Issue 129 – Tuesday 20 August 2024
HeadsUp
Like the weather of late, it’s a turbulent time. A waiting until things are clearer, perhaps. We await the release of the University Advisory Group on the future of NZ universities. We await a new Dean’s tenure and understanding of her priorities for the Faculty. Meantime we are into the third week of the Course and Programme Optimisation Process.
Over the last fortnight, we have made considerable progress towards meeting the goals presented to us, notwithstanding my preference for more time for discussion and consideration. In one of James K Baxter’s poems written in Jerusalem on the Whanganui River he wrote “the creek needs to run muddy/ before it runs clear”, a fluvial metaphor that has always brought me some consolation in times like these. My gratitude to everyone for your forbearance as meetings have been called at short notice and some – at least interim – decisions have been made in the absence of the usual level of engagement in our School. ‘Needs must’, as the saying goes.
The not-quite-here spring soon brings two events to our School, Faculty and University’s calendar: Mānawa Mai Open Day this Saturday 24th August and Graduation on 20th September. I look forward to seeing a good number of you at each event. As the refreshed academic standards direct us, these times are less about occupying service roles and more about expressing academic citizenship. To be a citizen is to belong and to belong is to participate.
On other matters…
- Congratulations to Marie McEntee who is a co-recipient of a 2024 University of Auckland Research Impact Award for the Mobilising for Action theme of the Biological Heritage National Science Challenge.
- A more general well-done on the first aid training stakes. We have had a three-fold increase of credentialed people this year. We are still a little short of all those who do field work or lead field trips but getting there fast. Thanks to those who have gone out of their way to take course this year.
- Finally, a thought about comms. Do we too easily think of outreach activity as only school visits and staffing Open Day desks? What about writing a few paragraphs on about a recent research finding and sending it to Newsroom or The Conversation? The PEP (Politics Economy and Place) group in ENV has been on a roll of late with, on last count, five such publications in recent months. I’m most familiar with the genesis and trajectory of the most recent example, being a coauthor: https://newsroom.co.nz/2024/08/17/tourists-push-locals-out-of-waiheke-island/ The editor was in touch yesterday saying within 36 hours there had been > 20,000 views. In the academic literature we can get excited by a few dozen citations that might take a year to become evident. Perhaps it’s time to more vigorously complement our scholarly writing efforts with outreach that conveys our findings to the public at large. There’s always the chance that will help us to be more clearly seen as a centre for of excellence in understanding our environments.
Robin Kearns
ENV-stories
My life as a series of contradictions. How many can you spot?
I was born out of the fashionably resistant Paris of the 1970s. This might explain a penchant for pastis in the moment and a bourgeois affliction to live for the future.
I was weaned on the sun, sand, sea and surf of San Diego. I absorbed the peace of the zen revolution and a growing sense of fear, captured at the time in Spielberg’s Jaws.
I was schooled in London as a Libertarian Marxist. I sang adapted slave songs with my family on Greenham Common. I spent hours alone coding computer viruses in my Nikes.
I approached teenage nihilism with seriousness. I found a new community in anarchism and protested capitalism. I marketed AmEx to pay the rent.
The adventurer in me chose to study Geology with the promise to explore the Sahara. I was mentored by the Wolf of Northampton in hydrology.
When I graduated I was offered jobs in oil, gas and mining. Not my gig. Water was my uncooperative commodity and I surfaced in 2002 with a PhD in environmental engineering, which combined coding, chemistry and capitalism.
I worked as a consultant in Cambridge but have never thought much of commodity labour. My idea of fun is much more experiential.
As a post-doc I won a 6-year transdisciplinary grant that grounded me in NZ. I hired an anthropologist, economist, planner, engineer, architect, kairangahau maori, ecologist, GIScientist, political theorist and soil scientist. We learnt each other’s languages while researching sustainable cities.
I joined the School of Environment in 2009 which coincided with the birth of my first child. I spent nearly a decade focussed on family reading Marxist-feminist literature.
In 2016 I found a contribution in wastewater analysis that combined coding, chemistry, and cities. In 2020 that work went nuts. In 2024 the circus left town.
So here I stand as I sit and write ‘my life as a series of contradictions’. Finding freedom in academic service. Bliss in ignorance.
Sam Trowsdale
Announcements
International recruitment of PhD students
The Faculty is encouraging a more coordinated approach to international recruitment of PhD students, particularly through externally-funded doctoral scholarships offered by countries like China, Indonesia, and various Latin American nations. These scholarships provide at least 130 opportunities each year for students to study at the University of Auckland (UoA). However, the Faculty of Science is often underrepresented in these scholarship schemes.
To increase the success rate in securing scholarships, the Faculty is advising research groups to collaborate and propose broad research themes. These themes will be made available to potential students, making it easier for international recruitment teams to promote them effectively. If you are part of a research group and have ideas for a research theme, you are encouraged to share them with Sila and Larry. They can assist in creating a summary that will support UoA’s international recruitment efforts.
We will be mentioning it during the all-staff meeting and then asking individual groups for contributions.
Celebrating Our GREEN Status with My Green Lab Certification!
We’re excited to share that all laboratories and workshops in the School of Environment have achieved GREEN status under the My Green Lab Certification. This is a fantastic milestone that highlights our strong commitment to sustainable practices.
