Issue 66 – Monday 11th October 2021
Contents
HeadsUp
I was clearing out in the dusty, spider-colonised space under the old homestead on the weekend and came across a heavy box with large objects wrapped in newsprint. On close inspection the wrapping was sheets of 1989 copies of the NZ Herald. In the late afternoon light this felt like domestic archaeology. Unwrapping the objects revealed large geological specimens: a weighty large chunk of petrified wood, a massive piece of cinnabar, a rather impressively patterned split concretion. I had no recollection of the specimens or where I got them. I suspect my late parents may have delivered the box in an attempt to decant the last of my stuff from their own basement. My complete blank re their origins reminded me of a story in the Guardian recently of Paul McCartney saying he had absolutely no recollection of the existence of a recently unearthed song co-written with John Lennon. The results of aging perhaps. And so much water under the proverbial bridge.
I did find my discovery of the box of rocks from younger days a timely reminder of how we can become distanced from earlier preoccupations. This is particularly applicable with respect to student experience. We academics can so easily imagine we recall what its like to be students but, really, to what extent? As Bob Dylan plaintively sings in that great song ‘Like a Rolling Stone’ (not an unrelated connection to that wrapped box of specimens, even though only the concretion is roll-able) “how does it feel?”. And, by extension, how much to we lose touch with how it feels?
One small step to ensuring we are reminded how being a student feels is on the way. Thanks to an initiative advanced by JC and the Whakawhanaungatanga platform, we have the prospect of a firmer student voice within the governance structures of our School. This is one welcome way in which especially those greying (or greyed) among us will, optimistically, maintain a more immediate sense of student hopes, aspirations and challenges. That these changes are afoot is another testament to the creativity and commitment of colleagues….and the benefits of a distributed leadership structure in our School.
Robin Kearns 11 10 21
Coming up:
• Led by Mila Adam, we now have an officially mandated Outreach Committee. Assisting Mila are: Martin Brook, Nick Richards, Emma Sharp, Thomas Mules, Melissa Bowen, Sonia Fonua, Giovanni Coco, Lauren Baal (student rep), a second student rep still TBA, Paul Oluwunmi (fellows/PD rep)
• Soon it will be Marsden EOI time again. Rangahau has plans afoot for a process to assist prospective submitters. More on this soon. But do ponder ideas!
• Sila is kindly stepping in as Acting Head of Rangahau while Melanie is away on parental leave soon. All the best Melanie and thanks Sila!
• Thanks to all who participated in discussions with the School External Review panel. A little awkward by zoom, but we did it. I look forward to sharing their recommendations when they are to hand.
• We have just received our budget for 2022 are still ‘digesting’ its implications. Platform and budget-holding committee leads will soon be asked for their budget requests.
• Finally our Annual End of Year Wrap Up all-staff occasion was to be a catered lunch and all-afternoon occasion on Wed 3 November . This will now be zoom and just for 2 hours: Please ensure you have 2-4pm diaried, with virtual drinks to follow. I will be in contact re contributions from Platforms and other inclusions in the programme. This is only 2 hours. Attendance by all staff is expected as with all three (and only 3) all-staff academic events.
• [If levels permit the end of year party will be Friday 3 Dec…but more on that to come..]
Whakawhanaungatanga – Communities
Supervisor Development
Dr Hugh Kearns gave a very useful fabulous webinar on the 7th October called ‘Giving Good Feedback’ and if you didn’t have time for the 2 hour session it may still be worth having a look at the slides and notes distributed.
