Issue 101 – Tuesday 6 June 2023
HeadsUp
Gratitude
I am grateful to George Perry for ‘holding the fort’ as Acting Head while I was away in North America for 2.5 weeks. And to Michael Groom for assistance in diverting various delegations so that I didn’t need to be typing that ‘approve’ word quite so much while being away. Further thanks to George for steering the appointment process for our PTF vacancy, for which there will be an announcement very soon. As Head it is reassuring that one can step away and the ship sails on.
Congratulation
I have returned to some extraordinarily excellent news. Paul Williams, an Emeritus Professor of our School, has been awarded the honour of Officer of New Zealand Order of Merit. This is a rare accolade in the history of our School and warrants hearty congratulation. Paul studied at Bristol and Cambridge and worked in Dublin and Australia before moving to New Zealand in 1972 to join the Department of Geography here at Auckland University.
His international reputation on karst processes, terrain and related hydrology is towering. The combined editions of his text (with Derek Ford, McMaster) Karst and Geomorphology have almost eight thousand citations. In addition to his plethora of journal articles, his 2017 book New Zealand Landscape: Behind the Scene (published by Elsevier) is a beautifully illustrated account of our land through the lens geomorphology. As contributing to fundamental science well, Paul’s work has been local and applied. I had the privilege of encountering him in Geography 101 in 1978 and his lectures on the Upper Waitemata Harbour catchment and the culverting of the Wairau Creek were a key contribution to convincing me of geography’s relevance. We will find an opportunity soon to congratulate Paul in person.
Connecting
As I met with colleagues from University of Toronto, McMaster and UBC while in Canada, one common observation that arose was the challenge of staying connected as an academic unit. To that end I want to thank Sonia and team for the informative and enjoyable Pacific language-themed morning teas (see pics of the recent Solomon Islands event).
Further, I look forward to seeing everyone at this Wednesday’s staff meeting which, by popular request, will include a simple lunch to follow. I emphasise the ‘seeing’ because in these times of varied work schedules, no dedicated School-specific meeting place and the usual diaspora for field work, RSL etc, these meetings offer an important opportunity to simply be in each other’s company for a short time to exchange news, discuss issues and be reminded that we are a School not a collection of individuals.
Have a good fortnight. Till next time.
Robin Kearns
General Announcements
Update from Research Support
Dianne Sennoga has resigned from her position as an RPC supporting the school of Environment. We thank Dianne for all her hard work supporting researchers within the School and wish her well in her new position at UniServices. Dianne’s last day with the Faculty will be 6 June. Please continue to contact either Kelly Kilpin or Sophie Yu for any research queries you may have.
Importance of keeping up to date with Doctoral continuation reviews for scholarships or change of enrolment requests
Every year on the anniversary of a PhD candidates start there is some reporting to do. Everyone remembers Year 1 (confirmation) but after that there should be a “continuation” review in Wahapu which is the equivalent of the old annual reports. These are flagged as milestones in Wahapu but reminders aren’t actively pushed out.
This paperwork is important to facilitate an annual “state of the PhD” allowing problems to be flagged but are also operationally important because continuing scholarship payments and the ability to apply for extensions etc may depend upon it! SGS have started getting more stringent and not being up to date is already actively catching people out for University of Auckland Doctoral Scholarship Extensions. Doing one report is not be enough to catch up and all the missing ones would need to be done in quick succession which is soul destroying to several people in the signoff chain so it is definitely easiest and more effective on many fronts just to keep ~up to date.
Some more information re the University of Auckland Doctoral Scholarship Extension for 3-3.5 years
- https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/study/scholarships-and-awards/scholarship-types/postgraduate-scholarships/doctoral-scholarships/doctoral-scholarship-extension.html
- This is for students on a UoADS or those externally funded for three years only at a level >80% of the current UoADS level. Please note with the 2023 large increase in the UoADS if candidates are currently on a full scholarship <$26.4k/pa please have a discussion about financial plans as that 80% clause we have just lost the battle appealing may have changed expectations of eligibility for this extra 6 months support cf when the project started. With the UoADS now inflation adjusted each year this threshold will also continue to move.
- There is a narrow window to apply for this so please keep track of dates
- The student’s GPE on entry had to be > 7. Jennifer Eccles can check the number if you aren’t sure what you were. If admissions got it wrong we can get it reassessed but if you are actually <7 I’m afraid there is no point even applying. Please note for new students entering since the new scheme there is not GPE criteria but this continues to be applied for our more senior students.
- Continuation Report 2 needs to be completed (please check milestones to check the report is the number you think it is and 2 can’t be done without previously having done 1)
- Please put Jennifer Eccles as the reference in the HoD (nominee) box rather than Robin.
