Issue 115 – Monday 5 February 2024
Contents
HeadsUp
As we start to emerge from a time of annual leave, writing and fieldwork and begin to engage in earnest with the business of the year, I trust you’ve all had a refreshing break. As opportunities to do so increasingly arise, I look forward to hearing what you’ve been up to. And to those who have staffed summer school courses and kept our administrative and technical services going from early in the new year – while others of us have taken leave– thank you.
We look ahead to a year with ongoing challenges as we respond to the imperatives of curriculum reform as well as the need for budgetary prudence. But I for one look ahead with a sense of optimism in the knowledge of how much everyone seems to roll up their sleeves and contributes. Its humbling to be part of such a great team and I look ahead to another year in this role I have been offered as Head of School. And as I do so, I am grateful for the ongoing work of Tom and George as Deputies and all those in leadership roles in the School.
I look forward to seeing many of you this coming Friday for the staff learning and relaxing day on Waiheke. In this case there is little cost to the school as the tickets were purchased way back in 2022. Time to use and enjoy them! Some cannot come for various reasons, so I’ll see a fuller turnout at the first staff meeting of the year – on Wed 21st Feb, 11am-1pm. If two hours seems a dauntingly long meeting, fear not. Only the first hour or so will be agenda items; we will continue the tradition of lunch to follow each of the four staff meetings this year. Kai builds community.
Finally a couple of successes
- In a very prestigious accolade, Jenny Salmond has been selected as a member of the scoping committee for the IPCC Special Report on Climate Change. Apparently 1300 people around the world reached that final stage of the application process representing different organisations and countries – and only 80 were selected for the committee. Superb news, Jenny!
- Lorna Strachan has been elected into a leadership role in ANZIC (Australian & New Zealand International Ocean Discovery Program (IODP) Consortium) (https://iodp.org.au/) which decides who sails on ocean expeditions, who receives funding for research etc. Well done, Lorna.
And a couple of instances of media engagement:
Our students and technical services staff feature in: https://www.rnz.co.nz/national/programmes/afternoons/audio/2018924002/our-changing-world-trapping-pollen
…and (the almost-Dr) Alice McSherry was interviewed on her work on the healing nature of plants and is now on Spotify:
https://open.spotify.com/episode/3isURkcyXK8TK1eKnUyhO5?si=pKQywWWyR_2cpb7SxWThWw
These are just examples I have been told about. Please let me know others. We need to acknowledge and celebrate success.
So, to help us ease back out of summer routines, may you all enjoy the second short week in a row. In this case consider finding ways to attune to the deep significance of Tuesday being the commemoration of Te Tiriti, that act of partnership that can give us all a place in this unique land.
Robin Kearns
Whakawhanaungatanga – Communities
Webmaster role
I am looking for a responsible someone who has the time and capability to manage a WordPress website at least until the end of 2024. This work is rather quiet for the majority of the year, but ramps up about July/August until mid December. Please contact Emma Sharp el.sharp@auckland.ac.nz if you’re interested in the opportunity and would like to discuss details.
The Scientia Trust Planet Earth Fund
The Scientia Trust Planet Earth Fund, proudly managed by Perpetual Guardian will be opening for funding applications from Wednesday 3rd January 2024 to Friday 29th April 2024.
This funding opportunity takes place once every 5 to 15 years.
We welcome applications from organisations and individuals for the purpose of:
- The study of earthquakes
- The study of bulk properties of the Earth
- The study of astronomical motions
- The study of the internal structure of the Earth
- The history of such studies.
Please feel welcome to share this opportunity with colleagues working in one or more of the above areas.
This funding round will be held on the Perpetual Guardian Funding Hub. You can find out more about this on our website here: https://www.perpetualguardian.co.nz/philanthropy/grant-seekers/grants-open-upcoming/
If you wish to be considered for funding you will need to register as a Perpetual Guardian Funding Hub user before you are able to submit an application.
You can register here: https://perpetualguardian.fluxx.io/user_sessions/new (look for the ‘Create an Account’ link).
Marian Cranwell Prize ($3,000)
The Prize will be awarded annually to the student who, in the opinion of the selection panel, completed the best thesis or dissertation focussing on the areas of environmental or ecological science, including the cultural history of environmental areas, in fulfilment of the requirements for a Masters or PhD degree. This is open to Students in School of Environment as well. If you have in mind any worthy nominees could you let me know as soon as convenient please and provide a note in support of your nomination.
Kind regards,
Barkha Bheda
Group Services Administrator
School of Biological Sciences: gsa.biologicalsciences@auckland.ac.nz
Exercise Sciences: gsa-exercise@auckland.ac.nz
School visits are happening!
