Issue 123 – Tuesday 28 May 2024
Contents
HeadsUp
Last week, with the encouragement of Dean, I got away to write and think about research. My best writing time is when I’m alone, and my best thinking time while walking. How about you?
We’re all a bit different. I have a Dutch colleague who writes best while moving so when he wants to write a paper or grant application, he buys a day pass on the Netherland Train system and rides from one end of the country to the other and back. A day’s traverse of the country does it he says. I’d be too distracted and just gaze out the window.
I got away to a remote location, population about 400. Each day in the late afternoon I headed out walking. That helped clear my mind of what an old friend from grad school at McMaster cheekily calls ‘administrivia’. Being in an isolated location helped too. I could casually observe community processes so stripped back in terms of infrastructure compared to Auckland. A place with only two key ‘bump spaces’: the 4-Square store and the pub.
For me, gearing down from the busyness of life offers a vantage point and clarity that stills the inner waters and allows reflection and words to flow. A reminder that place both matters and doesn’t matter as academics: these connected times we work for as well as at the university.
Two things I reflected on with that vantage point of time and distance were the exam season and our course building efforts. I thought of the exam questions I’d set and how their invisibility for now was probably causing students’ anxiety. And how I used to have nightmares of going to an exam and not finding the right room! A worry now reduced by the age of Inspera, but possibly replaced by concern one’s laptop might crash. Age and stage can bring disconnects between user and provider. With the exam season coming up, do spare a thought for the anxiety it brings for many, if not most, students…
I also reflected on the changes afoot in our teaching programme. We can be collectively proud of 27 ENV academics being involved in the build process of our suite of four new stage 1 courses. The fact that it’s such a collective effort and that these courses are not each ‘owned’ by a disciplinary group or major makes this a profoundly evolutionary stage in the story of the School. We need to celebrate their launch in due course.
For now, there’ s another cause for celebration. On the evening of Tuesday 28th JR Rowland offers her inaugural lecture. As my predecessor in this role, she set up some of the structures that continue to help us operate a model of distributed responsibility in the School. While Deputy Dean (and like a HoS!) one’s research activity takes a hit. This is the price of service. So, it will be with huge delight to celebrate her promotion and career by hearing what will doubtless be an insightful, inspiring and humour-laced lecture. Do be there.
Robin Kearns, Head of School
ENV-stories
It’s always been about maps. When I was a child, I remember spending hours browsing through the pages of my tiny atlas booklet, imagining myself going places. And, of course, trying to remember place names, landmarks, etc. Maps exercised a fascination on me, whether for the purpose of moving around or just for the beauty of their semiology. I loved sketching locations and itineraries as often as I could, whether it was for fun, to prepare a run in the mountains, or to anticipate a holiday trip, from which I would collect as many brochures with regional maps and town plans as I could.
Maps were eventually one of the main drivers for my going towards the geography booth when I had to navigate the maze of the university registration fair at one of the universities in Lyon a bit more than three decades ago. What an excitement then when our first tutorial was about drawing a map of the world out of memory. I knew I had made the right choice for a career; although I never got drawn to GIS and other fancy gadgets that would have led me to become a cartographer of modern times.
Maps continued to be central to my life when I finally got to go places, that is when I had the opportunity to head off to the Philippines for my doctoral research field work. I collected maps for my research but also simply because I liked collecting them. I also drew (and still do…) maps as often as I could, whether for myself or others, for work or random things, professional or personal. Then, a decade later, it became about fostering participatory mapping when I started to work with NGOs and other local practitioners. It was still about maps.
Today, maps are a physical and imaginary link between the three places that I call home, that are, Te Uru o Tāmaki Makaurau, Rhône-Alpes and the Indung Kapampangan. I’ve got plenty hung everywhere at home, at the despair of some members of the family… And the navigation/mapping/camera tool always provides me my favourite entertainment during long flights (so much better than Harry Potter… 😉). Anyway, now, my students will understand why I’m so picky and obsessed with the maps in their assignments, theses and beyond… 😊
JC Gaillard
Whakawhanaungatanga – Communities
Masters and Honours Research Presentations – 4th June
Please join us in 303-B09 for short presentations by the Masters and Honours students completing this semester. The talks are arranged in themed blocks with the start time of the block and the names of the supervisors whose students are presenting below.
