HeadSup

Kia ora koutou

Happy Monday! We’ve reached the end of the teaching year, and what a ‘different’ one it turned out to be. I’m sure we are all looking forward to some rest, recovery and reflection; but it’s also a time for celebration and we’re several events into this already. Graduation finally went ahead last week and it was wonderful to see so many graduands and their families at our lunchtime event on Monday 2nd. Congratulations to you all – and I hope that strutting the Spark Arena stage was as much a dream-fulfilled for you as it was for Professor Kearns! 🙂

Last week (3rd November) we celebrated our tutors with a set of awards convened by the Ako Innovation Committee (AIC). Congratulations to Ngaio, Jack, Charlotte, Salene, Anthony and Sophia, and thanks for your outstanding contributions. However, I would like shout sincere and hearty thanks to all of our tutors. This year more than ever we relied upon our tutors’ commitment and flexibility as we navigated lockdowns and online teaching. Both students and instructors benefited directly and are equally grateful, I’m sure.

One week earlier AIC convened the teaching awards (details below); and tomorrow Rangahau Committee will host our annual Research Awards (11 am on Tuesday 10th, in 302-140) – so the celebrations continue.

Our taught courses are now completed and many of our postgraduate students are completing their theses and dissertations. This year’s disruptions have been especially tough on students’ research projects. The Honours students presented their work recently and the 120 students in the combined Geography/Earth Sciences capstone course have just submitted theirs. It’s impressive to see how well they adapted to the loss of fieldwork, and were able to switch to alternative data sources and methodologies. Flexibility, resilience and perserverance seem to be the key themes this year.

ENV staff meet next week for an end-of-year wrap-up (Tuesday 17th) which will be an opportunity to reflect on this year, and to refocus on our plans for next year. 2021 will be upon us all-too-soon so please make the most of the breaks over the next few months.

Ngā mihi, David

(on behalf of JR)

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Whakawhanaungatanga-Communities

New Zealand Geographical Society

Geoscience Society of New Zealand Conference

Geoscience Society of New Zealand Conference Christchurch 22nd-25th November – Early Bird Registration 21st October

The Geoscience Society of New Zealand annual conference (https://confer.eventsair.com/gsnz2020/) is still planning to go ahead face to face in Christchurch 22-25th November. Early bird registration https://confer.eventsair.com/gsnz2020/registration has been extended to 21st October and if you missed the abstract submission deadline last month in the Covid chaos there is a rapidly closing window for Aucklander’s to informally slide a late submission into the (poster) programme – please contact Alex Nichols alex.nichols@canterbury.ac.nz and  ‘Claudette van der Westhuizen’ Claudette@confer.co.nz asap to see what your options are.

Dialogues

Geography Auckland (New Zealand Geographical Society, Auckland Branch)

The final Dialogues of the year will be held next Tuesday, 10th November:

What:    Soilsafe Aotearoa: Diverse soil values

Who:     Emma Sharp

When:  Tuesday 10th November: 1.30pm to 2.30pm

Where: Ontology Lab, Level 5, Science Centre, University of Auckland

Geography Auckland Newsletter

Click on the link to see November edition of  Geography Auckland Newsletter

NZGS Auck_newsletter November 2020

UoA Calendar

2021 University of Auckland Calendar is now live

The 2021 University of Auckland Calendar is now live. You can access it at https://www.calendar.auckland.ac.nz

Wahapū live demo for candidates

What could be more convenient than managing doctoral candidature online, from your lab, desk or front room? Wahapū gives you and your candidate that option – and so much more! Encourage your candidate to join this Wahapū live demo and to move to the new PhD Statute for access.

https://www.eventbrite.co.nz/e/wahapu-live-demo-for-doctoral-candidates-tickets-123259166485

BioHeritage National Science Challenge Ngā Rākau Taketake

Risk Assessment and Ecosystem Impacts PhD positions

Three new Ngā Rākau Taketake PhD positions are available.

Applications close 30 November.

Learn more here https://bioheritage.nz/risk-assessment-and-ecosystem-impacts-phd-positions/

TSM Jobs

Thames School of Mines in advertising some roles that may be of interest. See https://www.heritage.org.nz/get-involved/job-vacancies

• Property Lead Thames School of Mines – Full Time
• Visitor Services Co-ordinator Thames School of Mines – Full Time
• Visitor Host Thames School of Mines – Permanent Part time – 25 hours per week
• Visitor Host Thames School of Mines – Fixed Term / Part Time – 16 hours per week (summer only)

For detailed job description, please see TSM Jobs

Effects of Covid-19 on tourism

After needing to remotely conduct their research on effects of Covid-19 on tourism, the economy and community identity on Waiheke Island, a group of GEOG 315 capstone course students finally visited the island last week. They saw sights of cultural significance and spoke to a community meeting about their research findings.  Their projects were supervised by Robin Kearns in partnership with the community group Project Forever Waiheke.

EnViral

The New Zealand Open Dance Championships 2020 saw competitors from all over NZ travel to Wellington to take part in the celebration of the New Zealand Federation of Dance Teachers 70th NZ National Dancesport championships. The Te Raparaha Arena in Porirua once more played host to the biggest event of the dance calendar.

Last year NZ Champions in ballroom dancing Alexandra Soudlenkova, the School GSA, and her husband Gene Soudlenkov, the research support team lead in National eScience Infrastructure (NeSI/UoA), competed in The New Zealand Open Dance Championships 2020 over Labour weekend. With everything that the world has been battling with regards to COVID-19 they were provided with an opportunity to do something that very few other countries can do. Not being able to defend their last year title coming second in the Masters 2 Level 5 ballroom they still came home with a bunch of medals and another National title winning Masters 1 Level 4. Winning in younger age division was close to a miracle considering that they only have about three months training in the proper dance hall this year and spent nearly half a year practicing in the carpark underneath a Radiology building in Remuera. Just one strange year…

Events

Taiao Tutor Community of Practice

The Taiao Tutor Community of Practice is a fortnightly meeting of School of Environment tutors (alongside staff and interested others) to facilitate best practice teaching and learning amongst tutors.

Date: Friday 13th of November, 1-2pm. 

This session we are lucky enough to have Micheal McCabe from the Architecture School coming along to talk about his role as an educator and practitioner, speaking under the title of “Lessons from Architecture: Teaching as Studio Practice”. After a short talk there will be time for discussion and questions about teaching in general, across faculties, schools and courses. 

We will be in the Ontology lab and will have biscuits! 

RSVP: School of Environment Christmas Party

Dear Staff,

Please join us for School of Environment Christmas party on Friday 4 December. BBQ and drinks will be provided. Partners and children are welcome to attend!

Date: Friday 4 December

Time: 3:00pm – till late

Venue:  Nick Lewis’ place – 25 Seaview Avenue, Northcote

Please click here for RSVP by Friday 13 November for catering purpose.

Graduation Ceremony 2020

Here are some of our Earth Science doctoral graduates this week 

From back left Paul Oluwunmi, Jie Wu, Sophia Tsang, 

Front row from left Gianna Evans, Ayrton Hamilton and Ben Simons

Topics included gas hydrates, paleoclimatology, Volcanology, and mineral resource

Department of Mathematics Seminar

Speaker:     Tra Dinh

Affiliation: The University of Auckland

Title:       Physics, Math, Computers, and Climate Science

Date:       Thursday, 5 Nov 2020

Time:       2 pm

Location:   303-257

In this seminar, I will discuss how climate science is an integrated field of research that combines our physical understanding of the natural world, our skills in mathematics, and the advancement of numerical modelling using computers. I will review the processes that govern the Earth’s climate, including its temperature and water cycle, and discuss the use of climate models and the challenges to model climate and climate change. The content is accessible to the general audience.

For anyone who is interested in reading more, I have compiled a list of five frequently asked questions about the current climate change, which has been published on The Big Q (https://www.thebigq.org/2018/11/12/frequently-asked-questions-about-climate-change-and-the-ipcc-special-report/)

Everyone welcome!

2020 ENV Staff End-of-year Wrap-up

Dear Staff

The End-of-year Wrap-up will be held on Tuesday 17 November from 12:30 – 18:00pm in the Old Government House. Please click here to register by Friday 6 November for catering purpose. Please advise Samantha if you are an apology.

Below is the tentative agenda. More details are coming.

12:30 – 13:30          Lunch                                   VC’s Suite

13:30 – 16:00          Staff Presentations            Federations Room

16:00 – 18:00          Drinks & Nibbles                Members’ Lounge

Science PG Poster Competition

You are warmly invited to participate in the 2020 Faculty of Science Postgraduate Poster Competition. Showcase your expertise and passion for research! $2000 in prizes

Please see the Science postgraduate-research-showcase-website for more information and how to register.

Important dates  

10th November, 4pm: Registration and poster submission deadline

16th – 20th November – Poster Exhibition, Science Foyer.

19th November | Prize giving function

The top-ranked posters (10) from this competition will be automatically entered into the School of Graduate Studies Research Showcase and will be eligible to win further prizes.

There are two other ways you can get involved: submit a research-related image or submit a creative item. All Science Students are welcome to participate. Application for those categories are directly with SGS. More details here.

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Ako – Teaching and Learning

Ako Staff Excellence Awards 2020 P-cubed

A great celebration to signal the end of a tumultuous teaching year!

Highlights from the  School of Environment Ako Staff Excellence Awards 2020

Awardees include: EARTHSCI 220 teaching team, EARTHSCI 303 teaching team, GISCI 241 teaching team, Ako Committee, Ako Innovation Committee, Sonia Fonua, and Mel Wall.”

Ako GTA Excellence Awards 2020 P-cubed

Thanks to the postgraduates and staff who can to recognise the critical role of our GTAs and TAs in our School. Special mention was made of the following tutors who were awarded an Ako GTA/TA Excellence Awards 2020.

Awardees were Anthony Gampell, Charlotte Milne, Jack Barrett, Ngaio Balfour, Salene Schloffel-Armstrong, and Sophia Tsang.

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Rangahau – Research

Te Tumu Herenga | Libraries and Learning Services

Bespoke Data requests from Statistics NZ

University staff and students can access Stats NZ information and data exclusively available to universities made possible through an agreement between the Council of New Zealand University Librarians (CONZUL) and Stats NZ. You can request customised data sets for your research, including data that is not openly made available via the stats.govt.nz website.

Customised data

Universities each have a set allocation of hours for customised data that is available to individuals for specific research purposes. This applies to all datasets produced by Stats NZ for which customised tables can be prepared.
Our current balance is 94 hours. Most requests average between 2-4 hours of work.

Examples of requests

• Figures on the number of Māori that have migrated from Auckland to Northland from 1980 to 2000.
• Occupation fields and cross tab against age, ethnicity and sex, and a breakdown of Auckland, rest of NZ and total NZ, for both 2013 and 2018 census figures.
• Finding data on the number of Pacific academics in higher education in NZ, broken down by institution (i.e. universities, polytechnics, wanaga). What percentage of the academic workforce they comprise.
• Type 1 diabetes incidence data on the Auckland region from 1976-1996 broken down by age (0-4, 5-9 and 10-14), sex and prioritised Level 1 ethnicity.
• Numbers of tertiary students using public transport to travel to university in Auckland

To make requests for research data contact Dr Donna MacColl from Research Services at donna.maccoll@auckland.ac.nz

MBIE College of Assessors

MBIE are seeking to expand their College of Assessors for the Endeavour funding mechanism

Assessor criteria:   

• To assess Excellence assessors must be “Qualified, Meritorious, Current and Connected”  
• To assess Impact assessors  must  be  “Knowledgeable,  Experienced,  Acknowledged  in  the  Relevant  Community, Connected, and either have  an  understanding  of  the  New  Zealand  and  sector-specific  context  and  what  science could be of high-impact to New Zealand, as well as an international perspective, and/ or have  previously  been  involved  in  transformative outcomes  e.g.  rapidly  changing companies, start-ups, emerging sectors, entrepreneurship, experience in transformational leadership or leading change.”
• MBIE are working to strengthen their capacity to have reviewers experienced in te Ao Māori and Kaupapa Māori research design reviewing proposals that have this focus.

Other areas that do not yet have proportionate representation include social science, and general diversity (most recent stats on gender split F 28%/ M 72%).

How to express interest:

Assessors are selected based on the above criteria, and then on the content of the proposals submitted to the Endeavour Fund in a given round. Individuals interested in joining the College of Assessors can express their  interest by sending their CV and other relevant information to submissions@auckland.ac.nz

Research Data Management (RDM)

RDM Project Overview

RDM is increasingly recognised as a critical knowledge area for researchers as funders, publishers, and ethics committees introduce more stringent requirements regarding Data Management Plans and the collection, storage and sharing of research data.

The RDM Project is part of the University Research Delivery Programme seeking to develop an integrated Research Data Management framework that is consistent with international standards, including FAIR data principles to improve data sharing and the principles of Māori Data Sovereignty. The project is sponsored by the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research) and includes an Advisory Panel chaired by Professor Mark Gahegan and a Māori Data Sovereignty Kāhui chaired by Andrew Sporle.

For more information about the project and the survey, please contact Nick Kearns.

Engagement Session

The presentation slides delivered to the School of Environment on the 5th November are attached RDM-Project_SCI-Environment_2020-11-05 and the recording is available here –

Survey

The University is asking researchers, postgraduate research students, and those that work with research data (e.g. data managers, technicians, statisticians, research software engineers, research assistants) to complete the following short survey on current RDM policies, processes, platforms, services and support.

Qualtrics survey link: http://tiny.cc/UoA-RDM2020-survey

Your responses will be used to guide future work to improve both the ease and quality of RDM at the University.  This survey is anonymous and should take approximately 20 minutes to complete.

Research and Funding Opportunities

Winter 2020 funding: 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 December 2020:

     Winter 2020
     Application deadline: 25 November 2020
     Results: 20 December 2020

All currently enrolled master’s and doctoral candidates are eligible to apply, as are academics in the first five years of their 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

Postgraduate scholarship programme

DOC offers postgraduate research scholarships for conservation related research in natural and social sciences. These help achieve New Zealand’s conservation goals.

Applications close 1 December 2020.

https://www.doc.govt.nz/our-work/research-and-development/postgraduate-scholarship-programme/

The New Zealand Antarctic Research Institute (NZARI) – Early Career Researcher Seed Grant

NZARI is seeking investigator-initiated proposals for seed projects (1 year in duration and requests of up to $25,000 excl. GST)

Deadline: 16 November 2020

Guidelines and further information:  https://nzari.aq/supporting-research/request-for-proposals

Amelia Earhart Fellowship

Events

Research Awards

Please join us at School of Environment Research Awards Function will take place on the 10th of November from 11:00 – 13:00 in 302:140.

6th ENV seminar 

1st of December, Tuesday 1pm

Join us on Tuesday the 1st of December from 1:00 pm to learn about research your colleagues do. All staff members and students from the School of Environment are warmly invited to attend this brilliant seminar. As you may be already aware we are running  the seminars every three months and so far they have been incredibly fascinating.

In the upcoming ENV Seminar, we will have three or four presenters: Ingo Pecher, Jen Eccles and Jenny Salmond plus Martin Brooks.

New Publications

• Enrique Isla, Marta Ribó, Pere Puig. Environmental controls on particle fluxes in the Gulf of Valencia, NW Mediterranean. Marine Geology. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.margeo.2020.106377

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ENV IT Committee Updates

IT Committee – Software expenses in 2021

A reminder that if you are planning to request any software, limited hardware, or (new:) data, funded by ENV’s School IT budget in 2021, please send the following information to Ingo, i.pecher@auckland.ac.nz,  by Fri 13 Nov:

– Requestor

– Names of staff supporting request

– Name of software/hardware/data package

– Cost (good approximation in NZD is sufficient at this stage)

– Amount of co-funding from research projects

– Classes for which software is requested

– Justification, including what  would happen if you did not get the software/hardware/data

Please also do so if you request renewal of software used in 2020.  We will not automatically roll over license expenses.

A few additional points:

– This only affects funding from the School budget (not research projects) with focus on teaching.

– Contribution from research budgets is expected, if funded research projects are using the requested software/hardware/data.

– Most of our software expenses are annual renewals.  If  we fund your request for 2021, do not automatically expect continuation in 2022.

– Hardware is very limited and falls under Capex and IT purchasing rules (computers e.g., cannot be purchased).  Just submit your requests though; we will have a look.

– Data requests are new – let’s see how this  goes.

Please contact Ingo for enquiries.

Update as of 12 August (8 PM)

Back in lockdown….  We have managed before!  Please watch this space.  We will do our best to provide you with up to date information.  Please keep Ingo Pecher (i.pecher@auckland.ac.nz) and Michael Martin (michael.martin@auckland.ac.nz) on cc for ENV-IT related questions.

IT are doing a tremendous job enabling us to work remotely and deliver our classes online.  We here compile what we think is the latest and most accurate information.  Any information from Connect (University IT) overrides what is in these pages.

A few key points, for now:

• Please prepare for a prolonged period of on-line only access starting today (Wed) at noon.
• From JR’s message from last night: “For teaching staff and GTA/TAs: as before, if you require your computer and can access it before midday please do so. Please complete the online form for taking kit off campus when practical.”
• Any IT equipment you take home: complete the Off-Campus IT Asset Registration Form (or search for Off-Campus IT Asset Registration Form).
• Make sure you have installed FortiClient (VPN), VMWare for FlexIT, and 2-step authentication.
• FlexIT has evolved tremendously in the past couple of months. Check it out, also for teaching purposes.
• We just had a meeting re. software requirements for a possible future (…) lockdown.  In particular, we have decided to get a license for SketchFab e.g., for virtual field trips.  More soon.
• 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. Please minimize personal requests – IT will be extremely busy.

Other 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

https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/students/academic-information/postgraduate-students/postgraduate-support-and-services/vpn-service.html

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:

https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/about-us/about-the-university/identity-and-access-management/two-factor-authentication/download-authy-for-desktops.html​

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

1. Download the client from the VMWare Horizon Client for 64-bit Linux
2. In Firefox, open about:config and click through the warning.
3. Add a new boolean entry called network.protocol-handler.expose.vmware-view and set the value to false
4. Create a file called `test.html` somewhere on your computer and put the following in it:
   test
5. Open the file in Firefox and click on the link, which should prompt you for a path to open the link.
6. 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

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Please email content to Bizza for next edition of P-cubed by Friday 20th November

HeadSup

Mālō ni

It’s Tokelau language week and the theme is ‘Apoapo tau foe, i nā tāfea i te galutau. Ke mau mai, ke mau mai’ which in English translates to, ‘Never give up hope, even amidst chaos and much uncertainty. Stay united, stay strong’.

We are into the last week of teaching for 2020 – wow, what a year! Our ENV Tutors have done us proud, going above and beyond their role to help make courses work. Thank you very much. We have a celebration lunch on Tuesday, 3rd November to acknowledge your work (see notice below).

I’m also looking forward to our ENV Staff Teaching celebration this Wednesday (see notice below) and JC’s inugural Professorial lecture tonight (what is it? 5th attempt). Can’t wait!

Other exciting news: Ingrid Ukstins has landed and is now in quarantine for 2 weeks before she joins on the ground. Ingrid has been working with us since mid-year but has had a frustrating wait for a VISA to get here from the USA. Welcome Ingrid!

Lastly, Graduation is coming up next week and we have a fantastic crowd planning to turn up for our ENV celebration. Feel free to wear a mask and remember the elbow shake. This should be a terrific event but unfortunately the rescheduled date coincided with an obligation I cannot break. I am pleased to advise that Robin will be standing in for me for this occasion.

I hope you all find things to enjoy in this last week of teaching, and good luck to all students for exams and final dissertation preparations.

Ngā mihi nui

JR

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Whakawhanaungatanga-Communities

New Zealand Geographical Society

Geoscience Society of New Zealand Conference

Geoscience Society of New Zealand Conference Christchurch 22nd-25th November – Early Bird Registration 21st October

The Geoscience Society of New Zealand annual conference (https://confer.eventsair.com/gsnz2020/) is still planning to go ahead face to face in Christchurch 22-25th November. Early bird registration https://confer.eventsair.com/gsnz2020/registration has been extended to 21st October and if you missed the abstract submission deadline last month in the Covid chaos there is a rapidly closing window for Aucklander’s to informally slide a late submission into the (poster) programme – please contact Alex Nichols alex.nichols@canterbury.ac.nz and  ‘Claudette van der Westhuizen’ Claudette@confer.co.nz asap to see what your options are.

Taranaki Reconnaissance Trip

A short article on Building a new Earthscience Stage 3 core paper focussed on Taranaki. 

In late September, Lorna Strachan, Jennifer Eccles and James Muirhead, visited Taranaki for a reconnaissance trip to identify key locations that will form the backbone of Earthscience 320. Taranaki makes for an incredible natural laboratory for studying Earthscience processes from the dynamic coastline, where myriad rivers meet the vigorous Tasman, to the world famous >12 million year old deep marine sedimentary rocks, and the ever present peak of Mount Taranaki. Please click Taranaki Recconiassance trip summary for full article.

Thanks! 

To those who attended the Postgraduate welcome back nibbles on Wednesday 14th October supported by Student Experience Committee.

It was very well attended – as Michaela (2020) stated “there is nothing like food to get people out and about”.

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.

Thank you!

Kathleen Campbell

Meetings, Seminars and Events

2020 ENV Staff End-of-year Wrap-up

Dear Staff,

The End-of-year Wrap-up will be held on Tuesday 17 November from 12:30 – 18:00pm in the Old Government House. Please click here to register by Friday 6 November for catering purpose. Please advise Samantha if you are an apology.

Below is the tentative agenda. More details are coming.

12:30 – 13:30          Lunch                                   VC’s Suite

13:30 – 16:00          Staff Presentations            Federations Room

16:00 – 18:00          Drinks & Nibbles                Members’ Lounge

Science PG Poster Competition

You are warmly invited to participate in the 2020 Faculty of Science Postgraduate Poster Competition. Showcase your expertise and passion for research! $2000 in prizes

Please see the Science postgraduate-research-showcase-website for more information and how to register. 

Important dates  

10th November, 4pm: Registration and poster submission deadline

16th – 20th November – Poster Exhibition, Science Foyer.  

19th November | Prize giving function  

The top-ranked posters (10) from this competition will be automatically entered into the School of Graduate Studies Research Showcase and will be eligible to win further prizes.  

There are two other ways you can get involved: submit a research-related image or submit a creative item. All Science Students are welcome to participate. Application for those categories are directly with SGS. More details here. 

School of Environment Graduation Lunch – 2020 Spring Graduation

Dear staff and graduands,

The School of Environment Graduation Lunch has been rescheduled to Monday 2 November. Please register here by Tuesday 20 October for catering purpose.

