Issue 57 – Tuesday 8th June 2021
Contents
HeadSup
There’s a poster I pass on the final few metres on my walk to Building 302 each morning that says “Welcome to the University of Auckland. Please bear with us while we are under construction”. Of course it refers in the first instance to the massive and disruptive excavation that will eventually result in a new recreation centre. But that message always seems an ironic reminder of the profound social construction also afoot on and around campus.
For those who may be unfamiliar with the concept – whose stuff of investigation is substances rather than utterances, and perhaps tectonics rather than texts – social constructionism is “the development of jointly constructed understandings of the world that form the basis for shared assumptions about reality …..developed in coordination with others rather than separately within each individual” (Wikipedia 2021).
After the many layered deliberations and consultations that birthed Taumata Teitei , the strategic plan, we see the university under reconstruction in terms of ideas and aspirations . New shared meanings are being invested in terms like transdisciplinarity, sustainability and wellbeing.
To focus on the last of these, wellbeing has long been ‘joined at the hip’ with health in popular and policy discourse, despite Indigenous world views long insisting on a broader set of influences. Increasingly, however, most definitions settle on wellbeing involving the state of being comfortable, healthy, or happy. In other words, being healthy in terms that medicine understands is a necessary but not sufficient state of being. If we are comfortable, we feel safe and secure somewhere. Our wellbeing is connected to both the places we occupy and the place-in-the-world (identity) we adopt or are given.
How does this construction of wellbeing relate to our School? Unlike perhaps Philosophy or English, we tend to be a more outward-looking bunch, researching what is to be seen and found in the world. Perhaps we have too readily taken for granted the need to nurture wellbeing in both our own lives and the workplace that is the good ship Environment.
A number of initiatives are underway. First, at the School retreat this Thursday, we will consider wellbeing at least implicitly through reflecting on aspects of our draft School Review document and the questions we are posing our reviewers. Second, the Whakawhanaunatanga committee is rolling out an opportunity for us to offer feedback on conversation-starting, wellbeing-related questions on a monthly basis. Third, in our evolving structure of co-navigating of the waka, colleagues are stepping up into new roles. Some have distinct well-being implications.
- Engagement with local communities, particularly iwi, is a clear expectation in Te Taumata Teitei, and something we have been wanting to prioritise for some time. Brad Coombes has agreed to take up this Community Engagement role and join the Steeping Group in association with Whakawhanaungatanga.
- We’ve been asked for a Sustainability Champion and Joe Fagan has agreed to step into be the champion he continues to be in that domain.
With broader implications for the wellbeing of the School and its constituent parts, two further changes soon to occur are:
- Nick Lewis is assuming the role of Postgraduate Chair from Luitgard Schwendenmann with a brief to develop an Environment-wide ‘graduate school’
Karen Fisher is taking over as Head of Geography from Jenny Salmond.
And while on ‘hatches and dispatches’, we sadly farewell Samantha Huang who is completing her stellar work for the School this week, and congratulate Blair Sowman on the arrival of their wee one.
One last note about wellbeing. Last week was graduation with dozens of our fine young people crossing the stage. Some were among the many undifferentiated BAs and BScs we clapped for. Others were singled out by their advanced degrees or even their research questions in the case of PhDs. All, however, benefitted in some way from the manaakitanga many of us showed them over the years. They achieved what they did in no small part thanks to the affirmation and support offered by family and whanau. From the stage, I observed each person making only about a dozen steps, yet every person’s walk was a little different – in attire, in facial expression, in gait. This common purpose (to be capped) yet subtle variation in journey seemed to me to be deeply symbolic.
As the poster says, I reckon we are all ‘under construction’. In our vocation to promote wellbeing it is up to us to notice difference and offer affirmation along the way.
Robin Kearns
Whakawhanaugatanga – Communities
AusIMM 2021 Minerals Industry Scholarship awarded to MEngGeol student Adil Hameed
Congratulations to Master of Engineering Geology student, Adil Hameed, who has been awarded the Australasian Institute of Mining & Metallurgy (AusIMM) 2021 Minerals Industry Scholarship. This will support Adil’s thesis project at Maramarua open cast coal mine, where Adil will be working on some of the key environmental and land management issues at the mine, assisting the mining company, Bathurst Resources.
Welcome Pankaj Sharma
The school of Environment would like to extend a warm welcome to Pankaj Sharma, a new Research Fellow who started with us last week Monday. Pankaj will be working with Michael Martin on a two year Indigenous Data Sovereignty Prototype funded by the Biological Heritage Trust.