You can access the notes and the slides of the webinar by clicking the links below:
Feedback(Auckland)(Supervisor) slides
My Feedback Style – self assessment sheet
You also might also be interested in the following supervisor development sessions coming up:
Supervision: Masters and small projects Facilitator: ‘Ema Wolfgramm-Foliaki Date: 19 October Time: 1000-1100 Book in Career Tools
Supervision: Managing Conflict Facilitator: Desiree Dickerson Date: 21 October Time: 1600-1730 Book in Career Tools
Research Supervision Masterclass Date: Nov 2nd Time: 1000-1230 Book in Career Tools
Student Support
If students are struggling support is available:
Te Papa Manaaki | Campus Care https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/students/student-support/te-papa-manaaki-campus-care.html
Financial Support https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/study/fees-and-money-matters/financial-support.html
Covid will have likely have impacted progress for many so there are Postgraduate Extensions and Fee Waivers programmes. Note International students will need to consider visas!
Honours and Masters (as you know who will have been impacted please don’t wait for the last few days before the submission deadline to apply!)
Doctoral
If any doctoral students are ‘twiddling their thumbs’ because they can’t get into labs or do fieldwork it may be a good time for them to generally upskill:
Note to supervisors: Domestic PhD Admissions of those eligible for the guaranteed University of Auckland Doctoral Scholarships are up so it has become even more competitive for international applicants. Please manage expectations around this as you communicate with international enquiries.
Upcoming Events
PhD Proposal Seminar, 14 Oct 2021, 2pm
On Thursday 14th October, Jordan Swann will present his PhD proposal titled ‘Magmatic Controls on Eruption Potential at Mt Taranaki’.
Everyone is invited to join the zoom event. Please click this link to attend.
Zoom ID: 943 4067 8529 Code: 181138
For any enquires please email: env-pgadmin@auckland.ac.nz
The Annual Geoscience Society of New Zealand Hochstetter Lecture presented by Dan Hikuroa, 19 Oct 2021, 7pm
Dan Hikuroa from the University of Auckland will be giving the annual Geoscience Society of New Zealand Hochstetter Lecture “Encouraging plural methods and values as the foundation for cross-cultural research collaborations” on Tuesday 19th October at 7pm by zoom.
Encouraging cross-cultural research collaborations in the natural hazards and earth system sciences is the central theme of this Hochstetter lecture. We will offer perspectives as insider-outsider researchers on completed as well as ongoing research projects with iwi and hapū authorities. We will also reflect on research framing, inductive methodologies and collaborative methods of inquiry when working at the interface between mātauranga Māori and science. The way projects were initiated, planned, approved, managed, and delivered will be shared, including discussion of research ethics, cross-disciplinary research personnel, and commitments to relationships before partnerships. We hope the presentation will clarify the multiple benefits to be gained by learning from differences in knowledge, practice, and belief, and how engaging in this work can help to promote “plural spaces” of learning about natural hazards and environmental processes in Aotearoa-New Zealand.
Join from a PC, Mac, iPad, iPhone or Android device:
Please click this URL to join.
Passcode: 583652
*** Feel free to advertise to any other networks or classes that would be interested.
Ako Innovation H5P Practical Tips 2: How to create interactive videos for online teaching – 20 Oct 2021, 11-12pm
https://auckland.zoom.us/j/93879578155
RTEA Te Rōpū Taiao – AGM and Executive Committee Election, 22 Oct 2021, 4-5pm
RTEA Te Rōpū Taiao – Environment Association; is a student based association that strives to integrate all community aspects and disciplines of the School of Environment (including but not limited to Geography, Earth science, Geospatial, and Environmental). We are holding our Inaugural Annual General Meeting and executive committee election on Friday 22nd October from 4-5pm via zoom (https://auckland.zoom.us/j/93098745600). All students and interested staff are invited to attend, with the chance to win 1 of 3 $20 vouchers for participating in the voting. We are now accepting nominations for the roles of President, Treasurer, Secretary, Equity Rep and expression of interest for non elected committee membership via a google form https://tinyurl.com/RTEAagm . We look forward to sharing our highlights of the year and plans for the future with you all.
ENV Masters Research Seminars, 27 Oct 2021
REVISED SCHEDULE & ONLINE DELIVERY
Due to alert levels and university restrictions, we have made the decision to change this event to a series of live online Zoom Meetings. This will be a valuable opportunity for ENV masters students to get feedback, and all staff and PG students are encouraged to attend.
