Issue 118 – Wednesday 20 March 2024
Contents
HeadsUp
A couple of days ago, the School took the big step of submitting paperwork to put our four new first-year courses (ENV 100, 101, 102, 103) ‘on the books’ for 2025. This is the ‘four course model’: the topic of much conversation, collaboration and negotiation within programmes and across the School.
I was tempted to adapt that famous saying about momentous change happening ‘not with a bang but a whimper’, such was the lack of fanfare when, after months of discussion, George hit ‘send’ and the paperwork was put in the Faculty’s hands. But in T. S. Eliot’s poem, the words that come before those are a tad foreboding: “This is how the world ends …”.
Yet we are witnessing one familiar world ending, as EARTHSCI 120, ENVSCI 101, GEOG 101, GEOG 102 and GEOG 103 take their final bows in 2024, and in time EARTHSCI 105 and GEOG 104.
On the bright side: another exciting world is taking shape. The precise features of our new world will become clearer as we begin the collective process of designing the four new courses this year. With substantial involvement from ENV staff in the new Waipapa Taumata Rau and Transdisciplinary Environmental Futures pilot courses in Sem 2 2024, there is a lot of change ahead, particularly at first-year level.
More on all this very soon, but for now, big thanks go to George and the Ako Committee (Nick R, Mel, Kevin/Melanie, Karen and Michael R) and all ENV staff for getting us to this point.
- Tom Baker (DHoS T&L)
Announcements
Inspera Training for Semester One 2024
Kia ora Koutou, The Inspera team would like to advise you that we are now available for one-on-one and small group Inspera training upon request.
We strongly encourage new academics to reach out to learn the basics about Inspera. We also provide sessions for experienced users of Inspera, and academics who would like to discuss specific features and address individual needs.
The deadline for all training requests is April 4th, 2024. This is a great opportunity for academics and professional staff alike to become more familiar with Inspera before Semester One exams are due. The training sessions will be conducted over Zoom. To request a session, please fill out this Google form with your preferred times, and we will get back to you within two working days.
Additional Inspera resources
Our updated SharePoint site also has useful guides and resources to assist staff with their Inspera journey.
Answers to Frequently Asked Questions can be found on this Staff Intranet page.
You can also email us anytime at inspera@auckland.ac.nz (staff only). All email responses will be sent between 8am and 4pm.
Ngā mihi,
Inspera Support Team
ENV-stories
Geography at high school almost killed it for me. Fifth form was studying places too far away for field trips like Monsoon Asia or the Ruhr industrial valley in Germany. I got through. But by seventh form, there were a mere handful of us left and we were all pretty much over school. The only field trip was to the teacher’s pig farm. I managed a spectacular fail in the end of year Bursary exams.
But then the great escape from both school and Whangarei present itself. I was selected as Rotary exchange student and, at 17, had chosen US at the preferred destination. It was a gentler America then, and I had a poster of all their national parks on my bedroom wall and knew them all. The choice ended with nation; you got assigned to a Rotary club that wanted to host a young foreigner. I ended up in a small town in the Mississippi hill country. Two thousand people, pretty much 50/50 black and white, with the Memphis to New Orleans rai way line being the divider. It changed my life. Was a year-long field trip.
I returned, having done a course in psychology at a community colleague, thinking that would be my major as a new student here at U of A. I thought it would be all about social dynamics, crowd behaviour, relationship. Nope. It was feeding rats grains of wheat and drawing maps of the brain, Luckily, I’d signed up for geography. Goodness knows why after that 39% in the exam. But I ditched psychology, got A grades in Geography and carried on.
It all felt a bit like destiny some days. My parents had given me a middle name that was also a place. Affric. A Glen and a Loch in Scotland they loved. An ‘A’ for geography right there in my signature. Prophetic maybe. It led me into a fascination with place names and one of my most cited papers remains one called ‘Naming as norming’. And I’ve ended up on Nga Pou o Taunaha – the NZ Geographic Board that considers and recommends naming of places. And on the fascinating Undersea Features Names Committee which brings together a discernment of features the human eye may never see with the deeply significant task of giving them appropriate names.
Place matters. Always has done for me.
