Issue 34-Monday 8th June 2020
Contents
HeadSup
Kia ora koutou
I’m delighted to announce that Mel Wall has become a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy. This UK-led international accreditation requires demonstration of a thorough understanding of effective approaches to teaching and learning support as a key contribution to high quality student learning. On the funding front, cross-disciplinary projects focused on environmental science and health have got the nod: Sam Trowsdale’s MBIE sewage tracing proposal ($1.7M over 18 months) was successful and his HRC explorer project came up trumps as well; and Martin Brook and Jenny Salmond got ‘Erionite-causing cancer in New Zealand’ across the line, winning seed funding from the Royal Society Catalyst fund. James Muirhead’s work on the contribution of ancient and deep CO2 to the world’s carbon budget has just been published in Nature (story below). Congratulations to you all!
On the financial front the news is not so encouraging. We have been instructed to save $130,000 from our School discretionary budget. In reality, we need to save rather a lot more because our School budget is constructed based on income from FOS (set at the end of 2019) plus forecast income from new fully-costed external research contracts (that arrive during 2020) and from our ShaRE facility (the kit in the basement). It’s a perfect storm – we have fewer contracts starting in 2020 than expected, plus we anticipate the ShaRE facility will run at a loss due to equipment down time. So cinch in those belts, we will be running on next to nothing and it’s looking tight for 2021 and 2022. All committee and platform budgets remain on hold until the budget has been reconfigured, and sadly the professional development fund is off limits for the remainder of this year. Note that every $ spent on hospitality and travel using the 4140 cost centre is under intense scrutiny by the UOA financial centre.
I want to acknowledge the enormous contribution our Ako and Ako Innovation teams have made, and continue to make, on our behalf. We are a very lucky school to have such capable and generous colleagues smoothing the way for us as we navigate the challenges of remote teaching and learning. Thank you Robin, David, Mel, Murray, Sonia, Marie, JC and Joe – your contribution is greatly appreciated.
As we move forward to a more typical teaching context, we need to remember there will be zero tolerance for coming to University when sick. This means we need to maintain capability for delivering remotely so that unwell students are not disadvantaged. We also need to be ready to switch to remote delivery if we ourselves are unwell. If we end up with a cluster at UOA, we could be straight back into a 2 week lock-down so it’s important that we make wise choices when designing our courses for Semester 2.
Thanks everyone for a superb Semester 1 effort, I’m looking forward to our BYO end-of-year function already…I guess the drinks will be on me!
JR
Whakawhanaungatanga – communities
Preparations for the Staff Retreat
To all ENV staff: This is a call for your best 1-2 photos of a positive thing you did /experience you had in lockdown, and what you did to celebrate Level 2. Include captions if you wish, of up to 5 words per image.
These will be compiled into a ‘Licking Lockdown’ slide show for the School of Environment retreat on 16 June.l
Deadline for submission to Kathy Campbell (ka.campbell@auckland.ac.nz)l Monday 8 June.
IMPORTANT NOTICE ACCESS REQUESTS
Dear all,
All-access requests forms must be emailed to fos.accessrequest@auckland.ac.nz with the Department name in the subject line.
This is for both campus card requests and key requests.
No forms will be accepted at level 6 reception.
Facilities team
Faculty of Science
New Orbit Online Travel Booking Platform – NOW LIVE
You may have seen the notice on the intranet with regards to the Orbit Online Booking Tool upgrade which happened over Queen’s Birthday Weekend. To view the article and key information on how to access Orbit Online click here
The new Orbit Online product has a number of key features and benefits:
- Build the complete itinerary on one page
- Airline imagery, amenities and fare inclusion details have the same look and feel as individual airline websites. If seat availability on Air NZ domestic flights is very low (1 or 2 seats left), this will be highlighted
- Additional accommodation options, ability to book Expedia, Booking.com and Wotif
- Feature to add reviews on accommodation suppliers which are only visible to the University and UniServices
- Flight, accommodation and rental car search criteria is inputted all at once
- Artificial Intelligence will learn traveller’s unique behaviour
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- e.g. destinations travelled to regularly will be presented up front automatically
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- Feature to request a complex international trip and send to the Orbit consultant.
