Issue 105 – Monday 31 July 2023
Contents
HeadsUp
As employees of the University, we’re used to reading between the lines, but rarely are we colouring between them. At a recent School morning tea celebrating Matariki, we were doing just that (see below for proof). Many thanks to Debbie Larkins and her mum(!!) for home-made treats, and to the Equity Committee for sponsoring.
And thanks go to teaching staff, administrative staff and our many teaching assistants within the School for getting the semester under way. Do I sense that our students are slowly getting into the swing of on-campus life? It seems to be moving, pleasingly, in that direction.
– Tom (filling in for Robin while he’s on a short stint of leave)
And a short PS from a just returned Head of School
I had a great 1.5 weeks in Fiordland looking at glaciated landscapes from the sea and learning of pest control and bird relocation efforts on various islands in the past and present. Big thanks to Tom for ‘holding the fort’ as Acting HoS.
This week is a momentous one in the staffing of the School as we hold seminar and interviews for the GISci Lectureship we were granted upon Michael Martin’s departure.
Time zones and a shortlist of entirely UK/Europe-base candidates mean we need to engage with potential colleagues at times outside our usual working hours. Attending a seminar by Teams is ‘work’ and I cannot expect you to work evenings. Nonetheless, if family and other commitments permit, it would be superb if as many of you as possible joined by Teams to hear our candidates talk tonight Monday 31st, Wed 2nd and Monday 7th at 8pm. Patricia has sent out the links. I am open to hearing any feedback from staff to feed into the selection deliberations. Thanks!
Robin
General Announcements
School of Environment – Internal Seminar Series
A New Explosive Eruption History for the Tongan Volcanic Arc by Annahlise Hall (PhD Proposal)
Date and time: Tue, 1 Aug 2023 @ 1pm, 301-411
2023 Cumberland Lecture
Ownership in contemporary capitalism and why it matters – Professor Brett Christophers
Date and time: Tue, 1 Aug 2023; 5:00 PM – 6:00 PM; Building 303, SLT1/303-G01
The 2023 Cumberland lecture is scheduled for Tuesday August 1. It will be delivered by Brett Christophers, who after completing his PhD at Auckland has gone on to become one of Economic Geography’s most well-known international voices and a celebrated public intellectual. Brett is a professor in the Department of Human Geography and the Institute for Housing and Urban Research at Sweden’s Uppsala University. An alumnus of the University of Auckland, Brett is the author of a series of hard-hitting book and a periodic commentator in some of the world’s more high-brow media outlets such as The Guardian. Brett’s research explores the question of ownership in contemporary capitalism and focuses steadfastly on why ownership matters.
Brett will be around the School for the week and will be giving a range of talks to students, public groups and officials in Auckland, Wellington, and Christchurch over the coming two weeks, as well as catching up with old friends. He is being hosted by the Policy, Economies, and Place research group (https://pep.blogs.auckland.ac.nz/)
Please register at (https://2023cumberlandannuallecture.eventbrite.co.nz) (abstract embedded).
Hiring – Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) Technologist
I am excited to announce that we have commenced recruitment for a Technologist position in preparation for the imminent installation of ENVs new Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) in around 17 weeks.
To apply, please visit our UoA External Job Page: https://smrtr.io/fLnjs
This role is responsible for providing operational and analytical expertise and support for Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) equipment and specialised laboratory facilities managed by the School of Environment in order to support teaching and research activities.
Job Description
Te Whiwhinga mahi | The opportunity
This role is responsible for providing operational and analytical expertise and support for Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) equipment and specialised laboratory facilities managed by the School of Environment in order to support teaching and research activities.
Skills and Knowledge
- Able to operate specialised laboratory equipment, including the Scanning Electron Microscope (FE-SEM), according to documented protocols
- Demonstrated experience and fundamental knowledge of microscopy and microanalysis, including but not limited to secondary electron imaging (SE), backscattered electron imaging (BSE) and panchromatic cathodoluminescence (CL).