Our Commitment to Sustainability
Aligned with Taumata Teitei, Priority 5, and the University of Auckland’s goal of achieving Net-Zero carbon status, the Faculty of Science is driving sustainability forward through the My Green Lab initiative. Our aim isn’t just to raise awareness but to create a platform where sustainability projects are discussed, shared, and implemented across the School. This will enable collaboration among researchers, teaching staff, and operational units.
For researchers, My Green Lab certification is more than a badge of honour; it’s a valuable asset. Being able to say your work is conducted in a My Green Lab-certified environment can strengthen grant applications by showing adherence to the highest standards in sustainable lab practices.
Making Sustainability a Daily Practice
Sustainability in our labs isn’t about extra work; it’s about weaving sustainable practices into everything we do, from lab inductions to purchasing decisions. Laboratories are resource-intensive, using ten times more energy and water than office spaces, and they generate significant plastic waste. Sustainability is a shared responsibility across the School, not just for the technical team. Together, we can innovate and create learning spaces where future professionals prioritize and practice sustainability.
Get Involved!
We encourage everyone to participate in our sustainability initiatives, such as the Faculty of Science Student Sustainability Research Awards. The “sustainability” umbrella covers diverse topics from green computing to environmental services. If you know a student working on a related project, please encourage them to apply.
Explore our sustainability efforts further through these resources:
– Sustainable Campus and Operations
Let’s keep leading the way in sustainability at the School of Environment!
Outreach
Recent outreach
Thanks Kevin, Melissa and Nadia for running a stall at Incredible Science last month (primary schools across Auckland)! Soilsafe Aotearoa ran a stall at the recent Auckland Zoo Science Careers Expo (13 secondary schools). Thank you to our researchers who continue to write for/ speak to media/ our communities – see below a call out for your stories to highlight your research!
Outreach opportunities for staff and students:
Highlighting your research
Have you recently published an article in an academic journal or done an interview/ written something for mainstream media? Could we give it a little mention on our School of Environment socials? See some recent examples here from Salene and Melissa. It’s not arduous (just ask them) 🙂 Please send your news to Emma el.sharp@auckland.ac.nz so we can share it more widely! We’ll edit them a bit more, but if you could also send a useful image (of yourself/ the thing being studied) and complete the following prompts that would be helpful:
[Researcher name/s] from the School of Environment investigated [the problem] and found [this finding]. This helps us know [what?] and is relevant to [recent event/ issue/context]. Read more here: [link]
Open Day help
If you are able to help on Open Day (Mānawa Mai) on the 24th August please email both Nick Richards (n.richards@auckland.ac.nz) and Joe Fagan (j.fagan@auckland.ac.nz) to offer your services!
Graduates out in the world
If you have completed students who you are in contact with who have moved onto new pursuits and they’d like to do a ’10 minutes with [name]’ written interview that we might post on social media to show what our graduates get up to, then put them in touch with Emma el.sharp@auckland.ac.nz
Seminars at Auckland Rotary Clubs
The Rotary Clubs of Auckland have expressed a strong interest in organizing seminars in collaboration with our department. They are eager to engage with our academic staff and would welcome your expertise. We will be compiling a list of topics to pass on to the presidents of the clubs. This is a great opportunity to share your research, connect with the community, and contribute to public discourse on important issues. Please email Giovanni (g.coco@auckland.ac.nz) if you would like to be involved.
Earthfest
GSNZ is planning Earthfest – a national Earth and Space Science Hui in Dunedin on November 23 and 24 (weekend prior to the GSNZ conference). It’s for high school teachers and university geoscientists to get together, develop relationships, and workshop getting more students into geoscience. Mila Adams and Giovanni Coco will be attending and it would be great to have others there too. Sponsorship from Industry and NZGeolS.
Whakawhanaungatanga – Communities
A PhD research project to build a low-cost, open-source water clarity sensor for iwi, community groups and citizen science has been accepted as a finalist for the Designers Institute of NZ Best Awards in the student social good category
https://bestawards.co.nz/social-good-award/student-social-good/ed-clayton/water-clarity-sensor/
It is often said that knowledge is power. Yet environmental monitoring (and by association, the knowledge of river ecosystems, contaminants and health) is often prohibitive to access for most people. Equipment is expensive and proprietary, data storage is complex and requires training, and calibrations often require laboratory access. Improving access to technology is key to providing good environmental data.
Commercial sensors are black-boxes. How a measurement is performed is not examinable, and while sensors can be calibrated, no investigation of the underlying calculations from measurement to reported value is possible. The design of this PhD sensor is rooted in altruism. How can a white-box sensor function? A common criticism of low-cost sensors is that cheap components mean poor measurement accuracy. Yet measurement accuracy does not correspond to measurement certainty. Is it worth 5 significant figures of measurement precision if we don’t know how the measurement is arrived at? An altruistic approach changes this. If a sensor is completely “open”, with shared code, materials, build instructions and design files, we fundamentally understand the entire process from construction through to measurement and then to reported environmental observations.
The design has been tested against measured sediment masses and laboratory grade beam attenuation reference sensors, demonstrating good correlation.
School of Environment Research Awards 2024
The Rangahau Committee are calling for nominations for the annual School of Environment Research Awards in November (date TBC)!
Research Awards nominations are open now and close at the end of the day on 30 September 2024. Please take a quick moment to think about nominating any of your fantastic students or colleagues for one (or more) of the below awards.
