Issue 68 – Monday 8th November, 2021
Contents
HeadsUp
The final comment in an email from a workmate last week read: “I think I hit the motivational low point today”. Two aspects struck me. First, the candid admission itself, and second the implied fatigue.
I’m not sure I would have encountered that sort of frank postscript from other than a close colleague in previous years. On the upside, for all the slog of this lockdown year it’s brought many of us closer in solidarity. Just as lockdowns have led to a more porous landscape of work (being party to passing kids and cats on zoom etc), so too there’s been a growing porosity of emotional terrain. We are increasingly giving voice to feelings as well as considered thoughts. All positive in my books.
“Being professional” is all very well but a veneer of efficiency can at times mask how we really are doing. I wouldn’t want to see a zoom meeting become a group therapy session. Nonetheless admissions of how we are doing that reach deeper than a passing courtesy offer opportunities for words of solidarity. Or, if deeper revelations of difficulty emerge, perhaps practical offers of assistance. This, of all times, is a time to be real.
The second aspect of that comment about hitting a motivational low point is this: so many of us (the majority even) are deeply tired. Tired of, among other things: confinement, 2-D work-life, living according to Covid-related regulations, being harnessed to our laptops, not being able to make plans and, for some, a sense of exile from family and close friends.
I see it as no coincidence that this comment about motivation was offered the day after our all-staff Wrap-up session and from someone I regard as one of my more highly motivated workmates. In a sense it can feel like a bitter pill that with the External Review and the Curriculum Transformation Project we are presented with the challenge for change at the very time we hunger for elusive ‘normality’ and stability.
I suspect we all deeply crave and need a break and I sincerely hope you’re all planning on one, as much as we can plan in these times. I also suspect we need to catch breath and see that, on balance, the Review affirmed at least as much as it nudged and challenged. But along the way towards a School-wide response, I’d just ask we ‘do a Jacinda’ and be kind to each other, giving others the benefit of the doubt.
And, be kind to ourselves. Unplug when we can (and I’m writing an exhortation to myself as much as others here) to find those deep breaths, quiet moments and restorative places that can offer a little ascent out of the times of motivational lows.
It’s not new year yet but never too early for resolutions. A realisation I’ve had is I can no longer keep up the necessary work-week gusto if I work on weekends, as I did most of the year till now. So, feel free to email me on a weekend, but I’m off-air until Monday morning. In emergencies there’s always the phone. At this weary end of the year, and as the weather improves, I encourage others to do the same….
One of the gifts of being in this Acting Head role is having a bird’s eye perspective (or, in light of Bird of the Year result, is that a bat’s radar understanding?) of how incredibly passionate people in our School are about their research and engagement with the world. While the Wrap-up session didn’t literally wrap up the year I hope it’s been a prompt to look ahead to the summer (in all its uncertainties). I hope we can all see ways to re-find motivation. And I hope we can all reflect on how we can move forward in a time when environmental change (university-based, nationally covid-driven, and at large on Earth) is both the present and future rolled into one.
A few other matters
- Reiterated congratulations to Marden Grant recipients: Tara Coleman (‘Lived experience and geography of young-onset Parkinson’s disease’) and Nick Lewis, with Tom Baker and Emma Sharp (‘Global management consultancies, extra statecraft, and the great reset’)
- Thanks to Platform and Committee leads who have prepared budget bids for 2022. The School Finance committee is meeting this week to consider these against our allocation.
- As many of you will know as part of our budget bid in the 3 Year plan we were granted a Lectureship in Environmental Science. The position description has now been drafted and approved by Steering Group and we hope it’s out in the world soon.
- Finally, the opportunity the opportunity to gather as a School off-zoom to mark the end of the year seems to be slipping away, so as a reminder of the delight of being together here is a pic from the all-staff ‘Retreat’ back in June:
Robin Kearns 08/11/21
Whakawhanaungatanga – Communities
A new arrival
Brendon Blue would like to let everyone know that he and Octavia’s wee boy arrived on Labour Day morning. “Marius (Alexander Salvatore Calder-Dawe) Blue – yes he isn’t short of middle names – is small (born 2.6kg) but well-formed. Inheriting his dad’s appetite is serving him well, and he has already regained and now surpassed his birth weight. After being in and out of hospital a bit over the last week, for Mum rather than him, we are now settling into a rather different kind home life down here in Wellington”
Congratulations to the proud parents in Wellington …and to Lyndsay here.
Media Release from the Marsden Project,
PhD student Anthony Shorrock joins a large team of international scientists, led by Dr Lorna Strachan from University of Auckland, investigating whether long-term sea-level rise associated with climate change, impacts the frequency of volcanic eruptions and earthquakes.
Click here to access the media release article
Half-Earth Day 2021, online conference
Prof. Costello was an invited speaker at the “Half-Earth Day 2021” online conference on 22nd October with over 3,000 registrations and in the eminent company of David Attenborough, E O Wilson, Johan Rockström and others.