‘Missing Maps’ with Tom Dowling at Mt Albert Grammar School, November 2023
Staff and post-grad students… Do you have a connection with an Auckland high school? Are you keen to visit in 2024 to talk with senior classes about what we offer at the SoE? The outreach committee has a presentation you can use/alter as you see fit, support as needed and merchandise to give away. (Post-grad students will receive a gift card to say thanks.) Interested? Contact Rachael Boswell (r.boswell@auckland.ac.nz) for help organising a visit.
FUNDS FOR ENGAGEMENT WITH HAPORI MAORI
School of Environment has a small budget for enabling engagement with Maori, particularly through koha or contributions that may be needed to initiate research relationships. In disbursing that putea, priority is given to academic staff working on behalf of groups of staff or students, pre/consultation activities for ethics approval and collaborations that are not readily funded through other mechanisms. As it is desirable to utilise the budget before the end of the academic year, however, all well-reasoned proposals will be considered. If interested, email a brief, one paragraph description of a proposed activity and a budget for how funds will be utilised to Brad (b.coombes@auckland.ac.nz). Although there are no prescribed maxima or minima for these grants, the limited scope of the overall budget will likely preclude grants in excess of $1000. Applicants should also be mindful of UoA guidelines or policies for gifting and koha.
Post Graduate Wellbeing ….. where to go
If you are currently coordinating a PG course, could you please post the inforgraphic slide to your Canvas course page so students will know the resources that are available throughout the University.
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 katarzyna.sila-nowicka@auckalnd.ac.nz .
Rangahau – Research
Funding for Research Retreats
The Rangahau Committee has a small amount of funding set aside to sponsor Research retreats (e.g grant writing workshops, paper writing). This can be up to 2k per team, with a minimum 2 SoE participants.
If you have an idea that you would like considered, please submit a short paragraph explaining the intention and benefits of the retreat to katarzyna.sila-nowicka@auckland.ac.nz.
Proposal development support
The Rangahau Committee has a small fund set aside to help with proposal development (e.g. writing support, support to scope proposals etc). If you have an idea that fits within this scope please get in touch with Kelly Kilpin to discuss further.
Funding
Funding Calls
| L’Oréal Australia/NZ – UNESCO For Women in Science Fellowship | |
| This fund aims to provide support for women to continue their research and rise to leadership positions in their field of expertise. The Fellowships are targeted towards early career researchers, with five years or less post-doctoral experience (from the date, 3rd March, 2024). | |
| Value/Duration: | Internal Deadline: |
| · Value: NZD 25,000
· Duration: 12-months |
1pm, Friday 23 February 2024 |
| Further Information (funding call, guidelines, registration info):
· Website If you are interested, please notify your FIRST (research support) of your intent to apply for this scheme to receive important information and updates in relation to this fund |
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| RSNZ: Catalyst: Seeding (Round 1, January 2024) | |
| This fund aims to 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. | |
| Value/Duration: | Internal Deadline: |
| Up to NZ$80,000 (excl. GST) is available per proposal for projects lasting up to two years. | 12pm Tuesday 9 April 2024. |
| To get registered to the portal, 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. | |
| Further Information (funding call, guidelines, registration info):
· Website If you are interested, please notify your FIRST (research support) of your intent to apply for this scheme to receive important information and updates in relation to this fund |
|
| RSNZ: Catalyst Leaders (Round 1, January 2024) | |
| This fund aims to 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. Julius von Haast Fellowship Award (up to 1 award): supports an internationally recognised researcher from Germany to undertake research in New Zealand for a minimum of 4 weeks per year for up to 3 years. 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 Deadline: |
| International Leader Fellowships: up to $50,000 per annum.
JSPS Postdoctoral Fellowship: Flights, insurance and living allowance. Julius von Haast Fellowship Award: up to $50,000 per annum. New Zealand-China Scientist Exchange Programme: Flights, insurance and living allowance. |
12pm Tuesday 9 April 2024. |
| To get registered to the portal, 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. | |
| Further Information (funding call, guidelines, registration info):
· Website If you are interested, please notify your FIRST (research support) of your intent to apply for this scheme to receive important information and updates in relation to this fund |
|
Aotearoa New Zealand Tāwhia te Mana Research Fellowships
The first details of the new Aotearoa New Zealand Tāwhia te Mana Research Fellowships, developed as part of the Te Ara Paerangi – Future Pathways reform have been released. These new schemes replace the Rutherford Discovery, Rutherford Foundation and James Cook Fellowships, which will no longer be offered from 2024.
These fellowships will support early, mid, and senior researchers. For further details, please see MBIE’s web page which details eligibility, duration and value.
Funding calls will be publicised via P-cubed once they become available so please keep an eye on this space.
| Spencer Foundation – Research Grants on Education: Large | |
| This fund aims to support education research projects that will contribute to the improvement of education. The research concept is “field-initiated” with the grant designed to support rigorous, intellectually ambitious and technically sound research that is relevant to the most pressing questions and compelling opportunities in education. | |
| Value/Duration: | Deadline: |
| · Value: between USD125,000 and USD500,000 (circa NZD200,000 -NZD800,000), depending on the funding tier selected.
