Issue 139 – Tuesday 18 February 2025
Contents
HeadsUp
The email traffic has increased and meeting frequency heightened. It must be Semester One approaching! At this time, I’d like to thank three groups of colleagues.
First, the ‘course build’ teams for the new suite of ENV-codes stage 1 courses. These colleagues have devoted a great deal of creativity and time to developing teaching content and architecture to courses for which they won’t be directly contributing. Hence, these colleagues won’t be accruing any credit on the teaching workload model. This is School citizenship in action and we all should be grateful to the course builders among us.
Second, a big thanks to the student advisors who reply to emails and talk with students offering opportunities, alternative and advice, especially at this time of year. I recall when, a good number of decades ago, I arrived on campus as a teenager with only a sketchy idea of what I wanted to study. A patient Arts Faculty advisor outlined the options. Mercifully Geography was in the mix, even though it seemed an afterthought. These conversations can be crucial points of contact so the dedication of all who advise our current and prospective students is appreciated especially this time of year.
Third, appreciation too to Emma Sharp and her Outreach colleagues Kenzie and Thomas. This team has developed a plan for innovative research content to be rolled out regularly via the School’s social media outlets through 2025. The goal is digestible, accessible material deriving from our research projects that might entice prospective students in our direction as well as generally raise the profile of ENV. So, when Emma and team are in touch, please respond affirmatively.
I have been looking forward seeing everyone at the first staff meeting on 26th and welcome back drinks on 3rd. But I’ve had recent news of a late Christmas present so I won’t be with you. This week I am getting a new knee and have been advised to take a fortnight as post-operative medical leave. Tom Baker will be Acting Head. All going well, I will return to HoS duties – but perhaps remotely for a while – on Monday 10th March.
So, I wish everyone well as teaching begins again. Enthusiasm is infectious. May you convey the enthusiasm that led you into the fields you have excelled in and inspire the curious minds you encounter.
Robin Kearns
Announcements & Seminars
HONO – Go live is now Monday 24 February 2025 | Hono Overview
- Go live for all users: Monday 24 February 2025
- First pay run in Hono: Wednesday 5 March 2025
- Leave: if you are taking or booking leave before ‘Go live’ or have taken any leave that wasn’t entered in the system, please email Patricia so that she can submit a service request to get it entered in the system.
- Training will continue for all staff as planned
Research Support Update
Kim Le has recently joined the Research Support team as a Research Programme Coordinator (RPC), and will be working with Sophie and Kelly to assist with pre- and post-award research project queries. Kim will be known to some of you having completed her MSc in Environmental Management (1st class Hons) with Ward Friesen in 2020. Following this, she returned home to Vietnam to work for non-profit environmental organisations, before relocating to NZ last year with her family. Before moving across to the research support team, Kim worked as a research assistant at Koi Tū. Kim is located on Level 6 (outside of Robin’s office).
Visit of Prof. Enzhu Hu (Northeastern University, China)
Melanie Kah is hosting Prof. Enzhu Hu (Northeastern University, China) who will offer two short courses in the next couple of weeks/months. Follow the link for more details on the content:
- Meta-analysis
- HYDRUS: The Basic Theory of Soil Physics
Open to both staff and research students, please contact Enzhu (huenzhu@gmail.com) directly if you are interested and would like to learn more!
Recent Australia New Zealand Tree Ring Sciences Conference” held at Waipapa Taumata Rau University of Auckland
From 21 to 23 January, the “Looking at the wood, seeing the trees and more: Australia New Zealand Tree Ring Sciences Conference” was held at the Clock Tower, here at Waipapa Taumata Rau University of Auckland.
This event bought together ~30 scientists and researchers mostly from Australia and New Zealand but also Italy and the UK, to present research based around the common theme of tree rings.
This was the first such meeting held specifically for the Australian and New Zealand tree-ring community. Topics ranged from climate reconstruction to forest ecology to the challenging nature of some Australian and New Zealand species for dendrochronology, requiring novel approaches to establishing chronologies. We also heard about new radiocarbon and stable oxygen isotope research using kauri tree rings, and cultural issues in the context of archaeological dating of wood.
Bad weather stymied our fieldtrip to Cascades Kauri Park but instead we spent the morning in the tree-ring lab where Luitgard and I showcased various kauri-based research carried out here at ENV, followed by a group lunch.
The conference was full of good energy, engagement and conversation (which continued into the evening over dinner and red wine). The student attendees reported that they really enjoyed the opportunity to come together, talk about their work and be reminded that they were not alone in working with sometimes quite challenging species! There is enthusiasm for a repeat event in two years’ time, somewhere in Australia.
The conference was organised by Gretel and Luitgard with help from Liam Casey in Event Services. Alan Hogg (Waikato University), Kathy Allen (University of Tasmania) and Pauline Grierson (University of Western Australia) were part of the conference committee. ENV students Melanesia Boseren, Em Sharp and Mitchell Keys provided great support during the meeting too.
Conference attendees, and not a tree-corer in sight!
Disaster Prevention and Management Seminar Series
AKO
This year, the Student Experience Committee has a budget of $2500.00 towards small class-related catering activities. There will be $1250.00 available in each semester. To maximise this budget and make its distribution as fair as possible, we have created an online form where all interested course coordinators can declare their interest and submit a very brief proposal (100 words) outlining how much they need and for which purpose. The cap for each course is set at $150.00 per semester and applications should be submitted by the 28th of February (semester 1 courses) and the 18th of July (semester 2 courses). Selection will be made by the committee shortly afterwards. Ad-hoc applications throughout the semesters may be considered depending on budget availability.
