Alert Newsletter: Issue 270

Posted: Thu, 1 May 2003 under Alert Newsletter

On this page:

EVENTS CALENDAR

What’s going on over the next few months…Each week, new entries or changes to existing ones are prefaced with a triple asterisk.

6 May 2003 James Dyson will speak on the importance of design and invention, from 6.00 p.m. to 7.30 p.m. in Soundings Theatre, Te Papa. For more information call 04 381 7000.

***8 May 2003 “How Indicators Shape The Policy Agenda” by Dr Ronald Colman at 3.00 p.m. in the Featherston Room, InterContinental Hotel, Cnr Grey and Featherston Street, Wellington. Please email Jim.Lindsay002@msd.govt.nz to confirm your attendance.

14 May 2003 Seminar on Science Reporting by Jim Tully on level 1, the Liggins Institute, 2-6 Park Ave, Grafton, Auckland. RSVP by Friday 9 May to: Clair Jury, tel. 09 373 7599 ext. 84917, email c.jury@auckland.ac.nz

22-24 May 2003 New Zealand Planning Institute Conference Hamilton.

30 May – 1 June 2003 Winter Astrocamp at Arahura Lodge, Gladstone, Wairarapa. http://www.phoenix.org.nz

4 June 2003 FiRST Awards, Hotel Grand Chancellor, 161 Cashel Street, Christchurch, http://www.frst.govt.nz

12 June 2003 Royal Society Council meeting, Wellington.

19-20 June 2003 4th Oamaru Penguin Symposium. All Symposium details, registration and abstract forms available at http://www.penguin.net.nz/ops/ops2003.html or from the convenor, AG Hocken, agh@ihug.co.nz.

20-23 June 2003 Workshop on science and social responsibility from at the Hastings Center, Garrison, N.Y. Tel 845 424 4040, email callahan@thehastingscenter.org

24-26 June 2003 ’50 years on’ agscience convention at the Albany campus of Massey University. http://www.agscience.org.nz/convention2003.html

25-27 June 2003 Animal Production Conference at the Copthorne Hotel, on the corner of Adelaide St and Frankton Rd, Queenstown. For further information email pat@dcms.co.nz.

26-28 June 2003 A joint Children’s Issues Centre, Fifth Child and Family Policy Conference, ‘Joined up services: Linking together for children and families’ is being held at the University of Otago, Dunedin. For more information contact cic@otago.ac.nz

27-29 June 2003 Third Pan Commonwealth Veterinary Conference (PCVC) in Wellington in association with the New Zealand Veterinary Association (NZVA) Conference.

***1-3 July 2003 Industrial Mathematics Initiative 2003, Korean Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Taejon, South Korea. http://parter.kaist.ac.kr/imi/

***2-4 July 2003 New Zealand Statistical Association 2003 Conference ‘Abandoning Independence’, Massey University, Palmerston North. Contact: HedderleyD@crop.cri.nz. Web: http://www-ist.massey.ac.nz/stats/nzsa2003

3 July 2003 FiRST Awards, Waipuna Hotel & Conference Centre, 58 Waipuna Road, Mount Wellington, Auckland, http://www.frst.govt.nz

3-4 July 2003 Population Association of New Zealand biennial conference ‘Population and Society’, University of Canterbury, Christchurch. Organiser Ian.Richards@stats.govt.nz or (03) 964 8777.

6-9 July 2003 ChemEd03, conference for teachers of chemistry; Victoria University, Wellington Convenor Suzanne Boniface boniface@paradise.net.nz

6-9 July 2003 18th New Zealand Geochemical Group Conference, Edward Percival Field Station and Teaching Laboratory, Kaikoura. http://www2.auckland.ac.nz/glg/nzgg/index.htm

6-11 July 2003 ‘Windows on a Changing World’ 22nd conference of the New Zealand Geographical Society, Auckland University. Contact J. Logie: nzgs2003@sges.auckland.ac.nz or go to: http://www.geog.auckland.ac.nz/nzgs2003

7-11 July 2003 Fifth International Congress on Industrial and Applied Mathematics, Sydney, Australia. http://www.iciam.org

8-10 July 2003 Biolive03, conference for teachers of biology; Waikato University, Hamilton Convenor Roger Cox cox.clan@clear.net.nz

9-11 July 2003 The New Zealand Institute of Physics Conference and Physikos 2003, Massey University, Palmerston North. http://nzip.rsnz.govt.nz/NZIP2003/welcome.htm

13-18 July 2003 The 12th International Conference on Perception and Action (ICPA) will be on the Gold Coast of Australia. For further information see: http://www.int.gu.edu.au/%7Es227447/ICPA-conf/index.htm

***31 July 2003, Barry Carbon, CEO Ministry for the Environment will deliver the State of New Zealand Environment Lecture. 4.30 p.m. at Lincoln University.