Nominations must be made using this form: https://forms.gle/cmJPYbTjrE74Ck5GA (you must sign in using your UoA email)
The five school-wide awards are:
- Hiroki Ogawa School Citizenship Award (Awarded to a postgraduate research student who has shown aptitude for independent research and who, through their continuous engagement in the School activities, has greatly inspired or helped their fellow students and staff within the school (in other words, has been an excellent school citizen)
- Research Communication Award (Awarded to a staff member (Research Fellows included), student or research team who has been particularly active and successful in communicating and engaging with the public)
- Early Carer Research Award (Awarded to a staff member (Research Fellows included) within 7 years of PhD graduation).
- Engagement with Indigenous Values and Knowledge Award (Awarded to a staff member (Research Fellows included), student, or research team who has actively and successfully engaged with indigenous values and knowledge in their research.)
- Transdisciplinary Award (Awarded to a staff member (Research Fellows included), student or research team whose research has crossed boundaries, collaborating with researchers from different disciplines, and working jointly to move beyond discipline-specific approaches and address a common problem.)
We will be very pleased to receive your nominations and will be waiting for you to celebrate our Researchers!
Waikato Regional Council summer studentships
This summer the Waikato Regional Council welcome aspiring environmental scientists to join our environmental monitoring and research kaupapa to collect information to better understand our environment at a regional scale. Get your hands dirty in the field collecting samples and data while exploring the Waikato Region (and getting paid!). Learn how to sample freshwater and marine invertebrates, wrangle our unique fish species, measure the health of our precious awa, comb the coastlines of our bathing beaches, and determine land biodiversity from our expert scientists.
We have opportunities in:
- Freshwater ecology
- Freshwater fish monitoring
- Freshwater fish passage
- Coastal ecology
- Water quality
- Terrestrial biodiversity
- Catchment riparian monitoring
If you like adventure and working outdoors, thrive in a team environment, are passionate about our taiao, and keen to kickstart a career in environmental science- Nau mai, haere mai!
Applications close 25 August. Apply now at https://waikatoregion.govt.nz/council/careers/summer-students/em-summer-students/
ENVIRONMENT – CHEMISTRY – COMPUTER SCIENCE Research Networking Event
Tuesday 10 September, 2.00 – 5.00 pm, Level 6 Breakout space
This is an opportunity for academics from the Schools of Environment, Chemistry, and Computer Science to network around their research interests and/or plans.
The event will be informal, after a short introduction, exchange of ideas will take place in small groups in a “Speed dating” format. This will be followed by an informal mixing session (catering provided).
For catering purposes, please RSVP to Kelly Kilpin. Any questions, please reach out to either me or Sila.
Organised by Rangahau, and our sister committees in Chemical Sciences and Computer Sciences
David Barrell from GNS Dunedin is the 2024 Geoscience Society of New Zealand Hochstetter Lecturer.
He will be giving his main lecture “THE SEA VERSUS THE LAND – WILL THERE BE A WINNER? “ at 6.30 pm on Tuesday 17th September at the Auditorium at the Auckland War Memorial Museum. Flyer attached. Please reserve your spot at https://myaccount.aucklandmuseum.com/176312?premove=Y&promo=GEOSCIENCE24. If you are able to donate anything to help contribute to the costs incurred by the museum to host this it would be appreciated but do not feel obliged. Free parking is available in the domain.
Abstract: Aotearoa New Zealand is the largest emergent part of the mainly submerged Zealandia continent. Plate-boundary tectonic deformation is responsible for Aotearoa’s ongoing emergence, and its margins are constantly under attack by waves in the vast surrounding ocean. Aotearoa’s landscape reflects an interplay between the rock foundations, the climate which gives precipitation to drive erosion and the river transport of sediment, and wave energy in the coastal zone which distributes the sediment once it reaches the sea. Perspectives of ‘whole system’ processes and mass/energy budgets, coupled with eustatic ebb and flow of the sea across the continental shelf through glacial/interglacial climate cycles, provide an integrated approach for explaining the form of Aotearoa’s landscape and behaviour of its river systems. This talk will explore the battle between sea and land, from the deep geological past through to modern times, and interpret the richly varied form of our coastline, from the long sweeping cliffs of some places, and indented bays and estuaries of others. Whole-system perspectives will be used to discuss likely coastal changes in coming decades to centuries under changing climate.
There will also be a more technical supporting/complementary lecture given on the 17th September at 1 pm on campus at the Owen G Glenn Building, University of Auckland (12 Grafton Road) in Rm 260-005 (Case room 1 in the basement).
THE ZEALANDIA SWITCH – HYPOTHESISING THE SOUTHERN HEMISPHERE IN THE DRIVING SEAT OF GLOBAL CLIMATE
Abstract: Rhythmic alignment of Quaternary-age glacial cycles and Earth’s orbital variation pattern points to orbital control of climate, but the linking operational mechanisms are less clear cut. Vast bodies of terrestrial and marine proxy paleoclimate data demonstrate global synchrony of glacial cycle climate shifts, despite opposing orbital forcing parameters in the Northern and Southern hemispheres. The Milankovitch model invokes orbitally-controlled extents of Northern Hemisphere continental ice sheets via summer solar radiation intensity, and synchronous globalization of the climatic signature through oceanic/atmospheric processes. An alternative view emphasizes orbital controls affecting the highly energetic atmospheric and oceanic circulation systems of the Southern Hemisphere. The Zealandia Switch hypothesis posits that the Zealandia continental massif was a key factor in the interplay of exchange between tropical and polar water masses, linked to latitudinal positions of the austral westerly winds (Denton et al. 2021).
