Issue 135 – Monday 11 November 2024
HeadsUp
November is always a busy month for School ‘happenings’. Last week we had the new Dean’s visit, the New Stage 1 course workshop, the year’s last staff meeting and Nick Lewis’ Professorial Inaugural. Next up we have the Ako-sponsored ‘The Teaching Year’s Over’ and Research Showcase events on Tuesday and Thursday this week The list goes on. These opportunities remind us that we are a School that values a sense of community, celebrating success, and the importance of reconnecting after busy weeks and months. While there are always opportunities to be elsewhere on such occasions, please take advantage of coming along to these events.
The results of this year’s Marsden Fund awards offer another reason to celebrate. In the first instance, the PIs deserve fulsome congratulation. Yet rarely is there a grant for which any one person can take sole credit. Instead, just like the saying that it takes a village to raise a child so too it takes a constellation of contributors to get a grant over the line: research collaborators, in-School research programme coordinators and partners /families who perhaps sustain less attention than usual as the final push to grant submission approaches. Hence very big congratulations to our colleagues Karin Bryan and Michael Rowe for leading successful full bids and to recent PhD graduate Leanne Makey on her award of a Fast-Start.
To state the obvious, Marsden grants are big wins – not just for the investigators’ careers but also for the School as a whole. They add to our collective mana and, ultimately, our funding. They give Faculty confidence to invest in us. I look forward to toasting these just-released successes at our forthcoming gatherings. And for those who missed out or are developing ideas for next year’s call for EoIs, please make the most of the ‘Marsden Club’ opportunity to workshop ideas offered by Rangahau.
Robin Kearns
Head of School
Announcements
Digital Capability Coaching
The university (Eleanor and Gill) are offering UoA staff the opportunity to improve their digital capability and confidence. To learn more about their service please see the images/slides below. If you would like assistance using digital tools (eg TEAMS, Excel, Word, or any of the MS 365 applications) please get in touch!
- Book a session
- Or to enquire about a group session, email digitalcoach@auckland.ac.nz
Ngā mihi,
Gill Hotter (she/her) and Eleanor Almeida (she/her)
Digital Capability Coaches
Outreach
Outreach opportunities for staff and students:
Highlighting your research
Have you recently published a blog piece/ generated any film footage/ given an interview/ written something for mainstream media, about your research? Could we give it a little mention on our School of Environment socials? See some recent examples here.
Please send your news to Emma el.sharp@auckland.ac.nz so we can share it more widely! Please also send a useful image (of yourself/ the thing being studied) and complete the following prompts:
[Researcher name/s] from the School of Environment investigated [the problem] and found [this finding]. This helps us know [what?] and is relevant to [recent event/ issue/context]. Read more here/ see photo of [x]: [link]
Note: Academic articles are interesting but get less takeup from social media so if you have something in a ‘predigested’ form (e.g. a news link to the debate or problem, that’s helpful, and the article would have to be open access).
Graduates out in the world
For staff: If you have students who have completed their degree and moved onto new pursuits, and they might like to do a ’10 minutes with [name]’ written interview that we might post on social media to show what our graduates get up to, then put them in touch with Emma el.sharp@auckland.ac.nz
Whakawhanaungatanga – Communities
On behalf of the Rangahau Committee and the School of Environment, we would like to invite you to this year’s Postgraduate research showcase and Rangahau awards on 14th November!
This is a chance to celebrate all the amazing work that staff and students across the School of Environment! Kicking off at 10am, we have our Postgraduate Research Showcase where PhD and Masters students will present their research, highlighting their contributions to the world of knowledge.
We have seven oral presentations and 13 posters that will cover a broad range of research topics currently being undertaken in the School. Here is your chance to find out about, and celebrate, the exciting research our postgraduate students are engaged in. (Room details will be provided nearer to the event).
After a break for lunch, you’re invited to join us in 303-G16 for the Rangahau awards to celebrate all of the incredible work done in the School of Environment. We will be presenting school-wide awards to outstanding members of our school, followed by a summary of the publication, funding and communication successes for 2024. We will also have presentations from staff and students showcasing their work.