10-14 August 2003, International geoscience education conference, GeoSciEd IV, in Calgary, Canada. See http://www.geoscied.org

17-22 August 2003, 21st IIR International Congress of Refrigeration, Washington DC. Contact joanna@airah.org.au or see http://www.airah.org.au

18-19 August 2003 ANZCCART Conference, Christchurch. Contact: anzccart@rsnz.org

21-22 August 2003 ANZLAS Conference, Christchurch. Contact: jschofield@las.otago.ac.nz

30 August-3 September 2003 The 21st International Austalasian Winter Conference on Brain Research (AWCBR) will be held in Queenstown, New Zealand. For further information, contact Gordon Purdie purdie@wnmeds.ac.nz or see http://www.awcbr.org

***August 30 – 3 September 2003 New Zealand Psychological Society Inc., Annual Conference. Massey University, Palmerston North. For information updates see: http://www.psychology.org.nz

1-5 September, 2003 The 18th International Radiocarbon Conference, Te Papa, Wellington. Details, registration and abstract submission forms at http://www.14Conference2003.co.nz

11 September 2003 Royal Society Council meeting, Dunedin

28 September-1 October 2003 SETAC Asia/Pacific-ASE Conference: Solutions to Pollution. Convention Centre, Christchurch. http://www.ecotox.org.au/ASEconference.html

28 September-1 October 2003 ComBio2003 conference at the Melbourne Convention Centre. http://www.asbmb.org.au/combio2003

2-3 October 2003 Scitech03, conference for laboratory technicians Eastern Institute of Technology, Taradale, Hawke’s Bay Convenor Kay Memmott Kay@hnhs.school.nz

13-15 October, Sheraton Hotel, Auckland. 5th annual conference of the Australasian Research Management Society. Contact: Greg Pringle (gpringle@unitec.ac.nz)

16 October 2003 Commonwealth Study Conference in Australia and New Zealand. Information and applications forms can be obtained from www.csc2003.org.

22-24 October 2003 ‘Greening the City: Bringing Biodiversity Back into the Urban Environment’ at Chateau on the Park, Christchurch. For more information see http://www.rnzih.org.nz/pages/conference2003.htm or contact d&amoyle@xtra.co.nz

31 October 2003 New Zealand Freshwater Day

12 November 2003 Royal Society of New Zealand Fellows’ Annual General Meeting, New Fellows’ Seminar, and Fellows’ dinner Auckland. Contact: gill.sutherland@rsnz.org

13-14 November 2003 ‘Fresh Water New Zealand: Problems, Processes and Priorities.’ Royal Society of New Zealand Conference, AUT, Auckland Contact: gill.sutherland@rsnz.org

13-15 November 2003 Conference in Honour of Keith Pavitt ‘What do we Know About Innovation’ at the University of Sussex. http://www.sussex.ac.uk/spru/events/KP_Conf_03/

18-21 November 2003 New Zealand Hydrological Society Annual Conference, Taupo.

***23-27 November 2003 Fourth Southern Hemisphere Symposium on Undergraduate Mathematics Teaching, Delta ’03. Rydges, Queenstown. Contact: igoodwin@maths.otago.ac.nz. Web: http://www.maths.otago.ac.nz

1-5 December 2003 3rd International Wildlife Management Congress, Christchurch. www.conference.canterbury.nz/wildlife2003

11 December 2003 Royal Society Council meeting, Wellington

19-23 January 2004 The fourth Southern Connections Conferencewill take place in Cape Town. Contact Mrs Elizabeth Danckwerts (Secretariat), at SC2004@botzoo.uct.ac.za. http://www.uct.ac.za/conferences/sc2004

26-30 January 2004 Mathematics in Industry workshop at the University of Auckland (City campus). Contact g.c.wake@massey.ac.nz.