27 Oct 2021 Convenor: Phil Shane (general enquires)
Session 1: 9-11 am, Geol, Geophys, Earth Sci topics Chair: Martin Brook (contact) https://auckland.zoom.us/j/97684741989 Meeting ID: 976 8474 1989
Session 2: 11 am -12 noon, Env Sci & similar topics Chair: Luitgard Schwendenmann (contact) https://auckland.zoom.us/j/92077976961 Meeting ID: 920 7797 6961
Session 3: 1 -3.30 pm, Geography, Env Manag. & similar topics Chair: Karen Fisher (contact) https://auckland.zoom.us/j/91488686946
Click Here – for the word document of the schedule
ESP Mini Conference 2021: Save the Date!
The Auckland Emerging Spatial Professionals are excited to announce this year’s mini conference (covid permitting). More information to follow but for now – keep Saturday 13th November 2021 free in your calendars!
Register here: https://fb.me/e/HS2t88dX\
School of Environment Rangahau Committee Seminar, 17 Nov 2021, 1-3pm
Wednesday 17th November 1-3PM : The School of Environment Rangahau Committee presents an online Seminar on University Researchers’ Engagement with Policy and Practice.
Join us for an interactive School-wide afternoon discussion on Aotearoa New Zealand’s much anticipated new Resource Management legislation. Find out about ways that your research might help inform policy and practice as you learn about government evidence provisioning from the Chief Science Advisors of MfE and DoC.
More details coming soon…
Rangahau – Research
School of Environment Marsden Club
All potential applicants to the next RSNZ Marsden round, are warmly invited to the inaugural meeting of the School of Environment Marsden club which will be held via zoom on Tuesday 26 October from 1-2pm. We’ll hear tips and advice from previous applicants, share useful resources and outline support arrangements to develop a successful application. Please email Sila (katarzyna.sila-nowicka@auckland.ac.nz) or Kathryn Howard (Kathryn.howard@auckland.ac.nz) or use the zoom link below if you’d like to join in.
https://auckland.zoom.us/j/94588258562?pwd=NDZoekRnTzlwdE5wK3dHNC9keGFPdz09
Kind regards
Kathryn
“PLEASE NOTE key information on research continuity through COVID-19 is being updated regularly via COVID-19: Researcher continuity support and information”
Announcing two research positions in Mātauranga Māori
Dan Hikuroa and Jan Lindsay are excited to offer two new research positions exploring the interface between Mātauranga Māori and Earth Science – one at the level of Research Fellow or equivalent, and one for a PhD student. The PhD student will focus on the Auckland Volcanic Field. Both positions will be full time for a period of 3 years, starting as soon as possible.
Please pass on to any colleagues and students who might be interested in applying!
Here is the link to more information:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Xw_ae20HZfr07PA6RV6aodRsyXOU8L1O/view?usp=sharing
Summer Research Scholarship – Late Submission
Hi all,
Please find attached the guidelines for the new application process for late submissions for Summer Research Scholarships.
Please note the following:
- The form that was filled out in previous years will no longer be accepted. Instead, there is a spreadsheet that can be accessed via Teams which needs to be filled out. This is a Faculty of Science Teams folder, access will be given to the GSMs, GSCs, RPMs and RPCs. If there is anyone else that you think needs access, please let me know.
- The last day to add SRS details to the Teams spreadsheet is 29th October. After this date, Finance will submit the form to the Scholarships Office. This is to ensure that there is sufficient time for the Scholarships Office to process the applications before the SRS programmes begin in November/December.
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact jess.davis@auckland.ac.nz
Student Sustainability Research Awards
We welcome applications for the Faculty of Science Student Sustainability Research Awards. Awards of up to $2,000 each are available to students within the Faculty of Science to support the student’s living costs. $2,000 will be awarded for a full year project that is located within a formal qualification, for example an Honours dissertation, or a Masters or PhD project. For shorter projects up to $500 will be awarded.