- A strong background in polarised light microscopy
- Demonstrated experience in technique development of microanalysis using SEM
- Previous experience with variable-pressure electron microscopy
- Hands-on experience with sample preparation techniques, including thin sections, epoxy grain mounts, loose particles, and large samples, and knowledge of various sample holders
#hiring #development #environment #uoa #universityofauckland
Regards,
Blair Sowman
Technical Manager | School of Environment | The University of Auckland | DDI: (09) 373 7599 Ext. 84128
Whakawhanaungatanga – Communities
School of Environment – BBQ
Date & time: Fri 4 August 2023 @ 12pm | Location: Near the Volleyball Courts, behind OGH
Missing Maps University of Auckland event
“Come map for good (and free pizza) on Wednesday 9th August @ 17.30, Level 6 breakout space
You and your laptop are all that is required.
Digital Teaching Skills Workshop – TAIAO Tutor Community of Practice
With the use of technology increasingly prevalent within the teaching and learning environment, becoming comfortable with how to utilise the various software and technology available is an important aspect of your teaching skillset.
The next tutor skills workshop will be focused around digital teaching skills, covering some of the software that you might use when teaching (e.g. Zoom, Mural, Mentimeter).
This is scheduled for Week 4: Friday August 11th from 10-11:30am. Morning tea will be provided.
ENV Coastal and Marine Geoscience Seminar
Date and time: Mon 14 August 2023, 12-1pm
Location: Ontology Lab (302.551) or Zoom (for zoom link or enquiries email: e.ryan@auckland.ac.nz
Whose lecture is it anyway?
The Student Experience Committee has decided to revive the widely-acclaimed Whose lecture is it anyway? event that Joe created back in 2014. The last time our Kura organised one of these events was four years ago so time is due for a third iteration with a new exciting line-up of lecturers.
We look forward to seeing you all, academic and professional staff as well as students of all levels, on Wednesday 16 August at 6 pm in room 303-G02 – PLT2.
The event will be preceded by drinks and nibbles at 5:30 near the entrance of the theatre.
CHANGE ONE THING CHALLENGE – AKO Innovation Committee Grant 2023
Changing your teaching can seem daunting. Where to start? What should be prioritised?
The change one thing challenge encourages us to shift our practice one step at a time. This challenge acknowledges the possibilities and momentum that changing one aspect of our teaching offers.
The Ako Innovation Committee are encouraging staff who have changed one aspect of their teaching within the last two years to apply for this grant if you think it has enhanced student learning and you think that others would benefit from hearing more about.
Please see the more detailed guidelines and the application form is due August 14, noon.
Please contact Mel Wall if you have any questions.
2023 Science Research Showcase
We are thrilled to invite all postgraduate research students at the Faculty of Science to participate in the 2023 Science Research Showcase. Our annual event provides an incredible platform for you to present your research through an academic poster and engage with a diverse audience, including staff and students at the University of Auckland.
The Science Research Showcase aims to celebrate and highlight the exceptional work of our postgraduate students. Whether you are exploring the mysteries of biology, unravelling the secrets of physics, delving into the wonders of chemistry, or breaking new grounds in technology, we want to hear about your research!
To participate, simply submit a digital academic poster and abstract by Friday 25 August 4 pm. We will arrange for your poster to be printed and displayed in the Science Foyer (ground level, building 302) as an exhibition between Monday 11 September and Friday 15 September. You will also get some excellent opportunities to engage in discussions, receive feedback and expand your network during the poster exhibition week.
Please visit the 2023 Science Research Showcase webpage for more information, including the registration link and valuable resources to help you make an engaging academic poster. Should you have any questions or require further information, please don’t hesitate to contact the Science Research Showcase Organising Committee at scienceengagement@auckand.ac.nz. We are here to support you through the entire process. We look forward to seeing your poster entry at the 2023 Science Research Showcase and celebrating your research!
