Issue 49 – Monday 15 February 2021
HeadSup
Welcome back!
…which, in the context of today’s Covid lockdown may cause you to reply “back to what?”
Unfortunately, we appear to be reliving 2020 all over again and having to work from home. (Own up: how many of you have used the phrase ‘groundhog day’ at least once today?) In case you have forgotten how to do this I’ll draw your attention to this webpage: COVID-19: Working from home (which unfortunatley, may be visible only to staff).
We all hope this week’s disruption will be short-lived but I encourage you to draw upon last year’s experiences. It is disruptive on so many levels and affects individuals differentially. So please keep in touch with each other – for the purposes of whakawhanaungatanga as well as for collaboration. Perhaps use Zoom or the phone where possible in order to keep communications personal.
Look out for updates from the VC, the Faculty and others. We will try to keep the email SPAM to a minimum, and I will be using ENV AKO to communicate directly with teaching staff.
I hope you all managed to have a decent break over summer. I know there’s been plenty of activity on research projects – plus a lot of work planning future projects, too. The number of Marsden applications being submitted this month must be setting some kind of record, and in itself represents a huge amount of work. Good luck to all of those.
Our teaching programme resumed on 6 January and so thanks to those who have been teaching Summer School courses. You almost managed to get through without disruption. We have exams scheduled this week and I appreciate your efforts to support students through this week’s uncertainty. Two courses are trialling the Inspera online exam platform – which as of 7 pm last evening appears especially prescient. Ako Committee will be following how this goes and report back to Semester 1 courses.
We head into Semester 1 with all courses set up to run in dual mode – with both local and overseas-based students. This week’s lockdown is a timely reminder as to why we’ve had to redesign so many courses, and why every course has a ‘plan B’ for fully remote teaching. It takes a lot of extra work and so thanks to all involved in this.
The School of Environment staff will hold their annual Kaupapa meeting next week. I look forward to seeing many of you there in person.
JR returns from fieldwork next week – Covid-permitting, and assuming they let her back into Auckland!
Noho ora mai | Keep well
David
Whakawhanaungatanga – Communities
Nominations for Annual Prizes
Possible nominees for the awards listed below.
The Graeme Lewis prize in Microbiology ($1250)
To the student who achieved the highest combined marks in their best three courses related to microbiology at stage 3 or above. The three courses can be completed at any time prior to the awarding of the prize. To be eligible to receive this award, the recipient must also be enrolled in a postgraduate programme with a focus on research in Microbiology at the University of Auckland.
R E F Matthews prize($500)
To the student who has performed the best piece of published research in the field of cell and molecular biology in the 2020 year. Please provide nomination support accompanied by copy of the published paper.
TL Lancaster and M E Orman Memorial Prize in Plant Science ($1000)
To the undergraduate student in final year with best academic record in Plant Sciences (either in that year or cumulatively) who has worked on aspects of indigenous flora and vegetation of New Zealand.
Marian Cranwell Prize ($3,000)
The Prize will be awarded annually to the student who, in the opinion of the selection panel, completed the best thesis or dissertation focussing on the areas of environmental or ecological science, including the cultural history of environmental areas, in fulfilment of the requirements for a Masters or PhD degree. This is open to Students in School of Environment as well.
We would normally aim to submit the chosen nominees by mid-February at the latest. If you have in mind any worthy nominees could you let Ayumi know as soon as convenient please and provide a note in support of your nomination. Thanks!
Field Activity Plan Roles
Blair Sowman has confirmed with central HSW who must fill these roles for field activity plans.
Project Supervisor – academic staff member or professional staff manager.
Field activity leader – person in charge in the field.
Deputy field activity leader – second in charge in the field (if applicable).
Home base admin contact – UoA Staff member who is not in the field.
Check in person – UoA Staff member who is not in the field.
Emergency contact – can be anyone
Uni emergency contact – UoA Staff member who is not in the field.
Tonya’s Blurb
Kia ora koutou,
My name is Tonya Wyatt and during semester 1 2021, I will be undertaking the Royal Society Science Teacher Leadership Program (STLP).
I completed my Bachelor of Science in geography, biological and environmental science in 2000 and have been teaching at an intermediate level since 2003. Last year I completed my Masters in Education at the University of Waikato focusing on science education and climate change education.