TE PAPA: WELLINGTON, MARINE CAPITAL

‘Wellington: Marine Mammal Capital of the World’Our harbour is a regular port of call for whales, dolphins, and other marine mammals. A naturalist photographer and a NIWA scientist explain why.

Thursday 1 May, 6.30 p.m. – 8.30 p.m. Soundings Theatre, Level 2. Te Papa. Free entry.

TONIGHT: THE ANTARCTIC DRY VALLEYS

The Royal Society of New Zealand Wellington Branch Geological Section & the Geological Society of NZ present “The Antarctic Dry Valleys: Why We Keep Going Back”, a talk by Warren Dickinson, Antarctic Research Centre, Victoria University, Wellington.The talk is on Thursday 1 May, at 7.30 p.m. (refreshments 7.15 p.m.), Science House, 11 Turnbull St, Thorndon, Wellington.

The McMurdo Dry Valleys have been studied continuously for nearly 50 years. However, Antarctica’s scientific significance to the Earth has become increasingly apparent in recent years. We now know that this frozen continent is not only a storehouse for life in extreme environments but also holds glacial deposits, which record the history of past ice sheet fluctuations. While many significant insights have been gained, other fundamental problems remain unsolved. For example, the question of when the valleys were last filled with ice remains unclear. This is important because it relates to understanding the past behaviour of the East Antarctic Ice Sheet, which is a globally significant issue. Studies of ancient buried ice and cold-based glacial deposits indicate that glaciers have advanced and retreated over the Dry Valleys numerous times in the past. New techniques used to date these deposits will allow constraints on the timing of glacial fluctuations. These deposits also provide analogues for interpreting the arid surface of Mars and thus, further enhance the value of studies in the Dry Valleys.

For more information contact Nicki Stevens, n.stevens@gns.cri.nz.

HOW INDICATORS SHAPE THE POLICY AGENDA

The Ministry of Social Development and Centre Of Social Research And Evaluation present a talk by Dr Ronald Colman, GPI Atlantic, Canada, on Thursday 8 May at 3.00 p.m.The talk will be held in the Featherston Room, InterContinental Hotel, Cnr Grey and Featherston Street, Wellington.

It has been difficult to accurately judge if we are making progress as a society based solely on economic growth statistics. An alternative to these gross and often misleading measures is to focus on a Genuine Progress Index made up of 22 indicator sets. Measures of human, social and natural capital, in addition to produced capital, give a more accurate picture of society. Dr Colman will use concrete examples of how policy makers, governments and communities have used a Genuine Progress Index.

Please email Jim.Lindsay002@msd.govt.nz to confirm your attendance.

COLOSSAL SQUID ON DISPLAY AT TE PAPA

A 5.4 metre squid, of a species larger and more aggressive than any other known, was recently found in the Southern Ocean.The mantle, arms and tentacles of this Colossal squid (Mesonychoteuthis hamiltoni) squid are on display for a limited time.

Thursday 24 April – Sunday 4 May Wellington Foyer, Level 2, Te Papa Free entry.

THE 2003 CARTER MEMORIAL LECTURES

This year’s Carter Memorial Lectures will start next week. The lectures and seminars will be given by Ben R. Oppenheimer, a research fellow from the Department of Astrophysics at the American Museum of Natural History.The public lectures, entitled ‘Aliens: The Scientific Search for Life on Other Planets’, look at astrobiology, a new research initiative that seeks to identify habitable planets outside our own solar system, and to identify the presence of life on such planets. More detailed physics seminars look at the Lyot Project, a new instrumentation effort. Recent advances in optical techniques, technologies and the ability to detect exoplanets indirectly mean that within the next two decades not only will exoplanets be studied much the way remote observations reveal features of Jupiter and Saturn, but there may also be solid evidence for habitable planets within the solar neighbourhood.

Public lectures: Nelson May 5 Dunedin May 6 Christchurch May 7 Wellington May 13 Wanganui May 14 Napier May 15 Hamilton May 19 Auckland May 20

Seminars: Christchurch May 9 Wellington May 12 Hamilton May 19 Auckland May 20

For more information see http://www.astronomynz.org.nz/education/education.htm#carter

NEW ASTRONOMY WEBSITE

The Phoenix Astronomical Society has a new website that includes New Zealand starcharts, information about stars and planets, Taatai Arorangi (Māori astronomy), and astronomical news and events.http://www.astronomynz.org.nz

EUREKA ON THE LIFE OF MAURICE WILKINS

This week, Eureka looks back at the life of Maurice Wilkins, New Zealand’s second Nobel laureate and the third man of DNA.The programme marks the 50th anniversary of the discovery of the structure of DNA, and it is the start of a series about the molecule known as the blueprint of life and the people behind the discoveries and developments in molecular genetics over the past half century.