An often-overlooked observation is that ice-age millennial-scale climate patterns had global uniformity ~50% of the time, interspersed with climatic episodes apparently anti-phased between the hemispheres and described as a bipolar seesaw. Denton et al. (2022) hypothesize that the apparently anti-phased episodes occurred under globally synchronous climatic conditions, with each episode initiated by an interhemispheric shift to warmer-than-usual summers. Dubbed ‘Heinrich’ summers, enhanced seasonal melt of northern continental ice sheets formed meltwater floods into the North Atlantic Ocean, resulting in unusually extensive winter sea ice that created an extreme seasonality in adjacent regions, with mild summers but ultra-cold winters. A southern driver is suggested for orbital-scale as well as millennial-scale ice-age climate shifts.
Denton GH, Putnam AE, Russell JL, Barrell DJA, Schaefer JM, Kaplan MR, Strand PD. 2021. The Zealandia Switch: Ice age climate shifts viewed from Southern Hemisphere moraines. Quaternary Science Reviews 257, 106771. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.quascirev.2020.106771
Denton GH, Toucanne S, Putnam AE, Barrell DJA, Russell JL. 2022. Heinrich summers. Quaternary Science Reviews 295, 107750. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.quascirev.2022.107750
Tūpuna Maunga Authority announces annual research scholarship opportunity
The Tūpuna Maunga Authority is excited to announce the opening of applications for its annual Tūpuna Maunga research scholarship from 1 August 2024. This scholarship, established as part of the education strategy, offers up to $10,000 to support students conducting research on the Tūpuna Maunga.
The education strategy was developed from the Authority’s founding document, the Integrated Management Plan (IMP). “The key driver for this scholarship is to encourage students from all areas of study and empower them to increase their learning about Tūpuna Maunga o Tāmaki Makaurau,” says Paul Majurey, Authority Chair.
The scholarship is open to research that aligns with the Tūpuna Maunga values, focusing on enhancing and protecting the mauri (life force) and wairua (spiritual essence) of the Tūpuna Maunga (ancestral mountains). Detailed information about the scholarship, including an overview of the Tūpuna Maunga Values, is available on the Authority website www.maunga.nz/research/.
Majurey emphasizes the broader impact of the scholarship, stating, “We believe that this scholarship will not only benefit the students but also the wider community. Innovative research projects have the potential to bring new ideas and solutions that can significantly enhance the sustainability and preservation of the Tūpuna Maunga.”
Applicants have until 10pm, 25 September 2024 to apply via SmartyGrants, with funding to successful candidates as early as December 2024 (based on processing requirements). As part of the selection process, the $10,000 may be split across different applicants.
Postgraduate Research Showcase 2024
We are thrilled to announce that the Science Research Showcase is back for 2024.
Registration opened on Monday 8 July and will close on Friday 23 August at 4 pm. More information, including the registration form, judging criteria and valuable resources, please visit the Science Research Showcase webpage.
Please feel free to contact Yue Zhang (yue.zhang@auckland.ac.nz) if you’d like to know more about the Science Research Showcase. We look forward to celebrating postgraduate research with students from the School of Environment!
AINSE Postgraduate Orientation Week – Expressions of Interest now received from future scholarship applicants (applications close 30 September 2024) (flyer available online)
Coinciding with the international celebrations of Nuclear Science Week in the third week of October, the annual AINSE Postgraduate Orientation Week welcomes new postgraduate scholars in the AINSE PGRA, RSS, and Pathway scholarships, and provides all postgraduate students with the opportunity to establish enduring networks with like-minded colleagues across Australia and New Zealand. This year’s O’Week event will run from Monday 21st – Friday 25th October 2024 as an online event via Zoom, commencing with a full-day program on Monday 21st, followed by afternoon and early evening sessions from Tuesday 22nd – Friday 25th.
Alongside our new scholarship recipients, AINSE are now accepting Expressions of Interest directly from interested students from AINSE-member institutions who are looking to apply for an AINSE postgraduate award in 2025.
These interested students can learn about the broad range of research supported by ANSTO’s landmark facilities, engage in a virtual tour of ANSTO, and participate in social activities as part of the worldwide Nuclear Science Week celebrations. The program will be differentiated, with these interested students able to attend a specialised workshop focused on the application process for 2025 AINSE scholarships.
Expressions of Interest close 11.59 pm AEST Monday 30th September 2024.
For more information, and a link to the online application portal, please see our Postgraduate O’Week website.
8th AINSE Women in STEM and Entrepreneurship (WISE) School – Expressions of Interest now received
(applications close 30 September 2024). (flyer available online)
AINSE is now accepting Expressions of Interest directly from students for the 8th AINSE Women in STEM and Entrepreneurship (WISE) School, to be held Monday 2nd to Friday 6th December 2024.
Expressions of Interest close Monday 30th September 2024.
This school is targeted at female students who are about to complete their first year of full-time undergraduate study (or part-time equivalent).
A key component of the WISE School is an ongoing mentorship program in which students are allocated mentors from across site at ANSTO. AINSE will be coordinating mentor and student meetings in 2025 to provide additional networking and educational opportunities for the students.
The 2024 WISE School will run as a 5 day hybrid event, with the possibility of a small number of students being invited to ANSTO’s Lucas Heights campus for the final 2 days of the program (Thursday 5th – Friday 6th December) if circumstances permit.
For more information, and a link to the online application portal, please see our WISE website.