For queries, please contact Samantha Huang

2020 Honours presentations

The Honours students will be presenting their research projects on Tuesday 3 November (Geography) and Wednesday 4 November (Earth Science, Environmental Science, Geophysics) in the Ontology Laboratory, 302-551. This is an important part of the research experience, so please do come and hear them speak.

Please click here for the provisional schedule. It will be posted on the noticeboard outside Ontology as well.

Thanks,

Gretel

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Ako – Teaching and Learning

The Taiao Tutor Community of Practice

“The Taiao Tutor Community of Practice (TTCOP), a recent AKO Innovation Committee initiative, is a biweekly gathering of tutors from across the School of Environment. It represents an official space for tutors to discuss topics related to tutoring with the goal of achieving best practice for tutoring. 

TTCOP alternates between two types of meetings: general tutor discussions and symposia of speakers to upskill and improve the tutoring capacities of the School’s tutors! All students with an interest in teaching (including tutors!) are encouraged to come. We also welcome staff to the symposia about upskilling.  

In the last symposium, we had Andrew Patterson, a Professional Teaching Fellow from the University of Auckland Business School who came in to speak about student team building in a university context. You can view the recording of his presentation here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1HNfP1YvUYZyS-rt3iCeX0NDp2LmIVj75/view?usp=sharing

TTCOP has many more exciting meetings planned, so stay tuned!”

For enquiries, please contact Martin Joe

Inaugural Lecture – JC Gaillard

JC Gaillard is Professor of Geography at The University of Auckland. He is trained as a geographer with particular interest in disaster risk reduction (DRR) in Asia and the Pacific. His work focuses on inclusion and power in DRR. It includes developing participatory tools for engaging minority groups in disaster risk reduction with an emphasis on ethnic and gender minorities, prisoners, children and homeless people. JC collaborates in participatory DRR trainings with local governments, NGOs and other civil society organisations.

Physics Lecture Theatre 1, Building 303

303-G20, 38 Princes Street – Auckland , 1010

Refreshments will be served in the basement foyer of building 303 (303-B00L2) from 5:30pm, prior to the lecture.

Please register on Eventbrite: https://jcgaillard.eventbrite.co.nz

Meetings, Seminars and Events

School of Environment Staff Teaching Celebration and Ako Awards

Wednesday 28th October, 11.30-1 pm, 302-551 (Ontology)

Please book your calendar to attend the School of Environment Teaching Celebration. 2020 has been a challenging year for staff, where we have had to rapidly adapt and transform our teaching as a result of COVID-19. We have had to shift rapidly to online teaching, dual delivery, blended learning etc. This event is to acknowledge your tremendous efforts in the face of these challenges and celebrate the end of a quite extraordinary teaching year!

The event will include the awarding of the annual Ako Awards which recognise teaching excellence within the School.

The event will include lunch!

ENV 2020 “Celebrating our tutors” Lunch

Tuesday 3rd November, 11.30-1 pm, 302-551 (Ontology)

A message for all postgraduates, postdocs and staff. The School is running a lunch as a thank you to all GTAs and TAs in ENV. 2020 has been a tumultuous year for the University and the tremendous work of our tutors has dramatically improved our teaching programmes. We could not do it without you!

This event is to acknowledge your fantastic efforts in the face of these challenges and celebrate the end of a quite extraordinary teaching year.

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Rangahau – Research

Te Tumu Herenga | Libraries and Learning Services

Bespoke Data requests from Statistics NZ

University staff and students can access Stats NZ information and data exclusively available to universities made possible through an agreement between the Council of New Zealand University Librarians (CONZUL) and Stats NZ. You can request customised data sets for your research, including data that is not openly made available via the stats.govt.nz website.

Customised data

Universities each have a set allocation of hours for customised data that is available to individuals for specific research purposes. This applies to all datasets produced by Stats NZ for which customised tables can be prepared.
Our current balance is 94 hours. Most requests average between 2-4 hours of work.

Examples of requests

• Figures on the number of Māori that have migrated from Auckland to Northland from 1980 to 2000.
• Occupation fields and cross tab against age, ethnicity and sex, and a breakdown of Auckland, rest of NZ and total NZ, for both 2013 and 2018 census figures.
• Finding data on the number of Pacific academics in higher education in NZ, broken down by institution (i.e. universities, polytechnics, wanaga). What percentage of the academic workforce they comprise.
• Type 1 diabetes incidence data on the Auckland region from 1976-1996 broken down by age (0-4, 5-9 and 10-14), sex and prioritised Level 1 ethnicity.
• Numbers of tertiary students using public transport to travel to university in Auckland

To make requests for research data contact Dr Donna MacColl from Research Services at donna.maccoll@auckland.ac.nz

Research and Funding Opportunities

Postgraduate scholarship programme

DOC offers postgraduate research scholarships for conservation related research in natural and social sciences. These help achieve New Zealand’s conservation goals.

Applications close 1 December 2020.

https://www.doc.govt.nz/our-work/research-and-development/postgraduate-scholarship-programme/

LINZ Tertiary GIS Scholarships

Please find details of this scholarship here

https://www.linz.govt.nz/about-linz/our-strategic-journey/our-location-strategy/growing-new-zealands-geospatial-industry/linz-tertiary-gis-scholarships

MBIE Endeavour Fund – 2021 Investment Round

MBIE Endeavour Fund has 2 investment mechanisms:

Smart Ideas – smaller investments intended to catalyse and rapidly test promising, innovative research ideas with high potential for benefit to New Zealand, to enable refresh and diversity in the science portfolio.

Research Programmes – larger investments intended to support ambitious, excellent, and well-defined research ideas which, collectively, have credible and high potential to positively transform New Zealand’s future in areas of future value, growth or critical need.  Applications can be made under two research impact categories: 1) Protect and Add Value or 2) Transform.

Applications for either stream must:

• be designed so that the majority of benefits occur outside of the Research Organisation;
• be for research, science or technology, or related activities, the majority of which are to be undertaken in New Zealand;
• not be for research with the primary objective of health, defence or expanding knowledge outcomes

	Smart Ideas	Research Programs
Funding Available	$0.4 – $1.0 million over the term of the contract	$0.5 million or more per year
Contract Term	2 or 3 years	3, 4 or 5 years
Registration Deadline*	12 noon, Tues 27 Oct 2020	12 noon, Mon 30 Nov 2020
Concept Proposal	12 noon, Mon 16 Nov 2020
Full Proposal	12 noon, Mon 10 May 2021 (by invitation)	Mon 22 Feb 2021

* Registration is via the IMS portal, and requires a significant amount of information.  Please get in touch with your RPC asap if you intend on submitting a proposal.

Essential documents can be found on the MBIE Endeavour Fund website.

Spaces are still available to attend the upcoming online Endeavour Fund Roadshows on 12, 13 and 19 October 2020. Register here.

The Research Gateway on the University of Auckland Staff Intranet has a dedicated MBIE Endeavour Fund which contains exemplars of successful Smart Ideas and Research Programmes, videos and other useful information

There are also support offerings around impact, VM, budget development – please touch base with your RPC to discuss what your needs are.

New Zealand History Research Trust (the History Awards)

The New Zealand History Research Trust Fund (the History Awards) supports historians, researchers and writers working on non-fiction projects that will significantly enhance our understanding of New Zealand’s past.

Value: $12,000

Deadline: 15 October 2020

For guidelines and the application form, please visit the funders website.

Amelia Earhart Fellowship

2021 Te Pūnaha Hihiko: Vision Mātauranga Capability Fund

Fund Purpose:

• Strengthen capability, capacity, skills and networks between Māori and the science and innovation system, and
• Increase understanding of how research can contribute to the aspirations of Māori organisations and deliver benefit for Aotearoa.

Key Features:

• Proposal must be co-developed with a Māori organisation
• Proposal must include co-funding at a minimum of 10% of requested amount
• Research must support the themes and outcomes of MBIE’s Vision Mātauranga policy
• Fund includes 2 schemes: ‘connect’ and placement’ – Connect Scheme: Build new connections between Māori organisations and the science and innovation system; Placement scheme: Enhance the development of an individual(s) through placement in a Partner organisation

Grant Value:

The work programme term for both Connect and Placement schemes is up to two years.

• $150,000 (ex GST) – max funding per proposal for projects up to 1 year in length
• $250,000 (ex GST) – max funding per proposal between 1-2 years in length

Internal Deadline:  12 noon Monday 2 November 2020

For further information, including details on eligibility, please visit the MBIE website or contact your RPC

New Publications

• Fleetwood B, Brook MS, Brink G, Richards N, Adam L, Black PM. (2020). Characterization of a highly heterogeneous flysch deposit and excavation implications: case study from Auckland, New Zealand. Bulletin of Engineering Geology & the Environment 79: 4565-4578.

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ENV IT Committee Updates

Update as of IT Committee – Software expenses in 2021

Our IT budget for 2021 will be tight.  If you are planning to request any software, limited hardware, or (new:) data, funded by ENV’s School IT budget in 2021, please send the following information to Ingo, i.pecher@auckland.ac.nz,  by Fri 13 Nov.:

– Requestor

– Names of staff supporting request

– Name of software/hardware/data package

– Cost (good approximation in NZD is sufficient at this stage)

– Amount of co-funding from research projects

– Classes for which software is requested

– Justification, including what  would happen if you did not get the software/hardware/data

Please also do so if you request renewal of software used in 2020.  We will not automatically roll over license expenses.

A few additional points:

– This only affects funding from the School budget (not research projects) with focus on teaching.

– Contribution from research budgets is expected, if funded research projects are using the requested software/hardware/data.

– Most of our software expenses are annual renewals.  If  we fund your request for 2021, do not automatically expect continuation in 2022.

– Hardware is very limited and falls under Capex and IT purchasing rules (computers e.g., cannot be purchased).  Just submit your requests though; we will have a look.

– Data requests are new – let’s see how this  goes.

Update as of 12 August (8 PM): 

Back in lockdown….  We have managed before!  Please watch this space.  We will do our best to provide you with up to date information.  Please keep Ingo Pecher (i.pecher@auckland.ac.nz) and Michael Martin (michael.martin@auckland.ac.nz) on cc for ENV-IT related questions.

IT are doing a tremendous job enabling us to work remotely and deliver our classes online.  We here compile what we think is the latest and most accurate information.  Any information from Connect (University IT) overrides what is in these pages.

A few key points, for now:

• Please prepare for a prolonged period of on-line only access starting today (Wed) at noon.
• From JR’s message from last night: “For teaching staff and GTA/TAs: as before, if you require your computer and can access it before midday please do so. Please complete the online form for taking kit off campus when practical.”
• Any IT equipment you take home: complete the Off-Campus IT Asset Registration Form (or search for Off-Campus IT Asset Registration Form).
• Make sure you have installed FortiClient (VPN), VMWare for FlexIT, and 2-step authentication.
• FlexIT has evolved tremendously in the past couple of months. Check it out, also for teaching purposes.
• We just had a meeting re. software requirements for a possible future (…) lockdown.  In particular, we have decided to get a license for SketchFab e.g., for virtual field trips.  More soon.
• 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. Please minimize personal requests – IT will be extremely busy.

Other 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

https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/students/academic-information/postgraduate-students/postgraduate-support-and-services/vpn-service.html

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:

https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/about-us/about-the-university/identity-and-access-management/two-factor-authentication/download-authy-for-desktops.html​

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

1. Download the client from the VMWare Horizon Client for 64-bit Linux
2. In Firefox, open about:config and click through the warning.
3. Add a new boolean entry called network.protocol-handler.expose.vmware-view and set the value to false
4. Create a file called `test.html` somewhere on your computer and put the following in it:
   test
5. Open the file in Firefox and click on the link, which should prompt you for a path to open the link.
6. 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

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Please email content to Bizza for next edition of P-cubed by Friday 6th November

HeadSup

Kia ora koutou

It was so nice to catch up in 3-D with students in my 700-level course on Friday. I am amazed at the generosity of spirit our students extend to us, and the incredible effort our teaching and supervision teams have made to maintaining a quality educational outcome for our students. Don’t forget we run a Wednesday morning ‘Cookie Monster’ moment for all academic and professional staff, and post-graduate students. Put it in your diary – 10.30 am every Wednesday Level 6 common space, Building 302. Don’t be shy, come along, eat the biscuits, cheese and crackers, and re-connect.

On Friday last week the CoRE (Centre of Research Excellence) funding decisions were announced. This is a big ‘to-do’ in the New Zealand funding landscape. I am delighted to announce that Mark Dickson, Murray Ford and Emma Ryan have been funded via the new Otago-led Coastal People: Southern Skies CoRE. This is a huge achievement. I’m looking forward to seeing some exciting work come out of this collaboration. Well done all!

Good news also for our newest staff member, Ingrid Ukstins, who was appointed into Earth Sciences some months ago. Ingrid has been stuck in Iowa awaiting permission to cross our border. After much too-ing and fro-ing we finally managed to win our case for Ingrid to cross the border. I’m pleased to advise that Ingrid should clear quarantine mid-November…just in time for our staff end-of-year Party.

On other staffing matters, it’s great to welcome Liana Ball (l.ball@auckland.ac.nz) into the Academic Services Coodinator role, replacing Chris Struthers. Also, Mélanie has taken over from Giovanni in the Chair, Rangahau, role. Thank you for all your hard work Giovanni, and welcome Mélanie!

On the end-of-year party note, I’m told that Nick Lewis and family have once again offered up their abode in Northcote Point for an afternoon-evening soiree. This was an awesome venue last year and all who attended had a great time. Drinks definitely on me this year! Please keep an eye out for details and prioritise the event – we need to catch up and celebrate getting through 2020!

Some of you may remember the call for contributions to the national Policy Statement on Freshwater Management. Brendon Blue kindly coordinated our response. The summary of recommendations are out and our input has been incorporated – see Brendon’s item in this edition of p-cubed. I think it’s great that we did this and I encourage more engagement with submissions – we can and should make an impact!

All staff will have received an email from the Dean outlining our fiscal position. As a faculty, we will need to make staffing savings. The voluntary leaving scheme may be attractive to some people and, if so, I encourage you to get in touch with me or David for a preliminary and confidential conversation. There are many possible scenarios in play and I am unable to make a definitive comment on the School situation. However, I am optimistic that our ENV strategic initiatives will offset some of the impact as will the Voluntary Leaving Scheme. It’s a case of waiting to see whether our strategic initiatives are sufficient and whether there is enough slop in the faculty operation to cover our slightly off-kilter staff-student ratio while we grow ourselves out of trouble. There’s no point worrying about this until we understand the situation better – I urge you all to hold it lightly.

Lastly, I am on annual leave this week. If you have issues that need attention please get in touch with David who is Acting HoD in my absence.

Ngā mihi nui

JR

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Whakawhanaungatanga-Communities

Congratulations

-To the Doctoral student (School of Environment) Fabio Machado, who have been awarded a Blue in Sports Category by The University of Auckland. He competed in both Judo and Jiu-Jitsu and won gold at the 2019 New Zealand Judo Regional North Island and bronze at the 2019 New Zealand Judo National. In Jiu-Jitsu, he won bronze at the 2019 Pan Pacific Jiu-Jitsu Championship in Australia. Here is the link to the video: https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/students/awards-and-prizes/blues-awards/2020-blues-awards-winners.html

-To Mai Sas, who has  successfully defended her PhD thesis in late September. Her work focused on Isotopic and Geochemical Records of Magmatic Processes Captured in Crystals from Rhyolites at Okataina Volcano. At the oral exam she gave an excellent overview of her work, and answered all questions with confidence. Mai is now working in the US in the Western Washington University geology department.

Biosis Previews Database

Justene McNeice would like to hear from staff about how they use the database (for research, teaching etc.) and how important it is to their work.

The Biosis Previews database subscription is up for renewal. The database covers biology, taxonomy, clinical and experimental medicine, biochemistry, biotechnology, and earth sciences. As a result of current financial challenges the Library is reviewing resources, when subscription renewals are due, to ensure we stay within our reduced Collections budget. Biosis is an expensive product at an annual cost of NZD $129,491, and usage is declining.

Please email feedback to j.mcneice@auckland.ac.nz by the end of October.

Lock your Gear!

This is a short reminder for everyone already at university and coming back to university to stay alert and protect your belongings when you are on campus. The university gets targeted from time to time by groups to steal unattended gear such as bikes or scooters! So be careful and lock your gear!

Stay well and safe!

New Zealand Geographical Society

Newsletter

Here is the October Newsletter of Geography Auckland (New Zealand Geographical Society, Auckland Branch).

Please note that we hope to hold the October Dialogues at 4.00pm to 5.30pm in the Ontology Lab:

What:   “The good, the bad and the ugly of human mobility”

Who:     Katarzyna Sila-Nowicka (Sila)

When:  Tuesday 20th Oct– 4.00pm to 5.30pm

Where: Building 302, Room 551 (Ontology Lab) – University of Auckland Science Centre, 32 Symonds Street

Geoscience Society of New Zealand Conference

Geoscience Society of New Zealand Conference Christchurch 22nd-25th November – Early Bird Registration 21st October

The Geoscience Society of New Zealand annual conference (https://confer.eventsair.com/gsnz2020/) is still planning to go ahead face to face in Christchurch 22-25th November. Early bird registration https://confer.eventsair.com/gsnz2020/registration has been extended to 21st October and if you missed the abstract submission deadline last month in the Covid chaos there is a rapidly closing window for Aucklander’s to informally slide a late submission into the (poster) programme – please contact Alex Nichols alex.nichols@canterbury.ac.nz and  ‘Claudette van der Westhuizen’ Claudette@confer.co.nz asap to see what your options are.”

Meetings, Seminars and Events

School of Environment Graduation Lunch – 2020 Spring Graduation

Dear staff and graduands,

The School of Environment Graduation Lunch has been rescheduled to Monday 2 November. Please register here by Tuesday 20 October for catering purpose.

For queries, please contact Samantha Huang

Bickie Briefings

When & Where: Every week from 10.30-11.00 am starting Thursday 15 October onwards, Level 6 common space unless otherwise advised.

Who: Everyone – all post-graduate students and staff are welcome, please come.

Why: Find out what’s happening and what’s coming up in the next week, hear about our successes, and help build our Earth Sciences Community! And eat bickies of course!!

For details, please contact David Farsky

Workshop: Recognising and responding to postgraduate students in distress

Thanks to those of you who came to the workshop.  It was very heartening to see such a good turnout. We hope you were able to take something useful from it.

During the workshop we discussed the valuable role of the Science Student Support team who can help students access a range of resources from mental health services to support for learning needs and financial hardship. They have kindly prepared a document providing details of their various roles and contact details.  I am attaching this, together Kimberley Farmer’s PowerPoint slides, to this email.  I am also attaching the document on Support Services and contacts for dealing with distressed students.

Pleases share any feedback you have on the workshop or any suggestions at kl.gibson@auckland.ac.nz  for further support or training you would find useful in this area.

R Workshop

An Introduction to R Workshop is being run on Thursday 5th and Friday 6th of November.

This will be led by Daniel Barnett, from the Statistical Consulting Centre, in the Department of Statistics.

Venue: Building 302, Level 1 – Room 190.

Time: 9am – 5pm

Schedule

Please find the approximate schedule for both days here (since this is the schedule from our previous course, it may yet be altered very slightly). Morning and afternoon tea will be provided and there are cafes handy nearby for lunch.

Payment Process

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 and payment can only be made at the Student Resource Centre on main campus). 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 me for directions to the Student Resource Centre. Please use this Form to fill in payment details.

​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 R Studio onto your machine before the workshop (they are free to download). We will also include some instructions re how to do this in our pre-workshop information email.

Access to computers and 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.

Please contact Joei Mudaliar for enquiries

2020 Early Career Researchers Video Competition

Entries are now open for the 2020 Early Career Researchers video competition, sponsored by the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) and Royal Society Te Apārangi.

The Royal Society Te Apārangi are promoting the ‘Early Career Researcher Forum’. This is an opportunity for early career researchers to create a short 3 minute ataata video talking about their research, and for the chance to win one of five prizes.

The prizes are:

• $2000 Kaiarataki Achiever in professional video category
• $2000 Kaiarataki Achiever non-professional video category
• $2000 Te Ao Māori category
• $2000 Moana Oceania category
• $2000 People’s Choice category.

To enter, produce your own ataata video that features yourself or your team explaining your research in no more than 3 minutes.

The full competition details can be found here.

The form for entering can be found here. The deadline has been extended to 16 October 2020.

Karawhuia go for it, tuku atu upload!

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Ako – Teaching and Learning

A call for nominations for the School of Environment Ako Teaching Excellence Awards

The School of Environment’s Ako Innovation Committee would like to invite nominations for the Ako Teaching Excellence Awards which celebrate and promote staff excellence in teaching and learning. The awards celebrate individual teachers or teaching teams who display, promote and/or facilitate teaching excellence in the School in 2020.

Nomination process

The Committee invites staff to nominate themselves, their teaching team and/or other staff ENV members for an Ako Teaching Excellence Award. Please feel free to nominate more than one individual or team. For each nomination, please email the staff name(s) and a 100-150 word justification for each as to why your nominee(s) should receive an award (please see the criteria below). Please email this information by 22/10/20 5pm to Roa at roa.petra.crease@auckland.ac.nz.

Criteria

We will be looking for evidence that applicants have engaged in teaching practice that exemplifies teaching excellence. Teaching practice is defined broadly from new initiatives, innovative pedagogies, and/or contribution to the community of teaching practice. While the awards encourage and reward successful teaching initiatives/contributions, they also cater for and encourage applications from teachers who are experimenting with innovative teaching, even if they did not always fully achieve a desired outcome. The awards will also consider nominees which encourage inclusive teaching and learning.

Eligibility

• Individual academic staff who engage in ENV course teaching
• Teaching Teams from ENV courses.

Please note: GTAs/TAs have a separate awards process

Prizes

1 individual/team award worth $300 for an exceptional teaching excellence

4 individual/team awards worth $150 each for teaching excellence

1 individual/team award worth $150 for inclusive teaching excellence (sponsored by the Equity Committee)

Award Notification and Presentation

Successful awardees will be notified of their award by 27/10/20 and will be presented this at the Ako Teaching Excellence Awards Event to be held in 28/10/20 at 11.30am.

New Doctoral System

The new PhD statute is now in operation. Make the move at PhD Statute Consent Form. This brings many benefits, including the use of Wahapū. Wahapū is an online system for managing doctoral candidature, including all processes post-enrolment: suspensions, extensions, annual and reviews of progress, development opportunities, supervision meetings, PRESS accounts, and much more. It will greatly simplify many of the administrative processes associated with doctoral studies, providing one place where all the information is stored.

Please let Liana know if you need any further information.

