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Issue 131 – Tuesday 17 September 2024

September 17, 2024 • igom365

Contents

HeadsUp


Happy Te Wiki o te Reo Māori!

Spring is here. There’s startlingly white puawānanga (NZ clematis) blossom in the bush and kowhai trees dropping their gold petals. The kuaka (bar-tailed godwits) have returned from Alaska and soon the plaintive call of the pīpīwharauroa (shining cuckoo), returning from the Solomon Islands will be heard.

I for one feel uplifted by all this, though the to-do list remains unrelentingly long. Somehow the cyclic return of flowerings and long-distance avian commuters feels reassuring in an otherwise uncertain world.

Campus-based events cycle into the horizon too. Spring Graduation is this Friday 20th, returning to the grandeur and proximity of the Town Hall. I look forward to sharing the stage with many of you in excellent academic plumage. Busy as we are, let’s make an occasion of it, the reception beforehand as well.

Congratulations

Spring brings good research news for the School with the following UoA-led MBIE successes:

Shane Cronin – Research Program:  “Anticipating threats to Aotearoa shores and data cables from Southwest Pacific volcanoes”

Joa Paredes – Smart Idea: “Hyper-explosive Eruptions: Why can small eruptions go hyper?”

And, led from elsewhere,

Ludmila Adam/Michael Rowe – Research Programme (Canterbury): “Derisking Carbon Dioxide Removal at Megatonne Scale in Aotearoa”

Shane Cronin – Research Programme (Massey): “Te Awe Mapara, towards a National Volcano Hazard Model under climatic changes”

A very big well done!

Congratulations too to PhD completer Jack Barrett who has gained a lectureship in the AUT Business School, starting January 2025…

Curating our reputation

The way we are regarded by those beyond the University of Auckland is critical for all sorts of reasons. Call it reputation management perhaps. Two ways we can enhance this is through engaging with potential international university partners and ensuring we are positioned well when international rankings are assessed. The first of these opportunities will be enhanced with an upcoming workshop on articulation agreements (date, tbc). Second, Giovanni Coco has kindly agreed to be our QS rankings champion. All ten units in the Faculty are asked to nominate a well-connected colleague to help mobilise our best positioning for the QS ranking score which is heavily influenced by academic reputation and employer reputation. More on that soon too.

For now, look out for the kowhai and clematis brightening spring and be in awe of our long-distant frequent flyers, the kuaka and pīpīwharauroa returning home for summer.  

Robin


Announcements


ENV Technical Services Survey 2024

The School Technical Team is again running our annual survey of experiences working in our laboratories. This year we’ve expanded the survey to include a section on fieldwork.

Invitations were sent on 2 September to postgraduate students and academic staff. Please check your email for further instructions on how to complete the survey.

 

Requests for software purchase or renewal in 2025

We are now seeking requests for software purchase or renewal in 2025. If there are software titles that you require for teaching or research purposes, please let us know using this form.

Please submit all titles that will require a contribution from the School’s software budget next year – regardless of whether they are new, existing or upgrades. If we do not receive a request for a particular title, we will assume that it is no longer required and reallocate the budget accordingly. Any questions please contact Blair Sowman.


Outreach


Outreach opportunities for staff and students: 

Highlighting your research

Have you recently published a blog piece/ generated any film footage/ given an interview/ written something for mainstream media, about your research? Could we give it a little mention on our School of Environment socials? See some recent examples here

Please send your news to Emma  el.sharp@auckland.ac.nz so we can share it more widely! Please also send a useful image (of yourself/ the thing being studied) and complete the following prompts:

[Researcher name/s] from the School of Environment investigated [the problem] and found [this finding]. This helps us know [what?] and is relevant to [recent event/ issue/context]. Read more here/ see photo of [x]: [link]

Note: Academic articles are interesting but get less takeup from social media so if you have something in a ‘predigested’ form (e.g. a news link to the debate or problem, that’s helpful, and the article would have to be open access).