0900 Society and the environment (Parsons/Coombes/Fisher/Sharp/Murphy)
1020 Flora and fauna (Schwendenmann/Perry)
1130 Streams and soil (Simon/Kah)
1220 Lunch (pizza!)
1300 Beaches and coral reefs (Ryan/Coco/Dickson)
1410 Dynamic Earth (Campbell/Brook/Dowling/Sila-Nowicka/Strachan)
Job alert! Auckland Council has a position available for a Parks Projects Specialist. Check out the link below for more details!
https://careers.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/job/Parks-Project-Specialist-1010/1051619466/
Te Rau Hiringa Professional Staff Research Excellence Awards
The Te Rau Hiringa Professional Staff Research Excellence Award will recognise and celebrate the innovative and outstanding contributions that professional staff have made to enable excellent and impactful research at Waipapa Taumata Rau.
| ResearchHub
The ResearchHub connects you with people, resources, and services from across the University to enhance and accelerate your research. research-hub.auckland.ac.nz |
| Details | Description |
| Type (fund/award/prize) | Prize |
| Funding | There are two awards presented annually – one for an individual, and one for an individual or small team. Winners will receive $5,000 (individuals) or $10,000 (small teams of 2 to 4). |
| Eligibility | The award is open to professional staff members employed by the University of Auckland or UniServices on a full time or part time basis; or employed in a fixed term position of six months or more. |
| Deadlines | 7 May 2024: Call for nominations opens
1 July 2024: Deadline for nominations. Submit nomination forms by email to www.internalawards@auckland.ac.nz Winners will be announced at the Te Taumata Rangahau | Celebrating Research Excellence Event |
An introductory R Workshop is being run on Thursday 11th and Friday 12th of July 2024. The course will be run by the Statistical Consulting Centre (SCC) in the Department of Statistics.
What’s covered in the workshop?
Introduction
Getting familiar with R
Using R Studio and loading projects/scripts
Basic functions using R
Reading in Data Files (.csv, .xls/.xlsx)
Introduction to R Objects. How R thinks (vectors, matrices, basic data formats)
Working with data(sets)
Cleaning and subsetting
Merging datasets and reformatting
Grouping variables and summarising
R graphics
Starting with plots in R (boxplots, histograms, bar graphs)
Graphics in R with ggplot2 (customising plots)
Data analysis
Introduction to performing t-tests, chi-square tests, ANOVA, and general linear models
As per our previous introductory R workshops, the cost is $300 for UoA students and staff.
You can pay using your PRESS account, research grant, or other UoA account.
You can also opt to use a debit/credit card (however we will have to also add GST for this type of payment – please contact Joei Mudaliar j.mudaliar@auckland.ac.nz for further instructions).
The payment authorisation form for UoA participants paying from a UoA account is attached.
The cost for non-UoA attendees is $500 + GST. Please contact Joei Mudaliar (j.mudaliar@auckland.ac.nz) for payment instructions.
We will be sending out a pre-workshop information email the week prior to the course, however here are some of the details:
Location
We will be in room 302.190. Building 302 is on the corner of Symonds St and Wellesley St. The room we will be using is on level 1, room 190.
Time and schedule
The approximate schedule for both days is attached (since this is the schedule from our previous course, it may yet be altered very slightly).
We will start at 9am and finish at 5pm.
Morning and afternoon tea will be provided, and there are cafes nearby for lunch.
Computers
We will be using a Faculty of Science computer lab.
You are also welcome to use your own laptop. However, please make sure that you have downloaded R and RStudio onto your machine before the workshop (they are free to download).
We will also include some instructions on how to do this in our pre-workshop information email.
Access to computers and the internet
We will arrange access to the lab computers for all non-UoA participants.
We will also have a guest wireless password for non-UoA participants who are bringing their own laptops.
UoA staff and students will be able to access the FoS computers using their normal UoA upi and password.
I hope you can make it on the 11th and 12th July 2024, and we look forward to seeing you there.
Ngā mihi (Kind regards),
Joei Mudaliar | Kairuruku Ratonga ā-Rōpū (Group Services Coordinator)
Department of Statistics | Faculty of Science
The University of Auckland | Te Whare Wānanga o Tāmaki Makaurau
Scholarship AINSE ANSTO French Embassies (SAAFE): applications open (applications close 1 July 2024) (flyer attached and available online)
AINSE, in partnership with ANSTO, the Embassy of France in Australia and the Embassy of France in New Zealand, are delighted to announce that applications for the Scholarship AINSE ANSTO French Embassies (SAAFE) Program are currently open, for international travel in the period 1st October 2024 – 31st December 2025.
Applications close 11.59 pm 1st July 2024 (Australian Eastern Standard Time).
The Scholarship AINSE ANSTO French Embassies (SAAFE) Program is an exciting international exchange opportunity open to Early Career Researchers at the Ph.D. and postdoctoral level. Each successful applicant is provided with costs towards a return flight and up to A$200 per week (up to a maximum of 26 weeks) to support accommodation expenses associated with a visit from:
- Australia/New Zealand to France, or
- France to Australia.