Inaugural Lecture – JC Gaillard

JC Gaillard is Professor of Geography at The University of Auckland. He is trained as a geographer with particular interest in disaster risk reduction (DRR) in Asia and the Pacific. His work focuses on inclusion and power in DRR. It includes developing participatory tools for engaging minority groups in disaster risk reduction with an emphasis on ethnic and gender minorities, prisoners, children and homeless people. JC collaborates in participatory DRR trainings with local governments, NGOs and other civil society organisations.

Physics Lecture Theatre 1, Building 303

303-G20, 38 Princes Street – Auckland , 1010

Refreshments will be served in the basement foyer of building 303 (303-B00L2) from 5:30pm, prior to the lecture.

Please register on Eventbrite: https://jcgaillard.eventbrite.co.nz

Meetings, Seminars and Events

School of Environment Staff Teaching Celebration and Ako Awards

Wednesday 28^th October, 11.30-1 pm, 302-551 (Ontology)

Please book your calendar to attend the School of Environment Teaching Celebration. 2020 has been a challenging year for staff, where we have had to rapidly adapt and transform our teaching as a result of COVID-19. We have had to shift rapidly to online teaching, dual delivery, blended learning etc. This event is to acknowledge your tremendous efforts in the face of these challenges and celebrate the end of a quite extraordinary teaching year!

The event will include the awarding of the annual Ako Awards which recognise teaching excellence within the School.

ENV 2020 “Celebrating our tutors” Lunch

Tuesday 3rd November, 11.30-1 pm, 302-551 (Ontology)

A message for all postgraduates, postdocs and staff. The School is running a lunch as a thank you to all GTAs and TAs in ENV. 2020 has been a tumultuous year for the University and the tremendous work of our tutors has dramatically improved our teaching programmes. We could not do it without you!

This event is to acknowledge your fantastic efforts in the face of these challenges and celebrate the end of a quite extraordinary teaching year.

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Rangahau – Research

School of Environment Research Forum

The recording of the Research Forum on 24 September is now available on YouTube. For those who missed the event, please click here to watch.

Contributions to 2020 SDG Report required

From Faith Welch, Research Impact Manager ORSI:

The Planning Office is preparing the 2020 Sustainable Development Goals Report which outlines University activities that contribute to the achievement of the SDGs. You can read more about the Sustainable Development Goals here and also have a look at last year’s SDG Report 2019.

The Planning Office would like to connect with researchers whose work can be included in the 2020 report. The report and the examples are also used in submissions towards improving UoA rankings globally. More details on this can be found on the Rankings page that also hosts a submissions link.

If you would like your research to be included in the SDG report, please send a 150 word summary of your research and how it contributes to the SDGs to rankings@auckland.ac.nz or deepa.tripathi.chaturvedi@auckland.ac.nz. Planning Office would like the examples by 23rd October to give time to edit and design the report which is due mid-November.

Writer’s Diet

Helen Sword has developed a  Writer’s Diet website, which can help writers transform stodgy sentences into active, energetic prose.

Helen is particularly excited about the new Writer’s Diet add-in for MS Word, which is easy to download and absolutely FREE, thanks to a philanthropic grant from the Schuler Educational Enhancement and Development (SEED) Fund at the University of Auckland.  Now you can diagnose full-length Word documents from the privacy of your own desktop, identify problem paragraphs with the click of a button, and watch your results improve dynamically while you edit.  And if you don’t like the diet and fitness metaphor, you can even change the theme!

To learn more about how the new Writer’s Diet add-in can help you shape up your style, you may wish to sign up for one of Helen’s free Writer’s Diet Clinics on Zoom next week (Oct 6, 7, 8) and to subscribe to her YouTube channel, where she’ll be posting a series of in-depth tutorials over the next month or two.

Research and Funding Opportunities

MBIE Endeavour Fund – 2021 Investment Round

MBIE Endeavour Fund has 2 investment mechanisms:

Smart Ideas – smaller investments intended to catalyse and rapidly test promising, innovative research ideas with high potential for benefit to New Zealand, to enable refresh and diversity in the science portfolio.

Research Programmes – larger investments intended to support ambitious, excellent, and well-defined research ideas which, collectively, have credible and high potential to positively transform New Zealand’s future in areas of future value, growth or critical need.  Applications can be made under two research impact categories: 1) Protect and Add Value or 2) Transform.

Applications for either stream must:

• be designed so that the majority of benefits occur outside of the Research Organisation;
• be for research, science or technology, or related activities, the majority of which are to be undertaken in New Zealand;
• not be for research with the primary objective of health, defence or expanding knowledge outcomes

	Smart Ideas	Research Programs
Funding Available	$0.4 – $1.0 million over the term of the contract	$0.5 million or more per year
Contract Term	2 or 3 years	3, 4 or 5 years
Registration Deadline*	12 noon, Tues 27 Oct 2020	12 noon, Mon 30 Nov 2020
Concept Proposal	12 noon, Mon 16 Nov 2020
Full Proposal	12 noon, Mon 10 May 2021 (by invitation)	Mon 22 Feb 2021

* Registration is via the IMS portal, and requires a significant amount of information.  Please get in touch with your RPC asap if you intend on submitting a proposal.

Essential documents can be found on the MBIE Endeavour Fund website.

Spaces are still available to attend the upcoming online Endeavour Fund Roadshows on 12, 13 and 19 October 2020. Register here. 

The Research Gateway on the University of Auckland Staff Intranet has a dedicated MBIE Endeavour Fund which contains exemplars of successful Smart Ideas and Research Programmes, videos and other useful information

There are also support offerings around impact, VM, budget development – please touch base with your RPC to discuss what your needs are.

MBIE CATALYST: STRATEGIC – NZ – China Strategic Research Alliance (SRA) 2020/2021 Investment Round

New Zealand and China have agreed to support two projects through this funding round, one in each priority area of:

• Food Science; and 
• Environmental Science. 

A maximum of $300,000 (excluding GST) per project over three years.

To be eligible each proposal must:

• involve collaboration from a leading Chinese research organisation (your Chinese counterparts must apply for their own funding through China’s MoST).
• not submit multiple applications to this Catalyst:Strategic funding round based on the same project, where the only difference is in the duration of the proposed project or the amount of funding sought.
• have a New Zealand based Science Leader (employed by a New Zealand research organisation).

This Catalyst: Strategic funding round is a bilateral initiative funded by the New Zealand and Chinese Governments. Your Chinese counterparts must apply for their own funding through China’s Ministry of Science and Technology (MoST).  Proposals which also involve world class partners from other countries will be accepted, where these demonstrate the potential for increased excellence and impact beyond what is achievable through a New Zealand and Chinese partnership alone. Proposals which involve private sector partners are also eligible.

Internal Deadlines: 

REGISTRATION: 12noon, Monday 12 October 2020.

FULL PROPOSAL: 12noon, Monday 9 November 2020.

Essential documents can be found on the Catalyst: Strategic webpage

DAAD-Scholarship Program for 2021

The Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany has been in touch regarding the DAAD-Scholarship Program for 2021. The DAAD (German Academic Exchange Service) is a German government organisation that promotes the international exchange of students and academics. It is the world’s largest organisation financing academic mobility. The DAAD represents 231 German universities and higher education institutions. Here is where to go for more information:

The University Webpage for DAAD

The DAAD website for NZ

The DAAD-database

Any enquiries about scholarships can be directed directly to the DAAD by using this email: st34@daad.de

GMCNE Call for Proposals 2020

The George Mason Centre for Natural Environment Request for Proposals 2020 

Types of Grant	Seed projects  Up to $10,000 to cover research expenses for one year (including travel, equipment etc. but not salary or buyout) PhD scholarships  $28,000 stipend plus $8,500 worth of fees per year for 3 years ($109,500) MSc fees scholarship $10,000 Postdoctoral fellowships Equivalent to 2 years’ worth of salary $188,000 includes ACC and Superannuation Hosting Workshops $5,000
Purpose	This RfP provides an opportunity for researchers at UoA and colleagues to support students and seed projects and that enhance the aims of the George Mason Centre. The Expert Advisory Panel will be looking to identify and foster the connection between projects that lead to thematic research and to expanded funding opportunities for research and application. This is an opportunity to extend and link your research to foster a wider capacity and capability in finding solutions to environmental problems. The underlying theme for all proposals should align with supporting 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 Please find more in-depth information in the 2020 guidelines attached.
Grant Value and Duration	A total of $750,000 is available in this round, with that sum in total spread over up to 3 years. Successful projects will be funded from 1 January 2021 at the earliest and run for the appropriate time period from your chosen start date.
Deadline	Friday 16th October 1.00pm
Submission Process	The application is submitted via an online form, you will receive a confirmation email once it is submitted. GMCNE Online Application Form

Any queries, please contact Amy Weir directly

New Zealand History Research Trust (the History Awards)

The New Zealand History Research Trust Fund (the History Awards) supports historians, researchers and writers working on non-fiction projects that will significantly enhance our understanding of New Zealand’s past.

Value: $12,000

Deadline: 15 October 2020

For guidelines and the application form, please visit the funders website.

Amelia Earhart Fellowship

2021 Te Pūnaha Hihiko: Vision Mātauranga Capability Fund

Fund Purpose:

• Strengthen capability, capacity, skills and networks between Māori and the science and innovation system, and
• Increase understanding of how research can contribute to the aspirations of Māori organisations and deliver benefit for Aotearoa.

Key Features:

• Proposal must be co-developed with a Māori organisation
• Proposal must include co-funding at a minimum of 10% of requested amount
• Research must support the themes and outcomes of MBIE’s Vision Mātauranga policy
• Fund includes 2 schemes: ‘connect’ and placement’ – Connect Scheme: Build new connections between Māori organisations and the science and innovation system; Placement scheme: Enhance the development of an individual(s) through placement in a Partner organisation

Grant Value:

The work programme term for both Connect and Placement schemes is up to two years.

• $150,000 (ex GST) – max funding per proposal for projects up to 1 year in length
• $250,000 (ex GST) – max funding per proposal between 1-2 years in length

Internal Deadline:  12 noon Monday 2 November 2020

For further information, including details on eligibility, please visit the MBIE website or contact your RPC

New Publications

• Seethal P. Sivarajan, Jan M. Lindsay, Shane J. Cronin & Thomas M. Wilson (2020). Farmers’ perceptions of options for pasture remediation and recovery following major tephra fall in New Zealand. Australasian Journal of Disaster and Trauma Studies. Volume 24, Number 2. http://trauma.massey.ac.nz/issues/2020-2/AJDTS_24_2_Sivarajan.pdf
• Tsang and Lindsay (2020) Lava flow crises in inhabited areas part I: lessons learned and research gaps related to effusive, basaltic eruptions. Journal of Applied Volcanology (2020) 9:9 https://doi.org/10.1186/s13617-020-00096-y

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Please email content to Bizza for next edition of P-cubed by Friday 23rd October

Vaiaso o te ‘Gana Tuvalu

HeadSup

Fakatalofa atu

Spring has sprung and it is breezy…too breezy for some! I had a good look at the sheared off strut on the Harbour Bridge before it got swapped out for a pipe…wow!  Hasn’t it been an extraordinary year? And, it is not over yet even though the end of the teaching semester feels close.  To all of you who were hoping to graduate in person – I am so sorry we have had to cancel the ceremony, I was really looking forward to toasting you all. On the plus side, that gives the ENV Singers (c’mon Nick, how about it George?) another semester or two to get the waiata sorted 🙂

I would like to congratulate all who contributed to the wonderful PG Showcase, the event was excellent. Thanks to all participants and congratulations to prize winners. Special thanks to Carlos, Luitgard and team for doing such a good job organising and facilitating the event.

Also, a big thank you to Gary and everyone who made the River Futures Aotearoa webinar event possible – it was brilliant. If you missed it, here it is.

On the good news front, our Sustainability Module made it into the finals of the 2020 Australasia Green Gown Awards. The winners will be announced in November – good luck Joe and team.

As you know, the University is starting on the path of reducing permanent staff FTE in response to the budget impact of COVID-19. All permanent employees will have an opportunity to apply to conclude their employment via a Voluntary Leaving Scheme. HR is preparing for the launch of the scheme (5 OCT), which includes refining the process and securing resources for advice for staff. Information and resources are available via the staff intranet. If you are considering your options please check this site. Please get in touch with me before lodging an application. Updates will be added as they become available and are expected to include a generic enhanced redundancy and retirement estimator to allow staff to ascertain an estimate of the compensation they may be eligible for if their application is approved.

Given the scale of the financial challenge facing the University, a forced redundancy round may follow the voluntary leaving scheme. Currently, I do not know how this will affect the School.  Any decisions on FTE will be impacted by the effectiveness of the Voluntary Leaving Scheme AND the strategic direction of the University (size, shape, composition), which as you know is being defined at the moment. As a School, I think we are in good shape in terms of relevance and potential for COVID-19 recovery; nonetheless, I am expecting a directive to reduce permanent FTE. At this stage I have no idea of numbers or process.  As soon as I understand the situation facing the School I will schedule an open forum for discussion.

Please get in touch if you have concerns or wish to raise any points for discussion.

Ke Manuia

JR

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Whakawhanaungatanga-Communities

Health and Safety Incident Reporting System Launch

Reporting health and safety incidents on paper will be replaced by a smart, quick, and easy to use online tool from 1 September 2020. This was one of the main objectives of Phase One of the Health and Safety Project. It is our health and safety responsibility to report incidents. If you see an incident or something unsafe then resolve it if you can to prevent an incident from happening to someone else and then report it. It is the right thing to do and it helps to keep everyone safe. Watch this 60 seconds video for details.

What does this mean for you?

Before we go live, learn how to report incidents in this 15-minute online training module called ‘Creating Health & Safety Awareness’ which is now available on Career tools.

For further information please visit the Improving Health and Safety’s project page on the staff intranet and the Health, Safety & Wellbeing webpage.

L2 Lab and fieldwork Access Requests

The School Technical Team will be working through access requests for staff and students to use School facilities. Applications will be assessed and access will be given where possible. The technical team will make sure spaces are suitable for the type of work being requested and that all covid-19 H&S measures are in place.

Please note that this is subject to change and access may be changed with short notice.

Supervisors you will need to submit on behalf of your students. This is the same form that we used under L2 earlier this year. https://forms.gle/TfnVaYBN1G4546rn8

Any questions please email Blair (b.sowman@auckland.ac.nz)

2020 Early Career Researchers Video Competition

Entries are now open for the 2020 Early Career Researchers video competition, sponsored by the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) and Royal Society Te Apārangi.

The Royal Society Te Apārangi are promoting the ‘Early Career Researcher Forum’. This is an opportunity for early career researchers to create a short 3 minute ataata video talking about their research, and for the chance to win one of five prizes.

The prizes are:

• $2000 Kaiarataki Achiever in professional video category
• $2000 Kaiarataki Achiever non-professional video category
• $2000 Te Ao Māori category
• $2000 Moana Oceania category
• $2000 People’s Choice category.

To enter, produce your own ataata video that features yourself or your team explaining your research in no more than 3 minutes.

The full competition details can be found here.

The form for entering can be found here. The deadline has been extended to 16 October 2020.

Karawhuia go for it, tuku atu upload!

Software for Teaching in Labs/FlexIT for 2021

IT need to know which software you are planning to use in the computer teaching labs. and on FlexIT in 2021.  If you have not yet sent your list to Ingo yet, please contact Sean Davidson (s.davidson@auckland.ac.nz) at IT as soon as possible.

Even if it is the same software as this year, IT need to know – software will not automatically be carried over from this year. 

Transitional Facility – Charges for Delays in Biosecurity Processing

Historically, Biosecurity NZ officers have been following up on consignments of risk goods without cost recovering for this work effectively. From this point forward, officers’ time spent following up risk good consignments will be fully cost recovered. Examples of when you will be charged for delays in biosecurity processing include:

• Not booking inspections for risk goods in a timely manner
• Unauthorised release of goods
• TF has not informed Biosecurity NZ of risk goods sitting in their warehouse unactioned/abandoned
• Parcels requiring a retroactive BACC (paperwork not correctly done in the first place)
• Incorrect paperwork provided with consignment (e.g. wrong material type, incorrect volume etc)

If the importer or agent is deemed to be at fault for the delay in processing of biosecurity risk goods, this will be recovered against the consignment.

When the TF is deemed to be at fault, the normal cost recovery process for charging for TF compliance will be followed (under the Biosecurity (costs) Regulations 2010, Schedule item 23).

Any questions ask Blair Sowman

ENV Laboratory Inductions – Reminder

Now is a good time for you or your students to complete induction courses.  All of our induction courses are run through Canvas.  To request access to the induction course, please send an email to, b.sowman@auckland.ac.nz, with your UPI.

Inductions for General Facilities, Chemistry and Geochemical Laboratories, Earth Science Processing (ESP), Electron microprobe (EPMA), X-Ray Laboratories (XRF, Prep, and Itrax)  and the Transitional Facility can be found  in the Schools induction course; https://canvas.auckland.ac.nz/courses/16362

Geographical Society of New Zealand

Hydrogeology Talk Announcement

Register at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/JXWK9MH.

Drinks offsite afterwards (courtesy of Stantec, Aqualinc and McMillan Drilling).

Venue courtesy of Waterways Centre for Freshwater Management.

Meetings, Seminars and Events

R Workshop

An Introduction to R Workshop is being run on Thursday 5th and Friday 6th of November.

This will be led by Daniel Barnett, from the Statistical Consulting Centre, in the Department of Statistics.

Venue: Building 302, Level 1 – Room 190.

Time: 9am – 5pm 

Schedule 

Please find the approximate schedule for both days here (since this is the schedule from our previous course, it may yet be altered very slightly). Morning and afternoon tea will be provided and there are cafes handy nearby for lunch.

Payment Process

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 and payment can only be made at the Student Resource Centre on main campus). 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 me for directions to the Student Resource Centre. Please use this Form to fill in payment details.

​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 R Studio onto your machine before the workshop (they are free to download). We will also include some instructions re how to do this in our pre-workshop information email.

Access to computers and 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.

Please contact Joei Mudaliar for enquiries

Provisional Year Seminar

You are welcome to join a provisional year seminar by Niraj Bal Tamang (a PhD Candidate) on “Modelling River Response to Landslide Sedimentation in Braided and Steepland Rivers”

Date & Time: Oct 8th, 10 – 11 am

Zoom ID: Zoom Link for Seminar

Passcode: 818037

GSNZ Conference Update

The Canterbury GSNZ Branch and GSNZ are continuing to prepare for a face-to-face conference on 22 – 25 November at the University of Canterbury. This will incorporate all intended pre- and post-conference field trips and workshops. However, for a face-to-face conference (with a gathering > 100), Canterbury will need to have moved to Alert Level 1 by 20 October, a month prior to the conference. If Canterbury is still in Alert Level 2 by 20 October, we will move to straight delivering a virtual format.

Furthermore:

• If Canterbury is at Level 1 but a couple of other regions are at Level 2 or above on October 20, then the conference proceeds as face to face for participants ONLY from Level 1 regions. Those who are unable to attend in person will receive partial refunds on registration but will have access to all (recorded) talks shortly after the conference.
• If between 20 October and 22 November, Canterbury and/or the whole country move from Level 1 back to Level 2 or higher, the conference will move to a virtual format.*

* Delegates who have already registered will receive a partial refund for any difference in registration fees from the in-person fees to the virtual fees.

Abstract submission is extended until Monday 21 September.

Registration fees have been posted on the conference website (https://www.gsnz.org.nz/news-and-events/geosciences-conference-2020/), with online registration opening toward the end of next week.

The conference website will also include information around changes from a physical to a virtual conference, changes to bookings as a result of going to a higher alert level, and submission of pre-recorded talks.

To help with a the possibility of a rapid transition to a virtual conference, all accepted abstract presenters will be asked to pre-record a version of their presentation, and all poster presenters to prepare and submit a PDF of their poster by 6 November 2020, 2 weeks prior to the conference. More details will be provided with your acceptance letter.

We are very much hoping for a face-to-face conference since the programme contains planned meetings and workshops, and the student-oriented events about careers and networking with industry partners. These will all be more difficult to deliver in a virtual format but we have plans in place to make the virtual experience interactive and collaborative in order to keep one of the best aspects of attending a conference, the ability to meet other scientists and discuss their work.

Kari N Bassett, GSNZ 2020 conference convenor

James Scott, GSNZ president

For enquiries please contact Jennifer Eccles

Auckland Heritage Festival

Come out and support you fellow DEVORA and QuakeCoRE colleagues with the yearly Auckland Heritage Festival: Earthquakes and Volcanoes day! We hope to see you there!

Please note: The dates have been changed to (27th sept – 10th October)

SOE “PUB” QUIZ

For Quiz sign up form, please click on this link  https://forms.gle/5ayZZ4zBhAwq3uVw9

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Ako – Teaching and Learning

Libraries and Learning Services – Te Tumu Herenga

Teaching’s online until 21 September but so are we!

Folks at the library are here to help.

The Library AskUs form is the fastest way to get a response, particularly for a quick query, as it is monitored regularly by staff, but they also will triage any more complex queries through to discipline and topic specialists. So if you have a citation or publication you can’t find or access, this is the best place to start out.

The Te Tumu Herenga advisers for Science are available for 1:1 consultations by Zoom. This means even when we can’t be on campus, we can provide more specialized advice, or help working with systems like Research Outputs and other databases.

(Dr Alissa Hackett, Dr Jo Simons, Ms Justene McNeice, Dr Donna MacColl, Te Tumu Herenga advisers for Science)

Te Tumu Herenga Physical Spaces open

Along with the Kate Edger commons, the General Library, Davis, Philson, Tai Tonga, and Epsom libraries and spaces, will all open from Monday 31st of August for click and collect, access to collections, and provision of study spaces with appropriate physical distancing and attendance recording in place.

Learning Essentials Resources

You may have seen our new Te Tumu Herenga Learning Essentials online resources, please do promote them to your students. They cover a wide range of useful skills from time-management and note-taking, to critical reading skills and presenting your work. They can be found on the library website but are also linked in the help section in Canvas for Semester 2 courses.

A Survey

The School’s  Ako Innovation Committee would like staff to complete a short survey to assess the software / apps that school staff have access to for teaching, or wish to have access to for teaching, beyond the standard University software.   Could you please complete our very short survey.  The survey is a google form and can be found here:  https://forms.gle/FTqma2WvpUY49GvA9

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Rangahau – Research

A Guide to Vision Mātauranga

Recently a Guide to Vision Mātauranga (lessons from Māori voices in the New Zealand Science Sector) was prepared by the Rauika Māngai – an assembly of representative Māori scientists, research leaders and programme managers from the 11 National Science Challenges and Ngā Pae o te Māramatanga. Please contact Melanie Kah for details.