The awards are open to applications from postgraduate students who are undertaking a research project and are enrolled (or have recently completed) in the Faculty of Science (or whose primary discipline is administered through the FoS). Supervisors with a project can identify a suitable student and encourage them to apply. Applications for small projects that are not a formal part of the student’s degree or diploma programme will be considered. Preference will be given to non-doctoral students and those without an existing stipend.
Please note that projects can be supervised by any University of Auckland staff member.
This round of awards is suitable for current or recently completed Masters or PhD students, or students who would like to undertake a project over the summer. For students intending to begin their Honours or Masters projects next year we ask that you instead wait to apply in our first 2022 round, which will open in April 2022.
Applications for this round will close at 5pm on Thursday 4 November
For more details, including application forms, please check this link.
Research Assistant position available
The Sustainability Practices for a Future-focussed Faculty Initiative is concerned with finding gaps and opportunities for the Faculty of Science (FoS) to achieve a higher degree of sustainability. The research team is examining potential pathways for transitioning to new ways of doing things regarding our carbon emissions, lab-based teaching and research, and our sustainability mindset. The team is seeking input from the Faculty of Science’s staff and postgraduate students, which will help inform the University’s sustainability strategy. Engagement will include interviews and surveys. The data will be collected and coded in NVivo with the support of three Research Assistants (RAs), and the analysis and insights will be informed by transition theory frameworks. The initiative is led by Robin Kearns, Gillian Lewis (Associate Dean Sustainability), and Caroline Roughneen (FoS Strategic Projects Manager). The initiative leaders have appointed a Research Fellow (RF), Dr Barbara Ribeiro, to act as Project Lead (designing the research structure, providing a theoretical grounding, and day to day project management). We are seeking a further suitably qualified RA experienced in conducting interviews and undertaking qualitative research. Theis researcher would start at the primary data collection phase (mid-October) and continue until the project is completed by December 17th. Pay rate to be assessed by experience and qualifications by HR. For further information and /or to apply, please contact Barbara at b.ribeiro@auckland.ac.nz.
Funding Call
MBIE 2022 Endeavour Fund: transforming New Zealand’s future
***Smart Ideas Registration Deadline 22 October***
The Fund aims too:
• support research science or technology, or related activities that have high potential to positively transform Aotearoa New Zealand’s economic, environmental, and societal outcomes, and give effect to the Vision Mātauranga policy; and
• drive an increasing focus on: excellent research; and, the potential for impact in areas of future value, growth or critical need for Aotearoa New Zealand.
Smart Ideas are intended to catalyse and rapidly test promising, innovative research ideas with high potential for benefit to New Zealand, to enable refresh and diversity in the science portfolio.
• Value: $0.4 – $1 million over the term of the contract
• Duration: 2 or 3 years
• Registration Deadline – Friday 22 October 2021
• Concepts Deadline – Tuesday 16 November 2021
Research Programmes are intended to support ambitious, excellent, and well-defined research ideas which will have credible and high potential to positively transform New Zealand’s future in areas of future value, growth, or critical need (as set out in the Investment Signals).
• Value: $0.5 million or more per year
• Duration: 3, 4 or 5 years
• Registration deadline: Tuesday, 30 November 2021
• Full proposal: Friday 18 February 2022
Guidelines and other important documents are available from your RPC or via the MBIE Endeavour Fund Website.
Support initiatives: There are a number of support initiatives running for both Smart Idea and Research Programmes. If you intend to apply and haven’t yet made contact with your RPC please do so asap.
MBIE 2022 Te Pūnaha Hihiko: Vision Mātauranga Capability Fund
The Fund aims to:
- strengthen capability, capacity, skills and networks between Māori and the science and innovation system, and
- increase understanding of how research can contribute to the aspirations of Māori organisations and deliver benefit for Aotearoa
Funding is available through two schemes, each in support of the Fund’s aims:
- Connect Scheme: Build new connections between Māori organisations and the science and innovation system
- Placement scheme: Enhance the development of an individual(s) through placement in a Partner organisation
The work programme term for both Connect and Placement schemes is up to 2 years.