The SAAFE Program supports Early Career Researchers to expand research in nuclear science and engineering in the areas of Health, Environment and Nuclear Technologies, and to initiate sustainable research networks and linkages in order to support Australia, New Zealand and France in research and innovation.
Eligible applicants must be a PhD student in, or hold a postdoctoral appointment at, a French university or AINSE-member university. The research project must be in collaboration with at least one researcher employed by ANSTO or another Australian AINSE-member institution (in the field of nuclear science and engineering and in the areas of Health, Environment or Nuclear Technologies), and at least one researcher employed by a French university or French research institution.
The research internship is required to take place over a period of 8–26 weeks between 1st October 2024 – 31st December 2025.
For more information, including the application form and terms & conditions, please visit our SAAFE website or contact AINSE on +61 2 9717 3376 / applications@ainse.edu.au.
FUNDS FOR ENGAGEMENT WITH HAPORI MAORI
School of Environment has a small budget for enabling engagement with Maori, particularly through koha or contributions that may be needed to initiate research relationships. In disbursing that putea, priority is given to academic staff working on behalf of groups of staff or students, pre/consultation activities for ethics approval and collaborations that are not readily funded through other mechanisms. As it is desirable to utilise the budget before the end of the academic year, however, all well-reasoned proposals will be considered. If interested, email a brief, one paragraph description of a proposed activity and a budget for how funds will be utilised to Brad (b.coombes@auckland.ac.nz). Although there are no prescribed maxima or minima for these grants, the limited scope of the overall budget will likely preclude grants in excess of $1000. Applicants should also be mindful of UoA guidelines or policies for gifting and koha.
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
These are currently on hold. Rangahau will reopen this fund for requests later in the year, please keep an eye on P-cubed for more details.
Rangahau – Research
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
Funding Calls
| 2024 MBIE Catalyst: Strategic: New Zealand-China Strategic Research Alliance | |
| The Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) is calling for proposals for joint research collaborations between New Zealand and China. MBIE will fund up to 4 joint New Zealand-China research projects to support the New Zealand-China Strategic Research Alliance, 2 each in the areas of Food Science and Environmental Science. | |
| Value/Duration: | Internal Deadline: |
| Up to $300,000 (excluding GST) over 3 years | 12 noon, Wednesday 3 July |
| Further Information (funding call, guidelines, website):
· Website If you are interested, please also get in touch with your FIRST. |
|
| Te Tahua Taiao Ngā Taonga: Lottery Environment and Heritage grants (Round One) | |
| This fund aims to help protect, conserve or care for our natural, cultural and physical heritage, or allow us to better understand and access these resources.
· Natural heritage projects promote, protect and/or keep our native plants (flora) and animal life (fauna) safe from harm (including the on-going costs of pest and predator control) · Physical heritage projects restore, protect and/or conserve places, structures and large built objects that are important to our history · Cultural heritage projects conserve, protect and/or promote collections and stories that are important to our cultural heritage and identity. |
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| Value/Duration: | Internal Deadline: |
| Value
· Small projects, where the grant requested is for less than $250,000. · Large projects, where the grant requested is for $250,000 or more. |
5pm, Monday 22 July, 2024 |
| Further Information (funding call, guidelines, website):
If you are interested, please also get in touch with your FIRST. |
|
| The Prime Minister’s Science Prizes | |
| The New Zealand Government introduced The Prime Minister’s Science Prizes in 2009 as a way of raising the profile and prestige of science among New Zealanders, in Aotearoa and internationally.
· Te Puiaki Pūtaiao Matua a Te Pirimia: 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 · Te Puiaki Kaipūtaiao Maea: will be awarded to an outstanding emerging scientist who has had their PhD conferred within the past eight (8) years. · Te Puiaki Whakapā Pūtaiao: will be awarded to 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: | Deadline: |
| There are five prizes in total with a combined value of $975,000 NZ Dollars. | Applications open 13 May 2024 and close 1pm, 30 September 2024 |
| Further Information:
· Form, Guidelines and FAQs can be accessed via the Research Hub · For enquiries, please contact pmscienceprizes@royalsociety.org.nz If you are interested, please also get in touch with your FIRST. |
|
| Global Research Engagement Fund (GREF) | |||||||||
| This fund aims to support applicants working towards a pre-identified collaboration or funding opportunity to develop new and emerging research partnerships with international collaborators.