IT Committee – “Big Data”
We may have additional end-of-year funding for “Big Data” purchases. Please contact Michael Martin (Michael.Martin@auckland.ac.nz) if you are interested. We encourage specifically purchases of data for research and/or teaching from which several ENV members will benefit, ideally across disciplines.
Please let us know by Wed., 10 Nov. evening.
We should also have more information on the potential level of funding by then.
Thank you, Michael and Ingo
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
School of Environment Research Awards Function
Please join us at School of Environment Research Awards Function which will take place on the 9th of November from 11:00 – 12:30 on Zoom.
Join Zoom Meeting
https://auckland.zoom.us/j/8698433089
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\
Erionite Webinar with Dr Jasmine Rita Petriglieri, Tues 16 Nov 2021, 6:00pm
Dr Jasmine Rita Petriglieri will be presenting about ‘Natural Occurrences of Asbestos in New Caledonia.
Development of new tools for risk evaluation in natural sites’. Please click the link below for more information and the zoom link.
Attachment for more info + Zoom Meeting
NEW DATE: School of Environment Online Seminar, 19 Nov 2021, 1-3pm
Friday 19th November 1-3PM : School of Environment online Seminar: Engaging in the changing environmental policy and legislative landscape
Join us for an interactive 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 in an interactive discussion with Dr Alison Collins, the Chief Science Advisor of the Ministry for the Environment and Professor Ken Hughey, the Chief Science Advisor of the Department of Conservation.
The School of Environment teams up with Koi Tu Centre for Informed Futures for this special online seminar.
Register now: Engaging in the changing environmental policy and legislative landscape Tickets, Fri 19/11/2021 at 1:00 PM | Eventbrite
ResBaz Aotearoa/NZ 2021, 22-26 November
We, the Centre for eResearch, LOVE the usual ResBaz 3-day cohort event that is full of digital research skills workshops, social activities, and amazing food. However, like last year, we find ourselves having to imagine chatting over donuts or nachos.
Join us for any of the 42+ FREE & ONLINE digital research skills workshops – https://resbaz.auckland.ac.nz
Shorts sessions offer a brief practical introduction to a broad selection of topics and tools related to digital research practice relevant across disciplines – research data management, using Jupyter Notebooks, Linux commandline, open access, writing in LaTeX, research compute, Tidy Data, Open Refine, creating surveys with Qualtrics, qualitative analysis with NVivo, GLAM workbench, working with social media data, managing genomics data, Māori and Pacific research using digital tools, etc.
Longer sessions provide a hands-on learning experience delivered by research staff and postgraduate students in a range of topics – Google Earth Engine, version control of documents and code, R and RStudio, Python, producing publication ready figures, building personal websites, .. and much more.
We welcome ALL Aotearoa /NZ researchers and postgraduate students from ANY discipline to look at the schedule and book for individual sessions. Research technologists, librarians and those who support researchers should also come along!
Environment Examiners’ Meetings for Semester 2 on Zoom
Tuesday 23 November
- Earth Sciences: 0900-1030
- Environmental Science: 1100-1230
- Geography: 1400-1600
The deadline for completing exam marking and submitting them on canvas is Friday 19 November, 9 am.
The zoom link will send by email when it is close to the meeting date.
Submission of Final Grade Deadline – Thu 25 November, 3 pm
- The final grades are submitted electronically through Canvas only after the Examiners’ meeting
- For guidance on submitting final grades from Canvas, see the Canvas final grades submission process on the Examinations webpage
- From this semester, there is no need for submitting the Grade Approval Sheets, and we will replace them with our Final Grade Submission Notification
- Once completed, it will automatically generate an email and send it to the Results, Course director, Examiners/Assessors.
AKO
FOS: Teaching and Learning Symposium 2021 – Tuesday 16th November 10-3pm
Click here to access the Programme Schedule
New programme: Master of Environmental Management
We will soon be offering a new 180 point taught masters degree in Environmental Management. This has just been given the go-ahead from the Committee on University Academic Programmes (CUAP) and will be available from Semester 1, 2022. It builds upon the long-established PGDipSci and MSc options, and the existing foundations of critical social science will be augmented with new courses with a more applied focus. The fairly tight programme and the core course (701) will ensure that all students get a coherent and well-rounded experience, but with space to include courses from related subjects, as well.
With our recently-appointed new colleagues we will be able to roll out a full programme in 2022:
Semester 1
- ENVMGT 741: Social Change for Sustainability (Georgia Pigott)
- ENVMGT 744: Resource Management (Karen Fisher)
- ENVMGT 749: Environmental Sociotechnologies (Emma Sharp)
- ENVMGT 751: River Management (Gary Brierley)
Semester 2
- ENVMGT 701: Environmental Management in Practice (Brad Coombes + other staff)
- ENVMGT 742: Social Dimensions of Global Environmental Change (Meg Parson)
- ENVMGT 746: Collaborative Environmental Management (Brad Coombes)
- ENVMGT: 748: Coastal Management (Emma Ryan)
Brad Coombes is the Environmental Management programme adviser.