Eureka, produced and presented by Veronika Meduna, broadcasts on Saturdays, after the 2.00 p.m. news and again on Mondays, after the 7.00 p.m. news.

FUNGAL FORAGERS HEAD FOR THE HILLS

The 17th annual New Zealand Fungal Foray is about to get underway, this time in the Kaimai Ranges near the Bay of Plenty town of Katikati, an area that has never undergone a systematic scientific search for fungi before.The Fungal Foray attracts participants from both the science world and the general public, from New Zealand and overseas. Landcare Research mycologists established the foray during the 1980s, and it is held every autumn in a different region of New Zealand.

Species are collected with landowners’ permission, and are laid out for identification at the end of each Foray day. The specimens are later preserved and stored in recognised national collections to be used by researchers worldwide.

Landcare Research mycologist Dr Peter Buchanan says this year’s participants will primarily search Department of Conservation land in the Kaimai Forest Park for fungal specimens. They will also find fungi in a Carter Holt Harvey pine forest, and will cross to Matakana Island near Tauranga to scour the sand dunes.

The Fungal Forays are an important aid for scientists to get to grips with the vast array of New Zealand fungi. About 6,000 species have been recorded and described here, many of which are found only in New Zealand. An estimated 14,000 are yet to be discovered.

Landcare Research mycologist Dr Peter Johnston says at every new forest the Foray travels to, up to 90% of fungi collected were not previously recorded in that part of the country.

The 17th New Zealand Fungal Foray Kaimai Forest Park, 5-10 May, 2003

JOURNAL OF CROP & HORTICULTURAL SCIENCE

http://www.rsnz.org/publish/nzjchs/The NZJCHS Editorial Advisory Board met for the first time in August 2002 and a second meeting was held in February 2003. There have been some recent changes to the Board. Dr Peter Stone resigned in February 2003 to take up a position in Australia. Three new members were welcomed in February: Dr Nihal De Silva (HortResearch); Assoc. Prof. George Hill (Lincoln University); and Dr Prue Williams (Crop & Food Research). Prof. David McNeil moved to the Victorian Institute for Dryland Agriculture, Australia in 2002 and is now an Australian representative on the Board.

The Strategic Plan for the development of the journal has been completed and the Board has already started to put some of the strategies into action. The journal scope has been revised to encourage commentaries in addition to scientific papers and review articles. The journal intends to publish abstracts of student theses to promote current student research and upcoming researchers in the New Zealand region. A focus area on wine grapes and oenology will also be developed. Cultivar releases and descriptions of new cultivars will be actively encouraged and more papers on biosecurity and biotechnology will be sought. The Board will seek opportunities for NZJCHS to have a closer association with local scientific societies and for NZJCHS to publish research presented at conferences and meetings and by visiting researchers. Although most efforts will be going into improving publication times and rapid publication of accepted papers (as well as back issues) on the Internet, the Board is considering improving the cover of the printed journal to make it look more up-to-date.

INDUSTRIAL MATHEMATICS INITIATIVE 2003

This year a conference entitled Industrial Mathematics Initiative 2003 will be held from 1-3 July at the Korean Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Taejon, South Korea.Contributed talks are welcome; the deadline for titles and abstracts is 1 June.

The conference is timed to link up with the 5th International Congress for Industrial and Applied Mathematics in Sydney during the second week of July. The IMI conference is supported in part by the Royal Society of New Zealand under the scientific Memorandum of Understanding between South Korea and NZ. KAIST is the other major sponsor. Professor Graeme Wake of Canterbury and Massey (Albany) Universities is a co-director of this conference. This conference grew in part out of the inclusion of two New Zealanders in a team of four Visiting Foreign Professors in Applied Mathematics at KAIST. Details can be obtained from the website http://parter.kaist.ac.kr/imi/

There are eight international invited speakers, including four New Zealand Applied Mathematicians (Professors Mark McGuinness (VUW), Robert Mckibbin (Massey), Graeme Wake (Massey/Canterbury), and Dr Bruce van-Brunt (Massey)). All four have been involved in the Mathematics in Industry Study Groups that have been held in Australia since 1984 and which are to move to NZ for the next two years.