Critical Worker Visas for Incoming PhD students – Tranche 2
The University is about to put submit is next round of candidates for incoming PhDs to be considered for Critical Worker Visas. If you have a student with a pre-visa enrolment and have not yet considered this next step done so please fill in the spreadsheet and return to sciencephdforms@auckland.ac.nz asap.
We expect that the criteria will be similar to the first tranche, i.e., students whose research is funded as part of a government grant or programme in “science”. Note that supervisors will need to indicate who will be paying MIQ costs before students will be added to the central list. The university is unlikely to contribute, but only students who are grant-supported are eligible in any case, and most grants are able to pay MIQ costs.
New Zealand Open Source Awards – nominations extended
Thank you to those that have already made nominations for the New Zealand Open Source Awards. Wonderful to see such great entries.
We have decided to extend the nomination deadline until Monday 21June as we believe there are other great projects or contributors, that could be nominated.
Nominations extended until Monday 21 June – make your nominations now!
https://nzosa.org.nz/nomination
Seminar & Events
Honours and Environmental Science 30-point projects presentations
Wednesday 9 June, 9.10 – 11.20 am
The Honours and Environmental Science (30-points) students will be presenting their research projects on Wednesday 9 June. These will be in the Ontology Lab, Room 551, between 9.00 am and 11.00 am. The list of presenters will be on the notice board outside the Ontology Lab, scheduled to avoid discipline clashes with the Masters’ presentations on the same day. Apologies for the short notice, please do come if you have time. Thanks, Gretel
School of Environment 2021 Staff Retreat Day
The Staff Retreat Day will be held on Thursday 10 June from 8:30am – 4:00pm at the Old Government House, followed by drinks & nibbles. Morning tea and lunch will be provided as well. Staff are expected to attend.
Below is the final agenda:
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PhD Forum Movie Screening
All PhD students in the School of Environment invited.
We are screening Hunt for the Wilderpeople at 4.30pm on Thursday the 10th of June in the Ontology Lab. We will have a few snacks, but feel free to bring along something if you wish.
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Jagadish Thaker
Senior Lecturer at the School of Communication, Journalism & Marketing, Massey University
Climate change, health, and leadership during crisis are some of the top issues of the 21st century. Based on transdisciplinary theoretical framework of public engagement with climate change, health, and science, Dr. Jagadish Thaker (JT) will present a research agenda for the role of communication in social and climate change. JT will draw on a variety of research methods such as culture-centred community-led communication campaigns, national sample surveys, and computational content analysis to highlight the contribution of different research methodologies to understand ‘wicked’ issues. Finally, JT will share his students’ communication campaigns to help local community organisations.
10-11am, Friday 11th June, 2021
260-005 (OGGB, Case Room 5)
Master Student Research Seminars
We will run a seminar series show-casing Masters thesis research on 9 June 20201 (9am to 3 pm Rm 303-130; lunch for presenting students & supervisors at noon in 4th floor tea room). The sessions will cover students who commenced thesis studies in semester 2 of last year. Each student will give a 10-minute oral presentation followed by 5 minutes of questions. This is designed to assist students with the direction their project is going in. Supervisors will be introducing their students. The topics will be grouped into disciplines allowing associated staff to attend and moderate the seminars. This is an on-campus event. It does not involve Zoom-style or digital presentations from off-campus sites.
Draft schedule:
Earth-Geology (Martin Brook chair) 9-11 am
Env Science (Luitgard chair) 11 am – 12 noon
Env Science & Management, Geog (Kevin Simon chair) 1-3 pm
EQC Biennial Grants Programme 2022 – EOI
The Earthquake Commission (EQC) promotes and supports research in disaster risk reduction in New Zealand. Every two years, EQC’s Biennial Grants programme invites experienced and emerging researchers to submit proposals for public good research (available for public use).
Grant Value: $50,000-$70,000 is the preferred range, with a maximum of $100,000
Timeline:
• Applications open 1 June, at which point further information and application guidelines will be available on the EQC website.
• Internal Deadline for EOI submission is 10am, Tuesday 15 June 2021
Submission Process:
Register interest in this funding scheme by emailing submissions@auckland.ac.nz cc RPC/RPM.
Registered participants will be sent the confirmed EQC submission information once this has been released by EQC.
Further details of the funding scheme can be found on the funders website.
Faculty of Science MBIE Endeavour Fund research ideas and collaboration hui
Are you thinking of applying to the MBIE Endeavour Fund? Come along to discuss your research idea and collaborate with others in the faculty. Hear from others who have applied for or received MBIE funding. Find out what resources and support are available to help you with your research idea and funding application.