Here’s the link to the application form: https://forms.office.com/r/s7bvNAcFAP
Student Experience Committee
Outreach
Social media : We’d like to expand the School of Environment’s social media reach to other platforms beyond Facebook, but we need some foundation content to guarantee at least one post a month (ideally one a week!). Therefore, we need your content to celebrate and elevate your research and community activities. Please send the following to Kenzi Yee kenzi.yee@auckland.ac.nz (and cc: el.sharp@auckland.ac.nz) who is collating posts.
- Blurb of about ~30 words
- A representative image
- Ideally, a link to a website/ Conversation article/ RNZ / Newsroom/ TVNZ/ The Spinoff, but not necessary.
Ngā mihi mahana, Emma
Health Safety & Wellbeing
Protective clothing for fieldwork
- Gloves, Some activities require protecting your hands
- hard hats
- high visibility clothing
- overalls and protective aprons.
- Rain gear
Footwear
Tennis shoes and sneakers are comfortable, but they are not, often, the proper type of footwear while undertaking fieldwork. Choosing the right footwear for fieldwork is crucial for comfort, safety, and performance. Here are some key factors to consider:
- Terrain and Environment:
- Wet Conditions:Waterproof boots with good traction are essential. Look for materials like Gore-Tex that keep water out while allowing your feet to breathe1.
- Dry Conditions: Lightweight, breathable hiking boots or shoes are ideal. They provide comfort and prevent overheating2.
- Activity Type:
- Comfort and Fit:
- Proper Fit: Ensure the boots fit well with enough room for your toes. Consider wearing the socks you plan to use during fieldwork when trying on boots3.
- Cushioning and Support: Look for boots with good arch support and cushioning to absorb impact and reduce fatigue3.
- Durability:
- Quality Materials: Invest in boots made from durable materials that can withstand harsh conditions. High-quality leather or synthetic materials are often more durable2.
- Safety Features:
By considering these factors, you can choose the right footwear to keep you comfortable and safe during your fieldwork. Do you have a specific type of fieldwork in mind?
Waterproof hiking boots are a great option. In warm weather, non-waterproof hiking boots or trail running shoes are good options. Because these are breathable, they will keep your feet drier and cooler than waterproof boots
Funding Calls
| RSNZ: Catalyst: Seeding (Round1) | |
| Catalyst seeding fund aims to supports activities that initiate, develop and foster collaborations leveraging international science and innovation for New Zealand’s benefit.
Notable eligibility changes for the 2025 funding opportunities: the Catalyst Fund investment plan (released in December 2024) identifies six priority research areas, which are:
*Note that 75% of the awarded Catalyst: Seeding contracts will be expected to be made up of proposals that align with the priority research areas. The remaining 25% of awarded contracts can be in any field of research including social sciences and the humanities. |
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| Value/Duration: | Internal Deadline |
| · Seeding General: up to $80,000 (excl. GST) in total for up to two years | 12pm, Tuesday 08 April 2025 |
| Further Information (funding call, guidelines, registration info). If you are interested, please also get in touch with your FIRST. | |
| RSNZ: Catalyst Leaders (Round 1) | |
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
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| Value/Duration: | Internal Deadline: |
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12pm, Tuesday 08 April 2025 |
| Further Information (funding call, guidelines, registration info). If you are interested, please also get in touch with your FIRST. | |
| Spencer Foundation–Vision Grant | |
| This fund aims to fund the collaborative planning of innovative, methodologically diverse, interdisciplinary research on education that contributes to transforming education systems for equity. | |
| Value/Duration: | Deadline: |
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Two-stage Submission deadlines:
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| Further Information (funding call, guidelines, website). If you are interested, please also get in touch with your FIRST (Kelly or Sophie) | |
| Marsden 2025 Updates |
| The Minister of Science, Innovation and Technology announced that the Marsden fund will be changing ahead of the 2025 round. Along with the announcement of the changes, a new Investment Plan (2025-2027) and Terms of Reference have been released by the Royal Society Te Apārangi.
Due to the changes announced by the Minister, the Royal Society have advised that the Marsden 2025 round will be delayed. At this stage, no new timeline has been provided and we are unsure of the extent of the delay. The most notable changes that have been announced are as follows:
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| 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 |
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| Further Information (funding call, guidelines, registration info, templates):
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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| 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. |
Publications | Articles
- Ball, L. (2025) Gene technology bill fails to recognise Treaty partnership. Newsroom. 19 January
- Barrett, J. (2025) Māori communities lead innovative ways of financing housing on ancestral lands. The Conversation. 5 February.
- Shorrock, A.E., Strachan, L.J., Barnes, P.B., Bostock, H.C., Moore, G.F., McArthur, A.D., Gamboa, D., Woodhouse, A.D., Bell, R.E., Davidson, S.R., Maier, K.L., and Nodder, S.D. (2025) Coeval transverse and axial sediment delivery to the northern Hikurangi Trough during the late Quaternary, Basin Research, 37:e70019, 1-25.
- Macnaughtan, M., Pecher, I, Strachan, L.J., (2025) Gas hydrates on New Zealand’s Chatham Rise. An indicator of Gondwanan thermogenic gas expulsion? Marine and Petroleum Geology, 173: 107226.