Sign up and join the student association RTEA and the Compass programme
1/ Please do encourage your students to join our student association RTEA. Here are the RTEA Lecture Promotion Slides to show your students at your first few lecturers and encourage them to sign up. Students can sign up as a general member for free to participate in our events, or as a committee member to help out.
2/ The new roster of officers is planning exciting activities for this year and they welcome support and contribution from fellow students. To encourage students to join just use the QR codes for the Facebook page and a Google form to formally sign up: https://rtea.auckland.ac.nz/
3/ Do encourage your PG students to also join our Compass programme. Larissa and her team of captains have planned regular activities to foster students’ wellbeing throughout the year.
4/ The Student Experience Committee (SEC) offers a small budget to course coordinators who would like to order some kai to share with their class. Reach out to JC should you be interested.
Post Graduate Wellbeing ….. where to go
If you are currently coordinating a PG course, could you please post the inforgraphic slide to your Canvas course page so students will know the resources that are available throughout the University.
3k writing grant available for students
Funds are available to support students writing up their thesis as publication(s). Each grant is worth $3000 (120 hours at 25$ all included). There is no deadline to apply. Applications are evaluated as they come by members of Rangahau (2 weeks turn over max.), until we use all the funds available.
Do you have a good candidate in mind? Please complete this form and submit to melanie.kah@auckland.ac.nz.
Rangahau – Research
New Research Group
Kia ora e te whānau
Are you interested in research in the natural resources space with a big focus on helping transform society to a low pollution and sustainable future? I’d like to help build a proactive group of students and staff in this space who come together to discuss research and contribute as critic and conscience of society. I’m imagining a group in which we may differ in our approach to the problem but where we are committed to doing our bit as geoscientists and social scientists for a liveable future.
If you’d like to participate in this group and help make it meaningful, please get in touch with JR (j.rowland@auckland.ac.nz) or Eduardo (eduardo.fritis.perez@auckland.ac.nz) – all students and staff from any field in the geosciences and social sciences welcome.
If you’ve already got something happening in this space and we aren’t involved, let us know so we can be 😉
Thanks JR
Funding for Research Retreats
The Rangahau Committee has a small amount of funding set aside to sponsor Research retreats (e.g grant writing workshops, paper writing). This can be up to 2k per team, with a minimum 2 SoE participants.
If you have an idea that you would like considered, please submit a short paragraph explaining the intention and benefits of the retreat to katarzyna.sila-nowicka@auckland.ac.nz.
Proposal development support
The Rangahau Committee has a small fund set aside to help with proposal development (e.g. writing support, support to scope proposals etc). If you have an idea that fits within this scope please get in touch with Kelly Kilpin to discuss further.
Funding
Announcement
| MBIE Endeavour Support Sessions 2024 | ||
| Support for the 2024 MBIE Endeavour round is currently underway. UniServices have organised a number of events to support your application, please refer to the Research Hub for further details and register at the links below:
· Vision Mātauranga Webinar scheduled on 9th August at 10:00am to 12:00pm · Government Insights Workshop with Rebecca Adams, Director of Government Relations at UniServices, scheduled on 17th August at 9:30am to 12:00pm. https://www.eventbrite.co.nz/e/671721345627 · Expert Panel Sessions are an opportunity for applicants applying to MBIE Research Programmes to informally test their project ideas against the key requirements of the grant, with a panel of experts to guide their thinking (please see the details below).