Graduates out in the world

For staff: If you have students who have completed their degree and moved onto new pursuits, and they might like to do a ’10 minutes with [name]’ written interview that we might post on social media to show what our graduates get up to, then put them in touch with Emma el.sharp@auckland.ac.nz

 

Graduates out in the world

If you have completed students who you are in contact with who have moved onto new pursuits and they’d like to do a ’10 minutes with [name]’ written interview that we might post on social media to show what our graduates get up to, then put them in touch with Emma el.sharp@auckland.ac.nz

 

Seminars at Auckland Rotary Clubs

The Rotary Clubs of Auckland have expressed a strong interest in organizing seminars in collaboration with our department. They are eager to engage with our academic staff and would welcome your expertise. We will be compiling a list of topics to pass on to the presidents of the clubs. This is a great opportunity to share your research, connect with the community, and contribute to public discourse on important issues. Please email Giovanni (g.coco@auckland.ac.nz) if you would like to be involved.

 

Earthfest 

GSNZ is planning Earthfest – a national Earth and Space Science Hui in Dunedin on November 23 and 24 (weekend prior to the GSNZ conference). It’s for high school teachers and university geoscientists to get together, develop relationships, and workshop getting more students into geoscience. Mila Adams and Giovanni Coco will be attending and it would be great to have others there too. Sponsorship from Industry and NZGeolS.

 


Whakawhanaungatanga – Communities 


School of Environment Research Awards 2024

The Rangahau Committee are calling for nominations for the annual School of Environment Research Awards in November (date TBC)!

Research Awards nominations are open now and close at the end of the day on 30 September 2024. Please take a quick moment to think about nominating any of your fantastic students or colleagues for one (or more) of the below awards.

Nominations must be made using this form: https://forms.gle/cmJPYbTjrE74Ck5GA (you must sign in using your UoA email)

The five school-wide awards are:

  1. Hiroki Ogawa School Citizenship Award (Awarded to a postgraduate research student who has shown aptitude for independent research and who, through their continuous engagement in the School activities, has greatly inspired or helped their fellow students and staff within the school (in other words, has been an excellent school citizen)
  2. Research Communication Award (Awarded to a staff member (Research Fellows included), student or research team who has been particularly active and successful in communicating and engaging with the public)
  3. Early Carer Research Award (Awarded to a staff member (Research Fellows included) within 7 years of PhD graduation).
  4. Engagement with Indigenous Values and Knowledge Award  (Awarded to a staff member (Research Fellows included), student, or research team who has actively and successfully engaged with indigenous values and knowledge in their research.)
  5. Transdisciplinary Award (Awarded to a staff member (Research Fellows included), student or research team whose research has crossed boundaries, collaborating with researchers from different disciplines, and working jointly to move beyond discipline-specific approaches and address a common problem.)

We will be very pleased to receive your nominations and will be waiting for you to celebrate our Researchers!

 

Workshop – Writing for non-academic audiences: October 1, 10am-12pm, Ontology Lab

How can we better highlight the range of interesting and societally relevant research that we conduct at the School of Environment? Come and listen to our panel of experts on non-academic writing: Paul Pankhurst (UoA Media), Margo White (Newsroom) and Finlay Macdonald (The Conversation) visiting us in the School to chat about how to make your research digestible for non-academics. This will be followed by comments from some of our School’s media-savvy writers (at different career stages) giving their thoughts about their experiences of writing for this ‘genre’.

Where and When? October 1, 10am-12pm in the Ontology Lab 302-551

We’ll have some light refreshments in the second hour, which will also give you time to chat with our presenters and perhaps give a 3-minute pitch on your work, to test it out with them. 

Please respond to the Outlook Calendar invite to give us an idea of catering requirements. 

 

Environment Marsden Club 2025

Are you thinking of applying for a Marsden Grant this year?  The School of Environment Marsden Club will be running again this year.  This is open to all potential applicants (standard and fast-start) to the Marsden 2025 round, and will be an opportunity to hear advice and tips from previous applicants, share useful resources and outline support/peer-review arrangements to develop a successful application.   Any questions/queries to Sila or Kelly.