Please RSVP to the calendar invite for the research awards, as attendee numbers are limited.
Seminar: Prof Bryan Brooks: TUESDAY 19 November, 2 PM, 303-G01
Prof. Bryan Brook is a Distinguished Professor of Environmental Science and Public Health at Baylor University (USA) and Editor In Chief for Environmental Science & Technology Letters. His research interests include water quality, environmental chemistry/toxicology, urbanisation, one health among others. He is part of a Catalyst Leader project and is interested in exploring options to orientate the sustainable management of chemicals and waste toward indigenous knowledge.
https://environmentalscience.artsandsciences.baylor.edu/person/bryan-w-brooks-phd
https://pubs-acs-org.ezproxy.auckland.ac.nz/doi/full/10.1021/acs.est.3c04600
This is a co-organised seminar with SCS, so there will be molecules, but not only! I asked Bryan to tailor a talk for our diverse audience. I hope to see many of you on TUESDAY 19 November, 2 PM, 303-G01
Please contact Melanie if you would like to meet up with Bryan before/after the seminar.
Would a Q&A session on publishing for research students and ECR be of interest? (use of AI to write manuscripts? how to make a story attractive and impactful?). I will organise if there is sufficient interest. Please get in touch! melanie.kah@auckland.ac.nz
Cheers,
Melanie
Coastal and Marine Geoscience Group Meeting/Seminar
The next Coastal-Marine Geoscience Group seminar will be held on Wednesday 20th of November at 12:00pm to 1:00 pm in the Ontology Lab (302-551).
News will be shared and a talk given from Emma Ryan, “Can we measure mm-scale coral reef growth using photogrammetry?’ and Emma Bruder, “Fine-scale Physical Characterization of the Seascape and Impacts on Spatial Distribution and Connectivity of Marine Populations: A Comparative Approach Between Port-Cros (Mediterranean Sea) and Hauraki Gulf (South Pacific) Marine Reserves“.
All welcome to attend – please email Edouard Basquin at ebas390@aucklanduni.ac.nz if you wish to attend and don’t have the calendar invite already.
Sustainability Teaching Network November seminar
Seminar Details:
Date: Friday 15 November 2024
Time: 1pm-2pm
Location: Online via Zoom
Join Zoom Meeting https://auckland.zoom.us/j/93440020521?pwd=bWZFekdDV2pVRmdlTlpNcWorMHlkdz09
Meeting ID: 934 4002 0521
Passcode: 547112
Given the timing of the meeting, you are welcome to eat lunch while you listen to the presentations.
Speaker blurbs and bios:
Gigi Lim: Fostering Collaboration and Transdisciplinary Skills: The Key to Sustainable Solutions
In an era where sustainable solutions are essential to address complex socio-ecological and geopolitical challenges, fostering collaboration and transdisciplinary skills is key. This presentation, Fostering Collaboration and Transdisciplinary Skills: The Key to Sustainable Solutions, explores how Higher Education can utilize networked knowledge systems to prepare future leaders to engage with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and navigate a rapidly changing world. Using a case study assessment on collaborative learning, this presentation illustrates how collaborative learning not only equips students with the skills necessary for problem-solving across disciplines but also cultivates attitudes of cooperation, shared responsibility, and systems thinking. These competencies are critical for effective sustainability practices, as they enable students to approach global issues with a mindset geared toward collective action, innovation, and ethical stewardship. By integrating these principles into contemporary programs, Higher Education can produce graduates equipped to address the challenges of sustainable development with both technical proficiency and a collaborative spirit.
Bio: Gigi Lim, Senior Lecturer at the School of Nursing, is a registered nurse in New Zealand with over 30 years of experience, including international work in the USA and the Philippines. Committed to equity and sustainability, she began her career leading community health initiatives on maternal and child nutrition, empowering mothers to tackle malnutrition with locally sourced foods. Her Master’s research under Professor John Raeburn focused on skill-building for the unemployed, while her PhD examined prescribing competencies. Currently, Gigi teaches interprofessional collaboration and sustainable healthcare practices to prepare nurse prescribers for complex challenges in collaborative prescribing, aiming to improve patient outcomes.