AINSE Scholar Gold Medals (nominations received until 31 August 2024).
The AINSE Scholar Gold Medal is awarded for impact and excellence in research on the basis of publications that acknowledge AINSE support. At the presentation of the medals, the newly-awarded Gold Medallists are invited to deliver an address on their research.
To nominate an early career researcher or postgraduate student for a Scholar Gold Medal, please complete the nomination form (available online at this link) and return via email to applications@ainse.edu.au prior to the close of nominations at 11:59 pm AEST Saturday 31st August 2024.
For more information, please visit the AINSE Scholar Gold Medal page or contact AINSE (enquiries@ainse.edu.au).
E-bike offers
Check out the e-bike deals for University staff.
Electric bike team
Electric Bike Team has a great deal for staff wishing to purchase one of their bikes. Look now: Electric bike team
Big Street Bikers
Looking to buy an e-bike? Big Street Bikers has discounts and some freebies for University staff. Check it out: Big Street Bikers
Doctoral Development Offerings
An overview of the many UoA Doctoral Development offerings that candidates and supervisors may want to consider has been compiled here.
Co-funded University of Auckland Doctoral Scholarships
Guidelines have now been drafted for the University of Auckland Doctoral Scholarship scheme to co-fund scholarships with industry or philanthropic partners to seed new collaborations. If you are making connections where some money to support a student may be possible please come and chat to Jennifer Eccles asap about whether this could be an option.
An introductory R Workshop is being run on Thursday 24th and Friday 25th of October 2024. The course will be run by the Statistical Consulting Centre (SCC) in the Department of Statistics.
What’s covered in the workshop?
Introduction
Getting familiar with R
Using R Studio and loading projects/scripts
Basic functions using R
Reading in Data Files (.csv, .xls/.xlsx)
Introduction to R Objects. How R thinks (vectors, matrices, basic data formats)
Working with data(sets)
Cleaning and subsetting
Merging datasets and reformatting
Grouping variables and summarising
R graphics
Starting with plots in R (boxplots, histograms, bar graphs)
Graphics in R with ggplot2 (customising plots)
Data analysis
Introduction to performing t-tests, chi-square tests, ANOVA, and general linear models
The cost is $400 for UoA students and staff.
You can pay using your PRESS account, research grant, or other UoA account.
You can also opt to use a debit/credit card (however we will have to also add GST for this type of payment – please contact Joei Mudaliar j.mudaliar@auckland.ac.nz for further instructions).
The payment authorisation form for UoA participants paying from a UoA account is attached.
The cost for non-UoA attendees is $650 + GST. Please contact Joei Mudaliar (j.mudaliar@auckland.ac.nz) for payment instructions.
We will be sending out a pre-workshop information email the week prior to the course, however here are some of the details:
Location
We will be in room 302.160. Building 302 is on the corner of Symonds St and Wellesley St. The room we will be using is on level 1, room 160.
Time and schedule
The approximate schedule for both days is attached (since this is the schedule from our previous course, it may yet be altered very slightly).
We will start at 9am and finish at 5pm.
Morning and afternoon tea will be provided, and there are cafes nearby for lunch.
Computers
We will be using a Faculty of Science computer lab.
You are also welcome to use your own laptop. However, please make sure that you have downloaded R and RStudio onto your machine before the workshop (they are free to download).
We will also include some instructions on how to do this in our pre-workshop information email.
Access to computers and the internet
We will arrange access to the lab computers for all non-UoA participants.
We will also have a guest wireless password for non-UoA participants who are bringing their own laptops.
UoA staff and students will be able to access the FoS computers using their normal UoA upi and password.
I hope you can make it on the 24th and 25th October 2024, and we look forward to seeing you there.
Ngā mihi (Kind regards),
Joei Mudaliar | Kairuruku Ratonga ā-Rōpū (Group Services Coordinator)
Department of Statistics | Faculty of Science
The University of Auckland | Waipapa Taumata Rau
FUNDS FOR ENGAGEMENT WITH HAPORI MAORI
School of Environment has a small budget for enabling engagement with Maori, particularly through koha or contributions that may be needed to initiate research relationships. In disbursing that putea, priority is given to academic staff working on behalf of groups of staff or students, pre/consultation activities for ethics approval and collaborations that are not readily funded through other mechanisms. As it is desirable to utilise the budget before the end of the academic year, however, all well-reasoned proposals will be considered. If interested, email a brief, one paragraph description of a proposed activity and a budget for how funds will be utilised to Brad (b.coombes@auckland.ac.nz). Although there are no prescribed maxima or minima for these grants, the limited scope of the overall budget will likely preclude grants in excess of $1000. Applicants should also be mindful of UoA guidelines or policies for gifting and koha.
Post Graduate Wellbeing ….. where to go
If you are currently coordinating a PG course, could you please post the inforgraphic slide to your Canvas course page so students will know the resources that are available throughout the University.
3k writing grant available for students
These are currently on hold. Rangahau will reopen this fund for requests later in the year, please keep an eye on P-cubed for more details.
Rangahau – Research
Funds are available to support students writing up their thesis as publication(s).
Each grant is worth $3000 (120 hours at 25$ all included). There is no deadline to apply. Applications are evaluated as they come by members of Rangahau (2 weeks turn over max.), until we use all the funds available.