Kick-off event:

Monday 14th October, 2pm.

Venue: TBC

 

 

 

 

 

RTEA is hosting the annual Careers Evening on Thursday 26 September at 303-101! The event will start at 6:30 pm where panelists will be introduced, and mingling (with catering provided!) will start at 7 pm. Whilst this event is geared more towards undergrad students, we would love to see postgrad students there who may be looking at non-academic career options, and also to talk to students about their experiences completing postgraduate studies as well. We hope to see you there!  

 

 

 

 

 

Coastal and Marine Geoscience Group Meeting/Seminar   

The next Coastal-Marine Geoscience Group seminar will be held on Wednesday 25th September at 12:00 to 1:00 pm in the Ontology Lab (302-551).

News will be shared and a talk given from Dr Megan Tuck – Unveiling New Zealand’s Coastal Patterns: Insights from an 80-year Analysis of Coastal Change”
and Dr Tom Dowling – “SAR4SAR project : Investigating synthetic aperture radar (SAR) satellites to aid with search and research (SAR) operations”

 

 

 

 Collecting and managing research data for SoE researchers

Centre for eResearch and Rangahau are inviting you (staff and MSc/PhD students) to participate in a very interesting and relevant seminar.

Join us for an overview and for an opportunity to ask about:

  • University policies impacting research data management
  • Best practises for managing data, including Data Management Planning for sensitive data
  • Selecting appropriate and approved data collection and transcription tools and storage options
  • Finding guidance, services, and support from across the University
  • Summary of compute services available to researchers

Date: Wednesday 25th  of September 12-1pm – 302-G20

 

UoA Scientific Review: 2025 Executive Applications Now Open!!

💫 We are recruiting exec members for 2025 💫

UoA Scientific has several positions open for 2025! Are you a people person who likes making connections? A visual person with great aesthetic taste? A logical person with an eye for detail? Any skills or experiences can fit one of the roles on offer. We recruit executives in all stages of study, from first-year to postgraduate. Come join a vibrant, rewarding team that engages with all corners of Science at the University of Auckland.

To learn more about how the club runs and apply for an interview, visit the link below:

https://forms.gle/RfhmcyBor71xqBm39

 

David Barrell from GNS Dunedin is the 2024 Geoscience Society of New Zealand Hochstetter Lecturer.

He will be giving his main lecture “THE SEA VERSUS THE LAND – WILL THERE BE A WINNER? “ at 6.30 pm on Tuesday 17th September at the Auditorium at the Auckland War Memorial Museum. Flyer attached. Please reserve your spot at https://myaccount.aucklandmuseum.com/176312?premove=Y&promo=GEOSCIENCE24. If you are able to donate anything to help contribute to the costs incurred by the museum to host this it would be appreciated but do not feel obliged. Free parking is available in the domain.

Abstract: Aotearoa New Zealand is the largest emergent part of the mainly submerged Zealandia continent. Plate-boundary tectonic deformation is responsible for Aotearoa’s ongoing emergence, and its margins are constantly under attack by waves in the vast surrounding ocean. Aotearoa’s landscape reflects an interplay between the rock foundations, the climate which gives precipitation to drive erosion and the river transport of sediment, and wave energy in the coastal zone which distributes the sediment once it reaches the sea. Perspectives of ‘whole system’ processes and mass/energy budgets, coupled with eustatic ebb and flow of the sea across the continental shelf through glacial/interglacial climate cycles, provide an integrated approach for explaining the form of Aotearoa’s landscape and behaviour of its river systems. This talk will explore the battle between sea and land, from the deep geological past through to modern times, and interpret the richly varied form of our coastline, from the long sweeping cliffs of some places, and indented bays and estuaries of others. Whole-system perspectives will be used to discuss likely coastal changes in coming decades to centuries under changing climate.