PhD candidate Alec Wild successfully defended his PhD thesis on 29th May. Alec’s thesis was entitled: Exploring the use of quantitative modelling approaches to support volcanic crisis management in the Auckland Volcanic Field. He was supervised by Jan Lindsay and Mary Anne Thompson Clive.
Whakawhanaungatanga – Communities
ENV EQUITY COMMITTEE
Welkam! Halo! Gud moning! Welcome!
Please join us for a light morning tea to celebrate Vanuatu Language Week. This event will be held on Wednesday, June 7th at Level 6 (302) in the breakout space! come and grab a quick bite to eat and let us know what Vanuatu words you know. There will be a pop quiz and a prize to win! Welkam and join in on the fun!
Tangkyu
A couple of weeks ago we celebrated the Solomon Language Week with a morning tea and a quiz.
The School of Environment and Ngā Ara Whetū – Centre for Climate, Biodiversity & Society, are excited to invite you for not just one, but two extraordinary seminars.
Seminar 1:
Professor Damon Teagle, School of Ocean and Earth Science, University of Southampton, UK, will present a talk on “Southampton Marine and Maritime Institute – Opportunities for Collaboration.”
This insightful session will take place on Thursday, June 15, 2023, from 12:00 pm to 1:00 pm in the Federation Room, OGH. To secure your spot, please register via Eventbrite using the following link: https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/637621562257 .
Seminar 2:
Professor Rachael James, School of Ocean and Earth Science, University of Southampton, UK, will deliver a thought-provoking talk titled “Negative Emissions: Removing Atmospheric Carbon Dioxide from the Atmosphere.”
Don’t miss this important discussion on Wednesday, June 21, 2023, from 12:00 pm to 1:00 pm, in the Federation Room, OGH. To ensure your participation, kindly reserve your spot by registering through Eventbrite using the following link: https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/636264292627 .
These seminars offer a unique opportunity to gain valuable insights and engage with leading experts in their respective fields. Save the dates and join us for these incredible talks.
NZGS Auckland Branch June Newsletter
You can read the Newsletter here
Auckland Dialogues – Tuesday 20 June Building 302, Room 551 Ontology Lab – 4.00pm to 5.30pm
Gender and Disaster JC Gaillard with Aditi Sharan and Louise Baumann
Nowadays, disaster risk reduction and management (DRRM) must be ‘inclusive’, ‘accessible’ and ‘non-discriminatory’. This is, for example, an expectation of the 2019 NZ National Disaster Resilience Strategy that encourages disaster practitioners to pay special attention to ‘people disproportionately affected by disasters.’ This injunction reflects the broader institutional discourse embedded in international disaster legal frameworks such as the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction (SFDRR) that calls for a “whole-of-society” approach to Disaster Risk Reduction. Gender and ‘gender-mainstreaming’ are often associated with this idea of building ‘inclusive’ DRRM practices. In practice, the approach to questions of gender and inclusion in DRRM policies and practices is often characterized by binary and narrow understanding of factors influencing disaster experience, including gender, and by largely arbitrary lists of supposedly homogeneous ‘vulnerable groups’. During this presentation, we will discuss the inbuilt incoherence of this mainstream approach, looking at its disconnection with people’s understanding and experience of emergency situations and at how its underpinning narrative, by reproducing Eurocentric/Western normative practices of othering, tends to reinforce hegemonic modes of power identified as conditions of violence, risk and vulnerability by queer, feminist and radical disaster scholars worldwide.
School of Environment Tree Planting Day – 6th July 2023ent Tree Planting Day – 6th July 2023
Honours and Taught Masters Presentations
Wednesday 7 June, 9 – 11 am, Room 302-G20
The Semester 1 cohort of Honours and Taught Masters students will be presenting their research on Wednesday 7 June, 9-11 am, in Room 302-G20.
- 9.00 am BSCHons Earth Science (2 students).
- 9.20 am Master of Environmental Science (5 students)
- 10.15 am Geography and Environmental Management (4 students)
I encourage staff and PG students to come support those presenting their work. The presentation schedule will appear soon on a notice board near you.
Thanks,
Gretel
| 2024 MBIE Endeavour Real Stories Session |
| Join us for a real story session with special guest speaker Johan Verbeek. Johan is trained as a chemical engineer and has done his PhD in polymer composites. He is a professor in mechanical engineering and a co-director of the Centre of Advanced Materials Manufacturing and Design with several years of experience developing bio-based polymers and polymer processing methods. He is actively working on the circularity of plastics in New Zealand and was recently awarded an MBIE Endeavour grant to further work in this field in collaboration with the Business School, RMIT’s design school and several other partners around NZ.