· Duration: up to a maximum duration of 60 months |
· External Deadline for Intent to Apply: 5pm, Wednesday 24 January 2024.
· Internal Deadline for Full Stage: 5pm, Tuesday 20 February 2024. |
| Further Information (funding call, guidelines, website):
If you are interested, please notify your FIRST (Kelly, Alex, or Sophie) of your intent to apply for this scheme to receive important information and updates in relation to this fund. |
|
| Marsden Fund 2024 | |
| The Marsden Fund aims to invest 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 Deadline: |
| All grants are for a maximum of three years and are GST exclusive.
· Fast-Start: up to $120K p.a. · Standard: up to $220-$320K p.a. (varies by panel) · Council Award: up to $1M p.a. |
· Fast-Start and Standard EOIs: 9 am, Monday 12 February 2024
· Marsden Council FULL proposals: 9am, Monday 12 February 2024. |
| To get registered to the portal, please email the following information to the Funds Advisor Team via submissions@auckland.ac.nz : title, full name, email address, faculty, department and type of Marsden Grant (Standard, Fast-Start, Council)
*It is strongly recommended that the interested PIs contact the funds advisor team ASAP to get access to the funder’s webpage to start working on the draft. |
|
| Further Information (funding call, guidelines, website):
· Website · Guidelines (Fast-Start, Standard) If you are interested, please notify your FIRST (Kelly, Alex, or Sophie) of your intent to apply for this scheme to receive important information and updates in relation to this fund. |
|
| MBIE 2024 Endeavour Fund (Research Programmes) | |
| This fund aims 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.
For the 2024 investment round, the Science Board will aim to fund at least 19 Research Programmes proposals. |
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| Value/Duration: | Internal Deadline |
| · Total funding pool: $39 million
· Value: $0.5 million or more per year · Duration: 3, 4 or 5 years |
· Registration: 12noon, Monday, 27 November 2023
· Full Proposal: 12 noon, Monday, 26 February 2024 |
| Pītau (MBIE’s New Portal) Launch
The 2024 Endeavour Fund round will be run through Pītau, which is replacing IMS. Invite codes for Pītau will be sent out to current users in IMS, during the week starting 6 November, using the email address attached to their IMS account. If you do not currently have an IMS account but, will be applying for the 2024 Endeavour Fund round, please contact the UniServices Funds Advisor Team at (submissions@auckland.ac.nz) or the research support team to get an account created in advance. |
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| Further Information:
· Website If you are interested, please notify your FIRST (Kelly, Alex or Sophie) of your intent to apply for this scheme to receive important information and updates in relation to this fund. |
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Publications | Articles
- Talbot N, Patel H, Costello SB, Davy P, Salmond J, Brook M, Dirks K. (2024). A mobile monitoring method for the screening of vehicle-movement-induced airborne erionite from roads in high-development residential areas. Atmospheric Pollution Research https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apr.2023.102007
- Brook MS, Richards, N, O’Connor B. (2023). Development and progress of the Master of Engineering Geology degree at the University of Auckland. New Zealand Geomechanics 106: 82-89.
- Schloffel-Armstrong, S. (2023) There is such thing as society. Newsroom. https://newsroom.co.nz/2023/12/28/there-is-such-thing-as-a-society-libraries/
- Cox, B., Locke, K., Sharp, E., Rayne, A., Walker, L. and Steeves T (2023) Doing leadership differently as resistance: Care-fully reworking Aotearoa New Zealand’s research system. New Zealand Geographer, 79(3).
- Hong-key Yoon, “An Appreciation of Carl O. Sauer’s Intellectual History”, Yearbook of the Association of Pacific Coast Geographers, volume 85, (2023) 67-92. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1353/pcg.2023.a913571
- Hong-key Yoon (윤홍기), “Ch’osŏn sidae Sŏnbiului chungkuk, ryuku Ilbone taehan Ihae-wa taedo: Ch’ŏnhajidochaek yŏngu (2) (Ch’osŏn Period Sŏnbi’s (traditional Korean Learned person’s) Understanding of China, Ryukyu & Japan: A Study of Ch’ŏnhajido, The Atlas of World Maps (2)), Munhwayŏksachiri (Cultural-Historical geography) vol. 35, no. 2 (2023) 89-99. http://dx.doi.org/10.29349/JCHG.2023.35.2.89
- Hong-key Yoon (윤홍기), “Ch’ŏ nhajidoch’aek Yŏ n’gu (3): Sansŏng-ui Yŏksa chirijŏk Yepi koch’al (A Study on the Atlas of World Maps (3): A preliminary examination of Korean mountain fortresses)”, Chirihak nonch’ong (Journal of Geography), vol. 70 (forthcoming, 29 February, 2024)