*It is open to all international research funding opportunities, including: Horizon Europe, Wellcome Trust, Wellcome Leap, NIH, NSF, CGC, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, US Federal Funding, International Bilateral Funds. |
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| Value | |||||||||
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| · Deadline | 5pm, 29th May 2024 | ||||||||
| Further Information:
· Form, Guidelines and FAQs can be accessed via the Research Hub · For enquiries, please contact international.research@auckland.ac.nz If you are interested, please also get in touch with your FIRST. |
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| New Horizon Europe Calls |
| In mid-April, the European Commission announced a new selection of funding calls covering the remainder of 2024. The funding call details here Horizon Europe Funding Call List on the Horizon Europe Support Materials page on ResearchHub.
New Zealand can participate in these calls on equal terms as our European counterparts. However, the targeted nature of most of these calls means that it is highly likely that it will be more appropriate for us to partner on these projects, joining European-led bids as a collaborator rather than developing a proposal as a lead. Anybody exploring these opportunities should contact International.Research@Auckland.ac.nz to arrange a discussion and explore additional support available. |
MBIE 2025 Endeavour Support
Sessions to support applicants for the 2025 MBIE Endeavour Scheme (Smart Ideas and Research Programs) are underway – there will be additional events added to the list below as the information comes to hand. If you are planning on submitting an application this round, please let your RPC know asap.
Kick-off session: 20 June 2024, 9:30-12:00
An overview of the Endeavour Scheme – useful to those thinking of applying for the first time, or as a refresher for those who have previously applied. Register here
MBIE Real Stories: 27 June 2024, 10:00-11:30
This session provides an interview-style discussion with a successful Research Program applicant. Register here
Further details are on the Research Hub
| Hood Fellowships | |
| The key purpose of Hood Fellowships is to maintain and enhance the international standing and performance of Waipapa Taumata Rau. The Fellowship aims to help the University meet this challenge by:
· Attracting distinguished overseas academics who are leaders in their field · Developing and retaining the University’s best academic staff · Hosting recognised international experts for guest lectures and seminars · Building stronger international networks among its community of scholars |
|
| Value/Duration: | Deadline: |
| · Value: Up to $25,000 for each award
(awards are available each year) · Duration: All fellowships must be completed within the 12-month grant period (1 Jan 2025 to 31 Dec 2025). |
Applications open 1 June 2024 and close 30 June 2024
|
| Further Information:
· Form, Guidelines and FAQs can be accessed via the Research Hub · For enquiries, please contact sharissa.naidoo@auckland.ac.nz, Donor Relations & Stewardship Senior Adviser If you are interested, please also get in touch with your FIRST. |
|
| RSNZ: Catalyst: Seeding (Round2) | |
| This fund aims to 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. | |
| Value/Duration: | Internal Deadline: |
| Up to $80,000 (excluding GST) over a maximum of 2 years is available for each successful feasibility study. | 12 pm, Tuesday 9 July 2024. |
| Further Information (funding call, guidelines, registration info):
· Website If you are interested, please notify your FIRST (research support) of your intent to apply for this scheme to receive important information and updates in relation to this fund |
|
| Spencer Foundation – Research Grants on Education: Large | |
| This fund is intended to support education research projects that will contribute to the improvement of education. The research concept is “field-initiated” with the grant designed to support rigorous, intellectually ambitious and technically sound research that is relevant to the most pressing questions and compelling opportunities in education | |
| Value/Duration: | Internal Deadline |
| · Value: Grants are worth between USD125,000 and USD500,000 (circa NZD206,000 -NZD826,000), depending on the funding tier selected
· Duration: up to a maximum duration of 60 months |
Two – Stage Submission Process:
· Intent to apply: 5pm, Wednesday 22 May 2024 (this is the funder deadline date) · Full Proposal: 5pm, Tuesday 11 June 2024. |
| Further Information (funding call, guidelines, registration info, templates):
If you are interested, please notify your FIRST (research support) of your intent to apply for this scheme to receive important information and updates in relation to this fund |
|
| Ako Aotearoa Research and Innovation Agenda (AARIA) 2024 | |
| Ako Aotearoa requests for proposals to contribute systems change for the tertiary education sector and more equitable learner outcomes by inviting proposals for innovative, ako centred projects. Ako Aotearoa expect all applicants to align their research proposals with all of their four broader priorities, and at least with one of their targeted priorities:
· Ōritetanga (Equity) – Achieving system-wide equality for all ākonga, including Māori, Pacific, neurodiverse, disabled, youth, and learners from low-income backgrounds. · Te Tiriti o Waitangi (Treaty of Waitangi) – Honouring Te Tiriti o Waitangi through tertiary education, including Te Reo provision, Kaupapa Māori education, Mātauranga Māori provision. · Auaha (Innovation) – Responding to changes in education, especially developments in technology (e.g. AI), innovative and flexible programmes which can support the immediate needs of ākonga, tertiary education system such as Te Pūkenga and the Reform of Vocational Education (RoVE) and work-based learning. · Hua Akorganga (Learner Outcomes) – Education and training that delivers for all learners, including supporting work readiness of all learners, online and distance learning options meets the needs of all learners, providing learning opportunities for people who wish to change careers. |
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| Value/Duration: | Internal Deadline |
| · Value: Grants are worth between $10,000 and $50,000
· Duration: 5 months – 12 months |
5 pm, Wednesday, 5 June 2024. |
| Further Information (funding call, guidelines, registration info, templates):
If you are interested, please notify your FIRST (research support) of your intent to apply for this scheme to receive important information and updates in relation to this fund |
|
New Zealand-German academic exchange programme (ENZ-DAAD)
ENZ-DAAD’s Programmes for Project-Related Personal Exchange (PPP) is open again and inviting applications from students across all subject areas who are completing their doctorate, and from academics who have completed their doctorate in the last five years.