APPLICATIONS INVITED FOR ONCOLOGY GRANTS

The Genesis Oncology Trust is inviting applications for grants to support New Zealand-based initiatives that will lead to improvements in the prevention, detection, diagnosis or treatment of cancer, or improvement in the palliative care of cancer patients.The closing date for applications is Friday 22 August, 2003.

These initiatives can be biomedical, clinical, epidemiological or psychosocial and may relate to: * Education and training of students embarking on careers related to cancer care and/or cancer research * Continuing professional development of individuals involved in cancer care and/or cancer research * Other projects or activities related to cancer

Outcomes will be announced in early December. The total amount available for distribution in December 2003 is $400,000. Grants to be awarded will include postgraduate scholarships, professional development awards or special purposes grants.

For more information see http://www.genesisoncology.org.nz or contact oncology.research@genesispower.co.nz.

JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY

The Journal of the Royal Society of New Zealand 33(1): 1-495 was published on the Society’s website on 30 April.This special issue is a memorial tribute to the late Professor Doug Campbell, of Department of Geology, University of Otago. Current subscribers with subscriber passwords can access full text on screen, and bound copies will be distributed shortly. The table of contents and all abstracts are freely available at http://www.rsnz.org/publish/abstracts.php

FEAST 4: NETWORKING FOR EXCELLENCE

17-18 June 2003 Shine Dome, Canberra, AustraliaOn 17 & 18 June 2003, FEAST will hold a conference to promote scientific interchange and policy discussion between Australia and Europe.

The aims of the conference are to increase awareness of the state-of-play in research in Australia and Europe, facilitate joint research projects and provide commentary on the status of Australia-European research collaboration.

The fields that will be covered are: *agriculture and sustainable development *the role of ICT in science *life sciences, genomics and biotechnology for health *nanotechnology and nanosciences

For more information on the conference and for registration: http://www.feast.org/feast4.html or email info@feast.org

AMENDMENTS TO THE HSNO ACT

The New Organisms and Other Matters Bill was introduced to Parliament on 29 April 2003.The Bill amends the HSNO Act and makes significant changes to the Act. The Bill will have its first reading the next week and will then be referred to a Select Committee. The Committee is likely to call for public submissions. The Bill is now available from Government bookshops.

This is an important Bill for the New Zealand science community and in particular all those who use GM technology in the laboratory or intend to use it in the field.

The Bill is a complex piece of legislation containing some 40 pages of amendments to the HSNO Act. These amendments cover a very wide range of issues arising from the government’s decisions following the recommendations of the Royal Commission.

It will be important for you to find out which parts of the Bill are important for you and what effect the proposed amendments will have on you and your organisation. You may want to make a submission to the Select Committee when it calls for submissions.

Further information on the Bill will be available on the MoRST website on Friday morning – http://www.morst.govt.nz. The MfE website also has some information – http://www.mfe.govt.nz

SOCIAL SCIENCE RESEARCH FUNDING PACKAGE

A $5.2 million project to network this country’s social scientists in the tertiary education sector was announced this week by Associate Education Minister (Tertiary) Steve Maharey.The project aims to have the scientists involved share their expertise with policy makers. Mr Maharey made the announcement at a social policy research and evaluation conference in Wellington. He said most social science research capability lay in the universities and because little external funding was currently available for social science, research projects were generally project-based and often not linked to the needs of potential users, including social policy analysts in government departments. Ongoing operational funding of $1.5 million is being provided annually to support the project and a one-off capital grant of $500,000 will be available in 2004. The Tertiary Education Commission will call for proposals later this year. Additional funding will also be invested through the Foundation for Research, Science and Technology in the Budget to support social science research. Several other specific research initiatives are also being funded in the Budget to give the Government better information on which to make policy decisions. Overall funding for the package of initiatives, including the network project, is $8.6 million.