When: Thursday 17 June, 1:30pm to 3pm
Where: 303-G14
Register here, or email Kathryn Howard
WUN Early Career Researcher International Network Development Series
The Worldwide Universities Network (WUN), in collaboration with the United Nations Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN) and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Education Section, is holding a series of free virtual networking workshops, each thematically focused on a UN Sustainable Development Goal. The workshops are intended to bring together early career researchers (ECRs) from all around the world interested in establishing connections to colleagues in their field.
Date: 22/23 June 2021
Further details, including local time and registration info can be found here
Faculty of Science Pacific Research Symposium
When: 6th & 7th September 2021
Where: The Fale 20-26 Wynyard Street City Campus University of, 1010
Please hold the date for this symposium. Further details will be provided when the plans are finalised and there will be a call for presentations. The symposium will target all current and recent research being conducted by Pacific staff or students, and by anyone in the Faculty involving Pasifika or the Pacific.
There will be an opportunity for researchers to make connections that could lead to future collaborations and a panel discussion on Pacific research protocols.
If you have any questions please contact either Jan Lindsay or Sina Greenwood.
Rangahau – Research
Survey on Engagement
Way back in pre-pandemic times, the Faculty of Science’s Working group on Science in Society asked staff researchers at the University of Auckland’s Centre for Informed Futures (https://informedfutures.org/) to undertake a pilot survey of how/whether scientists engage professionally beyond their academic communities. At the time, the School of Environment’s Head of School, Julie Rowland, agreed that SoE could be the pilot site. Fast forward to today: Much work has already been undertaken within the SoE by Melanie Kah and others to help identify and map specific external collaborators. Undertaking the pilot survey can now complement these data to gain a deeper understanding of the type of engagement and the challenges that researchers may be experiencing. We know that public research systems and researchers are under constant pressure. We also know that not everyone’s work immediately lends itself to public engagement. Our goal is to find out more about where we stand collectively as an engaged school and university. Results of the pilot work can inform the university’s implementation and support plans for the engagement intent of the new strategic plan. Thank you in advance for taking the time to complete the survey which should take 20-30 minutes.
Follow this link to take the survey Please complete it by 1 July 2021
EQC Biennial Grants Programme 2022 – EOI – Tight deadline for applications
The Earthquake Commission (EQC) promotes and supports research in disaster risk reduction in New Zealand. Every two years, EQC’s Biennial Grants programme invites experienced and emerging researchers to submit proposals for public good research (available for public use).
Research must align with EQC’s Research and Investment Priorities Statement 2021 – 2023.
• Understanding how people perceive and manage risk
• Understanding and improving building performance
• Understanding, improving and managing land-use
• Understanding the governance and economics of disasters and disaster risk management
• Understanding the size, severity, and likelihood of hazards and their impacts for loss modelling.
Grant value: $50,000-$70,000 is the preferred range, with a maximum of $100,000
Internal deadline for EOI: 10am, Tuesday 15 June 2021
Further information and relevant documentation can be found on the EQC’s website.
For submission details, please contact your RPC.
National Science Challenge – The Deep South
Te Aho Fund
Recognizing the importance of the deep knowledge, skills, and experience that Māori communities possess to adapt to the changes occurring within our environment and communities as a result of climate change, this funding initiative is aimed to support action research with hands-on and on the ground approach.
Grant Value: The scheme will award up to $150k for each project.
Eligibility: Projects that support mātauranga and rangatiratanga in relation to changing climate. The Te Aho Fund aims at community-driven and -owned projects.
Internal Deadline: 5 pm, Monday, 23 August 2021
Further details can be found on The Deep South website
Te Taura Fund
Recognizing the importance of the deep knowledge, skills, and experience that Māori communities possess to adapt to the changes occurring within our environment and communities as a result of climate change, this funding initiative is targeted towards larger research collaborations between communities and research organisations and has a focus on impact at a larger scale: regionally or nationally
Grant Value: The scheme will award up to $250k for each project.
Eligibility: Projects that support mātauranga and rangatiratanga in relation to changing climate. The Te Taura fund aims at projects involving academic institutions and consultancies with the potential for multiple research partners.
Internal Deadline: 5 pm, Wednesday, 7 July 2021.
Further details can be found on The Deep South website
Early Career Researcher Grant (ECRG)
The Early Career Researcher Grant consists of a $10,000 payment given to persons in the first five years of their postdoctoral research career.
The grant can be spent on travel, accommodation, consumables and care requirements, subject to AINSE discretion. For more information, click here.
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Catalyst: Seeding
• Catalyst: Seeding facilitates new small and medium pre-research strategic partnerships with international collaborators that cannot be supported through other means.
• Funding is for research exchanges, research activities, and expenses related to hosting workshops for new strategic research partnerships with international collaborators
Grant Value: A maximum of NZ $80,000 (excl. GST) in total is available per proposal for projects lasting up to two years.