Do you have a good candidate in mind? Please complete this form and submit to katarzyna.sila-nowicka@auckalnd.ac.nz
Funding for Research Retreats
The Rangahau Committee has a small amount of funding set aside to sponsor Research retreats (e.g grant writing workshops, paper writing). This can be up to 2k per team, with a minimum 2 SoE participants.
If you have an idea that you would like considered, please submit a short paragraph explaining the intention and benefits of the retreat to katarzyna.sila-nowicka@auckland.ac.nz.
Proposal development support
The Rangahau Committee has a small fund set aside to help with proposal development (e.g. writing support, support to scope proposals etc). If you have an idea that fits within this scope please get in touch with Kelly Kilpin to discuss further.
Funding
Funding Calls
| Spencer Foundation – Research-Practice Partnerships: Collaborative research for educational change | |
| This fund aims to support education research projects that engage in collaborative and participatory partnerships | |
| Value/Duration: | Internal Deadline: |
| · Value: up to USD400,000 (circa NZD 660,000
· Duration: up to 3 years |
· Intent to apply: 5pm, Friday, 13 September 2024
· Full proposal: 12pm, Monday, 21 October 2024 |
| Further Information (funding call, guidelines, registration info):
· Website If you are interested, please also get in touch with your FIRST. |
|
| 2024 MBIE Catalyst: Strategic – New Zealand-Japan Joint Research Programme | |
| The Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) is calling for proposals for joint research collaborations between New Zealand and Japan. MBIE will fund up to three joint New Zealand-Japan research projects in the field of disaster mitigation, response and recovery. | |
| Value/Duration: | Internal Deadline |
| · Value: NZ$300,000 (excluding GST)
· Duration: 3 years |
12 noon, Monday 23 September 2024. |
| Further Information (funding call, guidelines, registration info):
· Website If you are interested, please also get in touch with your FIRST. |
|
| Global Research Engagement Fund (GREF) | |
| This fund aims to support applicants working towards a pre-identified collaboration or funding opportunity to develop new and emerging research partnerships with international collaborators. | |
| Value/Duration: | Internal Deadline |
| · Networking & Engagement Grants: up to $10,000
· Project Planning Grants: Up to $12,000 |
27 September 2024 |
| Further Information:
· Full details including guidelines and the application form are available on Research Hub · For enquiries, please contact international.research@auckland.ac.nz If you are interested, please also get in touch with your FIRST. |
|
| The Transdisciplinary Ideation Fund (TIF) | |
| The Waipapa Taumata Rau (TIF) is a fund that encourages research staff from across the University to develop cross-faculty research partnerships, aspiring toward high-quality Transdisciplinary research outputs, research learning initiatives, and successful applications to external research funders. | |
| Value/Duration: | Internal Deadline |
|
· Grants of $20,000. Up to 15 projects will be funded. |
5pm, Thursday 7 November 2024 |
| TIF workshop: encourages new cross-disciplinary research collaborations and is designed for academic staff who are intending to pursue transdisciplinary research. (Please register bid via registration link provided)
Date and Time: Friday 13 September 2024, 9am to 12pm (morning tea provided) Location: B201-342, 10 Symonds Street |
|
| Further Information:
· Full details including guidelines and the application form are available on Research Hub If you are interested, please also get in touch with your FIRST. |
|
| Catalyst: Seeding (Round3) | |
| Catalyst seeding facilitates new small and medium pre-research strategic partnerships that cannot be supported through other means, and with a view to developing full collaborations that could be supported through Catalyst: Strategic over time. Funding is for research exchanges, research activities, and expenses related to hosting workshops for new strategic research partnerships with international collaborators | |
| Value/Duration: | Internal Deadline |
| Seeding General: up to $80,000 (excl. GST) in total for up to two years
· NZ – Japan Joint Research Projects: up to $30,000 (excl. GST) per annum for up to two years |
12pm, Tuesday 08 October 2024 |
| Further Information (funding call, guidelines, registration info):
· Website If you are interested, please also get in touch with your FIRST. |
|
| Catalyst: Leaders (Round3) | |
| HOPE Meetings are held for excellent graduate students and young researchers selected from countries/areas around the Asia-Pacific and Africa region. These meetings give an opportunity for the participants to engage in interdisciplinary discussions with Nobel Laureates and other distinguished scientists pioneering the frontiers of knowledge. | |
| Value/Duration: | Internal Deadline |
| Supports excellent PhD students and/or young researchers to attend the HOPE meetings with Nobel Laureates for 5 days including flights, accommodation, and meeting registration. | 12pm, Tuesday 08 October 2024 |
| Further Information (funding call, guidelines, registration info):
· Website If you are interested, please also get in touch with your FIRST. |
|
| 2024 Research Development Fund (RDF) | ||||||||||||||||
| The total amount to be allocated in the 2024 contestable round is approximately $1 million with spending split across 2025,2026, and 2027. This will be distributed amongst the different award types listed below based on the excellence and justifications of submitted applications. | ||||||||||||||||
Value/Duration
Applications are due by 5.00pm on Monday, 2 September 2024 · Full details including guidelines and the application form are available on the research page of the staff intranet · For an overview of the Research Development Fund, visit the Research Hub RDF page If interested, please inform your FIRST team. |
| UoA approach to organisational cap for MBIE Endeavour Smart Ideas 2025 | ||||||||||||||||||||
The University’s response to the organisational cap (23 for the University of Auckland) is to implement a two-stage (Faculty and Central) triage process to determine which applications to support for submission. The steps are summarised as following:
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| Researcher Skills and Development (RSD) Fund | |
| This fund aims to help enhance and expand researcher development offerings across the University to supplement existing funding sources for the design, development, and delivery of researcher development offerings. | |
| Value: | Deadline: |
| There is no minimum or maximum amount of funding that can be sought per request. The total amount of the fund available is $500k for 2025. | End of the day Friday August 30th |
| Further Information:
· Form, Guidelines and FAQs can be accessed via the Research Hub · For enquiries, please contact victoria.hewitt@auckland.ac.nz If you are interested, please also get in touch with your FIRST. |
|
| Spencer Foundation: Small Research Grants on Education | |
| This fund is intended to support education research projects that will contribute to the improvement of education. The research concept is “field-initiated” with the grant designed to support rigorous, intellectually ambitious and technically sound research that is relevant to the most pressing questions and compelling opportunities in education. | |
| Value/Duration: | Internal Deadline |
| · Value: up to USD50,000 (circa NZD80,000
· Duration: up to a maximum duration of 60 months |
12pm, Monday 2 September 2024 |
| Further Information (funding call, guidelines website):
· Website If you are interested, please also get in touch with your FIRST. |
|
| The Prime Minister’s Science Prizes | |
| The New Zealand Government introduced The Prime Minister’s Science Prizes in 2009 as a way of raising the profile and prestige of science among New Zealanders, in Aotearoa and internationally.