Trudi Aspden: Reducing the Environmental Harm of Our BPharm Pharmaceutical Compounding Classes: Making a Start by Trudi Aspden, Ellen Zhao, Amy Wei, Lynn Gregory, Susan Liu and Stella Dawkins
Pharmacists are dedicated to optimising health outcomes through the effective use of medicines. One example of this is compounding, where pharmacists prepare formulations tailored to individual patients, using tools like a mortar and pestle or an ointment slab. This practice has been a part of pharmacy for centuries and still occurs today. Compounding remains an essential skill to teach pharmacy students but, like all areas of healthcare, we must consider and reduce the environmental impact of this practice while ensuring that neither the learning experience nor patient outcomes are compromised.
This short talk will describe how the School of Pharmacy compounding teaching team, primarily comprising pharmacy technicians, has successfully reduced the environmental impact of teaching BPharm students how to extemporaneously compound medicinal products.
Bio: Trudi Aspden is a senior lecturer in pharmacy practice in the School of Pharmacy, FMHS. She primarily teaches in the early years of the BPharm programme, with a focus on supporting students to develop the foundational skills essential for pharmacists. In recent years, along with colleague Dr Sara Hanning, she has introduced aspects of environmental sustainability into her teaching. This has involved making changes to both teaching content and delivery.
IEEE Explore Database Training
IEEE Explore is offering an upcoming Zoom workshop for the University of Auckland on The Literature Review Process on Tuesday, November 12, 3-4pm NZ Daylight Savings Time.
This workshop will help you hone your research skills and feel more confident when using this database to further your research.
Access the link below on the day to attend the workshop.
| Zoom Link: https://ieee.zoom.us/j/92606478460?pwd=UIaf2HctCLoAbZxFbaT843Cc5XCA6U.1
This session showcases the literature review process using IEEE Xplore Digital Library’s 6+ million publications, and demonstrates how students and researchers would leverage on the platform’s features to filter and locate the most relevant and impactful references for their coursework and research. Topics covered include:
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| Tuesday Nov 12, 2024 ⋅ 3pm – 4pm (New Zealand Daylight Savings Time) |
You liked our Whose lecture is it anyway? event last year… you’ll like this 3-minute research competition this year…’ We’ll add more details in the future.
E-bike offers
Check out the e-bike deals for University staff.
Electric bike team
Electric Bike Team has a great deal for staff wishing to purchase one of their bikes. Look now: Electric bike team
Big Street Bikers
Looking to buy an e-bike? Big Street Bikers has discounts and some freebies for University staff. Check it out: Big Street Bikers
Doctoral Development Offerings
An overview of the many UoA Doctoral Development offerings that candidates and supervisors may want to consider has been compiled here.
Co-funded University of Auckland Doctoral Scholarships
Guidelines have now been drafted for the University of Auckland Doctoral Scholarship scheme to co-fund scholarships with industry or philanthropic partners to seed new collaborations. If you are making connections where some money to support a student may be possible, please come and chat to Jennifer Eccles asap about whether this could be an option.
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.
Rangahau – Research
“Efficiency & Effectiveness Workshop”, organized by the Rangahau Committee:
We would like to invite you to the following workshop that have been organized for the Research fellows at the School of Environment, and funded by the Rangahau Committee.
The workshop will focus on “Efficiency & Effectiveness”, and it is organized as virtual Weekly mini workshops:
60–90 minute workshops will cover the subtopics spread out over four weeks. The first workshop will be 90 minutes, while the other three are planned for 60 minutes each. However, all sessions are scheduled for 90 minutes to allow extra time for questions and follow-up discussions if participants wish to stay longer.
Efficiency covers:
- Work organisation – how to better store, and therefore find the information you need, in order to work more efficiently
- Finding Flow – how to optimise your work in order to find more time in a ‘flow state’
- Strategies to minimise work habits – including those for handling of information, distractions, interruptions & procrastination
Effectiveness covers:
- Importance of progress individually and as a team
- Prioritising & time management – what work to do when & in what size chunks
- Planning – strategies to plan projects and/or plan your work day & workload
There are also elements of wellbeing that are woven into these discussions, physiological factors & burnout prevention.