This Real Story Panel Session provides an interview-style discussion with Johan, a successful MBIE Endeavour applicant. Participants will experience “live exemplars” as he shares his journey from research idea to application process for Endeavour, describing obstacles, successes, support, and key takeaways throughout the process. |
| Key Information:
– Date: Tuesday the 11th of July 2023 – Time: 10:00am – 11:00am. – Location: UoA City Campus, Faculty of Engineering Building, 3 Grafton Road, Room 405-430 – Audience: Open to UoA researchers and research support staff (FIRST) Registration Link: https://www.eventbrite.co.nz/e/real-stories-panel-sesssion-tickets-641679459537 – We ask that researchers and staff complete the registration to guarantee their spot on the day. Please reach out to aul.researchdevelopment@uoa.auckland.ac.nz if you have any questions and/or concerns. |
The Faculty of Science will be holding their 3MT hear on Thursday, 6 July.
About 3MT
Three Minute Thesis (3MT®) is an exciting, fast-paced research communication competition. It was developed by the University of Queensland and is now held annually in over 900 universities across the globe. Participants take up the challenge to share the story of their research with a general audience in under three minutes, supported by nothing more than a single, static slide.
Entries are open to all currently enrolled research masters students and doctoral candidates.
Date: Thursday, 6 July
Time: 1pm
Registrations close: 10am, Thursday 1 June
| Webinar: Writing Workshops with Write Ltd |
| We invite you to join us for a three-part online workshop series with Write Ltd, who will share tips and techniques to help you make your proposal and academic paper writing more effective and engaging for your readers. They’ll deliver three short, focused sessions to the group, mostly focussing on clarity of messaging and quality of writing. Feel free to register for all 3 or just the 1 or 2 topics of your choice. |
| Key Information
Workshop #1: 26 June 2023, 12pm – 1pm: Top five things you can do to improve your writing. Workshop #2: 3 July 2023, 12pm – 1pm: Engaging your readers, explaining the science. Workshop #3: 10 July 2023, 12pm – 1pm: 8 tips on emphasising the impact of your research. Location: Online via Zoom link Registration link: https://www.eventbrite.co.nz/e/writing-workshops-2023-registration-636251143297 Please reach out if you have any questions: aul.researchdevelopment@uoa.auckland.ac.nz |
| [INVITATION] MBIE Endeavour Kick-Off Session with Max Kennedy and Rebecca Adams – 7th June 9:30 – 12:00pm |
| We invite you to join us for the 2024 MBIE Endeavour Kick-off Session on the 7th of June 2023, from 9:30 am to 12:00 pm, with special guest speakers Max Kennedy (former director of MBIE contestable funding) and Rebecca Adams (Director of Government Relations, Auckland UniServices).
Following his five and a half years as the Manager for Contestable Investments at MBIE, Max is now available to help researchers build on their awareness about MBIE Endeavour and use that knowledge to take their proposals to the next level. Teaming up with Max this year, Rebecca Adams will focus on giving an overview and practical advice around areas of research that align with the current Government priorities for the MBIE Endeavour Fund. This session is a strategic value-add for those already familiar with the contestable funding world in Aotearoa. The information provided in this session aims to help researchers gain a better understanding of how the Endeavour fund can be used to meet the grand challenges researchers face to make life better for New Zealanders, how research can be better positioned to issues at the centre of government policy and strategy, and will provide additional insight from Max’s vast experiences at the heart of NZ’s science investment strategy. The session will be primarily presentation based and followed by a Q&A interview, guided by questions received from registrants in advance email toaul.researchdevelopment@uoa.auckland.ac.nz |
| Key Information
– Date: Wednesday the 7th of June 2023 – Time: 9:30am – 12:00pm. – Location: Unleash Space – City Campus, Engineering Building (402) – 20 Symonds Street. – Audience: Targeted to participants who already have a general understanding of the MBIE Endeavour and contestable funding environment in Aotearoa. Open to UoA researchers and research support staff (FIRST). Registration Link: https://www.eventbrite.co.nz/e/mbie-endeavour-2024-kick-off-session-tickets-606914285967 – |
| [INVITATION] MBIE MBIE Endeavour 2024 – Research Impact Webinar & Workshop with Dr Faith Welch |
| Research Impact Manager, Dr Faith Welch, will be hosting a webinar to give you practical advice on how to plan your MBIE Endeavour funding application to achieve maximum impact. She will cover how to articulate the benefits of your research, and how to develop an implementation plan to ensure those benefits can occur. The session will be an hour, questions are encouraged and there will be at least 15 minutes of Q&A at the end. Following the webinar, if you would like to have a discussion about the impact of your research, please contact Faith at researchimpact@auckland.ac.nz. |
| Key Information:
Date: Tuesday the 20th of June 2023 Time: 10:00 am – 11:00 am. Location: Online via zoom link. Audience: Targeted to UoA researchers and research support staff (FIRST) Registration Link: |
An introductory R Workshop is being run on Thursday 29th and Friday 30 th of June 2023. The course will be run by the Statistical Consulting Centre (SCC) in the Department of Statistics.