Presently, I am a specialist science teacher at Blockhouse Bay Intermediate, which has a roll of approx. 850 students. My focus as a primary science educator is to expose students to a wide range of science experiences, and develop their science skills and capabilities. During year 8 we undertake a citizen science project and investigate if our local stream, Wai Tahurangi, supports life.
During my STLP I will be primarily working with Kathleen Campbell in Earth Sciences. I have a wide range of interests in environmental science and am looking to engage with topics within this area. I am really looking forward to spending time back at Auckland Uni and increasing my science knowledge, while exploring how I can transfer environmental science research to the primary classroom setting.
Note: Tonya will be housed in the School for semester 1, 2021, as a science teacher in the Royal Society’s Science Teachers’ Leadership Programme. She is very keen to attend key lectures, go on field trips and engage with research being undertaken at all levels in the School, especially in Environmental Science. Please contact me at ka.campbell@auckland.ac.nz if you or one of your research students would be able to engage with Tonya – as an observer or with her helping with projects – during her time with us.
Politics, Economy and Place
After a successful launch at the end of 2020 and a set of show-stopping graduate presentations at the New Zealand Geographical Society Conference in Wellington in December, the Politics, Economy and Place research network held a more informal function at the end of January 2021 to welcome in its first full year of existence. The event coincided with network coordinator, Emily Stevens, commencing her PhD. The network will begin its work for the year in earnest in early March, when we reconvene the reading group and launch the website. Stand-by for more….
Doing Research in Hegemonic Spaces: Challenges for Academic Career Advancement
At the very end of 2020, the School of Graduate Studies and ENV hosted a highly successful symposium that debated what it means for students and academics from the ‘developing world’ to conduct research and develop careers in the ‘developed world’. Championed and co-organised by Valentine Ibeka and a cross-Faculty international student collective, the symposium invited papers from students to explore this question in relation to the ideas of ‘the research encounter’ and ‘testimonial injustice’.
Led by a keynote from Pacific geographer Yvonne Underhill-Sem and featuring a paper from Valentine, the event attracted a student audience from across the university. It was particularly noteworthy for its scholarly approach to thinking about the challenges of international postgraduate research at the University of Auckland. The speakers traversed the material and institutional concerns that normally feature in such events, but rather than dwell on administrative minutiae such as Doc 6s and clichéd accounts of institutional frustrations, the carefully crafted presentations said so much more.
Framed as interdisciplinary, the event featured papers from speakers who spoke from the authority of their own socio-cultural scholarship to question what it means to be forced to adopt new ways of thinking, researching and being as a student in a foreign place, language, and intellectual culture.
Appropriately hosted in ENV’s Ontology Lab, the symposium was marked by a genuine and palpable sense of collegiality, scholarly engagement, fun, and solidarity. It demonstrated all that is good about working in a university and how much we might learn from international students about how to value and perform the university.
While it is tempting to pity the absence of more staff, perhaps this may have disturbed the intimacy. What is important is that at some point several of the papers and voices need to be heard by all staff.
Excellent job Valentine – credit to Geography and ENV.
Equipment up for disposal, up for grabs Inaugural Lecture
16 stereoscopes mirrored for air photographs, with parallax bar (some of them)
6 Petrographic monocular microscopes.
Events & Seminars
Inaugural Lecture
Prof Jan Lindsay will be delivering an inaugural lecture on Insights into volcanic risk from Auckland to the Antilles, Andes and Arabia on Thursday Mrach 25th 2021 at 6.30
Location:
Physics Lecture Theatre 1
Building 303 (PLT1 / 303-G20)
38 Princes Street, Auckland, 1010
Please find more details here
To join, please register at the Eventbrite page: https://janlindsay.eventbrite.co.nz
RSVP: School of Environment Kaupapa 2021
Dear Staff,
The School of Environment Kaupapa 2021 will be held on Friday 26 February from 10:00am – 1:30pm in Room 439, Building 401 (Eng1439). Please click here to register for catering purpose by Monday 15 February.