There will also be a more technical supporting/complementary lecture given on the 17th September at 1 pm on campus at the Owen G Glenn Building, University of Auckland (12 Grafton Road) in Rm 260-005 (Case room 1 in the basement).

 

Tūpuna Maunga Authority announces annual research scholarship opportunity

The Tūpuna Maunga Authority is excited to announce the opening of applications for its annual Tūpuna Maunga research scholarship from 1 August 2024. This scholarship, established as part of the education strategy, offers up to $10,000 to support students conducting research on the Tūpuna Maunga.

The education strategy was developed from the Authority’s founding document, the Integrated Management Plan (IMP). “The key driver for this scholarship is to encourage students from all areas of study and empower them to increase their learning about Tūpuna Maunga o Tāmaki Makaurau,” says Paul Majurey, Authority Chair.

The scholarship is open to research that aligns with the Tūpuna Maunga values, focusing on enhancing and protecting the mauri (life force) and wairua (spiritual essence) of the Tūpuna Maunga (ancestral mountains). Detailed information about the scholarship, including an overview of the Tūpuna Maunga Values, is available on the Authority website www.maunga.nz/research/.

Majurey emphasizes the broader impact of the scholarship, stating, “We believe that this scholarship will not only benefit the students but also the wider community. Innovative research projects have the potential to bring new ideas and solutions that can significantly enhance the sustainability and preservation of the Tūpuna Maunga.”

Applicants have until 10pm, 25 September 2024 to apply via SmartyGrants, with funding to successful candidates as early as December 2024 (based on processing requirements). As part of the selection process, the $10,000 may be split across different applicants.

 

AINSE Postgraduate Orientation Week – Expressions of Interest now received from future scholarship applicants (applications close 30 September 2024) (flyer available online)

Coinciding with the international celebrations of Nuclear Science Week in the third week of October, the annual AINSE Postgraduate Orientation Week welcomes new postgraduate scholars in the AINSE PGRA, RSS, and Pathway scholarships, and provides all postgraduate students with the opportunity to establish enduring networks with like-minded colleagues across Australia and New Zealand. This year’s O’Week event will run from Monday 21st – Friday 25th October 2024 as an online event via Zoom, commencing with a full-day program on Monday 21st, followed by afternoon and early evening sessions from Tuesday 22nd – Friday 25th.

Alongside our new scholarship recipients, AINSE are now accepting Expressions of Interest directly from interested students from AINSE-member institutions who are looking to apply for an AINSE postgraduate award in 2025.

These interested students can learn about the broad range of research supported by ANSTO’s landmark facilities, engage in a virtual tour of ANSTO, and participate in social activities as part of the worldwide Nuclear Science Week celebrations. The program will be differentiated, with these interested students able to attend a specialised workshop focused on the application process for 2025 AINSE scholarships.

Expressions of Interest close 11.59 pm AEST Monday 30th September 2024.

For more information, and a link to the online application portal, please see our Postgraduate O’Week website.

 

8th AINSE Women in STEM and Entrepreneurship (WISE) School – Expressions of Interest now received
(applications close 30 September 2024).
(flyer available online)

AINSE is now accepting Expressions of Interest directly from students for the 8th AINSE Women in STEM and Entrepreneurship (WISE) School, to be held Monday 2nd to Friday 6th December 2024.

Expressions of Interest close Monday 30th September 2024.

This school is targeted at female students who are about to complete their first year of full-time undergraduate study (or part-time equivalent).

A key component of the WISE School is an ongoing mentorship program in which students are allocated mentors from across site at ANSTO. AINSE will be coordinating mentor and student meetings in 2025 to provide additional networking and educational opportunities for the students.

The 2024 WISE School will run as a 5 day hybrid event, with the possibility of a small number of students being invited to ANSTO’s Lucas Heights campus for the final 2 days of the program (Thursday 5th – Friday 6th December) if circumstances permit.