We anticipate that the round will open in October, however if you do intend to apply this year for either a Smart Idea or Research Programme please get in touch with Kelly Kilpin asap so we can keep you up to date with support offerings and changes for the 2024 round. Please reach out if you have any questions: aul.researchdevelopment@uoa.auckland.ac.nz |
Funding Call
| The George Mason Centre for Natural Environment Call for July 2023 | |||||||||||
| This fund aims to support a diverse range of research projects to address questions within and across different natural ecosystems that demonstrate a direct impact on issues of environmental restoration, conservation and/or sustainability. | |||||||||||
| Types of Grant |
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| Grant Value and Duration | A total of $400,000 is available in this round, with that sum in total spread over up to 3 years. | ||||||||||
| Submission Deadline | 9.00 am, Wednesday 9th August 2023 | ||||||||||
| Submission Process | The completed application form is submitted to gmcne@auckland.ac.nz. Please put the PI name in the email subject. You will receive a confirmation email upon submission. | ||||||||||
| Funding Information | · GMCNE CFP Guidelines 2023
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| Open Access Support Fund | |
| This fund aims to support the payment of Open Access fees for researchers publishing high-impact research. This fund is intended to support the following priority cohorts to be published openly and immediately in high-impact journals:
· Postgraduates · PhD candidates · Early career researchers (ECRs) · Indigenous researchers · Transdisciplinary researchers |
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| Value/Duration: | Deadlines: |
| The Faculty of Science Research Committee has $125K to distribute in 2023 as part of this fund | This funding is available Q3-Q4 2023 |
| · Details on eligibility criteria can be found on the Research Hub and the Faculty of Science. Research intranet.
· To apply please complete the following open access fund Application Form. Please contact the FIRST team (Kelly or Alex or Sophie) for more information on how to apply for this funding. |
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| John Templeton Foundation – Core Funding Areas, Small and Large Grants | |
| The Foundation invests in bold ideas that cross disciplinary boundaries and challenge conventional assumptions. The Small and Large Grants are addressed under the 8 focus areas including
Life Sciences, Mathematics and Physical Science, and Human Sciences. |
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| Value/Duration: | Internal Deadlines: |
| •Small grants can be up to US$234,800 (circa NZD373,000) and Large Grants are in excess of US$235,000 (circa NZD374,000).
•Project can be up to 36 months. •No more than 15% can be claimed for overheads. The overhead cost must be included in the total amount you requested |
Internal Deadline for First Stage: 12pm noon, Friday 11 August 2023. |
| Further Information (funding call, guidelines, registration info):
· Website If interested, please inform your FIRST team (Kelly or Sophie). |
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| The Prime Minister’s Science Prize | |
| This Prize is for a transformative scientific advance, which has had a significant economic, health, social, political, cultural and/or environmental impact on New Zealand, or internationally. It will be awarded to a team or an individual instrumental in creating the impact. The transformative scientific advance may have occurred over any time-period and there must be a clear indication that the impact on New Zealand or internationally has taken place. | |
| Value/Duration: | Deadlines: |
| · The total value of the Prize is $500,000.
· $100,000 of this will go directly to the team or individual with no expectations. · $400,000 will be used to support ongoing research. |
Internal Deadline: N/A
External Deadline for applications: 5th of September 2023 (by 1pm) |
| More details about this process can be found here: The Prime Minister’s Science Prizes (pmscienceprizes.org.nz)
If you are interested, please inform your FIRST team (Kelly or Sophie). |
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| The Prime Minister’s MacDiarmid Emerging Scientist Prize | |
| The Prize is for an outstanding emerging scientist who has had their PhD conferred within the past eight (8) years. | |
| Value/Duration: | Deadlines: |
| · The total value of the Prize is $200,000.
· $50,000 is for the recipient and can be used with no conditions. · $150,000 must be used for the recipient’s ongoing research. |
Internal Deadline: N/A
External Deadline for applications: 5th of September 2023 (by 1pm) |
| More details about this process can be found here: The Prime Minister’s Science Prizes (pmscienceprizes.org.nz)
If you are interested, please inform your FIRST team (Kelly or Sophie). |
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| The Prime Minister’s Science Communication Prize | |
| This Prize is for either a practising scientist who can demonstrate an interest, passion and aptitude for science communication and public engagement, or to a person who has developed expertise in public engagement or communication of complex scientific or technological information to the public. | |
| Value/Duration: | Deadlines: |
| · The total value of the Prize is worth $75,000.