- $150,000 (ex GST) – max funding per proposal for projects up to 1 year in length
- $250,000 (ex GST) – max funding per proposal between 1-2 years in length
Key elements (see Call for Proposals for full eligibility requirements):
- Proposals must be co-developed with a Māori organisation (with either UoA or Māori organisation as lead contractor, and the other as the partner organisation)
- Proposals must include co-funding at a minimum of 10% of requested amount
- Proposals must not include any full-time tertiary or school students
- For the placement scheme, the proposal must name the placement individual(s)
- Funding must not be for activities for the same purpose already funded by any government agency
- Research project must directly strive to achieve the Fund’s aims and support the themes and outcomes of MBIE’s Vision Mātauranga policy (Indigenous Innovation, Taiao, Hauora/Oranga, Mātauranga (and not solely address hauora/health
For further information, please visit the funders website
Internal Deadline: 12 noon, Tuesday 2 November 2021
Proposal support: This scheme has been designated as a ‘High Value Bid’ based on the close strategic alignment with University priorities. Additional proposal development support will be available, in the form of a webinar/Q&A session, assessment panel, and potential bid-writing support. Please get in touch with your RPC to register your interest in this funding scheme for further information.
MBIE are also hosting a webinar on 12 October to talk you through the application process and answer your questions. Register here
Catalyst Fund: Seeding (Round 3)
This fund 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: A maximum of NZ$80,000 (excl. GST) is available per proposal for projects lasting up to two years.
Internal Deadline: 5 pm Tuesday 12 October 2021
For further information, please visit the funders website
Catalyst Fund: NZ – Japan Joint Research Projects
Funding for research exchanges, research activities, and expenses related to hosting meetings in collaboration with Japanese researchers. Up to 3 joint research projects may be funded in the current round.
Value: Up to $30,000 per annum for up to two years
∙ The NZ PI and the Japanese PI must make applications to their respective application administrators in both Japan and NZ. More information can be found on the JSPS website
∙ Please note the application date in Japan (08 September 2021) is earlier than the application deadline in New Zealand
Internal Deadline: 5 pm Tuesday 12 October 2021.
For further information, please visit the funders website
Catalyst Leaders – JSPS HOPE Meeting (Round 3)
HOPE Meetings are held for excellent graduate students and young researchers specially 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
Due to COVID-19 travel restrictions the HOPE Meeting will take place online.
Eligibility:
(1) Be a PhD student or young researcher (receiving their PhDs after 2 April 2016) with a record of excellent academic performance
(2) Be able to participate in the entire Meeting programme
(3) Not have been selected to participate in any past HOPE Meetings
Internal Deadline: 5 pm Tuesday 12 October 2021
Publications
Pyle R.L., Barik SK, Saroj K, Christidis, L., Conix, S., Costello, M.J., van Dijk, P.P., Garnett, S.T., Hobern, D., Kirk PM, Lien, A.M., Orrell TM, Remsen D, Thomson S.A., ·Wambiji N, Zachos, F.E., Zhang, Z-Q., Thiele, K.R. 2021. Towards a global list of accepted species V: the devil is in the detail. Organisms Diversity & Evolution. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13127-021-00504-0
Sayre R, Butler K, Van Graafeiland K, Breyer S, Wright D, Frye C, Karagulle D, Martina M, Cress J, Allen T, Allee RJ, Parsons R, Nyberg B, Costello MJ, Harris P, Muller-Karger F. 2021. A global ecological classification of coastal segment units to complement Marine Biodiversity Observation Network (MBON) assessments. Oceanography,. https://doi.org/10.5670/oceanog.2021.219
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
Please email content to Isabella for next edition of P-cubed by Friday