Rangahau – Research
Marsden – bid writing support
Please contact Kathryn or Franca if you’re going to apply for a Marsden grant this year and would like to request bid writing support. Three levels of support is available (general proof reading; editorial review; or full bid development) Please submit your request by mid December at the latest. Note funding is limited, and not all requests will be able to be supported.
Research Projects impacted by Covid-19
Please advise your RPC if any of your research projects have been impacted by Covid-19 so we can discuss options to resolve impacts. Note, key information on research continuity through COVID-19 is being updated regularly via COVID-19: Researcher continuity support and information.
Antarctica field work
Any one preparing funding bids that involve fieldwork in Antarctica is encouraged to contact Esme Robinson (e.robinson@antarcticanz.govt.nz) Science Programme Advisor, at Antarctica New Zealand early in the development of their research plan so that they can support the preparation of a logistically feasible application.
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
Plastics Innovation Fund
***Application Deadline 20 June 2022***
The purpose of the Plastics Innovation Fund is to support projects that will minimise plastic waste and its harm on the environment. The fund is seeking to fund projects that find ways to use less plastic and make what we do use reusable or recyclable. It is targeted at projects that: minimise plastic waste; support circular solutions; protect the environment from harm; support the reduction of imported plastic; and improve the behaviour of people and businesses (up the waste hierarchy). For further information visit the funder website or refer the Funder guidelines. You can also view a One-hour webinar about the fund
Funding Call
Near-Miss Fund
***Application Deadline 22 November***
The purpose is to provide support to PIs who successfully progressed to the second stage of a major external funding round but missed out at the final stage. The fund will provide up to $10,000 for research activity that will improve the chances of the project’s success in a future round. We envisage being able to fund up to 10 applications in the 2021 round. Note – targeted funders are MBIE, HRC and Marsden or similar (the deadline has been set so that unsuccessful Marsden applicants will have time to submit an application if they wish). The Near Miss Fund Guidelines and Application form can be found on the staff intranet.
Fostering Collaborations fund
***Application Deadline 22 November***
This fund is to provide support to clusters of staff wishing to develop and deepen collaborations across the Faculty and beyond. The fund will provide up to $20,000 for research-related activity that will support initiatives that may:
- a) Lead to the development of a School/Department, Faculty, or University level Research Centre under the new Research Centres policy
- b) Continue and enhance the activities facilitated by those existing Faculty Research Themes that are still active
- c) Enhance existing or seed new transdisciplinary research collaborations
- d) Lead to the submission of a collaborative bid to an external research funding agency
We envisage being able to support up to 15 applications in the 2021 round. The Fostering Collaborations Fund Guidelines and Application form can be found on the staff intranet.
Transport Research Scholarships
***Application Deadline 12 November***
Te Manatū Waka–Ministry of Transport and Waka Kotahi, NZ Transport Agency have established, and jointly fund, new Transport Research Scholarships. The scholarships were established to support students undertaking postgraduate research focusing on transport and its role and impact on Aotearoa New Zealand society. Many of the suggested topics are Engineering/Science related but there are also topics relating to sustainability, wellbeing, supply chains, data governance, economic productivity, equity, infrastructure, compliance. You can find all the details using these links:
Transport Research Scholarships | Universities New Zealand – Te Pōkai Tara (universitiesnz.ac.nz)
Transport Research Scholarships Regulations.pdf (universitiesnz.ac.nz)
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
Publications
Montaño, J., Coco, G., Chataigner, T., Yates, M., Le Dantec, N., Suanez, S., Cagigal, L., Floc’h, F. and Townend, I., 2021. Time‐scales of a Dune‐Beach System and Implications for Shoreline Modelling. Journal of Geophysical Research: Earth Surface, p.e2021JF006169.
Jefferson T., Costello MJ, Zhao Q, Lundquist C. 2021. Conserving threatened marine species and biodiversity requires 40% ocean protection. Biological Conservation 264, 109368.
Costello MJ, Dekeyzer S, Galil BS, Hutchings P, Katsanevakis S, Pagad S, Robinson TB, Turon X, Vandepitte L, Vanhoorne B, Verfaille K, Willan RC, Rius M. 2021. Introducing the World Register of Introduced Marine Species (WRiMS). Management of Biological Invasions, in press.
Manes S, Grey, K-A, Debnath A, Costello MJ, Vale MM. 2021. Imperiled by climate change: global biodiversity rich-spots. In: Reference Module in Earth Systems and Environmental Sciences, Elsevier, 2021, ISBN 9780124095489, https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-821139-7.00162-8
Costello MJ. 2021. Biodiversity conservation through protected areas supports healthy ecosystems and resilience to climate change and other disturbances. In: Reference Module in Earth Systems and Environmental Sciences, Elsevier, ISBN 9780124095489.
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