- Te Reo Maori Language setting
- Mobile booking app for travellers to book air and accommodation from their phone.
To view the Orbit Online Booking Tool FAQs click here
At present only domestic travel can be booked via Orbit Online as per the New Zealand Government Level 2 Restrictions.
That said, you can still view international itineraries and pricing via Orbit Online, however you will not have the ability to finalise the booking.
There are significant time efficiencies (3-4 minutes to complete a booking and receive documentation required to raise a purchase order) and cost savings (domestic booking fee reduces by 83%) by utilising Orbit Online, therefore I encourage staff who are required to travel for business to consider adopting Orbit Online as their preferred booking method for simple, straight forward itineraries.
Congratulations!
Mirja Heinrich defended her PhD at 3-5 am German time on 2nd June – her thesis focused on the physical and chemical relationships of a major period of tectonic rifting – related volcanism at ~10,000 years ago at Mt Tongariro. She did a fantastic job with only minor emendations requested. Her second paper on the PhD also made it to proof stages this week In the Journal of Volcanology and Geothermal Research and the examiners suggested that at least two more papers could result. Mirja’s two-month old boy Lasse only woke up a few times during the exam! Well done Mirja!
Also this week Ben Simons who defended his PhD thesis only two weeks ago had his second and third papers accepted- both in Bulletin of Volcanology.
Lockdown gave us an experience of Mason Durie’s Te Pae Māhutonga
Professor Robin Kearns, School of Environment
University of Auckland
Opinion: Professor Robin Kearns from the University of Auckland’s School of Environment reminisces about our enforced slowdown through lockdown.
Little Palm Beach on Waiheke Island. Arvid Olson/Pixabay
Places, like people, never stay the same. Places are always in a state of becoming. How did the places familiar to us change over the time we came to know as ‘lockdown’?
On Waiheke Island where I live, ‘quieter,’ ‘friendlier’ and ‘cleaner’ were three common responses. With all but essential vehicles off the roads, pedestrians turned back the clock. We walked the way people did before the hegemony of cars. When a vehicle did pass, we waved. But we noticed the odour of exhaust emissions more acutely than when immersed in the miasma of Auckland’s rush-hour. For further reading click here.
Leave Plus scheme now fully live
In response to requests for more flexible working benefits, late last year the University announced the introduction of a pilot scheme providing staff with the option of either buying or cashing up one week of leave, to be implemented in 2020.
The first part of the Leave Plus scheme, launched in February, enabled staff to cash up one week of annual leave, subject to eligibility criteria, by completing the Leave Cash Up Form.
Processing these requests paused during the Covid-19 lockdown, however processing has now recommenced. The final part of the pilot scheme – buying an additional week of leave – is now live, and staff can apply by completing the Leave Plus application form by 26 June 2020. This scheme is subject to staff eligibility criteria.
Note that in line with the Vice-Chancellor’s recent communication to all staff, you are encouraged to reduce your annual leave and time off in lieu (TOIL) to a maximum of two weeks by the end of January 2021. Those purchasing an additional week of leave will need to allow for this when working out their 2020 leave plan (due at the end of June 2020).
More details including eligibility criteria and FAQs are available on the Leave Plus intranet page. You can also contact the Staff Service Centre and the appropriate team will get in touch with you.
The World in 2030: UNESCO Global Online Survey
With profound upheavals happening in the contexts of the COVID-19 pandemic and calls to rethink many areas of society, UNESCO is launching a global public survey called “The World in 2030”. The survey, which would take about six-minutes to complete, will help UNESCO gain insights into diverse views on the major global challenges of the coming years, and the solutions needed to address them. The results will help them to set an agenda to guide their work on peace, freedom, creativity and development in the next decade.
PLEASE TAKE THE SURVEY!
https://en.unesco.org/worldin2030
Launched in the context of the UNESCO Strategic Transformation, the survey is open to everyone. It is available in the 6 official UN languages, as well as a selection of additional languages (with more to come soon). The survey is completely anonymous.