Date: Friday 26 February
Venue:
- Lecture Theatre Eng1439 – Room 439, Building 401, Engineering Building
- Neon Foyer Space – Room400L2, Building 401 (morning tea and lunch)
Agenda:
- 10:00 – 10:30am Coffee, tea and biscuits
- 10:30 – 12:30 Presentations
- 12:30 – 13:30 Lunch
Summer Events
‘The Faculty invites our PG students to join some (or all!) of the upcoming summer events. 2020 has been a tough year for all of us, so let’s start 2021 with some nice gatherings. The events offered include lunch in the park, yogalates, Shut up and Write workshops, board game evenings, and much more. Many of the activities are suitable for families. It would be really helpful for us to know how many people to expect for each event; please view Faculty events and sign up HERE
Some of the events will be organized by the School of Graduate Studies. Follow this link to view these events: https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/students/academic-information/postgraduate-students/school-of-graduate-studies/doctoral-opportunities/doctoral-summer-sessions.html
For more information, please contact env-pgadmin@auckland.ac.nz
Astrobiology Postgrad Mini-Symposium
Are you interested in the big questions about our origins and possible life on other planets?
- What is life?
- How did life begin on Earth?
- Does life exist outside of Earth?
Astrobiology is an interdisciplinary scientific field dedicated to answering these questions. The University of Auckland has a growing Astrobiology community including members from the Faculties of Science, Engineering and the Humanities.
As part of a Creative Communities Grant, we are holding a half-day symposium for all postgraduate students at the University of Auckland interested in Astrobiology.
We are extremely excited to have NASA’s Dr. Mitch Shulte, Mars 2020 (Perseverance Rover) Project Scientist as our keynote speaker.
Other speakers include Professor Kathy Campbell (Environment) – What is Astrobiology?, Dr Nick Rattenbury (Physics) – Opportunities in Astrobiology and Space Science, Dr Emily Parke (Humanities) – What is life? And the Origins of Life, Haritina Mogoșanu (New Zealand Astrobiology Network)
If you have an interest in these subjects and would like to hear about research opportunities at UoA and overseas, or if you just want to meet other postgraduates who have the same interests, we would love to see you there.
Please RSVP at https://forms.gle/g112d7mtN7daQw9U6 for catering purposes to attend.
Date: 25th February 2021
Time: 10am – 1:40pm
Place: Fale Pasifika ** Note this is a new venue!! **
Lunch Provided!!
Any questions please contact Ira Mautner (ira.mautner@auckland.ac.nz, 021 555 558) or Michaela Dobson (mdob102@aucklanduni.ac.nz)
Summer 2020/21 – Events for PG students in Faculty of Science
We invite you to join some or all of the summer events arranged for postgraduate students. 2020 has been a tough year for all of us, so let’s start 2021 with some nice gatherings.
The events offered include lunch in the park, yogalates, Shut up and Write workshops, board game evenings, and much more. Many of the activities are suitable for families. See the list below.
It would be really helpful for us to know how many people to expect for each event; please sign up using the link below. If you don’t know your plans yet, you can sign up later or just turn up, but any information you can provide in advance will help our planning. Sign up HERE
Some of the events listed below will be organized by the School of Graduate Studies. Follow the links provided for more information about those events.
We look forward to seeing you on campus over the summer! Please forward enquiries to Sharon Chen
Upcoming Events
Check here for updates, including changes to times and venues.
Wednesday February 17 – *SGS- Walk the Talk summer stroll
The guided walk will leave promptly from the General Library at City Campus on Wednesdays at 12.05pm.
For more information about events organized by the School of Graduate Studies, refer to: https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/students/academic-information/postgraduate-students/school-of-graduate-studies/doctoral-opportunities/doctoral-summer-sessions.html
Seminar – Wind-driven dynamics in the Southern Hemisphere subtropics
Please see flyer for the upcoming seminar on Wind-driven dynamics in the Southern hemisphere subtropics by Kayo Takahashi (a PhD Student).
Date & Time: Wed 17 Feb 2021, 1pm – 3pm
Venue: Ontology Lab (302-551)
Zoom meeting: https://auckland.zoom.us/j/99332198194?pwd=Q2ZudEEyYWpOY2ZKMHhNY1Q3bFczZz09
Meeting ID: 993 3219 8194
Passcode: 379771
Aotearoa Bike Challenge
The Aotearoa Bike Challenge began Monday 1st February!
The Aotearoa Bike Challenge is a fun, free, competition to encourage more New Zealanders to experience first-hand the joys and benefits of riding a bike. There are many prizes up for grabs and it only takes a 10 minute bike ride to enter the prize draws.