Robin Kearns
Whakawhanaungatanga – Communities
Please place in your Calendar.
All staff and students of The School of Environment are invited to:
Sustainability Seminar – School of Environment
Date/time: 11 April 2004, 9-30 a.m. -12:00
Room: 303-102- 38 Princes St – MLT2 Lecture Teather
For catering purposes, an email invitation will come soon!
We hope to see you all there.
28th AINSE Winter School: Expressions of Interest open (expressions of interest received until 15 May 2024) (flyer attached and available online)
The annual AINSE Winter School offers a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for senior undergraduate students to discover the potential for further research in nuclear science and related technologies. In the online week of the 2024 event, students can meet and engage with future research collaborators, gain deep insight into ANSTO’s landmark research facilities, and network with other like-minded students from all across Australia and New Zealand.
Online participants can apply for a further opportunity to explore two world-class ANSTO research facilities in person in September, after the online event concludes.
Expressions of Interest for the 28th AINSE Winter School, held online from 1-10 July 2024, are open to all senior undergraduate students interested in learning about the techniques of nuclear analysis. Such techniques have applications across a wide range of disciplines, including archaeology, biology, chemistry, engineering, geology, materials science, medicine, nanotechnology, and physics.
The AINSE Winter School provides an ideal opportunity for students in their final year of undergraduate STEM studies to meet potential collaborators and explore potential options for future research projects using ANSTO facilities in collaboration with ANSTO researchers. Throughout the week, students attend a mix of online lectures, social activities, and experiments relating to:
- Neutron Scattering (using neutron beamlines on the OPAL Multipurpose Reactor);
- X-Ray and IR Scattering (using beamlines on the Australian Synchrotron)
- Ion Beam Analysis (using ANSTO’s suite of linear accelerators);
- Environmental studies using natural radioactivity (including sedimentation rates and erosion, geomorphology, and climate change); and
- Nuclear techniques in materials science.
A virtual tour of other major ANSTO facilities is also included in the program, alongside an online Research Roundup networking event for students to discuss future research opportunities working alongside ANSTO researchers.
For more information, please visit the Winter School website or contact AINSE at forum@ainse.edu.au.
AINSE 2024 Postgraduate Research Awards (PGRA) and Residential Student Scholarships (RSS) – applications open (applications close 15 April 2024) (flyers attached and available online – PGRA flyer / RSS flyer)
AINSE Limited (the Australian Institute of Nuclear Science and Engineering) are delighted to announce the opening of applications for the 2024 rounds of two postgraduate scholarships, the Postgraduate Research Awards (PGRA) and the Residential Student Scholarships (RSS).
Applications are now being sought from Ph.D. students undertaking research projects in the areas of Archaeology, Geosciences & Environmental Sciences, Biotechnology & Biomedical Sciences, and Materials Science & Engineering.
- The PGRA provides a stipend of A$9,000 per annum, in addition to a generous travel and accommodation allowance, to enable Ph.D. students to undertake research at ANSTO facilities (for an average of 2 visitations totalling 4 weeks per year).
- The RSS provides a stipend of A$9,000 per annum, in addition to up to A$5,000 per annum travel and accommodation allowance (plus an additional accommodation allowance of up to A$5,200 for eligible students incurring costs in dual locations as a result of relocating to an ANSTO location from interstate or overseas), to enable Ph.D. students to spend a significant amount of time working at ANSTO facilities.
- The RSS differs from a Postgraduate Research Award (PGRA) in that a RSS student must be onsite at an ANSTO facility (at Lucas Heights or Clayton) for an average of six months per year or more, which can be as a single block of time or as separate visitations. RSS applicants must be working on research topics that closely align with ANSTO’s research programmes: The Environment, Human Health, Nuclear Technologies, Defence and Space Industries, and Fusion. In addition, opportunities may also exist for Ph.D. students interested in contracted research and industrial engagement projects in the defence industry area, and for Ph.D. students interested in fusion research that aligns with ANSTO and ITER activities.
Please note: Honours or Masters students should instead apply for the AINSE Pathway Scholarship (details below), which is open until March 15, 2024.
Applications for the PGRA and RSS round close 11:59 pm AEST 15th April 2024.