For more information, and a link to the online application portal, please see our WISE website.

 

E-bike offers

Check out the e-bike deals for University staff.

Electric bike team

Electric Bike Team has a great deal for staff wishing to purchase one of their bikes. Look now: Electric bike team

Big Street Bikers

Looking to buy an e-bike? Big Street Bikers has discounts and some freebies for University staff. Check it out: Big Street Bikers

 

Doctoral Development Offerings

An overview of the many UoA Doctoral Development offerings that candidates and supervisors may want to consider has been compiled here.

 

Co-funded University of Auckland Doctoral Scholarships

Guidelines have now been drafted for the University of Auckland Doctoral Scholarship scheme to co-fund scholarships with industry or philanthropic partners to seed new collaborations. If you are making connections where some money to support a student may be possible please come and chat to Jennifer Eccles asap about whether this could be an option.  

 

An introductory R Workshop is being run on Thursday 24th and Friday 25th of October 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

The cost is $400 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 $650 + 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 302.160. Building 302 is on the corner of Symonds St and Wellesley St. The room we will be using is on level 1, room 160.

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 24th and 25th October 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 | Waipapa Taumata Rau

 

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. 

 


Rangahau – Research


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

 

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

Ember Innovations – Research Grants
Ember Innovations proudly presents two distinct research grant opportunities for University of Auckland research projects that align with our commitment to innovation, mental health, and honouring lived experiences (B)

(B). Lived Experience Research Grant: For research in any discipline/category led by a researcher with personal experience of mental distress or substance, or non-substance harm

Value/Duration: External Deadline
·         Value: $50,000 (ex GST)

·         Duration: up to 3 years

5pm, Tuesday 31 October
Information Workshop will be held at The University of Auckland on 23rd September 2024 at 1pm – 2:30pm with light refreshments and networking until 3pm, at University of Auckland Campus 49 Symonds St – link to workshop registration is here.
Further Information (funding call, guidelines, registration info):

·         Funding Call

·         Guidelines

·         Website

 If you are interested, please also get in touch with your FIRST.

 

MBIE: Vision Mātauranga Capability Fund
This fund aims to invest in the development of skilled people and organisations that plan to undertake, or are undertaking, research that supports the themes and outcomes of the Vision Mātauranga policy. Funding is available through two schemes:

(i)       The Connect Scheme seeks to build new connections between Māori organisations and the science and innovation system.

(ii)     The Placement Scheme seeks to enhance the development of an individual(s) through placement in a partner organisation.

Value/Duration: Internal Deadline
Value:

·         $150,000 (ex GST) – max funding per proposal for projects up to 1 year

·         $250,000 (ex GST) – max funding per proposal between 1-2 years

Duration: up to 2 years

12 noon, Monday, 7 October 2024
*MBIE will also host a 1-hour webinar to talk through the application process and answer any questions at 10am, Wednesday 18 September 2024. If interested, please register for the webinar here
Further Information (funding call, guidelines, registration info):

·         Funding Call

·         Guidelines

·         Website

 If you are interested, please also get in touch with your FIRST.

 

MBIE 2025 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 17 Research Programmes. 

Value/Duration: Internal Deadline
·         Total funding pool: $38 million

·         Value: $0.5 million or more per year

·         Duration: 3, 4 or 5 years

·         Registration: 12 noon, Monday 25 November 2024.

·         Full Proposal: 12 noon, Monday 24 February 2025.

Further Information (funding call, guidelines, registration info, templates):

·         Funding Call

·         Guidelines

·         Website

·         Registration Template

·         Full Proposal Template

* The funder will be holding virtual endeavour fund roadshows on 2, 3 and 7 October 2024. It is highly recommended to attend to at least one of the sessions and you can do it by following the links.