Register now at aotearoa.bike. In February, you’ll have loads of chances to win amazing prizes for riding and encouraging others to ride too! If you are logging your first ride make sure you identify a UoA encourager to maximize our points – Jennifer Eccles or anyone else you have heard about this from!
AusIMM University Roadshow Student Event 10 March 12-1pm 302-G20
The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy (AusIMM) is running a roadshow around the NZ universities early in semester 1. Smart extraction and use of resources is key to facilitating the global energy transition, including meeting the Paris Agreement, and also attaining the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals. This is an opportunity for students (undergraduate and postgraduate) to hear more about the resource sector including career pathways and employment. The myriad of resource sector careers includes environmental science and management, geology, GIS, remote sensing, geophysics, and engineering. Please advertise this to your students via Canvas and contact Martin Brook for further details
Job Opportunity
Earth Science Technologist – Microcharacterisation Facility
We are seeking an experienced and organised Geochemistry | Earth Science Technologist to operate and maintain the School of Environment X-ray analytical Research Laboratories in our Micro characterization Facility.
In this role, you will be supporting postgraduate students and academic staff, but also the wider University on a wide range of exciting research projects.
The appointed candidate will be primarily responsible for the ongoing maintenance, technical support and operation of key research equipment, including, but not limited to:
*PANalytical Axios X-ray Wavelength Dispersive X-Ray Fluorescence *Spectrometer (XRF)
*Cox Analytical Itrax Core Scanner
*X-ray Preparation facilities
If you are interested in applying for the role use the link below. If you have any questions then please get in contact with Blair.
Internal applicants https://jobs.smartrecruiters.com/TheUniversityOfAuckland/743999734400180-geochemistry-earth-science-technologist-microcharacterisation-facility
External applicants Geochemistry | Earth Science Technologist (Microcharacterisation)
Assistant/Associate/Full Professor – Chair in Mineral Resources Geology at Oregon State University
Application URL: https://jobs.oregonstate.edu/postings/97932
For full consideration apply by 4/30/2021, applications close 6/30/2021
The College of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Sciences (CEOAS) invites applications for a tenure-track (Assistant/Associate/Full Professor) faculty position to fill the newly created Barrow Family Endowed Chair in Mineral Resource Geology. Areas of research focus could be rooted in field-and laboratory-based investigations of ore genesis, evolution, and exploration. Specific areas of interest include the role of fluids in crustal processes, structural and tectonic controls on magma and fluid flow, magmatic and hydrothermal processes that determine the concentration and dispersion of mineralized materials, geothermal or active magmatic or metamorphic systems, or related fields. Research strategies should integrate field mapping and investigations with petrology, structural geology, remote-sensing, high-temperature and isotope geochemistry, and/or other lab-based or modelling approaches.
Rangahau – Research
Research and Funding Opportunities
L’Oréal-UNESCO for Women in Science Australia and New Zealand Fellowship
The Fellowship is intended to provide practical help for the winners to undertake research in their chosen fields. It can be spent on any research related expenses, such as the purchase of scientific equipment, conference and travel costs, childcare costs or other items researchers may need to continue their research.
- Applicants must have been awarded a PhD within the last 5 years
- Grant Value: $25,000
- Project Duration: 12 months
- Funders website (including further eligibility details)
Internal Deadline: Tuesday 23rd February
Royal Society Te Apārangi Catalyst: Seeding
Catalyst: Seeding facilitates new small and medium pre-research strategic partnerships with international collaborators that cannot be supported through other means. Funding is for research exchanges, research activities, and expenses related to hosting workshops for new strategic research partnerships with international collaborators.
- Grant Value: $80,000
- Project Duration: Up to 2 years
- Funders website (including guidelines, FAQ’s)
Internal Deadline: Wednesday 7 April
Please contact your RPC for details on how to register for the portal.
Royal Society Te Apārangi Catalyst: Leaders
Catalyst: Leaders supports incoming and outgoing targeted international fellowships for exceptional individuals that cannot be supported through other means.
Funders website contains further eligibility details and guidelines. Please contact your RPC for details on how to register for the portal
- International Leader Fellowships
Supports exceptional individuals from any country outside New Zealand to catalyse science and innovation capability and capacity development in New Zealand for a minimum of 4 weeks per year for up to 3 years.