Dates:
- Friday 25 Oct
- Friday 01 Nov
- Friday 08 Nov
- Friday 15 Nov
Time (to be decided between the following options)
- Option 01: 9:30 to 11:00 am
- Option 02: 12:00 to 1:30 pm
This workshop is intended for Research Fellows, final-year PhD students, and staff.
If you’re interested in attending, please send an email to joa.paredes.marino@auckland.ac.nz with a brief paragraph explaining your motivation to participate. Please indicate as well the time that suits you better. Spots are limited.
Cheers,
Joali on behalf of the Rangahau Committee.
Funding
Funding Calls
| Spencer Foundation – Research Grants on Education: Large | |
| This fund aims 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: | Deadline: |
| · Value: between USD125,000 and USD500,000 (circa NZD205,000 -NZD821,000), depending on the funding tier selected.
· Duration: up to a maximum duration of 60 months |
· External Deadline for Intent to Apply: 5pm, Thursday, 30 January 2025
· Internal Deadline for Full Stage: 5pm, Tuesday,14 January 2025 |
| Further Information (funding call, guidelines, website):
· Website If you are interested, please also get in touch with your FIRST. |
|
| Spencer Foundation – Small Research Grants on Education | |
| 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: up to USD50,000 (circa NZD80,000
· Duration: up to a maximum duration of 60 months |
12pm, Thursday, 28 November 2024 |
| Further Information (funding call, guidelines website):
· Website If you are interested, please also get in touch with your FIRST. |
|
| Near-miss funding round 2024 | |
| This fund aims to provide support to PIs, for applications from the University of Auckland, Faculty of Science for major grants (≥ $100,000), who successfully progressed to the second stage of a major external funding round but missed out at the final stage. The faculty envisage being able to fund up to 5 applications in the 2024 round. | |
| Value/Duration: | Deadline: |
| Grants up to $10,000 for research activity | Applications are due by 5pm, Monday 25th Nov 2024 |
| Further Information:
· Full details including guidelines and the application form are available on the research page of the staff intranet If you are interested, please also get in touch with your FIRST (Kelly or Sophie) |
|
| Faculty of Science Commercial Seed Funding | |
| This fund aims to support early-stage work that will make a difference to the tech development pathway.
A range of commercial R&D or skill development activities could be supported, including experiments to determine whether a particular idea is commercially feasible, development of initial proof-of-concept results for commercial funding applications, IP and Freedom to Operate searches, or market research. Researchers may also apply for this funding to support their personal development. |
|
| Value/Duration: | Deadline: |
| Grants up to $10,000 for research activity
(The total budget for this round is ~$25k) |
Applications are due by 5pm, Monday 25th Nov 2024 |
| Further Information:
*Applicants should submit a proposal via email to FoS-researchadmin@auckland.ac.nz If you are interested, please also get in touch with your FIRST (Kelly or Sophie) |
|
| MBIE 2025 Endeavour Fund (Research Programmes) | |
| This fund aims to support ambitious, excellent and well-defined research ideas which have credible and high potential to positively transform New Zealand’s future in areas of future value, growth, or critical need.
For the 2024 investment round, the Science Board will aim to fund at least 17 Research Programmes. |
|
| Value/Duration: | Internal Deadline |
| · Total funding pool: $38 million
· Value: $0.5 million or more per year · Duration: 3, 4 or 5 years |
· Registration: 12 noon, Monday 25 November 2024.
