start date to be August 15, 2023. |
5pm, Monday 20 February 2023 |
| Further Information (funding call, guidelines, registration info):
· Website Please inform your FIRST team (Franca, Dianne or Kelly) if you are interested in applying. |
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| Te Tahua Taiao Ngā Taonga – Lottery Environment and Heritage grants – Round Two | |
| Lottery Environment and Heritage grants are available for projects that will help protect, conserve or care for our natural, cultural and physical heritage, or allow us to better understand and access these resources. | |
| Value/Duration: | Internal Deadlines: |
| •Small projects, where the grant requested is for less than $250,000.
•Large projects, where the grant requested is for $250,000 or more. |
5pm, Monday 20 February 2023 |
| Further Information (funding call, guidelines, registration info):
· Website Please inform your FIRST team (Franca, Dianne or Kelly) if you are interested in applying. |
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| RSNZ- Catalyst Fund Seeding | |
| Catalyst: Seeding facilitates new small and medium pre-research strategic partnerships that cannot be supported through other means, and with a view to developing full collaborations that could be supported through Catalyst: Strategic over time. Funding is for research exchanges, research activities, and expenses related to hosting workshops for new strategic research partnerships with international collaborators. | |
| Value/Duration: | Internal Deadlines: |
| A maximum of NZ$80,000 (excl. GST) is available per proposal for projects lasting up to two years. | 5pm Wednesday 12 April 2023. |
| Further Information (funding call, guidelines, registration info):
· Website To register to apply, please email the following information to the Funds Advisor Team via submissions@auckland.ac.nz: title (e.g. Dr, A/P, Professor), full name, email address, faculty and department or click the above button to get registered to the portal. Also inform your FIRST team (Franca, Dianne or Kelly) |
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| RSNZ- Catalyst Leaders | |
| Catalyst: Leaders supports incoming and outgoing targeted international fellowships for exceptional individuals that cannot be supported through other means. The following funding schemes are open in Round 1:
International Leader Fellowships (up to 3 awards) Supports exceptional individuals from any country outside New Zealand to catalyse science and innovation capability and capacity development in New Zealand for a minimum of 4 weeks per year for up to 3 years. JSPS Postdoctoral Fellowships (up to 4 awards) Supports excellent post-doctoral researchers to do research in Japan for 12-24 months. New Zealand – China Scientist Exchange Programme (up to 10 Awards) Supports the development of research linkages with China by enabling New Zealand researchers to visit Chinese research organisations for 2-6 weeks. |
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| Value/Duration: | Internal Deadlines: |
| International Leader Fellowship
Up to $50,000 per annum for up to three years. New Zealand – China Scientist Exchange Programme NZ$3,000 travel grant JSPS Postdoctoral Fellowships •Round trip air-ticket + approx. $6690 allowances
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5pm Wednesday 12 April 2023. |
| Further Information (funding call, guidelines, registration info):
· Website To register to apply, please email the following information to the Funds Advisor Team via submissions@auckland.ac.nz: title (e.g. Dr, A/P, Professor), full name, email address, faculty and department or click the above button to get registered to the portal. Also inform your FIRST team (Franca, Dianne or Kelly) |
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| 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. |
|
| 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
Hauraki Gulf Scholarship
The Hauraki Gulf Scholarship for MSc and Phd students is open for application from today. The award is provided by Newmarket Rotary Club for research with the potential to improve the natural environment of the Hauraki Gulf, its islands and environs. The award is $10,000. If this covers your area of research then you are encouraged to apply.
More details are here:- https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/study/scholarships-and-awards/find-a-scholarship/rotary-club-newmarket-hauraki-gulf-environment-pg-award-1125-sci.html
If you have any enquiries about the award you can contact the Scholarships Office or myself.
Best wishes
Professor Andrew Jeffs
Institute of Marine Science, & School of Biological Sciences
University of Auckland
Auckland, New Zeland
Ph +64-21-256-3303
R N Brothers Memorial Award – The University of Auckland
An Award of up to $5,000 to assist a postgraduate research student to undertake field-based geological research in New Zealand or the South West Pacific.
About the scholarship
Application status: Apply now
Applicable study: Postgraduate degree in Earth Sciences
Opening date: 17 January 2023
Closing date: 28 February 2023
Tenure: One year
For: Assistance with field-based Research
Number on offer: One
Offer rate: Annually
Value: Up to $5,000
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.
Health, Safety and Wellbeing
New Field Activity Plans are ready to be rolled out, Watch this space in the coming days.
Publications
Cook M, Brook M, Cave M, Wolter A, Rosser B. (2022). November 2021 rainfall-triggered landslides in Gisborne/Tairāwhiti: field reconnaissance and insights from InSAR monitoring. New Zealand Geomechanics Mapping and monitoring landslides in New Zealand using Sentinel-1 InSAR data: A case study from Gisborne – New Zealand Geotechnical Society (nzgs.org)
Hamilton AR, Brook MS, Patel JP, Talbot N. (2022). Analysis and occurrence of fibrous erionite minerals in New Zealand: soke technical notes. New Zealand Geomechanics https://hdl.handle.net/2292/62599