- Grant value: Up to $50,000 per annum for up to three years (comprising of $20,000 stipend, $20,000 research and travel allowance, $10,000 host institution administration)
- JSPS Postdoctoral Fellowships
Supports excellent post-doctoral researchers to do research in Japan for 12-24 months. Preferred start is 1 September 2021 but no later than 30 November 2021.
- Grant value: Round trip air-ticket (based on JSPS regulations, Monthly maintenance allowance of ¥362,000 (~ NZ $5160), Settling allowance of ¥200,000 (~ NZ $2850). Overseas travel, accident and sickness insurance is covered
Internal Deadline: Wednesday 7 April
Food and Health Seed Fund Application
Thanks to continued support from the Faculties of Business and Economics, Engineering, Medical and Health Sciences and Science, the Food and Health Programme is again able to run a seed funding round to provide up to $10,000 seed funding (per project) for cross-disciplinary/cross-faculty, food and health related projects this year.
To apply, please complete Food and Health Programme Seed Fund Application, and email to Dee Nolan d.nolan@auckland.ac.nz, by Noon, Tuesday 16th March 2021. Successful applicants will be notified late March. Projects will be required to be completed by the end of this calendar year.
Further details on criteria and conditions of award can be found on Page 6 of the application form or here,
Please contact Dee Nolan directly if you have any queries.
Laura Bassi Scholarship
The Laura Bassi Scholarship, which awards a total of $8,000 thrice per annum, was established by Editing Press in 2018 with the aim of providing editorial assistance to postgraduates and junior academics whose research focuses on neglected topics of study, broadly construed. The scholarships are open to every discipline and the next round of funding will be awarded in April 2021:
Spring 2021
Application deadline: 31 March 2021
Results: 25 April 2021
All currently enrolled master’s and doctoral candidates are eligible to apply, as are academics in the first five years of full-time employment. Applicants are required to submit a completed application form along with their CV through the application portal by the relevant deadline. Further details, previous winners, and the application portal can be found at: https://editing.press/bassi
Call for application: PBRF fund
The purpose of this fund is to increase the quality and international reach of the School research output. This year, the fund will be distributed in two contestable application rounds in March and July 2021.
Please carefully check the guidelines Click Here, and submit your application form Click Here to the Rangahau committee by 1 March 2021.
If you have any questions or concerns, please contact Melanie Kah (melanie.kah@auckland.ac.nz)
Puke Ariki Postgraduate Scholarships 2021
We are happy to announce that applications for the Puke Ariki Postgraduate Scholarships funded by the George Mason Charitable Trust, are now open.
Established in 2002, these scholarships support the studies of postgraduate students who carry out research relating to Taranaki’s natural history.
The scholarships are awarded annually, up to a maximum of $7500 for PhD research and $5000 for Masters or honours level research. The scholarship is intended to support students who are studying full time at a postgraduate level. Applications for the 2021 scholarships close on 12 March 2021.
Please click on this link: Puke Ariki George Mason Scholarship Terms and Conditions 2021, for application details and criteria that we would appreciate you promoting to candidates through your usual channels.
Please don’t hesitate to contact Melanie Kah if you need to clarify anything further.
2021 AINSE Honours Scholarships
Applications now open (applications close 15 February 2021). Flyer is available online
Eligible students from AINSE Member institutions who are enrolled in an Honours or Honours-equivalent program can now apply for the 2021 AINSE Honours Scholarship.
To be eligible for the AINSE Honours Scholarship, students must be:
– Studying at a current financial AINSE Member Institution;
– Enrolled in an Honours or Honours-equivalent Program; and
– Either the Student or Supervisor must be conducting research at ANSTO, or processing prior AINSE-sponsored research data, in collaboration with an ANSTO staff member.
AINSE Honours Scholars will receive a A$5,000 stipend to assist them in their studies.
Applications close 15 February 2021. Students must complete the online application form through the AINSE Grants Portal and supply a copy of their official Academic Transcript, along with a reference from their university supervisor/
Selection is largely based on academic achievement and each application is assessed by a specialist committee that oversees the specified area of research.
For more information, including a link to the online application form and Terms & Conditions, please visit our website or contact AINSE on +61 2 9717 3376 / enquiries@ainse.edu.au.