Students must complete the online application form through the new AINSE Grants Portal and supply two letters of reference, including one from their university supervisor, and a letter from their university research office confirming their enrolment details.
Each application is assessed by a specialist committee that oversees the specified area of research.
For more information, including a link to the online application form, Terms & Conditions, and an ANSTO Capabilities & Facilities Guide, please visit our website or contact AINSE on +61 2 9717 3376 / applications@ainse.edu.au.
Scholarship AINSE ANSTO French Embassies (SAAFE): applications open (applications close 1 July 2024) (flyer attached and available online)
AINSE, in partnership with ANSTO, the Embassy of France in Australia and the Embassy of France in New Zealand, are delighted to announce that applications for the Scholarship AINSE ANSTO French Embassies (SAAFE) Program are currently open, for international travel in the period 1st October 2024 – 31st December 2025.
Applications close 11.59 pm 1st July 2024 (Australian Eastern Standard Time).
The Scholarship AINSE ANSTO French Embassies (SAAFE) Program is an exciting international exchange opportunity open to Early Career Researchers at the Ph.D. and postdoctoral level. Each successful applicant is provided with costs towards a return flight and up to A$200 per week (up to a maximum of 26 weeks) to support accommodation expenses associated with a visit from:
- Australia/New Zealand to France, or
- France to Australia.
The SAAFE Program supports Early Career Researchers to expand research in nuclear science and engineering in the areas of Health, Environment and Nuclear Technologies, and to initiate sustainable research networks and linkages in order to support Australia, New Zealand and France in research and innovation.
Eligible applicants must be a PhD student in, or hold a postdoctoral appointment at, a French university or AINSE-member university. The research project must be in collaboration with at least one researcher employed by ANSTO or another Australian AINSE-member institution (in the field of nuclear science and engineering and in the areas of Health, Environment or Nuclear Technologies), and at least one researcher employed by a French university or French research institution.
The research internship is required to take place over a period of 8–26 weeks between 1st October 2024 – 31st December 2025.
For more information, including the application form and terms & conditions, please visit our SAAFE website or contact AINSE on +61 2 9717 3376 / applications@ainse.edu.au.
Introductory R Workshop
An introductory R Workshop is being run on Thursday 11th and Friday 12th of April 2024. The course will be run by the Statistical Consulting Centre (SCC) in the Department of Statistics.
What’s covered in the workshop?
Introduction
Getting familiar with R
Using R Studio and loading projects/scripts
Basic functions using R
Reading in Data Files (.csv, .xls/.xlsx)
Introduction to R Objects. How R thinks (vectors, matrices, basic data formats)
Working with data(sets)
Cleaning and subsetting
Merging datasets and reformatting
Grouping variables and summarising
R graphics
Starting with plots in R (boxplots, histograms, bar graphs)
Graphics in R with ggplot2 (customising plots)
Data analysis
Introduction to performing t-tests, chi-square tests, ANOVA, and general linear models
As per our previous introductory R workshops, the cost is $300 for UoA students and staff.
You can pay using your PRESS account, research grant, or other UoA account.
You can also opt to use a debit/credit card (however we will have to also add GST for this type of payment – please contact Joei Mudaliar j.mudaliar@auckland.ac.nz for further instructions).
The payment authorisation form for UoA participants paying from a UoA account is attached.
The cost for non-UoA attendees is $500 + GST. Please contact Joei Mudaliar (j.mudaliar@auckland.ac.nz) for payment instructions.
We will be sending out a pre-workshop information email the week prior to the course, however here are some of the details:
Location
We will be in room 302.190. Building 302 is on the corner of Symonds St and Wellesley St. The room we will be using is on level 1, room 190.
Time and schedule
The approximate schedule for both days is attached (since this is the schedule from our previous course, it may yet be altered very slightly).
We will start at 9am and finish at 5pm.
Morning and afternoon tea will be provided, and there are cafes nearby for lunch.
Computers
We will be using a Faculty of Science computer lab.
You are also welcome to use your own laptop. However, please make sure that you have downloaded R and RStudio onto your machine before the workshop (they are free to download).
We will also include some instructions on how to do this in our pre-workshop information email.
Access to computers and the internet
We will arrange access to the lab computers for all non-UoA participants.