· Full Proposal: 12 noon, Monday 24 February 2025. |
| Further Information (funding call, guidelines, registration info, templates):
· 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 |
|
| The George Mason Centre for Natural Environment | |
| This fund aims to support projects that enhance the aims of the George Mason Centre and focus on environmental solutions. The Expert Advisory Panel will be looking to foster connections between projects that lead to thematic research and to expanded funding opportunities for research and application. | |
| Value/Duration: | Deadline |
| · Value: up to $10,000
· Duration: 1 year |
12 Noon, 5 November 2024 |
| Further Information (funding call, guidelines, registration info, templates):
If you are interested, please also get in touch with your FIRST. |
|
| 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. |
Announcements
| RSNZ Marsden Support Sessions 2025 | ||
Support for the 2025 RSNZ Marsden round is currently underway. The Domestic Portfolio in the Research Funding team will be hosting a 1-hour session with past Marsden winners (Standard and Fast-Start) and previous Marsden panellists, to answer any questions and provide insights regarding the development and assessments of Marsden expressions of interests and proposals. They can also offer advice in preparing the application, novelty/scholarly impact, and Vision Mātauranga
Please reach out to submissions@auckland.ac.nz if you have any questions and/or concerns. |
| Funding Application Process Changes for UoA Researchers |
| The UoA will be launching new research security processes. These are aimed at complying with NZ’s Export Control legislation as well as preventing espionage and foreign interference in our research activities within a shifting domestic and international security environment. Researchers will be expected to participate in the new screening process when submitting research proposals to funders and conduct associated risk management assessments post-award. These changes take effect from 01 January 2025.
The information sessions are open to all Faculties/LSRIs and will be held on multiple dates (To RSVP for sessions use this link). A recording of the information session will be made available online for those unable to attend in person. 1. Click on the link. You should see this image pop up:
2. Download the file then open it. 3. Accept the meeting and it should update in your calendar. If your teams have questions or concerns, please contact Ben Turley (researchrisk@auckland.ac.nz). |
Health, Safety and Wellbeing
Updates from HSW
Summer is just around the corner, and you can do some of the following to help you through this time of the year:
- Stay hydrated: Drink plenty of fluids, including water and flavoured water. You can also eat foods with a high-water content, like watermelon and cucumber.
- Protect your skin: Wear sunscreen and sunglasses, remember to check the Sunscreens | Buying guide – Consumer NZ to better use the sunscreen. Also, Sunscreen test results | Know the issue – Consumer NZ to help you decide what brands to purchase.
- Dress appropriately: Wear lightweight, loose-fitting clothing.
- Keep your home cool: Use an air conditioner, weather-strip doors and windows, and cover windows with drapes or shades. You can also use a dehumidifier to keep indoor humidity levels between 40% and 50%.
- Prepare your car: Check your oil, coolant, and tire levels, and top up your screen wash.
- Prepare a grab bag: Keep a bag with basic supplies like bottled water, medicines, a torch, radio, batteries, copies of important documents, and a change of clothes.
- Prepare your closet: Go through your closet, get rid of or donate what you don’t want, and buy any new clothing you need.
- Plan trips: Plan trips and consider visiting a new city or going hiking.
- Maintain a bedtime routine: Maintain a consistent bedtime routine for parents and children to get enough quality sleep.
- Be aware of others: Look out for others in your community, especially older people, young children, babies, and those with health risks
Publications | Articles
- Mueller A, Simmons L, Brook MS (2024) Engineering geomorphology of coastal landslides at Limestone Downs, North Island, New Zealand. Quarterly Journal of Engineering Geology and Hydrogeology 57(4): qjegh2024-046.
The Faculty is encouraging a more coordinated approach to international recruitment of PhD students, particularly through externally-funded doctoral scholarships offered by countries like China, Indonesia, and various Latin American nations. These scholarships provide at least 130 opportunities each year for students to study at the University of Auckland (UoA). However, the Faculty of Science is often underrepresented in these scholarship schemes.
Seminar by Visiting Researcher Dr Holly East
We’re excited to share that all laboratories and workshops in the School of Environment have achieved GREEN status under the My Green Lab Certification. This is a fantastic milestone that highlights our strong commitment to sustainable practices.
It is often said that knowledge is power. Yet environmental monitoring (and by association, the knowledge of river ecosystems, contaminants and health) is often prohibitive to access for most people. Equipment is expensive and proprietary, data storage is complex and requires training, and calibrations often require laboratory access. Improving access to technology is key to providing good environmental data.
Volume 4 Edition 4 will be showcasing