·         Roadshow #3 – Monday 7 October 2024: 12:30 pm to 2:30 pm

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

 

Spencer Foundation – Research-Practice Partnerships: Collaborative research for educational change
This fund aims to support education research projects that engage in collaborative and participatory partnerships
Value/Duration: Internal Deadline:
·         Value: up to USD400,000 (circa NZD 660,000

·         Duration: up to 3 years

·         Intent to apply: 5pm, Friday, 13 September 2024

·         Full proposal:  12pm, Monday, 21 October 2024

Further Information (funding call, guidelines, registration info):

·         Funding Call

·         Guidelines

·         Website

If you are interested, please also get in touch with your FIRST.

 

2024 MBIE Catalyst: Strategic – New Zealand-Japan Joint Research Programme
The Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) is calling for proposals for joint research collaborations between New Zealand and Japan. MBIE will fund up to three joint New Zealand-Japan research projects in the field of disaster mitigation, response and recovery. 
Value/Duration: Internal Deadline
·         Value: NZ$300,000 (excluding GST)

·         Duration: 3 years

12 noon, Monday 23 September 2024.
Further Information (funding call, guidelines, registration info):

·         Funding Call

·         Guidelines

·         Website

 If you are interested, please also get in touch with your FIRST.

 

Global Research Engagement Fund (GREF)
This fund aims to support applicants working towards a pre-identified collaboration or funding opportunity to develop new and emerging research partnerships with international collaborators. 
Value/Duration: Internal Deadline
·         Networking & Engagement Grants: up to $10,000

·         Project Planning Grants: Up to $12,000

27 September 2024
Further Information:

·         Full details including guidelines and the application form are available on Research Hub

·         For enquiries, please contact international.research@auckland.ac.nz

If you are interested, please also get in touch with your FIRST.

 

The Transdisciplinary Ideation Fund (TIF)
The Waipapa Taumata Rau (TIF) is a fund that encourages research staff from across the University to develop cross-faculty research partnerships, aspiring toward high-quality Transdisciplinary research outputs, research learning initiatives, and successful applications to external research funders.
Value/Duration: Deadline
 

·         Grants of $20,000. Up to 15 projects will be funded.

5pm, Thursday 31 October 2024
TIF workshop: encourages new cross-disciplinary research collaborations and is designed for academic staff who are intending to pursue transdisciplinary research. (Please register bid via registration link provided)

Date and Time: Friday 13 September 2024, 9am to 12pm (morning tea provided)

LocationB201-342, 10 Symonds Street

Further Information:

·         Funding Call

·         Full details including guidelines and the application form are available on Research Hub

If you are interested, please also get in touch with your FIRST.

 

Catalyst: Seeding (Round3)
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 Deadline
       Seeding General: up to $80,000  (excl. GST) in total for up to two years

·         NZ – Japan Joint Research Projects: up to $30,000 (excl. GST) per annum for up to two years

12pm, Tuesday 08 October 2024
Further Information (funding call, guidelines, registration info):

·         Funding Call

·         Guidelines

·         Website

 If you are interested, please also get in touch with your FIRST.

 

Catalyst: Leaders (Round3)
HOPE Meetings are held for excellent graduate students and young researchers selected from countries/areas around the Asia-Pacific and Africa region. These meetings give an opportunity for the participants to engage in interdisciplinary discussions with Nobel Laureates and other distinguished scientists pioneering the frontiers of knowledge.
Value/Duration: Internal Deadline
Supports excellent PhD students and/or young researchers to attend the HOPE meetings with Nobel Laureates for 5 days including flights, accommodation, and meeting registration. 12pm, Tuesday 08 October 2024
Further Information (funding call, guidelines, registration info):

·         Funding Call

·         Guidelines

·         Website

If you are interested, please also get in touch with your FIRST.

 

The Prime Minister’s Science Prizes
The New Zealand Government introduced The Prime Minister’s Science Prizes in 2009 as a way of raising the profile and prestige of science among New Zealanders, in Aotearoa and internationally.