· $55,000 of the Prize money is to be used to support the recipient to carry out a programme of activities/professional development to further their understanding of science communication. · $20,000 of the Prize money is available to the recipient with no expectations on its use. |
Internal Deadline: N/A
External Deadline for applications: 5th of September 2023 (by 1pm) |
| More details about this process can be found here: The Prime Minister’s Science Prizes (pmscienceprizes.org.nz)
If you are interested, please inform your FIRST team (Kelly or Sophie). |
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| The Transdisciplinary Ideation Fund (TIF) | |
| The Waipapa Taumata Rau (TIF) is a fund that encourages research staff from across the University to develop cross-faculty research partnerships, aspiring toward high-quality Transdisciplinary research outputs, research learning initiatives, and successful applications to external research funders. | |
| Value/Duration: | Deadline for proposals |
| Grants up to $60,000
· Small Grants ($10,000–$20,000) · Large Grants ($20,000–$60,000) |
30 October 2023 |
| Further Information:
· Website · Small Grants , Large Grants (Application Form) Please also inform your FIRST team (Kelly or Alex or Sophie). |
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Announcement
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Transdisciplinary Ideation Fund Workshop
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| This workshop will facilitate new cross-faculty research collaborations and is designed for academic staff who are intending to pursue transdisciplinary research. |
| Key Information:
· Date: Monday, 4 September 2023 · Time: 8:30am – 3:00pm (lunch provided) · Location: City Campus, Unleash Space, 20 Symonds Street Registration is essential. It closes on 7 August 2023. Please register it via Transdisciplinary Ideation Fund Workshop Tickets, Mon 04/09/2023 at 8:30 am | Eventbrite
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Health, Safety and Wellbeing
There will be two surveys running shortly.
- Short survey from technical team about training and want/needs.
- Safe + External survey by MBIE required to keep our status with ACC.
Publications
Cook M, Brook M, Cave M. (2023). Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR) and field-based observations of rainfall-triggered landslides from the November 2021 storm, Gisborne/Tairāwhiti, New Zealand. New Zealand Geographer https://doi.org/10.1111/nzg.12373
Benjamin D. Jones, Mark E. Dickson, Murray Ford, Daniel Hikuroa & Emma J. Ryan (2023) Aotearoa New Zealand’s coastal archaeological heritage: A geostatistical overview of threatened sites, The Journal of Island and Coastal Archaeology, DOI: 10.1080/15564894.2023.2207493
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/15564894.2023.2207493
NZ Herald piece: How rising seas are threatening a trove of Aotearoa’s culture heritage – Jamie Morton
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/how-rising-seas-are-threatening-a-trove-of-aotearoas-culture-heritage/FSXWXBLCJZFGJCQ3I7MRVQ3JHQ/
Karen Fisher (et al.) in The Conversation: ‘New Zealand’s maritime territory is 15 times its landmass – here’s why we need a ministry for the ocean‘
Nick Lewis and Richard Le Heron (et al.) in Regional Studies: ‘Rent as a regional asset: rent platforms and regional development in Kaikōura, Aotearoa New Zealand‘
Tom Baker (et al.) guest edited a special issue in Environment & Planning A: Economy & Space: ‘Bringing life’s work to market: Frontiers, framings, and frictions in marketised social reproduction‘
Nikolai Siimes (2023). Having a drink with awkward Brett: Brettanomyces, taste(s) and wine/markets. New Zealand Geographer 69(2). https://doi.org/10.1111/nzg.12368
Alice McSherry & Georgia McLellan (2023). Finding our place at the table: A more-than-human family reunion. New Zealand Geographer 69(2). https://doi.org/10.1111/nzg.12366
Kenzi Yee & Emma Sharp (2023). Complexities of care in insect-human relations. New Zealand Geographer 69(2). https://doi.org/10.1111/nzg.12369
Eleanor Buttle, Emma Sharp, & Karen Fisher (2023). Managing ubiquitous ‘forever chemicals’: More-than-human possibilities for the problem of PFAS. New Zealand Geographer 69(2). https://doi.org/10.1111/nzg.12365