Postgraduate Research Showcase – Congratulations to our award winners

Thank you for attending the Postgraduate Research Showcase last week. We have seen great presentations covering a wide range of topics followed by a lively and informative panel discussion on “interdisciplinary research”. Check out the ‘recipe book of disciplinarities’.

Award Winners:

Video: Niraj Bal Tammang (Hapuku River)

Photo: Michaela Dobson (Sampling hot springs)

Poster:

1st Rose Gregersen (Diatoms: The biggest loser? Can diatom cell size help us understand long term lake ecosystem response to impacts?)

2nd  Jacqui Vanderhoorn (The ghosts of forests past: mapping the ghost taxon Beilschmiedia tawa through species distribution modelling and co-occurring species)

3rd Ari Kurniadi (What are independent ENSO and IOD impacts on Indonesian rainfall extremes)

Talk:

1st Rachel Lawson (Human mobility during the New Zealand International Convention Centre Fire)

2nd Solana Liu (Optimizing sustainable cities using enhanced cycle routing rulesets)

3rd  Joao Albuquerque (The past and future of New Zealand’s wave climate: from hindcast to projections)

Congratulations!

Faculty of Science – Poster competition

Are you enrolled in postgraduate research? This showcase provides an excellent opportunity for research students to present their research to their peers and the University of Auckland staff and student community. Please consider entering the Faculty of Science 2020 Postgraduate Poster Competition! Need advice on how to prepare a poster? Mila Adams and Carlos Carvajal Garcia have prepared tips on how to design/present a poster.

Research and Funding Opportunities

GMCNE Call for Proposals 2020

The George Mason Centre for Natural Environment Request for Proposals 2020 

Types of Grant	Seed projects  Up to $10,000 to cover research expenses for one year (including travel, equipment etc. but not salary or buyout) PhD scholarships  $28,000 stipend plus $8,500 worth of fees per year for 3 years ($109,500) MSc fees scholarship $10,000 Postdoctoral fellowships Equivalent to 2 years’ worth of salary $188,000 includes ACC and Superannuation Hosting Workshops $5,000
Purpose	This RfP provides an opportunity for researchers at UoA and colleagues to support students and seed projects and that enhance the aims of the George Mason Centre. The Expert Advisory Panel will be looking to identify and foster the connection between projects that lead to thematic research and to expanded funding opportunities for research and application. This is an opportunity to extend and link your research to foster a wider capacity and capability in finding solutions to environmental problems. The underlying theme for all proposals should align with supporting 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 Please find more in-depth information in the 2020 guidelines attached.
Grant Value and Duration	A total of $750,000 is available in this round, with that sum in total spread over up to 3 years. Successful projects will be funded from 1 January 2021 at the earliest and run for the appropriate time period from your chosen start date.
Deadline	Friday 16th October 1.00pm
Submission Process	The application is submitted via an online form, you will receive a confirmation email once it is submitted. GMCNE Online Application Form

Any queries, please contact Amy Weir directly

New Zealand History Research Trust (the History Awards)

The New Zealand History Research Trust Fund (the History Awards) supports historians, researchers and writers working on non-fiction projects that will significantly enhance our understanding of New Zealand’s past.

Value: $12,000

Deadline: 15 October 2020

For guidelines and the application form, please visit the funders website.

Amelia Earhart Fellowship

2021 Te Pūnaha Hihiko: Vision Mātauranga Capability Fund

Fund Purpose:

• Strengthen capability, capacity, skills and networks between Māori and the science and innovation system, and
• Increase understanding of how research can contribute to the aspirations of Māori organisations and deliver benefit for Aotearoa.

Key Features:

• Proposal must be co-developed with a Māori organisation
• Proposal must include co-funding at a minimum of 10% of requested amount
• Research must support the themes and outcomes of MBIE’s Vision Mātauranga policy
• Fund includes 2 schemes: ‘connect’ and placement’ – Connect Scheme: Build new connections between Māori organisations and the science and innovation system; Placement scheme: Enhance the development of an individual(s) through placement in a Partner organisation

Grant Value:

The work programme term for both Connect and Placement schemes is up to two years.

• $150,000 (ex GST) – max funding per proposal for projects up to 1 year in length
• $250,000 (ex GST) – max funding per proposal between 1-2 years in length

Internal Deadline:  12 noon Monday 2 November 2020

For further information, including details on eligibility, please visit the MBIE website or contact your RPC

Meetings, Seminars and Events

New Publications

• Tephra characteristics and depositional mechanisms at the Hikurangi subduction margin. Jenni L. Hopkins, Richard J. Wysoczanski, Alan R. Orpin, Jamie D. Howarth, Lorna J. Strachan, Ryan Lunenburg, Monique McKeown, Aratrika Ganguly, Emily Twort and Sian Camp (2020)  Quaternary Science Reviews, 247: 105600. https://authors.elsevier.com/c/1bm8i-4PRxn7n
• What we do in the shallows: Natural and anthropogenic seafloor geomorphologies in a drowned river valley, New Zealand, by Sally J Watson, Helen Neil, Marta Ribó, Geoffroy Lamarche, Lorna J Strachan, Kevin Mackay, Steve Wilcox, Tim Kane, Alan Orpin, Scott Nodder, Arne Pallentin, Tilmann Steinmetz, published in Frontiers in Marine Science, section Coastal Ocean Processes.​ https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2020.579626
• Sediment characteristics and internal architecture of offshore sand ridges on a tideless continental shelf (western Mediterranean)​, by Ruth Durán, Jorge Guillén, Marta Ribó, Gonzalo Simarro, Araceli Muñoz, Albert Palanques, Pere Puig, published in Earth Surface Processes and Landforms https://doi.org/10.1002/esp.4986

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Please email content to Bizza for next edition of P-cubed by Friday 12th October

Te Wiki o Te Reo Māori

HeadSup

Kia ora koutou

This is a great week to give te reo a go. Here’s a really simple video on ‘How to pronounce te reo Māori‘. In our School, we often talk about places in our teaching, research and learning. I’d like everyone in the School to embrace a commitment to pronouncing Māori place names well. If it’s something you know you struggle with, now is a good time to commit to making a positive change.

I’m delighted to advise that Jenny Salmond and Martin Brook got the erionite project over the final hurdle for MBIE Endeavour funding. It’s a terrific project right at the nexus of science and society. Congratulations! Also, congratulations to Jennifer Eccles, who won funding through the GNS led ‘rapid characterisation of earthquakes and tsunami’ project, and to anyone else who has had success in the recent round (please let me know!).

On 28 September, Chris Struthers will be leaving his role as Academic Services Coordinator in the School to join the Academic Services team in Data Science. Thanks for all your work Chris, we wish you well in your new team. Liana Ball will be picking up the role for ENV and we will welcome her in a couple of weeks. All post-graduate paperwork should continue to be sent to the env-pgadmin@auckland.ac.nz email address.

Thanks to all who participated in the ENV brown bag sessions to provide feedback on the UOA strategic plan. I will distribute a summary mid-week before submission on Friday. Remember, you can make individual or group submissions on any of the discussion papers before the end of this week.

It seems to be the season for submissions: Rangahau is hosting a brown bag session to consider the review of the PBRF criteria (the next round has been shifted to 2025). Please see the notice below.

Lastly, thank you very much for the terrific job that each of you are doing. I’m very proud of the good will and hard work that everyone has been putting in throughout these challenging times.

Kia pai tō wiki

JR

P.S. I’m doing the Science Media Centre video course (it’s awesome) so that I can make videos of our fantastic staff, students and alumni…here’s my first effort (clearly I need some volunteers because this one is me!)

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Whakawhanaungatanga-Communities

Health and Safety Incident Reporting System Launch

Reporting health and safety incidents on paper will be replaced by a smart, quick, and easy to use online tool from 1 September 2020. This was one of the main objectives of Phase One of the Health and Safety Project. It is our health and safety responsibility to report incidents. If you see an incident or something unsafe then resolve it if you can to prevent an incident from happening to someone else and then report it. It is the right thing to do and it helps to keep everyone safe. Watch this 60 seconds video for details.

What does this mean for you?

Before we go live, learn how to report incidents in this 15-minute online training module called ‘Creating Health & Safety Awareness’ which is now available on Career tools.

For further information please visit the Improving Health and Safety’s project page on the staff intranet and the Health, Safety & Wellbeing webpage.

L2 Lab and fieldwork Access Requests

The School Technical Team will be working through access requests for staff and students to use School facilities. Applications will be assessed and access will be given where possible. The technical team will make sure spaces are suitable for the type of work being requested and that all covid-19 H&S measures are in place.

Please note that this is subject to change and access may be changed with short notice.

Supervisors you will need to submit on behalf of your students. This is the same form that we used under L2 earlier this year. https://forms.gle/TfnVaYBN1G4546rn8

Any questions please email Blair (b.sowman@auckland.ac.nz)

2020 Early Career Researchers Video Competition

Entries are now open for the 2020 Early Career Researchers video competition, sponsored by the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) and Royal Society Te Apārangi.

The Royal Society Te Apārangi are promoting the ‘Early Career Researcher Forum’. This is an opportunity for early career researchers to create a short 3 minute ataata video talking about their research, and for the chance to win one of five prizes.

The prizes are:

• $2000 Kaiarataki Achiever in professional video category
• $2000 Kaiarataki Achiever non-professional video category
• $2000 Te Ao Māori category
• $2000 Moana Oceania category
• $2000 People’s Choice category.

To enter, produce your own ataata video that features yourself or your team explaining your research in no more than 3 minutes.

The full competition details can be found here.

The form for entering can be found here. The deadline has been extended to 16 October 2020.

Karawhuia go for it, tuku atu upload!

Transitional Facility – Charges for Delays in Biosecurity Processing

Historically, Biosecurity NZ officers have been following up on consignments of risk goods without cost recovering for this work effectively. From this point forward, officers’ time spent following up risk good consignments will be fully cost recovered. Examples of when you will be charged for delays in biosecurity processing include:

• Not booking inspections for risk goods in a timely manner
• Unauthorised release of goods
• TF has not informed Biosecurity NZ of risk goods sitting in their warehouse unactioned/abandoned
• Parcels requiring a retroactive BACC (paperwork not correctly done in the first place)
• Incorrect paperwork provided with consignment (e.g. wrong material type, incorrect volume etc)

If the importer or agent is deemed to be at fault for the delay in processing of biosecurity risk goods, this will be recovered against the consignment.

When the TF is deemed to be at fault, the normal cost recovery process for charging for TF compliance will be followed (under the Biosecurity (costs) Regulations 2010, Schedule item 23).

Any questions ask Blair Sowman

ENV Laboratory Inductions – Reminder

Now is a good time for you or your students to complete induction courses.  All of our induction courses are run through Canvas.  To request access to the induction course, please send an email to, b.sowman@auckland.ac.nz, with your UPI.

Inductions for General Facilities, Chemistry and Geochemical Laboratories, Earth Science Processing (ESP), Electron microprobe (EPMA), X-Ray Laboratories (XRF, Prep, and Itrax)  and the Transitional Facility can be found  in the Schools induction course; https://canvas.auckland.ac.nz/courses/16362

ENV IT Committee

Important changes and early deadline for software in computer labs. in 2021

Please send information to Ingo Pecher by Fri. 25 September, 2020, COB.

“Same as last year” is no longer an option. We were informed that installation of software for teaching in computer labs and/or on FlexIT will start with a clean slate. The Digital Workplace Platform Team (DWP) need to have this information by the end of September. DWP need the following (with example answers – this is from an IT spreadsheet).

Requester Name	[EXAMPLE] Peter Smith
Requester Username	psmi123
Faculty	FMHS
Software Vendor	Google
Software Name	Chrome
Software Version	42.123
Course Name	STATS101, STATS102, GOG101
Lab Location(s)	260-012, 303-279
Teaching Week Required	Weeks 8-10
Comments\Customisations\Modules etc	None
Tester Installation	John Smith
Source Files Location	www.google.com\chrome
*FlexIT	No
License Owned	Yes

*FlexIT: Would you consider having your application made available in FlexIT? Strongly recommend ticking “yes”!

I was told “Anything not specifically requested may not be included for 2021.”

For enquiries please email Ingo

Geoscience Society of New Zealand Awards

It is a challenging year on many fronts and please find information about the upcoming national Geosciences conference below where we still hope events can take place face to face. Our Hochstetter Lecturer this year, Phaedra Upton, has resumed her tour elsewhere in the country under Level 2 restrictions but obviously in Auckland under L2.5 we are still waiting to see whether we can even try and get this reorganised.

The extended deadline for submission of applications and nominations for the GSNZ awards on Friday the 19th September is approaching rapidly so please see https://www.gsnz.org.nz/awards-and-recognition/award-applications-and-nominations/. Additional functionality has also just been added to the GSNZ website with members able to post for free any opportunities for students that they may have; see https://www.gsnz.org.nz/new-zealand-geoscience/student-opportunities/

New Zealand Geographical Society

To veiw the newsletter of the Auckland Branch of the New Zealand Geographical Society please click on this link, NZGS Auck_newsletter September 2020

Welcome! 

Welcome (back) to Georgia McLellan who starts her PhD in the School this month. She is continuing her research on Māori economies and food sovereignty, in a new collaboration with the High Value Nutrition National Science Challenge.

Meetings, Seminars and Events

School of Environment 2020 Spring Graduation Lunch

Dear Staff and Graduands,

You are cordially invited to attend the School of Environment Graduation Lunch on Tuesday 6 October from 1-2pm at the Foyer Space (302-G60/G80). Please register here by Tuesday 22 September for catering purpose.

GSNZ Conference Update

The Canterbury GSNZ Branch and GSNZ are continuing to prepare for a face-to-face conference on 22 – 25 November at the University of Canterbury. This will incorporate all intended pre- and post-conference field trips and workshops. However, for a face-to-face conference (with a gathering > 100), Canterbury will need to have moved to Alert Level 1 by 20 October, a month prior to the conference. If Canterbury is still in Alert Level 2 by 20 October, we will move to straight delivering a virtual format.

Furthermore:

• If Canterbury is at Level 1 but a couple of other regions are at Level 2 or above on October 20, then the conference proceeds as face to face for participants ONLY from Level 1 regions. Those who are unable to attend in person will receive partial refunds on registration but will have access to all (recorded) talks shortly after the conference.
• If between 20 October and 22 November, Canterbury and/or the whole country move from Level 1 back to Level 2 or higher, the conference will move to a virtual format.*

* Delegates who have already registered will receive a partial refund for any difference in registration fees from the in-person fees to the virtual fees.

Abstract submission is extended until Monday 21 September.

Registration fees have been posted on the conference website (https://www.gsnz.org.nz/news-and-events/geosciences-conference-2020/), with online registration opening toward the end of next week.

The conference website will also include information around changes from a physical to a virtual conference, changes to bookings as a result of going to a higher alert level, and submission of pre-recorded talks.

To help with a the possibility of a rapid transition to a virtual conference, all accepted abstract presenters will be asked to pre-record a version of their presentation, and all poster presenters to prepare and submit a PDF of their poster by 6 November 2020, 2 weeks prior to the conference. More details will be provided with your acceptance letter.

We are very much hoping for a face-to-face conference since the programme contains planned meetings and workshops, and the student-oriented events about careers and networking with industry partners. These will all be more difficult to deliver in a virtual format but we have plans in place to make the virtual experience interactive and collaborative in order to keep one of the best aspects of attending a conference, the ability to meet other scientists and discuss their work.

Kari N Bassett, GSNZ 2020 conference convenor

James Scott, GSNZ president

For enquiries please contact Jennifer Eccles

Auckland Heritage Festival

Come out and support you fellow DEVORA and QuakeCoRE colleagues with the yearly Auckland Heritage Festival: Earthquakes and Volcanoes day! We hope to see you there!

SOE “PUB” QUIZ

For Quiz sign up form, please click on this link  https://forms.gle/5ayZZ4zBhAwq3uVw9

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Ako – Teaching and Learning

Libraries and Learning Services – Te Tumu Herenga

Teaching’s online until 21 September but so are we!

Folks at the library are here to help.

The Library AskUs form is the fastest way to get a response, particularly for a quick query, as it is monitored regularly by staff, but they also will triage any more complex queries through to discipline and topic specialists. So if you have a citation or publication you can’t find or access, this is the best place to start out.

The Te Tumu Herenga advisers for Science are available for 1:1 consultations by Zoom. This means even when we can’t be on campus, we can provide more specialized advice, or help working with systems like Research Outputs and other databases.

(Dr Alissa Hackett, Dr Jo Simons, Ms Justene McNeice, Dr Donna MacColl, Te Tumu Herenga advisers for Science)

Te Tumu Herenga Physical Spaces open

Along with the Kate Edger commons, the General Library, Davis, Philson, Tai Tonga, and Epsom libraries and spaces, will all open from Monday 31st of August for click and collect, access to collections, and provision of study spaces with appropriate physical distancing and attendance recording in place.

Learning Essentials Resources

You may have seen our new Te Tumu Herenga Learning Essentials online resources, please do promote them to your students. They cover a wide range of useful skills from time-management and note-taking, to critical reading skills and presenting your work. They can be found on the library website but are also linked in the help section in Canvas for Semester 2 courses.

A Survey

The School’s  Ako Innovation Committee would like staff to complete a short survey to assess the software / apps that school staff have access to for teaching, or wish to have access to for teaching, beyond the standard University software.   Could you please complete our very short survey.  The survey is a google form and can be found here:  https://forms.gle/FTqma2WvpUY49GvA9

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Rangahau – Research

A Guide to Vision Mātauranga

Recently a Guide to Vision Mātauranga (lessons from Māori voices in the New Zealand Science Sector) was prepared by the Rauika Māngai – an assembly of representative Māori scientists, research leaders and programme managers from the 11 National Science Challenges and Ngā Pae o te Māramatanga. Please contact Melanie Kah for details.

PBRF 2025: Review and Proposed Changes

You are probably aware of the review of the PBRF criteria for 2025 (an all-staff email was sent by Jim Metson last week). There is a possibility to provide feedback through a survey or written submissions with a deadline on 09th October.

https://www.education.govt.nz/further-education/policies-and-strategies/review-of-the-performance-based-research-fund/

With the aim to support a submission for our School, the Rangahau committee invites everyone to join our consultation forum Wednesday 16th September, 12.00-13.00. To add this event to your calendar click here.

Join Zoom Meeting: https://auckland.zoom.us/j/98386935414, 

Please join if you can so we can capture a variety of views across the School. This discussion document gives an overview of the proposed changes so it will be useful to read before the Forum. In case you cannot join the forum but would like your feedback to be included, please email melanie.kah@auckland.ac.nz. Please also consider the possibility to submit feedback individually through the survey or written submission.

Research and Funding Opportunities

Amelia Earhart Fellowship

2021 Te Pūnaha Hihiko: Vision Mātauranga Capability Fund

Fund Purpose:

• Strengthen capability, capacity, skills and networks between Māori and the science and innovation system, and
• Increase understanding of how research can contribute to the aspirations of Māori organisations and deliver benefit for Aotearoa.

Key Features:

• Proposal must be co-developed with a Māori organisation
• Proposal must include co-funding at a minimum of 10% of requested amount
• Research must support the themes and outcomes of MBIE’s Vision Mātauranga policy
• Fund includes 2 schemes: ‘connect’ and placement’ – Connect Scheme: Build new connections between Māori organisations and the science and innovation system; Placement scheme: Enhance the development of an individual(s) through placement in a Partner organisation

Grant Value:

The work programme term for both Connect and Placement schemes is up to two years.

• $150,000 (ex GST) – max funding per proposal for projects up to 1 year in length
• $250,000 (ex GST) – max funding per proposal between 1-2 years in length

Internal Deadline:  12 noon Monday 2 November 2020

For further information, including details on eligibility, please visit the MBIE website or contact your RPC

Pacific Development and Conservation Trust

Purpose: Promote sustainable development in the Pacific and New Zealand, while conserving the natural environment and cultural heritage of its people.

Grant Value:  The Trust has about $250,000 to give as grants each year. There is no minimum or maximum grant amount. Grants generally range from $2,000 to $50,000 NZD.

Internal Deadline: 5pm, Monday 14 September 2020

For further guidelines, please visit the Trust website

Meetings, Seminars and Events

School of Environment Research Forum

2020 Bartrum/Cumberland/Hay Lecture Series

River Futures in Aotearoa

Thursday September 24th 2020, 5-6.30 pm

Old Government House, University of Auckland

Please register here.

About the Event:

The Research Committee in the School of Environment at the University of Auckland is delighted to announce the details of this year’s research forum. River health is a long-standing issue of significant societal concern in New Zealand. As the Resource Management Act is under review, and expressions of River Rights create new societal and institutional relations to rivers, there is genuine prospect for generative encounters in shaping ‘River Futures in Aotearoa’. This panel discussion will focus on constructive discussions and contemplations regarding River Futures in Aotearoa – what could this look like, how will it work, what do we have to do to get there, should this be an incremental transition or a radical transformation?

Five key speakers have been tasked to present short provocative, constructive and positive perspectives on this topic:

• Gerrard Albert: Chair of Ngā Tāngata Tiaki o Whanganui, the post-settlement governance body for Whanganui Iwi for the purpose of the Whanganui River Settlement
• Anne Salmond: Professor of Māori Studies, The University of Auckland
• Colleen Brent: Healthy Waterways Team, Auckland Council
• Trish Kirkland-Smith: Head of Environmental Partnerships, Fonterra
• Mike Joy: Senior Research Fellow, School of Government, Victoria University of Wellington

This will be followed by a discussion session and informal drinks and nibbles. This event will also be livestreamed.

PLEASE NOTE: we will accommodate the alert level restrictions which are in place at the time of the event

Postgraduate Research Showcase: 22 September – Update

In-person or virtual – the Postgraduate Research Showcase PRS 2020 is taking place on Tue 22 September. Awards for best oral, poster and photo/video presentations. ​Want to be part of this fantastic event?

Submit the title of your presentation and your format to env-PSC@auckland.ac.nz. Also, you can submit a lab/field photo or a 2-minute video that highlights your research and the great people that make it happen. These events are significant because of you and your research! So, do your part to spread the science and present or attend the PRS 2020. For further information please contact,

Luitgard Schwendenmann (Chair Postgraduate Research Committee)

Carlos Carvajal (Co-chair PhD student committee)

MBIE 2021 Endeavour Seminar Series

This series is designed to connect you to critical strategic & practical information, informed by MBIE requirement and insights, which if critically applied to your proposal will strengthen your capability to engage successfully in this increasingly competitive science and innovation funding pool.

Session 4 – Contracts (15 September, 1 – 2: 30 pm)

Session 5 – Research Impact (22 September, 1 – 2:30 pm)

Register for the MBIE Endeavour Online Seminar Series HERE.