·         Te Puiaki Pūtaiao Matua a Te Pirimia: is for a transformative scientific advance, which has had a significant economic, health, social, political, cultural and/or environmental impact on New Zealand or internationally

·         Te Puiaki Kaipūtaiao Maea: will be awarded to an outstanding emerging scientist who has had their PhD conferred within the past eight (8) years.

·         Te Puiaki Whakapā Pūtaiao: will be awarded to either a practising scientist who can demonstrate an interest, passion and aptitude for science communication and public engagement, or to a person who has developed expertise in public engagement or communication of complex scientific or technological information to the public.

Value: Deadline:
There are five prizes in total with a combined value of $975,000 NZ Dollars. Applications open 13 May 2024 and close 1pm,  30 September 2024
Further Information:

·         Form, Guidelines and FAQs can be accessed via the Research Hub

·         For enquiries, please contact pmscienceprizes@royalsociety.org.nz

If you are interested, please also get in touch with your FIRST.

 

New Horizon Europe Calls
In mid-April, the European Commission announced a new selection of funding calls covering the remainder of 2024. The funding call details here Horizon Europe Funding Call List on the Horizon Europe Support Materials page on ResearchHub.

New Zealand can participate in these calls on equal terms as our European counterparts. However, the targeted nature of most of these calls means that it is highly likely that it will be more appropriate for us to partner on these projects, joining European-led bids as a collaborator rather than developing a proposal as a lead.

Anybody exploring these opportunities should contact International.Research@Auckland.ac.nz to arrange a discussion and explore additional support available.

 

Announcements 

 PENN STATE-AUCKLAND VIRTUAL WORKSHOP 2024
There will be a virtual workshop in November 2024 (dates tbc). This workshop will provide an opportunity to engage with prospective collaborators following which Penn State University has kindly proposed an in-person workshop on their campus in the first quarter of 2025.

If you are an early career researcher or a PhD student and interested in engaging with the Penn State counterparts in your field of interest, please fill out the survey form.

Please note the last date for submitting the survey is Monday, 16th of September. For any questions, please contact Deepa Chaturvedi in International office (dt.chaturvedi@auckland.ac.nz).

 

MBIE Endeavour Support Sessions 2025
Support for the 2025 MBIE Endeavour round is currently underway. 

·         Research Impact Workshop: Research Impact Manager, Dr Cherie Lacey, will be hosting a practical workshop to walk you through the process of planning your MBIE Endeavour application to achieve maximum impact.

Key Information Date: 26th September 2024

Time: 1:30 – 4pm.

Location: 11 Symonds Street, Building 315, Room 420 (Kate Edger)

Audience: Open to UoA research staff applying for the 2025 Endeavour round.

Requirements: Attendees will be required to have watched the Impact Webinar, and to prepare and bring a summary of their impact goal. This can just be a few sentences detailing what their project hopes to achieve.

Registration: To register for this event, please email submissions@auckland.ac.nz.

Please reach out if you have any questions:  submissions@auckland.ac.nz

 

Webinar: Building your Knowledge in Responsiveness to Māori within your Research
The webinars will provide a general overview of the Treaty of Waitangi as it relates to research. The content focuses on why it was written, what it says, what went wrong, where we are today, and how it applies to research.

(i)      Workshop 1/2 – Making Sense of the Treaty in a Research Context: will provide a brief overview of the Treaty of Waitangi as it relates to research.

(ii)    Workshop 2/2 – Putting the Treaty into Practice in a Research Context: Christine, founding member of Auckland Project Waitangi, explores application of the main Treaty concepts to the major stages of research.

Date & Time Registration
(Session 1)

 

(i)                  Making Sense of the Treaty in a Research Context (Part 1/2): 30th July 2024, 9:30am – 12:30 pm Here
(ii)                Putting the Treaty into Practice in a Research Context (Part 2/2): 6th August 2024, 9:30am – 12:30pm Here
(Session 2) (i)                  Making Sense of the Treaty in a Research Context (Part 1/2): 26th September 2024, 9:30am – 12:30 pm Here
(ii)                Putting the Treaty into Practice in a Research Context (Part 2/2):  3rd October 2024, 9:30am – 12:30pm Here

If you have any questions, please email: researcherdevelopment@auckland.ac.nz

 


Health, Safety and Wellbeing 


Updates from HSW

Home | Mental Health Foundation

 

 The fire event on Friday is a timely reminder of fire safety, university is bringing a raft of changes around fire prevention, and this includes charging personal items.