We will also have a guest wireless password for non-UoA participants who are bringing their own laptops.
UoA staff and students will be able to access the FoS computers using their normal UoA upi and password.
I hope you can make it on the 11th and 12th April 2024, and we look forward to seeing you there.
Ngā mihi (Kind regards),
Joei Mudaliar | Kairuruku Ratonga ā-Rōpū (Group Services Coordinator)
Department of Statistics | Faculty of Science
The University of Auckland | Te Whare Wānanga o Tāmaki Makaurau
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
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
These are currently on hold. Rangahau will reopen this fund for requests later in the year, please keep an eye on P-cubed for more details.
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
GLOBAL RESEARCH ENGAGEMENT FUND (GREF)
This new internal funding initiative seeks to increase our engagement in major global research programmes and strengthen strategic research partnerships with international collaborators.
Two separate award categories are available:
- Networking & Engagement Grants: Maximum award value of $10,000. The primary focus of these grants is for the University to establish and further develop connections with external partners aligned with strategic international funding initiatives. They are intended to enable researchers or professional staff to attend in-person events or meetings that are considered essential to supporting our international research activities whilst also increasing the visibility and profile of the University amongst international stakeholders.
- Project Planning Grants: These grants are available to individual researchers or research teams to support the setup and preparation of funding proposals for large-scale, strategic international research funding initiatives. These grants will support an extensive portfolio of activities to meet project-specific needs. Eligible activities might include external workshop facilitation, participation in subject-relevant events to identify potential collaborators, procurement of external bid development support, or hosting a proposal writing workshop with visiting collaborators, for example. Each application will be evaluated, taking into consideration its individual needs. Two grant levels are offered based on the University’s level of involvement in the resulting funding application:
- UoA will Participate as a Project Partner/Collaborator (up to $12,000)
- UoA will Participate as a Project Lead (up to $25,000)
Applications are due on Friday, 29th March
Further information, application templates and guidance notes can be accessed through ResearchHub.
| Spencer Foundation – Research Grants on Education: Small | |
| 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 opportunities in education. | |
| Value/Duration: | Deadline: |
| · Value: up to USD50,000 (circa NZD80,000).
· Duration: up to a maximum duration of 60 months |
· Internal Deadline for Full Stage: Internal Deadline: 5pm, Monday, 22 April 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. |
|
| 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. |
|
| 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.
Announcements
| Horizon Europe Training Webinars | ||||
| These new sessions will continue to focus on critical areas of the bid development process and key steps for identifying a funding call/collaborative opportunity in the Horizon Europe Programme.
· Improving Researcher Visibility Amongst International Partners:
· Best Practice in Collaborative Proposal Writing: This webinar will give an insight into the standard ways of planning the work in a Horizon Europe project.
|
Publications | Articles
- Dowell, A., Baker, T. and Lewis, N. (2024) Silver lining to Amazon’s stalled NZ cloud plan. Newsroom. 8 March.
- Lewis, N. (2024) Stacking the odds at the consenting casino. Newsroom. 15 March.
- Liu, W., Tadaki, M., Allen., K., & Salmond, J.A., (2024) Managing emerging environmental risks when we do not know enough about them: anticipatory risk management approaches for environmental planning (Environmental Science and Policy, 155 (2024) 103715)
- Talbot, N., Patel., H., Costello, S.B., Davy, P., Salmond., J.A., Brook, M., Dirks, K., (2024) A mobile method for the screening of vehicle-induced airborne fibres from roads in high development residential areas (Atmospheric Pollution Research, 15, 2, February 2024, 102007).
- Xuying, M., Morawska, L., Zou, B., Deng, J., Gao, J., Longley, I., Xiao, S., Guo, B., Wu, Y., Xu, T., Xu, X., Yang, X., Salmond, J.A. (2024) The Development of Land Use Regression Approaches for Modeling Spatiotemporal Variations of Ambient Air Pollution in the Last Decade: A Systematic Review (Environment International 183 (2024) 108430)
- Kurniadi, A., Weller, E., Salmond, J.A., Aldrian, E., (2024) Future projections of extreme rainfall events in Indonesia (International Journal of Climatology,44, 160-18