Internal Deadline: 5pm Tuesday 6 July 2021.
Submission process: Please contact your RPC for submission details. See the funders website for further information.
Catalyst: Leaders Julius von Haast Fellowship Award
• Supports an internationally recognized researcher from Germany to undertake research in New Zealand for a minimum of 4 weeks per year, providing $50,000 per annum for 3 years.
• The Fellow must be a German national or permanent resident with an international reputation as an innovative researcher. He/she must be currently working within the German research/science sector and have been employed for no less than five years (in total) in public or private German research or academic institutions
Internal Deadline 5pm, Tuesday 6 July 2021.
Submission process: Please contact your RPC for submission details. See the funders website for further information.
Publications
Bates A. et al. (342 co-authors including Costello MJ). 2021. Global COVID-19 lockdown highlights humans as both threats and custodians of the environment. Biological Conservation, in press.
Manes S., Costello MJ, Beckett H, Debnath A, Devenish-Nelson E, Grey K-A, Jenkins R, Khan TM, Kiessling W, Krause C, Maharaj SS, Midgley GF, Price J, Talukdar G, Vale MM. 2021. Endemism increases species’ climate change risk in areas of global biodiversity importance. Biological Conservation online.
Chaudhary C, Richardson AJ, Schoeman DS, Costello MJ. 2021. Global warming is causing a pronounced dip in marine species richness at the equator. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, online.
IT-Committee
Software for teaching in computer labs. in S2: If you would like to have new software installed that is not already part of the lab. images, please let me know as soon as possible (same for FlexIT). Ingo (i.pecher@auckland.ac.nz)
More Information
Need to store and share research data? Request Research storage or UoA Dropbox for research
Queries about virtual machines? Virtual machine consult or Nectar Research Cloud?
ResearchHub: connects people, resources, and services -research-hub.auckland.ac.nz
Remote working issues: Please refer to the remote working page. If you do not find the answers to your questions, please log a call on the IT Portal for any IT-related issues or contact the Staff Service Centre for other queries.
Two-factor Authentication : Authy
https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/about-us/about-the-university/identity-and-access-management/two-factor-authentication/download-authy-for-desktops.html
YubiKeys work but of course require a USB port.
VPN: Instructions on how to install
VPN, Linux: FortiClient is running fine on Linux. Check the VPN link listed above.
VPN, Mac desktops: (information from April, may be outdated). Students may need IT to make their machines mobile and install FortiClient directly from the website. They will also need to set-up two-factor authentication by downloading an app like “Authy” on their phones and then setting up their University of Auckland account. I suggest people do this part before IT gets to them to make the process faster. To do that, they can use the instructions on this page:
To get a mobile account set up, log a service request or go to one of the service kiosks. It is unclear how this is being done remotely but I am sure this can be done. Please let me Ingo (i.pecher@auckland.ac.nz) know if you have managed to install FortiClient on their macs remotely.
FlexIT and Remote Access
FlexIT is straight-forward for remote access to computing power and programs. Alternatively, check if your project/group or so has a virtual machine. Remote desktop access to specific machines can be set up by IT but may note be reliable. Check the Staff Service Center https://uoaprod.service-now.com/sp.
Remote access is possible to some workstations in the geocomputational lab for research, and on a needs basis. This may be a viable solution for specialized data analysis. Please look into alternatives: It is unclear however, if/how on-site desktops can be maintained, if needed..
FlexIT access and requests: Use the FlexIT form in the IT Portal to request access as a staff member, to ask for an application be added, or to report any issues or faults.
FlexIT, Linux: Please check FlexIT link: https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/students/my-tools/flex-it.html. It does not have any information on Linux but should be useful for “translation”.
Depending on your browser (in particular, Firefox), you also need to do the following, from https://communities.vmware.com/thread/595554.
“…tested with the Horizon 4.8.x and 4.10.x clients and Firefox v64.0. Both are 64bit versions, running on Ubuntu 18.04.1
Download the client from the VMWare Horizon Client for 64-bit Linux
In Firefox, open about:config and click through the warning.
Add a new boolean entry called network.protocol-handler.expose.vmware-view and set the value to false
Create a file called `test.html` somewhere on your computer and put the following in it: test
Open the file in Firefox and click on the link, which should prompt you for a path to open the link.
Select /usr/bin/vmware-view and it should work for future uses! “
(1) was provided by UoA but I think it works with generic software from VMWare as well.
Check with Ingo (i.pecher@auckland.ac.nz) if you run into problems.
Software licenses: Software vendors have relaxed their licensing to allow students to install software at home, rather than relying on Flex IT. There is a running list here https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/students/my-tools/flex-it/install-software.html
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