The application for 2024 close on the 28th of June.
Aotearoa New Zealand Tāwhia te Mana Research Fellowships
The first details of the new Aotearoa New Zealand Tāwhia te Mana Research Fellowships, developed as part of the Te Ara Paerangi – Future Pathways reform have been released. These new schemes replace the Rutherford Discovery, Rutherford Foundation and James Cook Fellowships, which will no longer be offered from 2024.
These fellowships will support early, mid, and senior researchers. For further details, please see MBIE’s web page which details eligibility, duration and value.
Funding calls will be publicised via P-cubed once they become available so please keep an eye on this space.
Health, Safety and Wellbeing
Winter Chills
There are not known treatments for viral infections, the best way is to prevent the spread.
Please stay home for at least 4 days if you develop symptoms of a respiratory disease. You can manage pain and congestion with pain killers and decongestants. Please use mask iff your symptoms are still around by the time you to campus.
Vaccinations
Vaccinations available at Unichem.
- Flu vaccine is free for staff and students. It is seasonal and runs until end of September. However, the best time to do it is the next three weeks.
- Covid can be for and can be done any time of the year.
There are more vaccines available that can be free, follow the link to learn more.
More information about vaccines: Vaccines available in Aotearoa New Zealand | Immunise | Te Whatu Ora
Some vaccinations can be paid from research grants, when mitigating risks is necessary.
Personal and Professional development UoA
Academic life is underpinned by other set of skills that need or it is good to have, amongst this OD offers
- First Aid, advanced and refresher
There are alternatives, for First Aid Certificate. to these by external sources that might fit your busy calendar, please seek advice on these options. Before booking double check that it covers these units
Level 1 – Basic
NZQA 6402 – Provide resuscitation level 2 – 1 Credit
NZQA 6401 – Provide first aid – 1 Credit
Level 2 – Advanced
NZQA 6400 – Manage First Aid in an Emergency Situation (Field Activity Leaders)
First Aid Refresher:
Must have valid first Aid certificate
Other Providers
- Red Cross
- Saint Johns
- Besafe
- Meditrain
- First Training (offers outdoors first aid course)
- A1 first Aid
At OD you can also get training in the following:
- Mental Health 101
- Fire safety at work
- Risk assessment
- Health and Safety for Line Managers and Academic Leaders
- Health and Safety Representative Training Sessions
If you want Saint John’s offers Online Mental Health Training
Incident / Accident / Near Miss – What’s the difference?
- Incident: An incident can be described as an undesired and unplanned event that has caused or could have caused death, injury, ill health or damage to assets (loss), the environment or third parties.
- Accident: An accident can be described as an undesired and unplanned event that results in death, injury, ill health or damage to assets (loss), the environment or third parties. Therefore, every accident can be an incident. However, not all incidents can be termed as an accident
- Near Miss: An incident that doesn’t result in death, injury, ill health or damage to assets (loss), the environment or third parties, however, had the potential to do so, is termed a near miss
Note: It is equally important to report near misses as the investigation may be able to identify changes to prevent more, potentially serious incidents from occurring in the future.
REPORT ANY UNSAFE OR UNHEALTHY WORKING CONDITIONS OR ANY FAULTS IN EQUIPMENT IN DAMSTRA OR TO THE STAFF MEMBER IN CHARGE.
Publications | Articles
- Li, G., Chen, Z., Bowen, M. M., Coco G., (2024). Transport and Retention of Sinking Microplastics in a Well-Mixed Estuary, Marine Pollution Bulletin, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2024.116417