Student Reps

We are recruiting two student reps to the HSW committee-. This is a great opportunity to gain deep insights into the HSW world and a great skill to have on your CV. The knowledge and experience you gain will help you future proofing your professional life and will allow you to transition between different industries.

There is a possibility of free training as a Health and Safety Rep for the right candidates.

Please get in touch with Andres Arcila-Rivera (a.arcila@auckland.ac.nz)

Fieldwork plans update

There has been an increase on reported rolled ankles at the school, which may possibly reflect the return to full field activities after Covid.

Please think carefully about appropriate footwear for these sorts of activities. Not all shoes are born equal and not all are suitable. We encourage to wear shoes with good ankle support even in the easiest terrain.  That extra support will help lessen the severity of rolled ankles.

Field activity leaders should liaise with all participants and ensure they have adequate Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) to participate in the activities. To elicit your thoughts about what is appropriate, we are no longer accepting expressions such as: appropriate footwear or weather proof gear.

We will be asking for something specific that reflects whether the shoes are fit for the terrain/task (the grip of the sole, the level of support, for walking on/off track and toe protection for people handling/carrying weight out in the field). The same will apply for weather protection.

Waterproof Water Resistant
Suitable for heavier rainfall Suitable for light showers/drizzle
Indicates high water protection Indicates low water protection
Taped seams No taped seams
The fabric has been treated with DWR (durable water repellent) The fabric has been treated with DWR (durable water repellent)
Features a waterproof fabric membrane Does not feature a waterproof fabric membrane

Carrying a waterproof jacket always is encouraged.  A wise person carries a raincoat on a fine day in the field, only a fool does in the rain.

We are welcoming questions for a FAQ section about fieldwork.  Please submit your questions to a.arcila@auckland.ac.nz.

 

Minutes of the last Health, Safety and Wellbeing Committee Meeting 

 

From HSW Central

Chemical Risk Management

New guidance has been added to the Chemical Risk Management Protocol website, including:

  • New Chemical Lab Users’ Quick Reference Guide
  • Updated Safe Methods of Use (SMOU), after being reviewed by experts around the University
  • New SMOUs for Time-Sensitive Chemicals, Reactions in Sealed Pressure Vessels, and Dry Ice

With the introduction of centralised guidance for dry ice, we recognise the need to update some transport and storage practices. Specifically, dry ice must not be stored in sealed freezers and must not be accompanied during lift transport without a risk assessment to determine a safe quantity. To help with this, we’ve provided a carbon dioxide production calculator and a sample risk assessment on the website. If you have any questions, please reach out to Emily Boyd.

Radiation Risk Management

Radioactive materials and irradiating equipment are important tools in education and research within the University. The radiation standard has been updated and can be accessed here: https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/health-safety-wellbeing/health-safety-topics/laboratory-safety/radiation-risk/risk-management-standard.html

For radiation safety operational details please refer to the radiation safety plan and waste disposal guidelines here: https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/health-safety-wellbeing/health-safety-topics/laboratory-safety/radiation-risk/ionising-radiation-guidelines.html


Publications | Articles


  • Wardlow Friesen. 2024. Obituary: R.J. Warwick Neville (1933-2024).  New Zealand Geographer  80(2):166-167.
  • Shin, Hyesop, Eric Silverman, Yue Li, Ye Tian, and Qunshan Zhao (2024). “Did the Implementation of Low Emission Zone in Glasgow Change the Traffic Flow and Air Quality?” Findings. https://doi.org/10.32866/001c.123382.
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