· Te Puiaki Pūtaiao Matua a Te Pirimia: is for a transformative scientific advance, which has had a significant economic, health, social, political, cultural and/or environmental impact on New Zealand or internationally · Te Puiaki Kaipūtaiao Maea: will be awarded to an outstanding emerging scientist who has had their PhD conferred within the past eight (8) years. · Te Puiaki Whakapā Pūtaiao: will be awarded to either a practising scientist who can demonstrate an interest, passion and aptitude for science communication and public engagement, or to a person who has developed expertise in public engagement or communication of complex scientific or technological information to the public. |
|
| Value: | Deadline: |
| There are five prizes in total with a combined value of $975,000 NZ Dollars. | Applications open 13 May 2024 and close 1pm, 30 September 2024 |
| Further Information:
· Form, Guidelines and FAQs can be accessed via the Research Hub · For enquiries, please contact pmscienceprizes@royalsociety.org.nz If you are interested, please also get in touch with your FIRST. |
|
| New Horizon Europe Calls |
| In mid-April, the European Commission announced a new selection of funding calls covering the remainder of 2024. The funding call details here Horizon Europe Funding Call List on the Horizon Europe Support Materials page on ResearchHub.
New Zealand can participate in these calls on equal terms as our European counterparts. However, the targeted nature of most of these calls means that it is highly likely that it will be more appropriate for us to partner on these projects, joining European-led bids as a collaborator rather than developing a proposal as a lead. Anybody exploring these opportunities should contact International.Research@Auckland.ac.nz to arrange a discussion and explore additional support available. |
MBIE 2025 Endeavour Support
MBIE have released details regarding the 2025 Endeavour Round including:
- 2025 Gazette Notice
- Investment Plan 2025 – 2027, which includes the new Investment Signals
- Changes to Smart Ideas for 2025
Links and details can be found on the MBIE Endeavour Website
Because of the changes to the Smart Ideas round this year, the process at UoA will different than in previous years. If you intend to apply for a Smart Idea this year, please let your RPC (Sophie/Kelly/Franca) know asap so we can pass on any details as soon as they become available.
Support Sessions organised by UOA:
- Research Impact Webinar (24th July 2024 10:00am-11:00am) – Research Impact Manager, Dr Cherie Lacey, will be hosting a webinar to give you practical advice on how to plan your MBIE Endeavour funding application to achieve maximum impact.
Register here
UoA approach to organisational cap for MBIE Endeavour Smart Ideas 2025
Announcements
| Webinar: Building your Knowledge in Responsiveness to Māori within your Research | |||||||||||||
| The webinars will provide a general overview of the Treaty of Waitangi as it relates to research. The content focuses on why it was written, what it says, what went wrong, where we are today, and how it applies to research.
(i) Workshop 1/2 – Making Sense of the Treaty in a Research Context: will provide a brief overview of the Treaty of Waitangi as it relates to research. (ii) Workshop 2/2 – Putting the Treaty into Practice in a Research Context: Christine, founding member of Auckland Project Waitangi, explores application of the main Treaty concepts to the major stages of research.
If you have any questions, please email: researcherdevelopment@auckland.ac.nz |
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Health, Safety and Wellbeing
Updates from HSW
We are recruiting two student reps to the HSW committee-. This is a great opportunity to gain deep insights into the HSW world and a great skill to have on your CV. The knowledge and experience you gain will help you future proofing your professional life and will allow you to transition between different industries.
There is a possibility of free training as a Health and Safety Rep for the right candidates.
Please get in touch with Andres Arcila-Rivera (a.arcila@auckland.ac.nz)
Fieldwork plans update
There has been an increase on reported rolled ankles at the school, which may possibly reflect the return to full field activities after Covid.
Please think carefully about appropriate footwear for these sorts of activities. Not all shoes are born equal and not all are suitable. We encourage to wear shoes with good ankle support even in the easiest terrain. That extra support will help lessen the severity of rolled ankles.
Field activity leaders should liaise with all participants and ensure they have adequate Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) to participate in the activities. To elicit your thoughts about what is appropriate, we are no longer accepting expressions such as: appropriate footwear or weather proof gear.