New Publications

Urban environmental health interventions towards the Sustainable Development Goals	Vardoulakis, S., Salmond, J., Krafft, T., Morawska, L.	2020	Science of the Total Environment, 748, art. no. 141530.
Changes of forestland in China’s coastal areas (1996-2015): Regional variations and driving forces	Zhang, X., Yao, J., Wang, J., Sila-Nowicka, K.	2020	Land Use Policy, 99, art. no. 105018.
Using paleo-archives to safeguard biodiversity under climate change	Fordham, D.A., Jackson, S.T., Brown, S.C., (…), Rahbek, C., Nogues-Bravo, D.	2020	Science (New York, N.Y.), 369(6507).
Emerging investigator series: Nanotechnology to develop novel agrochemicals: Critical issues to consider in the global agricultural context	Kah, M., Kookana, R.	2020	Environmental Science: Nano, 7(7), pp. 1867-1873.
Applied structural geology of ore-forming hydrothermal systems	Rowland JV and Rhys DA (editors).	2020	Reviews in Economic Geology Vol. 21, pp. 313
Structural controls on ore localization in epithermal gold-silver deposits: a mineral systems approach.	Rhys, DA, Lewis PD, and Rowland JV.	2020	Reviews in Economic Geology: v. 21, pp. 83-145.
Mechanical regimes of hydrothermal gold mineralization	Blenkinsop, TG., Rowland, J. and Baker, T.	2020	Reviews in Economic Geology, v. 21. pp. 205-214.
Tenure Insecurity, precarious housing and hidden homelessness among older renters in New Zealand.	James, B., Bates, L. Coleman, T. Kearns, R. Cram, F.	2020	Housing Studies Published online September

 

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Please email content to Bizza for next edition of P-cubed by Friday 25th September 

COVID-19: work from home if you can

Say yes to the test

HeadSup

Kia ora koutou

Thanks very much to everyone who contributed feedback on the ENV 2021-2023 Strategic Plan: in total I received >8000 words of feedback, and not just from one author! There’s a little bit (and in some cases rather a lot) of each contribution woven into the final plan – hopefully you can see your part in it. Unfortunately the shift to Alert Level 3 cut short some of my engagement plans around this document. My apologies to PG students, who did not have opportunity to feed in this year. However, I would be very interested in receiving your input ahead of our budgeting exercise at the end of the year. Please feel free to send comments directly to me.

Now that our School plan is done, I’m turning my attention to the UOA 10-year strategic planning exercise. There have been various town-halls and feedback sessions underway over the past couple of weeks and I know many of us have taken advantage of these to put our points of view. I would like to create some additional opportunities to consider how we could/should shape the University over the next 10 years. Please feel free to join the following sessions (academic and professional staff should have received email invites, including one accidentally timetabled for today…oops, sorry for the spam).

• Research & Innovation; Sustainable University Thursday 3 Sept, 12-1pm, p’code 273802 
• Education; Engagement Friday 4 Sept, 1-2pm, p’code 189741
• People & Culture: Values Monday 7 Sept, 12-1pm, p’code 642574

I will build an ENV submission based on the feedback in these sessions.

I’m delighted to see the Taiao Tutor community of practice initiative underway, with Sophia, Jack and Anthony presenting at the first gathering this coming Friday. The topics look fantastic: my 700-level class will be wanting me to attend! There’s lots of fantastic stuff in p-cubed today – please keep the date free for our replacement Bartrum-Hay-Cumberland forum.

Good luck getting through to the mid-Semester break!

JR

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Whakawhanaungatanga – communities

ENV 2021-2023 Strategic Plan Update

You can find the final version of the ENV 2021-2023 Strategic Plan here.  This plan guides the work and resourcing of our platforms, committees and teaching programmes. Toward the end of the year, once our budget for 2021 is set, each platform/committee will propose a budget to bring effect to this plan. Budgets will be considered and approved by the ENV Steering Group in November. As a reminder, each platform reports on their year’s work at the annual ENV Roundup, which takes place in the week or so after teaching finishes, Semester 2.

Health and Safety Incident Reporting System launching soon

Reporting health and safety incidents on paper will be replaced by a smart, quick, and easy to use online tool from 1 September 2020. This was one of the main objectives of Phase One of the Health and Safety Project. It is our health and safety responsibility to report incidents. If you see an incident or something unsafe then resolve it if you can to prevent an incident from happening to someone else and then report it. It is the right thing to do and it helps to keep everyone safe. Watch this 60 seconds video for details.

What does this mean for you?

Before we go live, learn how to report incidents in this 15-minute online training module called ‘Creating Health & Safety Awareness’ which is now available on Career tools.

For further information please visit the Improving Health and Safety’s project page on the staff intranet and the Health, Safety & Wellbeing webpage.

L2 Lab and fieldwork Access Requests

The School Technical Team will be working through access requests for staff and students to use School facilities. Applications will be assessed and access will be given where possible. The technical team will make sure spaces are suitable for the type of work being requested and that all covid-19 H&S measures are in place.

Please note that this is subject to change and access may be changed with short notice.

Supervisors you will need to submit on behalf of your students. This is the same form that we used under L2 earlier this year. https://forms.gle/TfnVaYBN1G4546rn8

Any questions please email Blair (b.sowman@auckland.ac.nz)

Transitional Facility – Charges for Delays in Biosecurity Processing

Historically, Biosecurity NZ officers have been following up on consignments of risk goods without cost recovering for this work effectively. From this point forward, officers’ time spent following up risk good consignments will be fully cost recovered. Examples of when you will be charged for delays in biosecurity processing include:

• Not booking inspections for risk goods in a timely manner
• Unauthorised release of goods
• TF has not informed Biosecurity NZ of risk goods sitting in their warehouse unactioned/abandoned
• Parcels requiring a retroactive BACC (paperwork not correctly done in the first place)
• Incorrect paperwork provided with consignment (e.g. wrong material type, incorrect volume etc)

If the importer or agent is deemed to be at fault for the delay in processing of biosecurity risk goods, this will be recovered against the consignment.

When the TF is deemed to be at fault, the normal cost recovery process for charging for TF compliance will be followed (under the Biosecurity (costs) Regulations 2010, Schedule item 23).

Any questions ask Blair Sowman

ENV Laboratory Inductions – Reminder

Now is a good time for you or your students to complete induction courses.  All of our induction courses are run through Canvas.  To request access to the induction course, please send an email to, b.sowman@auckland.ac.nz, with your UPI.

Inductions for General Facilities, Chemistry and Geochemical Laboratories, Earth Science Processing (ESP), Electron microprobe (EPMA), X-Ray Laboratories (XRF, Prep, and Itrax)  and the Transitional Facility can be found  in the Schools induction course; https://canvas.auckland.ac.nz/courses/16362

Joint Graduate School in Coastal and Marine Science – Future NIWA Co-Appointees

We will have a short discussion for academic staff about future co-appointees in the Joint Graduate School in Coastal and Marine Science between NIWA and the University of Auckland. We have the potential to invite NIWA scientists to join the School of Environment and we would like to hear thoughts on collaborations or initiatives you have. We will do the discussion over zoom 1-1.30pm, Wednesday, 9th September.

https://auckland.zoom.us/j/98403602221

Alternatively, you can email Melissa with comments (m.bowen@auckland.ac.nz).

ENV IT Committee

Important changes and early deadline for software in computer labs. in 2021

Please send information to Ingo Pecher by Fri. 25 September, 2020, COB.

“Same as last year” is no longer an option. We were informed that installation of software for teaching in computer labs and/or on FlexIT will start with a clean slate. The Digital Workplace Platform Team (DWP) need to have this information by the end of September. DWP need the following (with example answers – this is from an IT spreadsheet).

Requester Name	[EXAMPLE] Peter Smith
Requester Username	psmi123
Faculty	FMHS
Software Vendor	Google
Software Name	Chrome
Software Version	42.123
Course Name	STATS101, STATS102, GOG101
Lab Location(s)	260-012, 303-279
Teaching Week Required	Weeks 8-10
Comments\Customisations\Modules etc	None
Tester Installation	John Smith
Source Files Location	www.google.com\chrome
*FlexIT	No
License Owned	Yes

*FlexIT: Would you consider having your application made available in FlexIT? Strongly recommend ticking “yes”!

I was told “Anything not specifically requested may not be included for 2021.”

For enquiries please email Ingo

Geoscience Society of New Zealand Awards

REMINDER: the Geoscience Society of New Zealand is now calling for applications and nominations for our annual awards. Please encourage your students  and ECRs to apply for our student and young researcher awards, including the Wellman Research Award, Jim Ansell Geophysics Scholarship, John Beavan Geodetic Fieldwork Grant & Werner F. Giggenbach Prize for Geochemistry. Please consider nominating yourselves or your colleagues (including students and ECRs) for our Premier geoscience awards, such as the Hochstetter Lecturer and McKay Hammer and GSNZ Honorary Member, and our Special Awards, including the Pullar-Vucetich Prize for tephrochronology, the Kingma Award for the outstanding Earth Science technician , the NZ Geophysics Prize, the Harold Wellman Prize, and the Alan Mason Historical Studies Fund. We also welcome a new award this year, the Hayward Communication Award for the most meritorious contribution to geocommunication in the previous 3 calendar years.

For more information and application forms, please visit https://www.gsnz.org.nz/awards-and-recognition/award-applications-and-nominations/

The deadline for applications is 18 September 2020”

EnViral

Green bonds a small step in a dual crisis

To view an opinion piece by Dr. Tom Baker and Dr. Ryan Jones please click on the link below,

https://www.newsroom.co.nz/ideasroom/green-bonds-a-small-step-in-a-dual-crisis

Meetings, Seminars and Events

GSNZ Conference Update

The Geoscience Society of New Zealand Annual Conference 2020 is being hosted by the Canterbury branch and will be held 22-25th November 2020. At this time GSNZ, along with Conferences & Events, are reviewing the current COVID-19 situation and restrictions in order to determine the best way to proceed with the conference.  We will be going ahead, as we believe there is the need for our members and the Geoscience community to remain connected and engaged.  As a result, the society and organising committee are highly committed to delivering this event, whether it be as a face-to face, hybrid (live + virtual attendance) or all virtual meeting.

Please see the conference website at https://confer.eventsair.com/gsnz2020/. As soon as details are finalised, we will share this information with you.

Important Dates:

Abstract Deadline 15th September 2020

Early Bird Registration Deadline 12th October 2020

SOE “PUB” QUIZ

For Quiz sign up form, please click on this link  https://forms.gle/5ayZZ4zBhAwq3uVw9

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Ako – Teaching and Learning

Libraries and Learning Services – Te Tumu Herenga

Teaching’s online until 21 September but so are we!

Folks at the library are here to help.

The Library AskUs form is the fastest way to get a response, particularly for a quick query, as it is monitored regularly by staff, but they also will triage any more complex queries through to discipline and topic specialists. So if you have a citation or publication you can’t find or access, this is the best place to start out.

The Te Tumu Herenga advisers for Science are available for 1:1 consultations by Zoom. This means even when we can’t be on campus, we can provide more specialized advice, or help working with systems like Research Outputs and other databases.

(Dr Alissa Hackett, Dr Jo Simons, Ms Justene McNeice, Dr Donna MacColl, Te Tumu Herenga advisers for Science)

Te Tumu Herenga Physical Spaces open

Along with the Kate Edger commons, the General Library, Davis, Philson, Tai Tonga, and Epsom libraries and spaces, will all open from Monday 31st of August for click and collect, access to collections, and provision of study spaces with appropriate physical distancing and attendance recording in place.

Learning Essentials Resources

You may have seen our new Te Tumu Herenga Learning Essentials online resources, please do promote them to your students. They cover a wide range of useful skills from time-management and note-taking, to critical reading skills and presenting your work. They can be found on the library website but are also linked in the help section in Canvas for Semester 2 courses.

Inaugural Lecture

By Professor Renate Meyer, Department of Statistics, Hosted by the Faculty of Science

Date & Time: Thursday 15th October, 6:30pm

Venue:  Physics Lecture Theatre 1 (303-G20), Science Centre, 23 Symonds Street

Refreshments will be served in the basement foyer of building 303 (303-B00L2) from 5:45pm, prior to the lecture.

Please register at: https://renatemeyer.eventbrite.co.nz

A Survey

The School’s  Ako Innovation Committee would like staff to complete a short survey to assess the software / apps that school staff have access to for teaching, or wish to have access to for teaching, beyond the standard University software.   Could you please complete our very short survey.  The survey is a google form and can be found here:  https://forms.gle/FTqma2WvpUY49GvA9

Meetings, Seminars and Events

Ako Health Check: Covid, Coffee, and a Catch up

Wednesday 2nd September 9.30-10

For those staff active in teaching this semester, the Ako Committee would like to invite you to a virtual coffee and a catch up on all things teaching. Come along with any questions you might have or any stories you may have. See you then!

Join Zoom Meeting: https://auckland.zoom.us/j/94011674568

Taiao Tutor Community of Practice

The Taiao Tutor Community of Practice is a fortnightly meeting of School of Environment tutors (alongside staff and interested others) to facilitate best practice teaching and learning amongst tutors. We will showcase tips in a series of short presentations designed to improve tutoring and provide opportunities for conversation, advice and support. Come along if you can make it!

Date: Friday 4th September 10.30-11.30

Zoom link: https://auckland.zoom.us/j/96350162076

Title: Growing relationships through interactions in large settings

Presenter: Sophia Tsang

It can be difficult to encourage interactions in large settings, including in this new Zoom age. This talk presents a few simple tools that can be employed in a face-to-face or virtual setting to facilitate the beginnings of relationships.

Title: Creating an online presence and maintaining engagement while remote learning

Presenter: Jack Barrett

Maintaining online engagement whilst remote learning poses many challenges. This talk will explore the use of online ‘guidance’ videos as a resource to create engagement, consistency and build relationships with a class. I’ll touch on our experience of using these videos and a proactive outreach approach with GEOG102 students in semester 1 2020.

Title: Physically distanced not socially distanced: Fostering students’ active learning through collaborative Zoom and Mural interactions

Presenter: Anthony Gampell

This presentation will explore the opportunities provided by Zoom whiteboards and Mural to retain student interactions while live streaming Zoom tutorials. Collaborative interactions, with students and their tutors, in a remote environment can not only contribute toward actively engaging students in their learning but can also serve as a method to foster ‘tutorial culture’ while physically distanced.

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Rangahau – Research

A Guide to Vision Mātauranga

Recently a Guide to Vision Mātauranga (lessons from Māori voices in the New Zealand Science Sector) was prepared by the Rauika Māngai – an assembly of representative Māori scientists, research leaders and programme managers from the 11 National Science Challenges and Ngā Pae o te Māramatanga. Please contact Melanie Kah for details.

Scalar Relationships of the Sponge City Initiative

To join this Seminar Please click on the link below and use passcode 809619

https://auckland.zoom.us/j/92381974766?pwd=L0pwL3B1blhzQmRjZGxMaFFFd1hrQT09

For enquiries, please contact Chris Struthers

AINSE Statement regarding COVID-19: Friday 21 August 2020

The health and wellbeing of our scholars, staff and collaborators is our highest priority. The AINSE team is working to assist all of our members during this time. In developing this precautionary approach, AINSE has consulted widely with stakeholders and taken the national and state guidelines, as well as equity of access, into account. In response to the ongoing COVID-19 situation, the AINSE Board reviewed the impacts of COVID-19 on AINSE operations in the Board meeting held on 21 August. Activities for the September – December 2020 period were discussed.

AINSE continues to offer events and scholarships throughout 2020. Our annual PhD Orientation Week and Women in STEM and Entrepreneurship School have both moved to an online format and we will work continuously with the research community to explore how AINSE programs can best adapt to support their needs.

Please see the full list of current changes to upcoming AINSE events and programs below.

• The AINSE Postgraduate Orientation Week will be held as an online event in October.
• The Women in STEM and Entrepreneurship (WISE) Mentorship Program continues to run via videoconferencing and online discussion sessions as per the regular schedule.
• The Women in STEM and Entrepreneurship (WISE) School will be held as an online event in December 2020 with more places offered to members due to expanded capacity as an online event.
• All current participants of the Scholarship AINSE ANSTO French Embassy (SAAFE) program have received a six-month no cost extension.
• The Postgraduate Research Award (PGRA) application round proceeded on schedule with 42 successful awards announced at the end of June.
• Residential Student Scholarship (RSS), and Early-Career Research Grant (ECRG) applications were accepted, applicants are to be notified the results by the end of September 2020.
• The ANSTO Graduate Institute ‘Industry Foundations Scholarship’ applications were accepted by ANSTO as planned.
• Existing PGRA scholars will be assisted with their individual research requirements and extensions matched with underlying primary scholarships when approved by the host university and existing ECRG holders have been offered a six-month no cost extension.

AINSE continues to support the research community and monitor the ongoing situation.

Research and Funding Opportunities

Catalyst Fund – Seeding

Seeding facilitates new small and medium pre-research strategic partnerships with international collaborators that cannot be supported through other means.

General Programme:

• Funding is for research exchanges, research activities, and expenses related to hosting workshops for new strategic research partnerships with international collaborators.
• A maximum of NZ $80,000 (excl. GST) in total is available per proposal for projects lasting up to two years.

NZ – Japan Joint Research Projects:

• Funding for research exchanges, research activities, and expenses related to hosting meetings in collaboration with Japanese researchers. Up to 3 joint research projects may be funded in the current round.
• Up to $30,000 per annum for up to two years.

Deadline:  5pm, Tuesday 6 October 2020.

For further information, see the Catalyst Seeding website, or contact your RPC.

Catalyst Fund – Leaders

Leaders supports incoming and outgoing targeted international fellowships for exceptional individuals that cannot be supported through other means.

Julius von Haast Fellowship:

• Supports an internationally recognised researcher from Germany to undertake research in New Zealand for a minimum of 4 weeks per year for up to 3 years.
• Up to one (1) Fellow will be awarded in the 2020 funding round
• 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 allowance

JSPS HOPE Meeting:

• Supports excellent PhD students and/or young researchers to attend the HOPE meetings with Nobel Laureates in Japan for 5 days, providing Flights, accommodation, and meeting registration.
• Up to one (1) award in the 2020 funding round, comprising: Return economy flight to Japan, Insurance, Accommodation and meals, Meeting registration

Deadline: 5pm Tuesday, 6 October 2020.

For further information, see the Catalyst – Leaders website or contact your RPC

2021 Te Pūnaha Hihiko: Vision Mātauranga Capability Fund

Fund Purpose:

• Strengthen capability, capacity, skills and networks between Māori and the science and innovation system, and
• Increase understanding of how research can contribute to the aspirations of Māori organisations and deliver benefit for Aotearoa.

Key Features:

• Proposal must be co-developed with a Māori organisation
• Proposal must include co-funding at a minimum of 10% of requested amount
• Research must support the themes and outcomes of MBIE’s Vision Mātauranga policy
• Fund includes 2 schemes: ‘connect’ and placement’ – Connect Scheme: Build new connections between Māori organisations and the science and innovation system; Placement scheme: Enhance the development of an individual(s) through placement in a Partner organisation

Grant Value: 

The work programme term for both Connect and Placement schemes is up to two years.

• $150,000 (ex GST) – max funding per proposal for projects up to 1 year in length
• $250,000 (ex GST) – max funding per proposal between 1-2 years in length

Internal Deadline:  12 noon Monday 2 November 2020

For further information, including details on eligibility, please visit the MBIE website or contact your RPC

WUN Research Development Fund

Each year, the Worldwide Universities Network (WUN) awards small grants of matched seed funding to establish new collaborative projects among members via its Research Development Fund (RDF). Researchers may submit proposals for Auckland-led projects or join partner-led projects initiated by researchers at other WUN institutions.

Research groups typically receive GBP 20-40,000 in total from WUN and university contributions. Funding is awarded on a competitive basis taking into account the selection criteria listed in the guidelines.

This year’s research theme focuses on ‘Sustainable Recovery’ from the COVID-19 pandemic with proposals encouraged addressing one or more of the following UN SDGs; 3 Good Health & Wellbeing, 4 Quality Education, 7 Affordable and Clean Energy, 10 reduced Inequalities, 11 Sustainable Cities and Communities, 13 Climate Action.

As usual, there will be a two-stage selection process (internal and external). The internal process will select two proposals to develop into full bids from Auckland. Further information can be found on the networks-related funding page; or by contacting  Deborah McAllister (International Networks Manager)

Closing date for proposals: 12noon, Tuesday 2 September 2020

Pacific Development and Conservation Trust

Purpose: Promote sustainable development in the Pacific and New Zealand, while conserving the natural environment and cultural heritage of its people.

Grant Value:  The Trust has about $250,000 to give as grants each year. There is no minimum or maximum grant amount. Grants generally range from $2,000 to $50,000 NZD.

Internal Deadline: 5pm, Monday 14 September 2020

For further guidelines, please visit the Trust website

National Geographic – AI for Earth Innovation

The National Geographic Society and Microsoft’s AI for Earth program are partnering to support novel projects that create and deploy AI tools to improve the way we monitor, model, understand, and ultimately manage Earth’s natural resources for a more sustainable future. The programme is open to applicants from all scientific disciplines

Value: Grants of up to USD 100,000 are available.   

Project Duration: 12 months.

Internal Deadline: Monday 12 October, 5pm

Guidelines and resources can be found on the funders website, or contact your RPC for more information.

Meetings, Seminars and Events

School of Environment Research Forum

2020 Bartrum/Cumberland/Hay Lecture Series

River Futures in Aotearoa

Thursday September 24th 2020, 5-6.30 pm

Old Government House, University of Auckland

This will also be a Zoom Livestream event

The Research Committee in the School of Environment at the University of Auckland is delighted to announce the details of this year’s research forum.

River health is a long-standing issue of significant societal concern in New Zealand. As the Resource Management Act is under review, and expressions of River Rights create new societal and institutional relations to rivers, there is genuine prospect for generative encounters in shaping ‘River Futures in Aotearoa’. This panel discussion will focus on constructive discussions and contemplations regarding River Futures in Aotearoa – what could this look like, how will it work, what do we have to do to get there, should this be an incremental transition or a radical transformation?

Five key speakers have been tasked to present short provocative, constructive and positive perspectives on this topic:

• Gerrard Albert: Chair of Ngā Tāngata Tiaki o Whanganui, the post-settlement governance body for Whanganui Iwi for the purpose of the Whanganui River Settlement
• Anne Salmond: Professor of Māori Studies, The University of Auckland
• Colleen Brent: Healthy Waterways Team, Auckland Council
• Trish Kirkland-Smith: Head of Environmental Partnerships, Fonterra
• Mike Joy: Senior Research Fellow, School of Government, Victoria University of Wellington

This will be followed by a discussion session and informal drinks and nibbles.