What’s covered in the workshop?
Introduction
Getting familiar with R
- Using R Studio and loading projects/scripts
- Basic functions using R
- Reading in Data Files (.csv, .xls/.xlsx)
- Introduction to R Objects. How R thinks (vectors, matrices, basic data formats)
Working with data(sets)
- Cleaning and subsetting
- Merging datasets and reformatting
- Grouping variables and summarising
R graphics
- Starting with plots in R (boxplots, histograms, bar graphs)
- Graphics in R with ggplot2 (customising plots)
Data analysis
- Introduction to performing t-tests, chi-square tests, ANOVA, and general linear models
As per our previous introductory R workshops, the cost is $300 for UoA students and staff.
You can pay using your PRESS account, research grant, or other UoA account.
You can also opt to use a debit/credit card (however we will have to also add GST for this type of payment 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 Joei Mudaliar (j.mudaliar@auckland.ac.nz) for payment instructions.
We will be sending out a pre-workshop information email the week prior to the course, however here are some of the details:
Location
We will be in room 302.190. Building 302 is on the corner of Symonds St and Wellesley St. The room we will be using is on level 1, room 190.
Time and schedule
The approximate schedule for both days is attached (since this is the schedule from our previous course, it may yet be altered very slightly).
We will start at 9am and finish at 5pm.
Morning and afternoon tea will be provided, and there are cafes nearby for lunch.
Computers
We will be using a Faculty of Science computer lab.
You are also welcome to use your own laptop. However, please make sure that you have downloaded R and RStudio onto your machine before the workshop (they are free to download).
We will also include some instructions on how to do this in our pre-workshop information email.
Access to computers and the internet
We will arrange access to the lab computers for all non-UoA participants.
We will also have a guest wireless password for non-UoA participants who are bringing their own laptops.
UoA staff and students will be able to access the FoS computers using their normal UoA upi and password.
I hope you can make it on the 29th and 30th June 2023, and we look forward to seeing you there.
Ngā mihi (Kind regards),
Joei Mudaliar | Group Services Coordinator
Department of Statistics | Faculty of Science
The University of Auckland | Te Whare Wānanga o Tāmaki Makaurau
Sign up and join the student association RTEA and the Compass programme
1/ Please do encourage your students to join our student association RTEA. The new roster of officers is planning exciting activities for this year and they welcome support and contribution from fellow students. To encourage students to join just use the QR codes for the Facebook page and a Google form to formally sign up: https://rtea.auckland.ac.nz/
2/ Do encourage your PG students to also join our Compass programme. Larissa and her team of captains have planned regular activities to foster students’ wellbeing throughout the year.
3/ The Student Experience Committee (SEC) offers a small budget to course coordinators who would like to order some kai to share with their class. Reach out to JC should you be interested.
3k writing grant available for students
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 melanie.kah@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 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.
| John Templeton Foundation – Core Funding Areas, Small and Large Grants | |
| The Foundation invests in bold ideas that cross disciplinary boundaries and challenge conventional assumptions. The Small and Large Grants are addressed under the 8 focus areas including
Life Sciences, Mathematics and Physical Science, and Human Sciences. |
|
| Value/Duration: | Internal Deadlines: |
| •Small grants can be up to US$234,800 (circa NZD373,000) and Large Grants are in excess of US$235,000 (circa NZD374,000).