Snowman in Arctic Norway
Photos of some friends were made last month in Arctic Norway by Professor Mark Costello.
The Auckland branch of NZGS promotes the activities of geographers and the development of the discipline in the Auckland region. It has proven an effective platform for hosting and sponsoring public seminars and workshops, and talks by prominent local and international geographers; running competitions for schools; providing opportunities for young geographers to attend conferences; and for bringing geographers together to discuss issues of public and disciplinary concern.
The NZ Geographical Society’s newsletter can be found on http://www.nzgs.co.nz
What’s on?
When: Tuesday 23rd June – 4.00pm to 5.00pm via Zoom (an invitation will be sent in the week before)
Who: Chris McDowall
What: We Are Here: An Atlas of Aotearoa
This award-winning atlas has been described as ‘an extraordinary visual data book like no other’.
Contact Mary June Logie <j.logie@auckland.ac.nz> for Zoom invitation.
Click here for further reading.
Tools, tips & tricks – a new series for Hacky Hour!
Hacky Hour Tools, tips & tricks starts next week! See this website for more information: https://uoa-eresearch.github.io/HackyHour/tips-tricks-sessions/ Hosted by the Centre of eResearch.
| Time | |
| Argggh, my data! An overview of using OpenRefine to tidy up data | 11 June 2020, 3 – 4pm |
| Python – tips and tricks | 25 June 2020, 3 – 4pm |
| Social media data scrapping and wrangling – tips and tricks | 9 July 2020, 3 – 4pm |
Rangahau – Research
Meeting, seminars and events
Title: Impacts of myrtle rust on plant, soil and ecosystem functions
Presented by Hoa Nguyen
Date: Wednesday, 17 June
Time: 1 PM
Zoom seminar: https://auckland.zoom.us/j/98668379325
Enquiries: Chris Struthers, c.struthers@auckland.ac.nz
ioGAS pluggedIN on-line geochemistry(-structure) training course (week of July 20, 2020)
We have this software and it is awesome for dealing with large geochemical datasets. ioGAS is the industry standard, it dovetails with Leapfrog. Once your start working in ioGAS you will not want to use your bespoke excel spreadsheets anymore. If you want to learn how to use it put up some $$ and enrol in this course (students: twist your supervisors arms): read here.
Australian Institute of Nuclear Science and Engineering (AINSE) New Zealand Symposium
AINSE would like to warmly welcome you to attend our regional Symposium for New Zealand members (UoA is a member).
Date: Thursday 11th June 2020
Time: 12:00 pm to 2:00 pm New Zealand Standard Time (NZST)
The Webinar will open from 11:30 am. Please join by 11:50 am for a prompt 12:00 pm start
Registration link: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_rcDWueJeQkmqeeF6ME6ZmA
If you’re a student or researcher in a STEM discipline, this is an excellent opportunity to connect with established ANSTO researchers and AINSE scholarship holders from New Zealand member universities to learn:
- how nuclear science and technology can be applied to your work
- about ANSTO’s research infrastructure capabilities
- about research by New Zealand students conducted at ANSTO
- how AINSE can support you with schools, awards and scholarships
To attend this free 2 hour Symposium, please register your attendance using the link above.
For further information, please contact AINSE on ainse@ainse.edu.au.
Ancient CO2 mystery solved at East Africa
Around 90 percent of the earth’s carbon is locked deep beneath the surface but a team of scientists has provided new understanding of how this ancient CO2 can find its way from hundreds of kilometres beneath the surface to be released into the atmosphere.
Dr James Muirhead (far left) and colleagues
Carbon, in the form of carbon dioxide, has helped regulate the earth’s atmosphere and climate for billions of years but it is also a greenhouse gas generated by human activity that traps heat and contributes to global warming.
While the deep CO2 is hundreds of times less than that produced humans, just how it gets released and how much of it there is, is poorly understood but forms a critical part of accurately calculating the Earth’s overall carbon budget. For further reading please click here.