MBIE Endeavour Fund Roadshows 2021

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Endeavour Fund Roadshows for 2021 will be presented virtually.

At the roadshows, MBIE will review the 2020 round and cover the different investment mechanisms, available funding, application process, key dates, eligibility, investment signals and impact categories, assessment criteria, and key documents.

The roadshows are an opportunity for researchers to engage with the Endeavour Team. The first hour will be the webinar presentation and the second hour will be available for Q&A.

Each roadshow will take place via a Zoom webinar. There are 3 time options:

• Roadshow – Session 1: Monday 12 October: 10.00am – 12.00pm
  Roadshow – Session 2: Tuesday 13 October: 2:00pm – 4:00pm
  Roadshow – Session 3: Monday 19 October: 10.00am – 12.00pm

Register for attendance via the MBIE website

Postgraduate Research Showcase: 22 September – Update

In-person or virtual – the Postgraduate Research Showcase PRS 2020 is taking place on Tue 22 September. Awards for best oral, poster and photo/video presentations. ​Want to be part of this fantastic event?

Submit the title of your presentation and your format to env-PSC@auckland.ac.nz. Also, you can submit a lab/field photo or a 2-minute video that highlights your research and the great people that make it happen. These events are significant because of you and your research! So, do your part to spread the science and present or attend the PRS 2020. For further information please contact,

Luitgard Schwendenmann (Chair Postgraduate Research Committee)

Carlos Carvajal (Co-chair PhD student committee)

MBIE 2021 Endeavour Seminar Series

This series is designed to connect you to critical strategic & practical information, informed by MBIE requirement and insights, which if critically applied to your proposal will strengthen your capability to engage successfully in this increasingly competitive science and innovation funding pool.

Session 1 – Responsiveness to Māori (25 August, 1 – 2:30 pm)

Session 2 – Government Themes (1 September, 1 – 2:30 pm)

Session 3 – Industry Insights (8 September, 1 – 2:30 pm)

Session 4 – Contracts (15 September, 1 – 2: 30 pm)

Session 5 – Research Impact (22 September, 1 – 2:30 pm)

Register for the MBIE Endeavour Online Seminar Series HERE.

New Publications

1.	Population mobility modelling for mobility data simulation	Smolak, K., Rohm, W., Knop, K., Siła-Nowicka, K.	2020	Computers, Environment and Urban Systems, 84, art. no. 101526.
2.	Volcanic unrest scenarios and impact assessment at Campi Flegrei caldera, Southern Italy	Charlton, D., Kilburn, C., Edwards, S.	2020	Journal of Applied Volcanology, 9(1), art. no. 7.
3.	Using historical sources to supplement climate site histories: A case study of Auckland’s Albert Park	Fowler, A.M.	2020	New Zealand Geographer.

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Please email content to Bizza for next edition of P-cubed by Friday 11th September 

COVID-19: no time for complacency, stay well, keep UOA open…oh darn!

Say yes to the test

HeadSup

There is a forum tomorrow for all ENV teaching and professional staff from 3-4pm to raise concerns and ask questions about our current Covid-19 response.

Kia ora koutou

Well, here we go again: another bout of glorious sunshine and a resurgence of COVID-19. At least the weekend was marvelous, I hope you all got to enjoy it. Monte Cecilia Park is on the edge of my ‘neighbourhood’; it is exceptional with outstanding views. I took the dogs there on the bike, which made me super happy and got smiles from kids along the way. Please give yourself permission to deliver less this year and take time to find something joyful to do every day.

On the teaching front, live zoom has made things a bit easier but there are still significant challenges in remote delivery.  We are now operating week by week: please resist the temptation to over plan – as we saw last week, things may change with half a day’s notice. Please remember that remote learning is challenging and you may need to cut back on expectations. Keep it simple, stay nimble.

I am developing a ‘GTA covid-response team‘ of post-graduates who have completed tutor training and who would like to increase their hours or can be deployed where there is a need. If you are interested in joining this team, please contact Samantha Huang (samantha.huang@auckland.ac.nz) by Wednesday this week. This will get you on the list so that we can contact you if we need your help. If you are coordinating a course and would benefit from extra tutor hours during remote teaching please get in touch with David Hayward.

On the research front, some contracted work and PG projects may be getting parlous. Primary supervisors, if you have yet to do so, please check in on your students and ensure you have a good plan in place to manage the Covid-19 disruption. In some cases it may be time for Plan B. Students: if you are stressed and concerned about the impact of this shut-down on your progress please discuss with your supervisor in the first instance. We are looking at ways to support PG Research students through this time – more on this soon. PIs: please let me know if your projects are getting critical.

On another matter, there’s been slippage in the field work planning process that compromises our ability to ensure appropriate risk management. It is a requirement of the University that all field work is signed off before being undertaken. Unfortunately, forms have been coming in late allowing insufficient time for consideration and amendment if required. Please demonstrate respect for our technical staff and our Health and Safety processes by ensuring forms are submitted on time. Forms submitted late may be returned without approval.

Lastly, all the best for the week everyone. I hear zoom drinks may by on again this Friday…

JR

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Whakawhanaungatanga – communities

ENV 2021-2023 Strategic Plan Update

It’s time to think about staffing priorities for the future – think 3-5 years out. This may sound strange given we have been told the shape, size and composition of the university will change, with a reduction in FTE as a result of COVID-19. However, it is critical that we take a pro-active and strategic view of our staffing needs into the future – where should we appoint, where will we need to appoint, and why? Please get responses back to JR asap. A draft plan will be distributed for comment later this week.

Unstable Foundations

Anna Lehner is an interdisciplinary artist working at the intersections of art and structural geology. Anna was awarded a US Graduate Fulbright Fellowship to New Zealand. From February-November 2020, Anna will be spending time with researchers, scientists and artists to gain a better understanding of the seismic activity of our planet. Anna will be giving an artist talk about the ways that technology, data and science can be woven together to create conceptual artwork. For details, please click here

Website: www.annalehner.com

Date: 26 August 2020

Time: 17.00-18.00

Building/Room: 303-G01

ENV Laboratory Inductions – Reminder

Now is a good time for you or your students to complete induction courses.  All of our induction courses are run through Canvas.  To request access to the induction course, please send an email to, b.sowman@auckland.ac.nz, with your UPI.

Inductions for General Facilities, Chemistry and Geochemical Laboratories, Earth Science Processing (ESP), Electron microprobe (EPMA), X-Ray Laboratories (XRF, Prep, and Itrax)  and the Transitional Facility can be found  in the Schools induction course; https://canvas.auckland.ac.nz/courses/16362 

Meeting, Seminars and Events

Please Note

Due to the timing of Covid-19 restrictions the complementary Hochstetter Lecture Monday 17^th August at 1 pm “The Southern Alps of New Zealand: an integrated picture of an evolving plate boundary” by Phaedra Upton and the main Hochstetter Lecture at 7 pm on Tuesday 18^th “How tectonic and surface processes interact to shape the landscape” at the Auckland Museum are now cancelled. The Auckland Branch of the Geoscience Society of New Zealand hopes to reschedule these or bring them to your remotely later in the year.

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Ako – Teaching and Learning

Inaugural Lecture 

By Professor Renate Meyer, Department of Statistics, Hosted by the Faculty of Science

 

Date & Time: Thursday 15th October, 6:30pm

Venue:  Physics Lecture Theatre 1 (303-G20), Science Centre, 23 Symonds Street

Refreshments will be served in the basement foyer of building 303 (303-B00L2) from 5:45pm, prior to the lecture.

Please register at: https://renatemeyer.eventbrite.co.nz

A Survey

The School’s  Ako Innovation Committee would like staff to complete a short survey to assess the software / apps that school staff have access to for teaching, or wish to have access to for teaching, beyond the standard University software.   Could you please complete our very short survey.  The survey is a google form and can be found here:  https://forms.gle/FTqma2WvpUY49GvA9

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Rangahau – Research

Postgraduate Research Showcase: 22 September – Update

In-person or virtual – the Postgraduate Research Showcase PRS 2020 is taking place on Tue 22 September. Awards for best oral, poster and photo/video presentations.

​Want to be part of this fantastic event?

Submit the title of your presentation and your format to env-PSC@auckland.ac.nz. Also, you can submit a lab/field photo or a 2-minute video that highlights your research and the great people that make it happen. These events are significant because of you and your research! So, do your part to spread the science and present or attend the PRS 2020.

For further information please contact,

Luitgard Schwendenmann (Chair Postgraduate Research Committee), Carlos Carvajal (Co-chair PhD student committee)

Discussion Paper

To read the complete article co-authored by Tom Baker on Early Career Researchers in Aotearoa: Safeguarding and strengthening opportunity after COVID-19, please click here

Angus Dowell’s 3 minute thesis competition

A Master of Environmental Management student working with human geographers in the School’s Cities, Politics and Economy Research Group, has come 2nd in the University wide Masters Finals for the 3 Minute Thesis competition. Angus, supervised by Nick Lewis and Ryan Jones, is studying the construction of regenerative economies in New Zealand. Regenerative economies are assemblages of green investment, social enterprise, socio-scientific knowledge, environmentally responsible production, and socio-cultural ethics that are committed to performing economy differently from a new moral economy standpoint. Angus seeks to understand how they are being constructed in Aotearoa New Zealand, what it will take to make these initiatives successful, and what their construction can tell us about things like environmental, social and economic justice. At the point where climate change meets uncertain Covid futures, it is pivotal to rethink economic futures. Angus’ work gives us some tools for doing this.

You can find out more about what happened at the finals here:

https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/news/2020/08/07/three-minute-thesis-finals.html

Research and Funding Opportunities

2020 FRDF Main Round

In the main round applications can be made to the Staff Research Fund and the Post-doctoral and Large Research Project Fund. New staff Fund applications can be made throughout the year but not as part of the main round.

Please find all the required information and documents at this link:

https://www.sciencestaff.auckland.ac.nz/en/about/research/faculty-research-development-fund.html

Deadline:  5pm on Monday 24 August

Social Science Research Council – Just Tech Covid-19 Rapid Response Grants

The Social Science Research Council (SSRC), as part of its Just Tech program, seeks proposals from across the social sciences and related fields that address the risks, opportunities, and challenges posed by public health surveillance stemming from the Covid-19 pandemic.

The Just Tech Rapid-Response Grants will thus support innovative research projects that deploy remote research methods to shed light on both the short and potential long term implications of public health interventions for a range of rights, liberties, and public goods. Subjects may include, but are not limited to:

• Contact tracing and public health surveillance.
• Voting access and rights amid “lockdowns” and widespread social distancing.
• Disparities in the collection, representation, and use of health data.
• The digital divide in remote work and learning, education, and public health.
• Precarity of labour and work in the tech industry or gig economy.
• Remote organising, campaigning, and social movements.
• The impact of predictive algorithms on the provision of social welfare and policing.

Awards will range from USD $5,000 to $10,000.  The typical research project duration is 6 months.

The first internal UoA deadline is August 24, 2020 (The funder has currently planned a rolling deadline)

For more info please see the funding guidelines and resources page

Catalyst Fund – Seeding

Seeding facilitates new small and medium pre-research strategic partnerships with international collaborators that cannot be supported through other means.

General Programme: 

• Funding is for research exchanges, research activities, and expenses related to hosting workshops for new strategic research partnerships with international collaborators.
• A maximum of NZ $80,000 (excl. GST) in total is available per proposal for projects lasting up to two years.

NZ – Japan Joint Research Projects:

• Funding for research exchanges, research activities, and expenses related to hosting meetings in collaboration with Japanese researchers. Up to 3 joint research projects may be funded in the current round.
• Up to $30,000 per annum for up to two years.

Deadline:  5pm, Tuesday 6 October 2020.

For further information, see the Catalyst Seeding website, or contact your RPC.

Catalyst Fund – Leaders

Leaders supports incoming and outgoing targeted international fellowships for exceptional individuals that cannot be supported through other means.

Julius von Haast Fellowship:

• Supports an internationally recognised researcher from Germany to undertake research in New Zealand for a minimum of 4 weeks per year for up to 3 years.
• Up to one (1) Fellow will be awarded in the 2020 funding round
• 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 allowance

JSPS HOPE Meeting:

• Supports excellent PhD students and/or young researchers to attend the HOPE meetings with Nobel Laureates in Japan for 5 days, providing Flights, accommodation, and meeting registration.
• Up to one (1) award in the 2020 funding round, comprising: Return economy flight to Japan, Insurance, Accommodation and meals, Meeting registration

Deadline: 5pm Tuesday, 6 October 2020.

For further information, see the Catalyst – Leaders website or contact your RPC

2021 Te Pūnaha Hihiko: Vision Mātauranga Capability Fund

Fund Purpose:

• Strengthen capability, capacity, skills and networks between Māori and the science and innovation system, and 
• Increase understanding of how research can contribute to the aspirations of Māori organisations and deliver benefit for Aotearoa.

Key Features:

• Proposal must be co-developed with a Māori organisation 
• Proposal must include co-funding at a minimum of 10% of requested amount
• Research must support the themes and outcomes of MBIE’s Vision Mātauranga policy
• Fund includes 2 schemes: ‘connect’ and placement’ – Connect Scheme: Build new connections between Māori organisations and the science and innovation system; Placement scheme: Enhance the development of an individual(s) through placement in a Partner organisation

Grant Value: 

The work programme term for both Connect and Placement schemes is up to two years.

• $150,000 (ex GST) – max funding per proposal for projects up to 1 year in length
• $250,000 (ex GST) – max funding per proposal between 1-2 years in length

Internal Deadline:  12 noon Monday 2 November 2020

For further information, including details on eligibility, please visit the MBIE website or contact your RPC

WUN Research Development Fund

Each year, the Worldwide Universities Network (WUN) awards small grants of matched seed funding to establish new collaborative projects among members via its Research Development Fund (RDF). Researchers may submit proposals for Auckland-led projects or join partner-led projects initiated by researchers at other WUN institutions.

Research groups typically receive GBP 20-40,000 in total from WUN and university contributions. Funding is awarded on a competitive basis taking into account the selection criteria listed in the guidelines.

This year’s research theme focuses on ‘Sustainable Recovery’ from the COVID-19 pandemic with proposals encouraged addressing one or more of the following UN SDGs; 3 Good Health & Wellbeing, 4 Quality Education, 7 Affordable and Clean Energy, 10 reduced Inequalities, 11 Sustainable Cities and Communities, 13 Climate Action.

As usual, there will be a two-stage selection process (internal and external). The internal process will select two proposals to develop into full bids from Auckland. Further information can be found on the networks-related funding page; or by contacting  Deborah McAllister (International Networks Manager)

Closing date for proposals: 12noon, Tuesday 2 September 2020

Pacific Development and Conservation Trust

Purpose: Promote sustainable development in the Pacific and New Zealand, while conserving the natural environment and cultural heritage of its people.

Grant Value:  The Trust has about $250,000 to give as grants each year. There is no minimum or maximum grant amount. Grants generally range from $2,000 to $50,000 NZD.

Internal Deadline: 5pm, Monday 14 September 2020

For further guidelines, please visit the Trust website

Meeting, Seminars and Events

MBIE 2021 Endeavour Seminar Series

This series is designed to connect you to critical strategic & practical information, informed by MBIE requirement and insights, which if critically applied to your proposal will strengthen your capability to engage successfully in this increasingly competitive science and innovation funding pool.

Session 1 – Responsiveness to Māori (25 August, 1 – 2:30 pm)

Session 2 – Government Themes (1 September, 1 – 2:30 pm)

Session 3 – Industry Insights (8 September, 1 – 2:30 pm)

Session 4 – Contracts (15 September, 1 – 2: 30 pm)

Session 5 – Research Impact (22 September, 1 – 2:30 pm)

Register for the MBIE Endeavour Online Seminar Series HERE.

School of Environment Research Forum: River Futures in Aotearoa

Please put aside late afternoon/early evening of Thursday September 24^th for a combined Bartrum/Cumberland/Hay Research Event. Mike Joy and Anne Salmond have already indicated their willingness to participate … three other panelists have already been approached.

More details will follow soon … for now, please make a note in your diaries as we’d like as many people as possible to attend. For more details please contact Gary Brierley

New Publications

Document Title	Authors	Year	Source
Erionite in Auckland bedrock and malignant mesothelioma: an emerging public and occupational health hazard?	Brook, M.S., Black, P.M., Salmond, J., (…), Berry, T.-A., Steinhorn, G.	2020	The New Zealand medical journal, 133(1518), pp. 73-78.
Local Grid Refinement in New Zealand’s Earth System Model: Tasman Sea Ocean Circulation Improvements and Super-Gyre Circulation Implications	Behrens, E., Williams, J., Morgenstern, O., (…), Rickard, G., Williams, M.J.M.	2020	Journal of Advances in Modeling Earth Systems, 12(7), art. no. e2019MS001996.
‘Serious’ Disaster Video Games: An Innovative Approach to Teaching and Learning about Disasters and Disaster Risk Reduction	Gampell, A., Gaillard, J.C., Parsons, M., Le Dé, L.	2020	Journal of Geography, pp. 1-12.

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Copy deadline for next edition of P-cubed: Friday 28th August to Bizza

COVID-19: no time for complacency, stay well, keep UOA open

If you are sick, stay home, get tested

HeadSup

Kia ora koutou

We have had some staff movements over the past couple of weeks. First, welcome Martin Talie who has taken on Farnaz’ role on the ENV/CHEM front desk in Level 6. Bizza has kindly taken on the co-ordination and operation of p-cubed, for which I am immensely grateful.  It’s lovely to have Martin and Ingo back from RSL – welcome back! Mila, Michael R., JC, Jay, Lorna, Anthony and Paul are heading on RSL in a modified sort of way – we wish you a productive and regenerative time. Annie is remaining in the United States for Semester 2. Brendon Blue, Linda Madden and Selene Schoffel-Armstrong are stepping in to cover teaching gaps – thank you very much. Ingrid Ukstins remains stuck in the US awaiting her VISA and we hope that this situation is resolved as fast as possible.

I’m excited already about the Spring Graduation and am keeping all my digits crossed in the hope that we stay open and can celebrate the event in appropriate style. To that end, I am wondering whether there would be interest in starting up a group of ENV Singers, to pull together a waiata for the occasion. I do a very good 5-part disharmony so I need friends to pull this off. I know you’re out there, bathroom diva, divo and divex! If this is something you would like to contribute to, or dare I hope…lead…please get in touch. I need at least one champion to take this bold step, one brave and generous soul. I’ll provide the mallowpuffs.

JC’s Inaugural Professorial Lecture is coming up. This is a big to-do in the career of an academic. Check out the poster below. It would be great to see as many of ENV as possible turn up to acknowledge this terrific step in JC’s career.

I’d like to make special mention of Angus Dowell, who has made it through to the finals of the University 3-minute Thesis competition. Well done Angus and good luck for the final (details below – come along and support Angus!).

Lastly – don’t forget the VC is visiting the FOS, Wednesday 5 August, 3-4 pm in the Plaza area of our building. All staff are invited to attend.

JR

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Whakawhanaungatanga – communities

ENV 2021-2023 Strategic Plan Update

It’s time to think about staffing priorities for the future – think 3-5 years out. This may sound strange given we have been told the shape, size and composition of the university will change, with a reduction in FTE as a result of COVID-19. However, it is critical that we take a pro-active and strategic view of our staffing needs into the future – where should we appoint, where will we need to appoint, and why? Please discuss in your disciplinary groups and prioritise staffing needs over the next 7-10 days. You can also make individual submissions on this question to JR.

Environment Taiao Association

The SoE has a new student association called the ETA (Environment Taiao Association) which integrates all previously individual SoE student clubs (AUGA, GA, GSC, and ESA).

The objective of this governing body is to affiliate the clubs with AUSA and to provide social/academic outreach to all UoA students incorporated within the SoE.

For more information please visit the facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/groups/ETAUOA/ or email Gina: gswa730@aucklanduni.ac.nz

To become a member fill out the google form: https://forms.gle/e5XbBVTSH1GwzcYK6 . Please note this is for students only.

NZGS Auckland (Geography Auckland) August Newsletter

The Auckland branch of NZGS promotes the activities of geographers and the development of the discipline in the Auckland region. It has proven an effective platform for hosting and sponsoring public seminars and workshops, and talks by prominent local and international geographers; running competitions for schools; providing opportunities for young geographers to attend conferences; and for bringing geographers together to discuss issues of public and disciplinary concern. One initiative is to seek better links with professional geographers beyond the university and schools.

To see the newsletter please click on this link  NZGS Auck_newsletter August 2020

Meeting, Seminars and Events

5^th ENV seminar

Date & Time: Tuesday 25^th of August,  15:00 – 16:00

Venue: OGH, Federation Room

Join us to learn about research your colleagues do. All staff members and students from the School of Environment are warmly invited to attend this brilliant seminar.

As you may be already aware we are running  the seminars every three months and so far they have been incredibly fascinating.

In the upcoming ENV Seminar, we will have three presenters: Kevin Simon, Marie McEntee and Marta Ribo and their talks will be followed by drinks at OGH.

‘The First Meeting’ of the School of Environment International Students 

Date & Time: Friday 7 August, 10am (the second week of Semester II)

Venue: Ontology room (B 302 – 551, 5th floor)

Guest speaker: Mr. John Dorado (Career development and employability office)

Topic: How to prepare for employment in New Zealand or other countries.  

Followed by Morning tea & Informal socialising session

How Tectonic and Surface Processes Interact to Shape the Landscape

Date & Time: 18th August, 7 pm

Venue: Auckland Museum Auditorium

For more information, please click here

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Ako – Teaching and Learning

What’s a Professor

If you wish to attend an inaugural lecture by Prof. JC Gaillard from the School of Environment please see the poster below

IT Committee:

Thankfully, we are back to teaching almost as before the lockdown.  Nevertheless, please still let us know of any soft- (or hard-) ware we should consider for online delivery based on your experience of the past few months. 

Thank you, Ingo (i.pecher@auckland.ac.nz)

Meeting, Seminars and Events

Have your say! University of Auckland Education Strategy

As part of the development of a new Strategic Plan for the University (2021-2030), a Working Group convened by the DVC (Academic) has drafted one of five initial position papers.

Robin Kearns, Chair of AKO, has been part of this group and invites you to join he and members of the wider AKO network to an open forum to discuss this draft.

Comments and suggestions arising at this School of Environment forum will be taken back to the Education Working Group later that week.

Where: 302-551 (Ontology Lab)

When: Monday 10^th August, 11am – 12 noon

To be discussed:  https://www.staff.auckland.ac.nz/assets/staff/how-the-university-works/documents/Education%20Position%20Paper.pdf

All welcome!