We will be asking for something specific that reflects whether the shoes are fit for the terrain/task (the grip of the sole, the level of support, for walking on/off track and toe protection for people handling/carrying weight out in the field). The same will apply for weather protection.
| Waterproof | Water Resistant |
| Suitable for heavier rainfall | Suitable for light showers/drizzle |
| Indicates high water protection | Indicates low water protection |
| Taped seams | No taped seams |
| The fabric has been treated with DWR (durable water repellent) | The fabric has been treated with DWR (durable water repellent) |
| Features a waterproof fabric membrane | Does not feature a waterproof fabric membrane |
Carrying a waterproof jacket always is encouraged. A wise person carries a raincoat on a fine day in the field, only a fool does in the rain.
We are welcoming questions for a FAQ section about fieldwork. Please submit your questions to a.arcila@auckland.ac.nz.
From HSW Central
Chemical Risk Management
New guidance has been added to the Chemical Risk Management Protocol website, including:
- New Chemical Lab Users’ Quick Reference Guide
- Updated Safe Methods of Use (SMOU), after being reviewed by experts around the University
- New SMOUs for Time-Sensitive Chemicals, Reactions in Sealed Pressure Vessels, and Dry Ice
With the introduction of centralised guidance for dry ice, we recognise the need to update some transport and storage practices. Specifically, dry ice must not be stored in sealed freezers, and must not be accompanied during lift transport without a risk assessment to determine a safe quantity. To help with this, we’ve provided a carbon dioxide production calculator and a sample risk assessment on the website. If you have any questions, please reach out to Emily Boyd.
Radiation Risk Management
Radioactive materials and irradiating equipment are important tools in education and research within the University. The radiation standard has been updated and can be accessed here: https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/health-safety-wellbeing/health-safety-topics/laboratory-safety/radiation-risk/risk-management-standard.html
For radiation safety operational details please refer to the radiation safety plan and waste disposal guidelines here: https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/health-safety-wellbeing/health-safety-topics/laboratory-safety/radiation-risk/ionising-radiation-guidelines.html
Publications | Articles
- Dowell, A., CrowdStrike or cloud strife? Why cloud monopolies are a risk to society, Newsroom, 9 August, 2024. https://newsroom.co.nz/2024/08/09/crowdstrike-or-cloud-strife-why-cloud-monopolies-are-a-risk-to-society/
- Schloffel-Armstrong, S., A slippery slope towards the privatisation of our pools? The Spinoff, 1 August, 2024. https://thespinoff.co.nz/society/01-08-2024/a-slippery-slope-towards-the-privatisation-of-our-pools
- Brook, M. (Op- Ed) If you’re going to protest, at least walk the talk. https://newsroom.co.nz/2024/08/05/if-youre-going-to-protest-critical-minerals-mining-at-least-walk-the-talk/
- Nguyen, H., Bellingham, P.J., Fergus, A.J. McCarthy J.K., Padamsee, M., Schwendenmann, L (2024). Comparing forest carbon fluxes at locations with different land-use histories and restoration strategies. Plant Soil (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-024-06844-y
- D’Ath, M.K., Sila-Nowicka, K., Schwendenmann, L. (2024). Spatial variability of soil carbon across a hillslope restoration planting in New Zealand. Soil Research 62, SR24012. https://doi.org/10.1071/SR24012
- Murray Ford, Mark Dickson, Emma Ryan and Megan Tuck: Publication of national coastal change dataset: https://coastalchange.nz/ featured in https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/eroding-nz-new-maps-reveal-where-our-coasts-are-crumbling-fastest/OMWZHTQFQZHHPGDDWBBZPICCCE/
Volume 4 Edition 4 will be showcasing
Join us for an evening of creative relaxation with mixed mode of art! Engaging in artistic activities is known to boost wellbeing, so come unwind with us. This event offers a welcoming environment for creativity, regardless of your skill level! 👩🎨🖼️ Enjoy complimentary snacks and drinks while you unleash your inner artist—don’t miss out! 🍿🥤 🗓️ Date: Friday, May 17th ⏳ Time: 6 – 8pm 📍 Location: Breakout Space, B302 Level 6, University of Auckland 🎟️ Ticket: Free, reserve on Humanitix – https://events.humanitix.com/postgraduate-art-wellness-night 🌴Theme: Connecting with Nature Spread the word to any postgraduate students you know—we can’t wait to meet everyone! 🫶💜
Congratulations to our winners listed below for their awesome efforts! Looking forward to the 2025 Great SoE Bake Off where 2024 runners up can get vengeance and take first place!
Mon, 22 Apr 2024 4:00 PM – 6:00 PM
In collaboration with Jon Tunnicliffe, the council has set up monitoring stations in 20 sub-catchments, to refine rainfall-runoff models under a variety of land-cover conditions (e.g. rangeland, forest [native, plantation], recently de-forested, mixed cover). Students had the opportunity to visit a number of these river gauging sites and to collect data for their individual projects. The projects address the feasibility of various runoff attenuation measures, intended to delay and divert flood flows while improving habitat diversity and enhancing ecosystem services. The council’s new LiDAR drone was deployed to collect high resolution data and imagery for the project, while students collected information on channel substrate and vegetation. Discussions with landowners and land managers provided many first-hand insights into the many challenges of flood management in the area. Results of the student work will feed back to the project, broadening the scope of the work while providing students with some practical, applied experience and a new array of geomorphology/hydrology skills.