Research and Funding Opportunities
Despite the crazy times, you might be in the process of planning future research proposals. Keep in mind that there is the possibility of writing support for Marsden 2021 and for MBIE Research programmes. If you are thinking of preparing a proposal, please contact Kelly (kelly.kilpin@auckland.ac.nz) or Kathryn (kathryn.howard@auckland.ac.nz) for details.
Opportunities for Collaboration with Germany + MBIE German Research Links Survey
Germany is a key Research & Innovation partner for New Zealand. In response to the SARS-Cov-2 pandemic, the German government has announced over €1 billion new funding to support development of a vaccine and new medication, and for the establishment of a national network of clinical research facilities. Importantly, German research facilities and large-scale equipment may be available for international collaborators.
Here is an MBIE-created guide to funding opportunities for researchers wishing to collaborate with German partners.
The New Zealand-Germany Science and Innovation Coordinator is also available to assist in the development of institutional and individual researchers’ collaborations with Germany; you are welcome to contact Dr Regina Eisert at germany.coordinator@mbie.govt.nz.
Additionally, MBIE wishes to view any research linkages to Germany and has created the attached survey. If you have any research connection to a German institution, please complete and return the attached survey to h.read@auckland.ac.nz by Monday June 15th.
Our Land and Water NSC – Rural Professionals Fund
The fund is intended to create benefit for New Zealand’s farming communities by matching individuals, businesses, and scientists to test exciting and innovative ideas that could lead to significant improvements in farming systems.
The project team is to include a rural professional who is a member of the NZIPIM, a rural entrepreneur (farmer), and a researcher from one of Our Land and Water’s partner organisations, such as the University of Auckland.
Our Land and Water is looking for ideas that will:
- build evidence for innovative ideas and practices
- speed up the testing and implementation of exciting and innovative ideas
- develop links and collaboration between rural professionals, farmers and researchers
- extend what is learned to the wider rural profession and farming community
Projects must align with the three challenge research themes: Future Landscapes, Incentives for Change, Capacity for Transition
Value: Up to $50,000 per project
Duration: 6 months
Internal deadline: Wednesday, 8 July 2020, 5pm.
More information and Guidelines: Our Land and Water website
New publications
- Yasuhara M, Wei C-L, Kucera M, Costello MJ., Tittensor D, Kiessling W, Bonebrake TC, Tabor C, Feng R, Baselga A, Kretschmer K, Kusumoto B, Kubota Y. 2020. Past and future decline of tropical pelagic biodiversity. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, online. www.pnas.org/cgi/doi/10.1073/pnas.1916923117
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Poeppl, R. E., Fryirs, K. A., Tunnicliffe, J., & Brierley, G. J. (2020). Managing sediment (dis) connectivity in fluvial systems. Science of The Total Environment, 139627.
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KEARNS, R.A , NEUWELT, P.M., & EGGLETON, K. (2020). Permeable boundaries? Patient perspectives on space and time in general practice waiting rooms Health & Place (Published online May). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.healthplace.2020.102347
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WITTEN, K. KEARNS, R., OPIT, S., & FERGUSSON, E. (2020). Facebook as soft infrastructure: Producing and performing community in a mixed tenure housing development. Housing Studies (Published online 25 May). https://doi.org/10.1080/02673037.2020.1769035
- Muirhead, J.D., Fischer, T.P., Laizer, A., Oliva, S.J.C., Judd, E.J., Lee, H., Kazimoto, E., Ebinger, C.J., Sano, Y., Takahata, N., Tiberi, C., van Wijk, J., Dufek, J., Foley, S.F., Currie, C.A., Reiss, M.C., 2020, Displaced cratonic mantle concentrates deep carbon during continental rifting: Nature, doi: 10.1038/s41586-020-2328-3.
- Wright, L. J., Muirhead, J. D., & Scholz, C. A., 2020, Spatiotemporal Variations in Upper Crustal Extension Across the Different Basement Terranes of the Lake Tanganyika Rift, East Africa: Tectonics, 39(3), e2019TC006019.
Copy deadline for next edition of P-cubed: Friday 19th June to Farnaz: f.sheikh@auckland.ac.nz