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Rangahau – Research

Evolution of Queen Charlotte Sound-Tōtaranui and Tory Channel-Kura Te Au

To read a short article written by Drs Lorna Strachan, Marta Ribó, and BSc Hons student Alysha Jones from the University of Auckland, and Dr Sally Watson of the National Institute of Water focused on understating the deeper time environmental and geological evolution of the region and more please click here

Wanderings in the muddy Waimatā at Gisborne, East Cape

Reflections by Danielle Cairns, Khendra Harvey, Gary Brierley, Gretel Boswijk and Jon Tunnicliffe. To read this short article please click here

Postgraduate Research Showcase: Save the Date – Tuesday 22 September

The annual Postgraduate Research Showcase will take place on Tuesday 22 September in the Fale Pasifika. Tea and Lunch are provided. The 2020 Research Showcase will be a fantastic opportunity for postgraduate students to share their latest research findings as many other conferences have been postponed this year. Currently, we are in the planning stage. So far, the event will include different types of presentation formats by postgraduate students and a panel discussion. If you would like to be part of the organizing committee, please send an email to env-PSC@auckland.ac.nz. Also, any suggestions and comments on the format of the event are very welcomed.

Please make the time to attend this event and support our postgraduate research students.

This post is also a call for SoE faculty to participate and be part of the efforts to make the 2020 Research Showcase a great event.

For further information please contact,

Luitgard Schwendenmann (Chair Postgraduate Research Committee), Carlos Carvajal (Co-chair PhD student committee)

Other Updates

Kathy Campbell has just received an honorary “corresponding member” appointment to the Geological Association of Argentina for her work there on Jurassic hot spring deposits in Patagonia and associations with geoscientists in the country.

Miembro Correspondiente de la Asociación Geológica Argentina

https://www.instagram.com/asociacion.geologica.argentina/

Angus Dowell, a Master of Environmental Management student working with human geographers in the School’s Cities, Politics and Economy Research Group, has made it through to the university finals for the 3 minute thesis competition. Angus, supervised by Nick Lewis and Ryan Jones, is studying the construction of regenerative economies in New Zealand. Regenerative economies are assemblages of green investment, social enterprise, socio-scientific knowledge, environmentally responsible production, and socio-cultural ethics that are committed to performing economy differently from a new moral economy standpoint. Angus seeks to understand how they are being constructed in Aotearoa New Zealand, what it will take to make these initiatives successful, and what their construction can tell us about things like environmental, social and economic justice. At the point where climate change meets uncertain Covid futures, it is pivotal to rethink economic futures. Angus’ work gives us some tools for doing this. The University final will be held on the 6th of August at the Conference Centre, Building 423 – 342, from 5-8pm, where he will go up against students from other faculties.

The event can be found here: https://nvite.com/universityofauckland/c68b8

Research and Funding Opportunities

2020 FRDF Main Round

In the main round applications can be made to the Staff Research Fund and the Post-doctoral and Large Research Project Fund. New staff Fund applications can be made throughout the year but not as part of the main round.

Please find all the required information and documents at this link:

https://www.sciencestaff.auckland.ac.nz/en/about/research/faculty-research-development-fund.html

Deadline:  5pm on Monday 24 August

Kate Edger Educational Charitable Trust Post-Doctoral Research Awards – Dame Joan Metge and Emeritus Professor Dame Charmian J O’Connor Awards

To assist women who have qualified to graduate with a doctoral degree within the last two years to carry out research on a specified, independent project at an approved Institute in the Auckland area

ELIGIBILITY:

• Must be women who have qualified to graduate with a doctoral degree within the last two years;
• Must be New Zealand citizens or permanent residents;
• Must be affiliated with an Auckland research Institute and have access to the infrastructural support needed to complete the proposed project;
• Must not undertake more than 20 hours per week employment during tenure of the award.

The Award is worth $16,000. No overheads will be paid (normally the project should be completed within six months).

Internal Deadline: 5pm, Thursday 13 August 2020

The application guide, form and checklist and be found on the Kate Edger Website.

Social Science Research Council – Just Tech Covid-19 Rapid Response Grants

The Social Science Research Council (SSRC), as part of its Just Tech program, seeks proposals from across the social sciences and related fields that address the risks, opportunities, and challenges posed by public health surveillance stemming from the Covid-19 pandemic.

The Just Tech Rapid-Response Grants will thus support innovative research projects that deploy remote research methods to shed light on both the short and potential long term implications of public health interventions for a range of rights, liberties, and public goods. Subjects may include, but are not limited to:

• Contact tracing and public health surveillance.
• Voting access and rights amid “lockdowns” and widespread social distancing.
• Disparities in the collection, representation, and use of health data.
• The digital divide in remote work and learning, education, and public health.
• Precarity of labour and work in the tech industry or gig economy.
• Remote organising, campaigning, and social movements.
• The impact of predictive algorithms on the provision of social welfare and policing.

Awards will range from USD $5,000 to $10,000.  The typical research project duration is 6 months.

The first internal UoA deadline is August 24, 2020 (The funder has currently planned a rolling deadline)

For more info please see the funding guidelines and resources page

SfTI has now released a request for Expressions of Capability (EoC).

We are seeking interest from physical sciences and engineering researchers based within New Zealand organisations who are willing to be part of a team to bring their relevant capability to the mission.  Please note, we are not accepting investigator-led research ideas and proposals.

The EoC provides a summary of the process and what to expect, and the Application form asks for a summary of where your research interest lies, your expertise and experience.

Selected researchers will be invited to attend a research development workshop.  Due to the impacts of Covid-19, we explored both physical and virtual options for the workshop. We are now pleased to confirm a physical workshop will be held in Wellington, Wednesday 9 September 2020.

The application form and EoC can also be downloaded from our website https://www.sftichallenge.govt.nz/news/biosecurity-technology-mission-calling-for-expressions-of-capability/

Send your completed application form and CV, to SfTIChallenge@callaghaninnovation.govt.nz

Applications close Monday 10 August 2020.

Meeting, Seminars and Events

School of Environment Research Forum: River Futures in Aotearoa

Please put aside late afternoon/early evening of Thursday September 24^th for a combined Bartrum/Cumberland/Hay Research Event.

Mike Joy and Anne Salmond have already indicated their willingness to participate … three other panelists have already been approached.

More details will follow soon … for now, please make a note in your diaries as we’d like as many people as possible to attend. For more details please contact Gary Brierley

New Publications

1. Han, M. and Brierley, G. (2020) Channel geomorphology and riparian vegetation interactions along four anabranching reaches of the Upper Yellow River, Progress in Physical Geography: Earth and Environment. doi: 10.1177/0309133320938768. 
2. Brook M.S., Black P.M., Salmond J., Dirks K., Berry T-A., Steinhorn G. (2020). Erionite in Auckland bedrock and malignant mesothelioma: an emerging public and occupational health hazard? New Zealand Medical Journal 133(1518): 73-78.
3. Charlton, D., Kilburn, C. & Edwards, S. Volcanic unrest scenarios and impact assessment at Campi Flegrei caldera, Southern Italy. J Appl. Volcanol. 9, 7 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1186/s13617-020-00097-x
4. Tsang, S.W.R., Lindsay, J.M., Coco, G. et al. The influence of surficial features in lava flow modelling. J Appl. Volcanol. 9, 6 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1186/s13617-020-00095-z
5. Kah, M., & Kookana, R. (2020). Emerging investigator series: nanotechnology to develop novel agrochemicals: critical issues to consider in the global agricultural context. Environmental Science: Nano. https://doi.org/10.1039/D0EN00271B
6. Khan, A. U., Xu, Z., Qian, X., Hong, A., Tang, Q., Zeng, T., & Li, L. (2020). Transformations of Ag2S nanoparticles in simulated human gastrointestinal tract: Impacts of the degree and origin of sulfidation. Journal of Hazardous Materials, 123406. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhazmat.2020.123406

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Copy deadline for next edition of P-cubed: Friday 14th August to Bizza: b.zainab@auckland.ac.nz

HeadSup

Kia ora koutou

What a fantastic couple of weeks for ENV in the media. First up was  Brendon on RNZ discussing the Government’s ‘jobs for nature’ package (see below), then Anthony’s opinion piece in Newsroom on ‘Fixing Auckland’s water crisis‘. Martin and Jenny were on RNZ’s nine-to-noon discussing erionite and how ‘Auckland earthworks could disturb cancer-causing dust‘, bouncing off a provocative paper just published in the New Zealand Medical Journal. Today, Shane hit the headlines with an RNZ Morning Report interview and article on the new volcano warning system he and David Dempsey from Engineering Science have just published in Nature Comms, which takes a machine learning approach to 10 years of data from Whakaaari White Island. Exciting stuff, thank you all for getting your work into the public arena and thank you to Anne Beston and the UOA Newsroom team for all the work behind the scenes.

As we find our place in a changed world, I think the % of work we do to share directly with the public must increase and our measure of research excellence must reflect this change in expectation. Now’s the time to influence the work of the University and the way in which we view and practice academic excellence into the future. The 2021-2030 UOA Strategic Plan Discussion papers on research and innovation, education, engagement, people and culture, and the sustainable university, will be available for consideration and comment from later this week. We are at a significant moment in human history and the strategic direction we take over the next 10 years needs to be appropriate for the times ahead. We know the size, shape and composition of the University will change. The financial impact of COVID-19 is intensifying due to the border control on international students and we will feel this acutely come 2021.  The outcome of this engagement process will influence decisions that will impact each of us directly. It is important that each of us has our say, whether collectively or individually, via the submission process and various engagement fora. Please consider the discussion papers in your various platforms, disciplinary groupings, and student groups and seize your opportunity to influence the direction of this University.

Thanks to those who have been working on the ENV 3-year plan. You’ll see a new draft vision, mission and values statement below. Please feel free to send me comments if you have recommendations for further change.

I’m delighted to advise that Mélanie Kah has accepted the role of Chair, Rangahau, and will transition into the role over the next few months.

Lastly, please come along to the ENV welcome back function, Thursday 30th July – all staff and PG research students are welcome (see RSVP link below).

JR

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Whakawhanaungatanga – communities

ENV 2021-2023 Strategic Plan

Our vision, mission and values will need to align with the new UOA 10-year strategic plan. Our development of the 2021-2023 ENV 3-year rolling strategic plan should be viewed as transitional. Here’s what we have so far. By the next edition of P-cubed, we will have pan-ENV projects for your consideration. All feedback welcome (send to JR).

VISION WAWATA  An inclusive and vibrant place of learning and research that inspires a deep understanding of people, places and processes resulting in more sustainable environments and just futures.

MISSION KAUPAPA MĀTĀMUA: We will leverage our disciplinary strengths in Geography, Environmental Science and Earth Sciences  to provide an outstanding, relevant and transformational education for our students; create knowledge to inform our future founded on a deep understanding of our past; and practice global leadership at the nexus of society, economy and nature that reflects our place, its peoples and processes, based on values of:

• Manaakitanga – Reciprocity of kindness, respect, humility, responsible hospitality, caring for others and the environment
• Whanaungatanga – fostering practices of care within our community of colleagues, students, and whānau, and instilling a principle of care for others and the environment.
• Resilience and courage in the face of rapid change and challenging circumstances, we will speak out.
• Kaitiakitanga – individual and collective responsibility for caretaking our environment and place, with respect for Te Ao Māori
• Whakaute – Respect for each other and for our shared commitment to excellence, collegiality, academic freedom, equity, and the principles of Te Tiriti ō Waitangi

DOC 3 forms

As an important correction to the last edition’s announcement on doctoral forms, please be aware that DOC 3 examiner nomination forms should not be submitted or handled by students, rather, their supervisors or supervisory teams. All other doctoral forms – DOC 6 (Change to Doctoral Candidate Registration), Doctoral Annual Report and Doctoral Provisional Review forms should still be sent to env-pgadmin@auckland.ac.nz for HoD approval.

IT Committee:

The IT Committee will meet soon.  Please let us know if you’d like to request any teaching-related software for S2 – and of course, if there are any other points for discussion.  (i.pecher@auckland.ac.nz)

Could the Government Nationalise ECE?

To view an interview of a recent MA Geography graduate on TVNZ, please click on the link below:

https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=1959502787518685

Notice: Changes in Some Labs:

The Cathodoluminescence Microscope has now moved to room 302-581a (darkroom), where it is co-located with the school’s photography equipment. This move means users only need to complete the school’s general induction to gain access to this instrument. We expect that with the knowledge of Drs Michael Rowe, Kathy Campbell, David Adams and the logistical support of Andres Arcila this instrument is going to be quite popular.
Please contact Andres Arcila/Neville Hudson if you are intending to use either photography facilities or CL microscope.

First Aid Courses

Announcement: We did not manage to get the numbers to run either the full course or the revalidation but we can run shorter courses provided all attendees complete the required pre-assessments. This means that for the full course you only need to do one class day, and for the revalidation, this is four hours. Please find attached instructions on how to do this.

Can you please choose suitable dates in the poll below AFTER you have completed the online assessments. There are still minimum numbers required to run the courses, so there is no guarantee we will be able to do this.  If we can’t then I will try again during semester break.

Revalidation – https://doodle.com/poll/ds5bgntuk3k3h8pi

Full course – https://doodle.com/poll/2m4mt552ximsuqtr

Complete your First Aid Course through an M-learning (mobile-learning) Approach.

Mobile Learning

For details and instructions, please use the links below:

M-Learning Information Sheet 2016

App & Online instructions

Become an Open Day 2020 Ambassador

Volunteers are needed to help the university create a memorable Open Day experience with manaakitanga, (hospitality, generosity) in order to build whanaungatanga (a sense of family and belonging).

Open Day is one of the biggest events on the university calendar – where we open our doors and showcase our campus to potential new students.

If you would like to represent the University community and help build an unforgettable Open Day experience, we want to hear from you!

• Meet new people and make connections with the wider university community
• Build memorable shared experiences with your peers
• Learn something new!
• Add to your CV

Open Day 2020 Details

Date: 29^th August 2020

Time: approx. 8am-3pm (single shift). Times may vary for different roles.

Location: UoA city campus

Lunch: Catered lunch included

*You will also need to be available for one (1) hour-long Ambassador training and briefing session 24 August 2020 at 1pm

Available Ambassador Roles:

Roles	Responsibilities
Help Desk	Provide information and directions to all visitors on campus
Lecture support	Effectively usher visitors into lecture theatres, perform accurate headcounts and provide technical support
Roamer (Welcome & Crowd control)	To welcome guests, help direct and manage the crowd. To provide general support to fill in gaps where needed.
Mascot	Take on the iconic role of our mascot Ed the Kiwi and have fun getting silly, welcoming and engaging with guests
Mascot Minder	To assist and accompany Ed the Kiwi and ensure the safety of the mascot

If you are interested in helping us to showcase the University of Auckland to potential new students, Apply Now!

Application closes 31 July 2020 5pm NZST

The outcome of the application will be notified by 5 August 2020

To show appreciation for your commitment and support, we will provide you with a Westfield voucher.

Meeting, Seminars and Events

ENV Welcome Back Function

Staff and PG Research students are cordially invited to the School of Environment welcome back function;

Time & Date: 4-6pm, Thursday 30 July

Venue: Level 6 Breakout Space.

Please RSVP here by Monday 20 July for catering purposes.

How tectonic and surface processes interact to shape the landscape

Time & Date: 7 pm, 18th August

Venue: Auckland Museum Auditorium

For more information, please click here

Just how on earth do we know what MARS is made of?

Two ‘Showings’ On Friday 31st of July

• 3.30pm University of Auckland, Rm 303-G16
• 7.30pm Epsom community Centre, 200 Gillies Ave

For more information, please click here

‘The first meeting’ of the School of Environment international Students 

Time & Date: Friday 7 August 10am (the second week of Semester II)

Venue: Ontology room (B 302 – 551, 5th floor)Guest speaker: Mr. John Dorado (Career development and employability office)

Topic: How to prepare for employment in New Zealand or other countries.  

Followed by Morning tea & Informal socialising session

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Ako – Teaching and Learning

Thank You Note

As this semester draws to a close we can reflect on the many challenges faced by all of us delivering our teaching programme successfully this semester. We are delighted that together we have got most of our student cohort successfully across the finish line despite the very challenging and constantly changing teaching environment. This simply wouldn’t have been possible without the support of the wider academic community and we would like to extend our thanks to the postgraduate community of tutors who played a very significant part in keeping our courses running and students engaged with the course material. At the exam boards, we heard numerous stories of tutors who had gone well above and beyond the call of duty, reaching out extensively to the students they were teaching, often on an individual basis, providing both academic and emotional support to our undergraduate community. There were also many examples of tutors preparing extensive on-line teaching materials for tutorials and even coaching staff in the use of online resources! In a number of cases, this dedication was identified as the reason why so many students stuck with the courses and were able to pass successfully. We are very grateful to everyone who put in extraordinary hours of their time to ensure our courses could run as smoothly as possible and our students were supported as effectively as possible.

As discipline leaders, we would also like to acknowledge the hard work of David Hayward, Mel Wall, Murray Ford and the AKO committee as they navigated us through the challenges of switching to remote delivery. This was a steep learning curve for everyone, and the regular, friendly advice and extreme amounts of patience offered were essential for keeping (most of) us on the straight and narrow. We would also like to acknowledge the effective, efficient support provided by Alex, both in maintaining our community spirit with weekly virtual morning teas and in ensuring all the paperwork was completed. Finally, we would like to thank the teaching staff, for their flexibility, adaptability and patience in this strange environment. Here’s hoping we have a less stressful semester 2.

Jenny Salmond, Kevin Simon and Martin Brook.

Meeting, Seminars and Events

Pandemic, pedagogy and education 4:  Teaching and learning remotely

Thursday 23^rd July 2-3pm

Join Zoom Meeting: https://auckland.zoom.us/j/98222705004?pwd=Sk83YW5ENkhmOFZuMGlPellHMS9NQT09

The COVID-19 lockdown has posed considerable challenges and opportunities for educators. This zoom is designed to showcase pedagogies, innovations and tools to assist and enrich remote learning within the Faculty of Science at the University of Auckland. We will begin with three short presentations (approx. 10 minutes) followed by the opportunity for audience participation. Ideally, this will spark a collective conversation that is ongoing, the second in an online series with future opportunities for staff to showcase pedagogical insights and innovations.

The presentations are as follows:

Title: Connectivity and collaboration with our teaching colleagues

Presenters: Caroline Aspden and Julie McIntosh

Lockdown focussed our attention on our students and caused many of us to reflect on the value we place on creating connections with our learners. In this new environment, there was a change in another key dynamic of teaching: connection and communication between teachers in our learning communities. Our ability as teachers to share experience and strategies through incidental conversations and opportunities was far more challenging in the zoom space. In this talk, we reflect on the strategies we implemented in lockdown and the value of what we learned from this experience moving forward.

Title: Stage 1 Psychology laboratories: What we learnt from our online experiences

Presenters: Andrea Mead and Michelle Burstall

Stage 1 Psychology students attend in-person laboratories designed to further their understanding of psychological theories whilst creating opportunities for our students to develop critical thinking, communication, teamwork and collaboration skills. Covid-19 gave us the challenge to rapidly convert in-person laboratories to online learning experiences. This presentation will share feedback from our tutors and students on what worked well for us and what we would change in the future.

Title: Remote teaching in Physics: reflections and future planning

Presenters: Tristan O’Hanlon, Anna Yang, and Miro Erkintalo

We survey the Physics Department’s response to COVID-19 lockdown, discussing pre-lockdown preparations, implementations and outcomes of remote teaching strategies, and initiatives designed to maintain a healthy community. Moreover, we will describe ongoing planning aimed at ensuring the resilience of Physics laboratory components against the possibility of future lockdowns and travel restrictions.

Please come along if you can make it and you’re interested. You are welcome to forward this flyer to anyone interested in attending. The session will be recorded for those who cannot attend. Please email Mel Wall (m.wall@auckland.ac.nz) after the session if you would like a link to the recording.

Creating an engaging online learning and teaching environment – Ako Innovation Seminar

Presenter: Dr. Ella Kahu

Zoom: https://auckland.zoom.us/j/97336580623?pwd=aXovOHFSYytpYzdpcWZGTWxHb3FwUT09

For many academics, successfully engaging students online has been a challenge in Semester 1 in our new COVID-19 reality. Ella Kahu from Massey University has kindly agreed to give a seminar on creating engaging online learning and teaching environment. For those who do not know of Ella’s work, she wrote a seminal article on student engagement in higher education and her subsequent work has only deepened our understanding. Ella currently teaches online and is the winner of multiple awards for Teaching Excellence. Do come along it you can make it. Ella intends to present for 40 minutes leaving ample opportunity for discussion. Her longer description and bio is here

Kahu, E. R. (2013). Framing student engagement in higher education. Studies in Higher Education, 38(5), 758-773. https://doi.org/10.1080/03075079.2011.598505

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Rangahau – Research

Critic says govt’s freshwater package doesn’t address the problem – pollution

Research Fellow Brendon Blue provided comments recently for an RNZ National story regarding the government’s ‘Jobs for nature’ package.

The reporter claimed she had never heard someone talk so enthusiastically about floodplains.

Meeting, Seminars and Events

MBIE Kick-off Workshop

UniServices are organising an MBIE kick-off workshop for Monday 27 July in OGH.  It will consist of 3 separate sessions over the day (you can join for the whole day or chose a session to participate in):

9:00 – 10:30       MBIE Overview with Jane Shearer (also available on zoom)

10:45 – 12:45     Pitching session – 5-minute pitch to a panel of experts in front of other participants

1:30 – 3:30         Targeted discussions at tables with BDMs, impact managers, Vision Mātauranga advisors etc.

Spaces are limited and some additional information will be required from those wishing to participate in the pitching sessions and table discussions.  More information will be provided directly to those who register.

To register, please follow this link.

Climate Science Rendezvous

Tuesday 21 July, 2-4pm, 303-G16. This one-off theme event aims to bring together researchers focused on climate and climate science from all disciplines, hosted by the new Climate Science Research Centre, and the Our World and Universe research theme. See the flyer here.

Research and Funding Opportunities

Social Science Research Council – Just Tech Covid-19 Rapid Response Grants

The Social Science Research Council (SSRC), as part of its Just Tech program, seeks proposals from across the social sciences and related fields that address the risks, opportunities, and challenges posed by public health surveillance stemming from the Covid-19 pandemic.

The Just Tech Rapid-Response Grants will thus support innovative research projects that deploy remote research methods to shed light on both the short and potential long term implications of public health interventions for a range of rights, liberties, and public goods. Subjects may include, but are not limited to:

• Contact tracing and public health surveillance.
• Voting access and rights amid “lockdowns” and widespread social distancing.
• Disparities in the collection, representation, and use of health data.
• The digital divide in remote work and learning, education, and public health.
• Precarity of labour and work in the tech industry or gig economy.
• Remote organising, campaigning, and social movements.
• The impact of predictive algorithms on the provision of social welfare and policing.