•Project can be up to 36 months. •No more than 15% can be claimed for overheads. The overhead cost must be included in the total amount you requested |
Internal Deadline for First Stage: 12pm noon, Friday 11 August 2023. |
| Further Information (funding call, guidelines, registration info):
· Website If interested, please inform your FIRST team (Kelly or Sophie). |
|
| Catalyst: Leaders (Round 2) | |
| Catalyst: Leaders supports incoming and outgoing targeted international fellowships for exceptional individuals that cannot be supported through other means. The following funding scheme is open in Round 2:
Julius von Haast Fellowship Award (1 award) 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. |
|
| Value/Duration: | Internal Deadlines: |
| Duration: Up to 3 years
Value: $20,000 stipend $20,000 research and travel allowance $10,000 host institution administration |
10 July 2023, 5pm |
| Further Information (funding call, guidelines, registration info):
· Website Email your title, full name, email address, faculty/department and the funder/scheme to the Funds Advisor Team via submissions@auckland.ac.nz to receive the instructions on how to initiate the letter of intent and the application template for the letter of intent. Please also inform your FIRST team (Franca, Dianne or Kelly). |
|
| Catalyst: Seeding (Round 2) | |
| 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 Deadlines: |
| Duration: 24 Months
Value: $80,000 |
5pm, Monday 10 July 2023 |
| Further Information (funding call, guidelines, registration info):
· Funding Call · Website To register to apply, please email the following information to the Funds Advisor Team via submissions@auckland.ac.nz: title (e.g. Dr, A/P, Professor), full name, email address, faculty and department. Please Also inform your FIRST team (Franca, Dianne or Kelly). |
|
| 2023 MBIE Catalyst: Strategic – New Zealand-China Strategic Research Alliance | |
| The Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) is calling for proposals for joint research collaborations between New Zealand and China.
MBIE will fund up to 4 joint New Zealand-China research projects to support the New Zealand-China Strategic Research Alliance, 2 each in the areas of food science and environmental science. Up to $300,000 over 3 years is available to each successful applicant, with successful projects expected to start in March 2024. New Zealand and China have agreed to support four projects through this funding round, two in each priority area of: • Food Science; and • Environmental Science |
|
| Value/Duration: | Internal Deadlines: |
| Duration: 3 years
Value: $300,000 |
5pm, Monday 10 July 2023 |
| Further Information (funding call, guidelines, registration info):
· Funding Call · Website Submission process: · Applications are submitted via the MBIE IMS Portal. · Returning applicants log in using your existing login details. · New applicants contact the Funds Advisor Team submissions@auckland.ac.nz to create your User Profile. Please Also inform your FIRST team (Franca, Dianne or Kelly). |
|
| Ministry for the Environment – Plastics Innovation Fund Round 2 – Te Tahua Pūtea mō te Kirihou Auaha | |
| The Plastics Innovation Fund supports projects that will minimise plastic waste and its harm on the environment. They are seeking to fund projects that find ways to use less plastic and make what we do use reusable or recyclable. It should be noted that applicants are required to secure at least 50% co-funding. | |
| Value/Duration: | Internal Deadlines: |
|
· EOI deadline from 1 November 2022 to 30 June 2023
· The Funds Advisor team will accept EOIs at any time during this period for a QA check provided that you allow at least 7 working days before final submission to the funder. |
| Further Information (funding call, guidelines, registration info):
Please register or make contact with FIRST (Kelly, Dianne, Franca) if you wish to make a submission. |
|
Health, Safety and Wellbeing
A reminder that field activity plans need to be comprehensive and the contingency plans should be followed, unless there are risks not taken into account before the trip.
TestnTel will be doing the test and tag from June 6th, please provide them any assistance when required.
The first aid kit audit is being done on June 23rd. If you have any first aid kits that need to be re-stocked please return them ASAP. Holding first aid kits only increases our compliance costs, since we need to buy new ones to keep the required number of kits.
Publications
Gunn, K.L., Rintoul, S.R., England, M.H., Bowen, M.M., Recent reduced abyssal overturning and ventilation in the Australian Antarctic Basin. Nat. Clim. Chang. (2023). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41558-023-01667-8
Some news items on it:
https://www.csiro.au/en/news/All/Articles/2023/May/Antarctic-bottom-water
https://www.abc.net.au/radio/programs/pm/antarctic-deep-ocean-circulation-already-slowing/102400480
Mālō, Talofa lava, Afio mai, Welcome!
Who: Beth is an ecosystem ecologist interested in wetland restoration, plant communities, and biogeochemistry. She is an Associate Professor at the University of Connecticut (USA), Department of Natural Resources & the Environment, and Center for Environmental Science & Engineering. Learn more about her research here: 
At a Faculty leadership retreat last week, a highlight was being led on a hikoi (walk) around parts of campus by Teariki Tuiono our Science Kaiarahi. It was a reminder that significant histories dwell within the ordinary landscapes of everyday life. There is always something to learn. To my shame, I hadn’t realised we had a symbol ion campus through which to remember the Christchurch mosque victims. Yet so many times I will have paced past nearby on a preoccupied A to B mission, unaware of Ngā Roimata o Ranginui, which was erected in solidarity with Muslim staff and students and paying tribute to lives lost. Mea culpa. Slow down and learn from others…