Marsden Fund
The Marsden Fund invests in excellent, investigator-led research aimed at generating new knowledge, with long-term benefit to New Zealand.
Three types of award are offered: − Fast-Start: for emerging researchers – to give an impetus to their careers by promoting them as sole Principal Investigators (PI) in their own research programmes (up to $120K p.a.) − Standard: for established and emerging researchers (up to $220-$320K p.a., varies by panel) − Council Award: for projects that are interdisciplinary in nature, with larger teams (up to $1M p.a.)
All grants are for a maximum of three years and are GST exclusive.
Deadline: 12 noon Tuesday, 9 February 2021 (Fast start and standard EOIs, Marsden Fund Council Award FULL proposals).
Please get in touch with your RPC if you are considering applying, so that we can ensure you are registered in the portal and are kept aware of the support available to help you with your proposal.
Further information on the Marsden fund can be found here.
Masters Scholarship
Interested in the effect of plant pathogens (kauri dieback) on plant soil interactions? Fully funded Masters Scholarship (living stipend plus fees) available. Start date. March 2021. Please contact Luitgard Schwendenmann (l.schwendenmann@auckland.ac.nz) for further information.
Predator Free 2050
National Science Challenge – The Deep South
Living with Uncertainty
The Impacts and Implications programme of the Deep South Challenge invites researchers to submit ideas for their “Living with Uncertainty” funding round.
Research should focus on either:
- developing or applying approaches to support decision-making under uncertainty, or
- work directly with stakeholders to implement adaptation action.
The Deep South challenge does not expect to fund more research into the impacts of climate change.
Expressions of Interest are due Wednesday, 10 February. Full proposals (invitation only) will be required in April.
The Challenge is expecting to fund projects of up to $500,000 (two year duration).
Further information and guidelines/templates can be found on the Challenge Website.
New Publications
Kurniadi, A., Weller, E., Min, S.-K., and Seong, M.-G. (2021). Independent ENSO and IOD impacts on rainfall extremes over Indonesia. International Journal of Climatology, doi.org/10.1002/joc.7040.
Wheaton, B., Waiti, J. T. A., Olive, R., & Kearns, R. (2021). Coastal Communities, Leisure and Wellbeing: Advancing a Trans-Disciplinary Agenda for Understanding Ocean-Human Relationships in Aotearoa New Zealand. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18(2), 450. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18020450
Yasuhara M, Huang H-HM, Hull P, Rillo MC, Condamine FL, Tittensor DP, Kučera M, Costello MJ, Finnegan S, O’Dea A, Hong Y, Bonebrake TCC, McKenzie NR, Doi H, Wei C-L, Kubota Y, and Saupe EE. 2020. Time machine biology: cross-timescale integration of ecology, evolution, and oceanography. Oceanography 33 (2), https://doi.org/10.5670/oceanog.2020.xxx
Pamungkas J, Glasby CJ, Costello MJ. 2021. Biogeography of polychaete worms (Annelida) of the world. Marine Ecology Progress Series 657, 147-159. https://doi.org/10.3354/meps13531
Lin, H-Y, Corkrey R, Kaschner K, Garilao C, Costello MJ. 2020. Latitudinal diversity gradients for five taxonomic levels of marine fish in depth zones. Ecological Research https://doi.org/10.1111/1440-1703.12193
ENV IT Committee Updates
Software for teaching in 2021 – please reply ASAP
This is only for software needed for teaching (labs. and FlexIT).
Last September, IT asked us to send software requests for 2021. If you need anything beyond what you have requested back then, please contact me ASAP (say, Wed., 20 Jan., COB). I will compile a list via the IT Committee, hoping IT can accommodate late requests.
Please provide as much information as possible from the list below:
| Requester Name |
| Requester Username |
| Faculty |
| Software Vendor |
| Software Name |
| Software Version |
| Course Name |
| Lab Location(s) |
| Teaching Week Required |
| Comments\Customisations\Modules etc |
| Tester Installation |
| Source Files Location |
| *FlexIT? |
| License Owned |
*Please be ready for another lockdown…
Even if it is the same software as last year, IT need to know – software will not be carried over from last year. IT needs more time than in previous years to make sure software works off FlexIT.
Thank you, Ingo
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 Martin for next edition of P-cubed by Friday 26th February 2021