Awards will range from USD $5,000 to $10,000.  The typical research project duration is 6 months.

The first internal UoA deadline is August 24, 2020 (The funder has currently planned a rolling deadline)

For more info please see the funding guidelines and resources page

The Biosecurity Technology research project

The Biosecurity Technology mission is one of several new topics being explored by SfTI for the next stage of this National Science Challenge with our National Science Challenge partner, New Zealand’s Biological Heritage | Ngā Koiora Tuku Iho. The focus is on employing cutting-edge physical sciences and engineering to create new processes and tools that will better protect NZ from harmful biological elements such as non-indigenous flora, pathogens, insects and mammalian species.

SfTI has now released a request for Expressions of Capability (EoC).

We are seeking interest from physical sciences and engineering researchers based within New Zealand organisations who are willing to be part of a team to bring their relevant capability to the mission.  Please note, we are not accepting investigator-led research ideas and proposals.

The EoC provides a summary of the process and what to expect, and the Application form asks for a summary of where your research interest lies, your expertise and experience.

Selected researchers will be invited to attend a research development workshop.  Due to the impacts of Covid-19, we explored both physical and virtual options for the workshop. We are now pleased to confirm a physical workshop will be held in Wellington, Wednesday 9 September 2020.

The application form and EoC can also be downloaded from our website https://www.sftichallenge.govt.nz/news/biosecurity-technology-mission-calling-for-expressions-of-capability/

Send your completed application form and CV, to SfTIChallenge@callaghaninnovation.govt.nz

Applications close Monday 10 August 2020.

New publications

1. Bedford, R; Kearns, R; Kennedy, D; Le Heron, R; Longhurst, R; Mansvelt, J; Pawson, E; Peace, R; Roche, M. The New Zealand Geographer reaches 75. New Zealand Geographer. July  2020 DOI: 10.1111/nzg.12266 https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/health/300057406/cancercausing-dust-beneath-auckland-stirred-by-construction-scientists-say 
2. Garnett ST, Christidis L, Conix S, Costello MJ, Zachos FE, Bánki OS, Bao Y, Barik SK, Buckeridge JS, Hobern D, Lien A, Montgomery N, Nikolaeva S, Pyle RL, Thomson SA, van Dijk PP, Whalen A, Zhang Z-Q, Thiele KR. 2020. Principles for creating a single authoritative list of the world’s species. PLoS Biology 18(7): e3000736. https://doi. org/10.1371/journal.pbio.3000736.  A Blog post and UoA media release associated with this publication are also available.

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Copy deadline for next edition of P-cubed: Friday 31st July to Bizza: b.zainab@auckland.ac.nz

HeadSup

Kia ora koutou

This week we farewell two people who have contributed in unique ways to the School for a number of years and welcome one wee newcomer. I’m delighted to announce the birth of Henry Vincent Martin – congratulations Michael and Lynne! Riki Taylor concludes his work with Tuākana and the Tertiary Foundation Course at the end of this week, and Kate Kenedi’s Research Fellowship is at end. Kate has worked closely with the Earth Sciences team, taking the initiative with numerous outreach and teaching activities during her time with us. We will have a catered morning tea 10.30am this Wednesday, 8 July, to acknowledge Riki and Kate’s service to the school and wish them well for the future, and sign Henry’s birthday book. If you have yet to make the move back to the university, this would be a great time to come in and catch up.

It’s always inspiring to read the activities listed in p-cubed. I’d like to encourage you to send in details of new publications or other forms of knowledge mobilisation for noting in the Rangahau section. Not many people take advantage of this but it’s great to see the breadth of work being undertaken in the school so don’t be shy!

Much is underway to kick off the University’s 10 year strategic plan including set-up of various working groups (research, education, culture and people, engagement, future University campus) that will develop discussion papers for consideration. It will be important to get engaged with this work as opportunities allow and I encourage everyone to stay on top of developments in this space. For those who have yet to read the VC’s framing document, you can find it here. Our ENV 3-year strategic plan also is underway and I expect to have a draft out for comment in the next edition of p-cubed.

Thank you to those who have put their hat in the ring for the Rangahau service and leadership role. I expect to make an announcement on this position soon.

The response to the call for a Director, Comms and Marketing, has been very disappointing. I would like to emphasise the importance of this role to the future of the School and the opportunity it provides for making a difference that would contribute nicely to a leadership narrative for promotion applications. I would also like to emphasise that the role calls for a ‘Director’, someone who can identify opportunity, develop a plan, and see that the plan is implemented through leadership. The School will resource this role via casual contract support and OPEX. I would like to extend the deadline for expressions of interest to close of day Wednesday. If you are interested but would like to know more about the scope, please get in touch.

Lastly, I would like to extend a very appreciative vote of thanks to Farnaz, who has been doing a great job building p-cubed for us every fortnight. Farnaz has been promoted to a new role (Facilities Coordinator, Psychology and Chemistry) and this is her last p-cubed. Thanks Farnaz!

JR

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Whakawhanaungatanga – communities

Congratulations!

The New Zealand Geographical Society’s President’s Award for Best Doctoral Thesis has been made to Dr. Linda Madden of our School for her thesis: ‘Pet Names: A Critical Geography of Non-human Identity Construction in Auckland City’  (supervisors Robin Kearns & Ward Friesen).  Linda is currently writing papers from her thesis while teaching Geography and Social Studies at Taylors College.

Notice

This is just a gentle reminder that doctoral students need to send through all DOC 3 (Nomination for the Appointment of Examiners for a Doctoral Degree), DOC 6 (Change to Doctoral Candidate Registration), Doctoral Annual Report and Doctoral Provisional Review forms to env-pgadmin@auckland.ac.nz for HoD approval. Thank you.

ENV Welcome Back Function

Staff and PG Research students are cordially invited to School of Environment welcome back function from 4-6pm, Thursday 30 July in the Level 6 Breakout Space. Please RSVP here by Monday 20 July for catering purpose. See you there soon!

Health and Safety online reporting system is now live

Please use this portal to report any work related Health and Safety Injury, Incident (non injury) or Observation (safe/unsafe) involving staff, students, contractors and/or visitors. Any queries please contact Health Safety and Wellbeing on x84896.  If you have any questions as Blair b.sowman@auckland.ac.nz

Injury

Any injury occurring in the course of work-related activities.

To report an injury to an employee, student, contractor or visitor during the course of work activity click here.

Incidents – No Injury

Any unplanned event or occurrence having a potential for injury or ill-health.

To report an unplanned event that under slightly different circumstances could have caused harm, injury or damage click here.

Observation

An observed safe (positive) or unsafe (hazardous) act or condition.

To report an observation, click here.

Students should report incidents, injuries and observations to the Student Contact Centre or via their academic supervisor.  To assist with identification of the person involved, please also include their Staff/Student ID number and a contact phone number (if known) in the “What Happened” section.

ENV MPI Transitional/Quarantine Facility – Annual Refresher

If you are a new user or you wish to continue using the Schools MPI Transitional Facility for uncleared risks goods, then please make sure you complete the required inductions in Canvas.

• New users will need to complete the induction and pass the TF Quiz.
• Those who have already passed the test will need to complete the annual refresher; which is due annually.

Remember that if you wish to import materials the first thing you need to do is talk to Blair.  There is an application form you need to complete which includes information such as the size, weight, reasons and length of time you wish to keep the items.

ALL imported shipments of rock, soil, sediment, peat, coral, wood, ash or water must be inspected by MPI and be accompanied by a Biosecurity Authorisation/Clearance Certificate (BACC).  Natural materials which fall outside of the allowed materials of the ENV permit cannot be stored in the Transitional Facility and must be transferred to an appropriate holding facility or risk being destroyed.  If we receive any unexpected deliveries without the correct paperwork these will be sent back to MPI for destruction.

Maps and Geospatial Collections Review

Libraries and Learning Services | Te Tumu Herenga is currently reviewing its map and geospatial collections, both print and digital, to ensure that we deliver a high-quality service aligned with learning, teaching and research needs at the University of Auckland. The map and geospatial collections include print maps and charts, atlases, aerial photographs, indices, gazetteers, catalogues; and digital maps and charts, aerial and satellite imagery and geospatial datasets. This is part of the overall collections work LLS is continually doing.

Satellite image of Mt Taranaki

To help with the review, LLS is consulting University of Auckland stakeholders about their use of these collections and the extent to which the collections are meeting their needs, now and into the future. The findings from the online survey, distributed this week and available until Friday, 24 July, will be used to determine the future state of the collections.

There is a lot at stake with this review, so please consider making yourself available and provide feedback.

I am available to answer any questions you might have relating to this news item, the survey and the map and geospatial collections review.

Thank you

Igor Drecki
Research Services Adviser, Geospatial Portfolio
Libraries and Learning Services | Te Tumu Herenga
E: i.drecki@auckland.ac.nz
P: 09 923 6506 or ext 86506

Lessons learned from lockdown.

A big thank you to those of you who responded to the online survey, hastily set up by Joe (for the Sustainability Network), on lockdown lessons. Here is a brief overview. While closer scrutiny would be required to improve the accuracy of the percentages, the general sentiment is clear.

Vacant office

With the departure of Ward and Lyndsay there are currently two vacant offices in 302.  If you are currently located in 301 and would like to relocate please let JR know.

Meeting, seminars and events

Title: How tectonic and surface processes interact to shape the landscape

6.30pm for 6.45pm  18th August-Auckland Museum Auditorium

For further information please click here.

Title: The Southern Alps of New Zealand- an integrated picture of an evolving plate boundary

1pm  17th August- The University of Auckland- Room 303-B05

For further information please click here.

Title: Just how on earth do we know what mars is made of?

Friday 31st July. Two ‘showings’

3.30pm The University of Auckland- Room 303-G16 OR

7.30pm Epsom Community Centre, 200 Gillies Ave

For further information please click here.

Geoscience Society of New Zealand’s photography competition

We are extending the submission deadline of this year’s Geoscience Society of New Zealand’s photography competition to Monday July 13. Don’t miss the chance to be immortalized on canvas and have bragging rights with all your geo-friends!

What: First annual GSNZ photo competition commemorating Milutin Milankovic’s astronomical theory

When: Submit photos by Monday July 13, 2020

Where: Send photos, along with a brief caption and photo details to geosocietynz@gmail.com

Who: Open to GSNZ members

Why: To have your image featured in the GSNZ Newsletter and on the website, and win a canvas print collage of the top photos from each of the three categories:

1. Geological Cyclicity
2. Macro- and micro-scale geoscience
3. New Zealand geoscience.

We look forward to receiving your entries.

Terms and Conditions attached

Earth Sciences Bickie Briefings

When & Where?

Every week from 10.30-11.00 am starting Thursday 16 July onwards, Level 6 common space unless otherwise advised.

Who?

Everyone – all post-graduate students and staff are welcome, please come.

Why?

Find out what’s happening and what’s coming up in the next week, eat bickies, hear about our success, and help build our Earth Sciences Community.

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Ako – Teaching and Learning

The University of Auckland Teaching Excellence Awards 2020

Dear all

Applications are being called for The University of Auckland Teaching Excellence Awards. There are five Teaching Excellence Awards available, in the following categories:

1. Sustained Excellence in Teaching (two awards)
2. Early Career Excellence in Teaching (two awards)
3. Leadership in Teaching and Learning (one award)
4. In the 2020 round, applications are invited for ‘informal’ leadership in teaching and learning*

In a particular year, if an award is not made in one or more of the categories, an award may be re-assigned to another category if the next best ranked application in that category is of sufficient merit. The Awards are contestable across the University and carry with them a medal and a monetary prize of $6,000.

Selected recipients of University of Auckland Teaching Excellence Awards will usually be considered for nomination by the University for the national awards. The University, however, reserves the right to approach other staff to nominate for the national awards.

The Information to applicants and application forms are available on the University’s Learning and Teaching website at:

http://www.auckland.ac.nz/uoa/excellence-innovation/

For guidance and advice on preparing a teaching portfolio, potential applicants can:

–       view the portfolios of the University’s national Tertiary Teaching Excellence Award winners as an example of best practice

–       contact a previous Teaching Excellence Award winner from their faculty

The closing date for applications is Friday 4 September 2020 with the Teaching Excellence Awards Secretary, Susan McDowell-Watts, s.mcdowell-watts@auckland.ac.nz

For any enquiries – contact Claire Walters, Academic Reviews Manager, Office of the Vice-Chancellor, c.walters@auckland.ac.nz

Meeting, seminars and events

Title:Using peer-to-peer interaction to enhance student learning: Ako Innovation Committee Workshop

Presenters: Sonia Fonua & Marie McEntee
Date and time: Friday 10th July, 10am
Zoom: https://auckland.zoom.us/j/92737798996

For further information please click here.

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Rangahau – Research

People

Franca Scherman (Peverelle) has joined the team as a Research Programme Coordinator supporting researchers in the School of Environment manage their project grant funding.  She was previously supporting researchers in the School of Biological Sciences and is looking forward to working with you all.  Please continue to email Kathryn (Kathryn.howard@auckland.ac.nz) or Kelly (Kelly.kilpin@auckland.ac.nz) or Franca (Franca.peverelle@auckland.ac.nz) for any research project assistance.

Three Minute Thesis competition

The Three Minute Thesis competition is going ahead this year, with the Science heat at 3pm on July 14th. Please encourage confirmed doctoral and research Masters students to enter the competition. Registration for the heat closes on July 7th and the link for registration is

https://www.forms.auckland.ac.nz/en/student/science/three-minute-thesis-2020.html

The Science heat is in-person only. If you have students that would prefer to do an online presentation, they could join the open heat on July 23rd. See details at

https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/students/academic-information/postgraduate-students/3-minute-thesis-competition/3mt.html

The University final will be on August 6th and is an in-person event. More information about how the completion works is at

https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/students/academic-information/postgraduate-students/3-minute-thesis-competition/rules-terms-and-conditions.html

Application for retreats

The Rangahau Committee is keen to receive applications for “retreats”. While in the past “retreats” were usually organized by the Disciplinary groups, we would like to encourage retreats by teams keen to develop research ideas into proposals. We could also cover for participation (not travel) of researchers outside the School that play a key role in the research.

Please contact Giovanni g.coco@auckland.ac.nz for more details.

Meeting, seminars and events

Title: Characterisation of deep-marine ichnostructures and their relevance as environmental proxies

Date: Thursday, July 9th at 1PM

Zoom Meeting ID: https://auckland.zoom.us/j/95902706616  

Climate Science Rendezvous

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeGl_yDDk-z3JUH_Kw-6bQBBmoZkvD9s0c61YqGwRkof6yeww/viewform 

Impact through Culture Change’ Webinar series

The University of Auckland’s Office of Research Strategy and Integrity would like to invite you to the first event of our new research impact webinar series: ‘Impact through Culture Change’.

A Treaty-based approach to creating impact: aligning the expectations of individual researchers and their organisations to achieve collective impact

To our first event of the series we have invited Dr Andrea Byrom, Co-Director, Biological Heritage National Science Challenge and Melanie Mark-Shadbolt, Director Māori, Biological Heritage National Science Challenge to share their experiences and the challenges they have faced whilst leading impact within their organisations.

Date: Monday 6 July

Time: 12:30pm – 1.30pm

Register here

Digital research skills workshops for all UoA researchers, July – Sept, 2020, from thc Centre for eResearch

Managing Research Data workshop, online or in-person
An introduction to research data management, best practices and services available at the University. We take a research data lifecycle approach – data management planning for funding and ethics applications, organization, storage, sharing, and archiving and publishing.
Research group sessions available on request.
For more information and booking – https://research-hub.auckland.ac.nz/#/content/44

Tools tips & tricks, part of the Hacky Hour programme
A series on digital research tools, fortnightly 1 hour online sessions are a mix of presentation and discussion for and by researchers or the team at the Centre for eResearch.

All welcome, no booking required.

9^th July | Social media data scraping and wrangling – tips & tricks

23 July  | Generating publication-ready figures – tips & tricks

Future topics include NVIVO, Machine learning, Qualtrics (survey tool), etc.
For more information and Zoom link – https://uoa-eresearch.github.io/HackyHour/tips-tricks-sessions/

Introduction to Nectar Virtual Machines workshop
Is your desktop/laptop struggling to perform research analysis?
Join us for this online step-by-step 1 hour introduction to getting a Nectar virtual machine allocation and setting-up a Windows virtual machine.

For more information and booking – http://tiny.cc/nectar-intro-workshop

Research and Funding Opportunities

CBB Māori Student Summer Scholarships

Kia ora koutou,

We are pleased to let you know that the Centre for Biodiversity and Biosecurity (CBB) will offer 4 CBB Māori Student Summer Scholarships (2 funded by the CBB and 2 by Manaaki Whenua LCR) for this summer (2020/2021).  The purpose of the scholarships is to:

1) Encourage Māori students to study ecology through exposure/participation in research in this field of study and

2) Improve support and engagement of CBB staff with Māori students.

We are targeting Stage 1 students as we think engaging early will encourage them to pursue studies in ecology. As with other UOA summer scholarships, the CBB scholarships will be for 10 weeks and students will receive a stipend of $6000 each.

Based on feedback from last year’s scholarship students, we would like to package the scholarships differently from  the standard UoA studentships. Instead of a student working on one project with one supervisor, students will have the opportunity to work on a combination of projects with different supervisors to enhance their exposure to different areas of research in ecology and to help them build their networks.

We are now writing to seek your support with the supervision of the students. Any CBB staff members are eligible to supervise (if you’d like to join the CBB then please use the attached form). If you are interested, please email us a brief description of potential project(s) including experience & skills to be gained, the number of students you could supervise and the preferred length of time and dates you would like the students involvement (e.g. 7 days lab work for 2 students between 20 Jan and 5 Feb). We will combine projects to give students a range of experience, but will come back to you to negotiate details, depending on other requests. We will be uploading the types of research students can expect to be involved with on the CBB website. Please note that as the scholarship awardees are Stage 1 students, they will likely require more support than Stage 3 counterparts (the usual beneficiaries of UOA Summer Research Scholarship Programme).

We look forward to hearing back from you. Please email your responses to Souad Boudjelas s.boudjelas@auckland.ac.nz by Friday 10 July.

Unlocking the potential of Tamaki Makaurau’s women and girls: Women’s Fund grants for 2020

The Women’s Fund seeks to positively impact the lives of women in Auckland, and unlock potential across generations.

Grants of up to $5,000 are available to support organisations and initiatives that amplify the voices of women, such as promoting leadership; invest in women, through education and training, or building resilience; and accelerate growth and development opportunities, including mentoring.

This year, we also have an additional $20,000 to grant to programmes that specifically lift and empower girls and young women.

Details The full criteria and how to apply can be found on the funders website.

FRDF Strategic round for Early Career Researchers

Hi All

The Faculty of Science is calling for research proposals from Early Career Researchers as part of a strategic use of FRDF funds.  The Research Committee felt that a special opportunity for Early Career Researchers at this time would be a strategic use of a portion of FRDF funds at this time.

Central has asked Faculties to hold off their main funding rounds although we envisage we will be about to put out a call for a main round later in July.

Guidelines and FRDF Application form for this strategic round are attached and note that applications are due by Wednesday 29^th July 2020.

Please do not hesitate to contact Wendy if you have any questions.

COVID-19 and future infectious disease threats: new funding round focused on equity, resilience and recovery coming soon

Some information about an upcoming funding call from HRC at the following link:
https://mailchi.mp/hrc/new-covid-19-round-coming-soon-equity-resilience-and-recovery?e=554a8b4562

New publications

1. Jefferson T, Costello 2020. Hotspots of marine biodiversity. In: Encyclopedia of the World’s Biomes Volume 4, Reference Module in Earth Systems and Environmental Sciences, Elsevier, 586-596. ISBN 9780124095489. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-409548-9.11952-9

2. Morris TC, Costello 2020. The biology, ecology and societal importance of marine parasites. In: Encyclopedia of the World’s Biomes Volume 4, Reference Module in Earth Systems and Environmental Sciences, Elsevier, 556-566. ISBN 9780124095489. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-409548-9.11802-0
3. Costello MJ, Zhao Q, Jayathilake, DRM. 2020. Defining marine spatial units: realms, biomes, ecosystems, seascapes, habitats, biotopes, communities and guilds. In: Encyclopedia of the World’s Biomes Volume 4, Reference Module in Earth Systems and Environmental Sciences, Elsevier, 547-555. ISBN 9780124095489. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-409548-9.12515-1
4. Asaad I, Lundquist CJ, Erdmann MV, Costello 2020. The Coral Triangle: the most species rich marine region on earth. In: Encyclopedia of the World’s Biomes Volume 4, Reference Module in Earth Systems and Environmental Sciences, Elsevier, 539-546. ISBN 9780124095489. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-409548-9.11801-9
5. Arfianti T, Costello J. 2020. The biological, ecological, and ecosystem roles of marine Amphipoda. In: Encyclopedia of the World’s Biomes Volume 4, Reference Module in Earth Systems and Environmental Sciences, Elsevier, 518-526. ISBN 9780124095489. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-409548-9.11800-7
6. Zhao Q, Costello 2020. Marine ecosystems of the world. In: Encyclopedia of the World’s Biomes Volume 4, Reference Module in Earth Systems and Environmental Sciences, Elsevier, 514-517. ISBN 9780124095489. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-409548-9.11688-4
7. Jayathilake DR, Costello 2020. The kelp biome. In: Encyclopedia of the World’s Biomes Volume 4, Reference Module in Earth Systems and Environmental Sciences, Elsevier, 509-513. ISBN 9780124095489. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-409548-9.11768-3
8. Jayathilake DR, Costello 2020. Seagrass biome. In: Encyclopedia of the World’s Biomes Volume 4, Reference Module in Earth Systems and Environmental Sciences, Elsevier, 504-508. ISBN 9780124095489. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-409548-9.11748-8.
9. Pagés-Escolà M, CostelloJ. 2020. The biology, ecology and societal importance of marine Bryozoa. In: Encyclopedia of the World’s Biomes Volume 4, Reference Module in Earth Systems and Environmental Sciences, Elsevier, 499-503. ISBN 9780124095489. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-409548-9.12138-4
10. Saeedi, H, Costello 2020. The biology, ecology, and societal importance of razor clams. In: Encyclopedia of the World’s Biomes Volume 4, Reference Module in Earth Systems and Environmental Sciences, Elsevier, 494-498. ISBN 9780124095489, https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-409548-9.11681-1.

11. Basher Z, Costello MJ, 2020. World Maps of Ocean Environment Variables. In: Encyclopedia of the World’s Biomes Volume 4, Reference Module in Earth Systems and Environmental Sciences, Elsevier, 479-493. ISBN 9780124095489. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-409548-9.12076-7