‘OXYGEN’, BY CARL DJERASSI & ROALD HOFFM

Directed by Susan Wilson CIRCA Theatre, Wellington, until 24 MayWhat is discovery? Why is it so important to be first? These are the questions that interest the characters in ‘Oxygen’, a new play at Circa Theatre, that combines the talents of two world famous scientists and authors: Carl Djerassi, Professor of Chemistry at Stanford University, ‘Father of the Contraceptive Pill’, playwright and novelist and Roald Hoffmann, the Frank H T Rhodes Professor of Humane Letters at Cornell University, Nobel Prize winner for Chemistry and published poet.

When the Nobel committee decides to award a retro-Nobel for the discovery of oxygen there appear to be three contenders: Antoine Lavoisier, the French chemical revolutionary, is the natural choice. But what about the English minister, Joseph Priestley? Or the Swede Scheele? He, the first man on earth to make oxygen got least credit for it. Alternating between Stockholm 1777 and 2001, Oxygen examines not only the discovery of the air we breathe, but also explores the nature of human beings vying to breathe in the afterglow of peer and public adoration.

Tickets $30/$24 Bookings (04) 801 7992 or http://www.circa.co.nz

PRIMARY RESOURCE FORUM 2003: FIFTY YEARS

In 2003 the Forum Focus for the Primary Resource Societies is ‘Fifty Years on’. The Forum is on 25 June, at the Albany Campus of Massey University.Speakers include Rod Oram (the ‘biofuture’), Allan Freeth (research in agribusiness), Paul Tocker (the role of the CRIs in NZ), David Wallace (the importance of research in keeping NZ farmers innovative and successful), and Ian Shaw (food quality and safety).

The Forum will be followed by a workshop where all can participate and contribute to a document that will be taken to industry, and then to our Ministers.

Details can be found at http://www.agscience.co.nz

PROCEEDINGS OF PRIMARY RESOURCE FORUM

‘Preserving New Zealand’s Wealth-Generating capacity’… a topic dear to the hearts of all New Zealanders and all scientists, and the subject of the Primary Resource Forum in 2002.Proceedings of the Forum, which include discussion papers resulting from the Forum and subsequent workshops, are now available from NZIAS@iconz.co.nz, and the Royal Society of New Zealand ($30 incl. GST, P&P).

The Proceedings cover such topics as ‘Should science be a five year career?’, ‘The missing billion dollars’, ‘The career structure in the CRIs and academia’, ‘Meeting the needs in productive ecosystem research’, ‘Michael Cullen’s inefficient peasants’, ‘Achieving optimal science’… the problems and at least some of the answers are to be found in the Proceedings.

DR WARREN WILLIAMS PRESENTED WITH MEDAL

Dr Warren Williams, a scientist working in plant genes, was presented with a New Zealand Science and Technology bronze medal at a function at Te Manawa in Palmerston North, alongside other Royal Society presentations.The medals are awarded to people who can serve as role models and demonstrate the importance of science and technology to the community. Significant importance is placed by the Royal Society on informing the lay person to increase public understanding and awareness and appreciation in science and technology, and foster a positive change in attitude.

Dr Williams, based at AgResearch Grasslands in Palmerston North, is a plant genetic resources specialist with background in the genetics and breeding of field crop and grassland plants.

Major successes in his career include breeding Grasslands Tahora and Kopu pasture species, and co-developing Grasslands Challenge and Sustain white clovers, and Grasslands Koha and Spectra serradella. Dr Williams co-edited and authored a book on white clover, and was also responsible for the Margot Forde Forage Germplasm Centre being designated the Australasian Centre for temperate grasses.

His current research involves genetic conservation and genetic analysis of plant populations, including the use of molecular markers for genetic diversity and gene mapping.

NEW ZEALAND RESEARCH DELEGATION TO EU

The European Commission’s Research Directorate has recently launched a four-year Euro 17.5 billion (NZ$35 billion) Framework Programme for Research and Technological Development (FP6).To ensure that New Zealand researchers get the most out of the FP6 opportunities, MoRST will fund and lead a delegation of leading New Zealand scientists/ research managers (selected for their relevance to the Framework 6 priorities) to Brussels from 4-6 June. The delegation members, and the areas they will cover, are: *Dr Patricia Anderson, Health Research Council, life sciences, genomics, and biotechnology for health – (contact panderson@hrc.govt.nz) *Dr Chris Kirk, Massey University, information society technologies (c.kirk@massey.ac.nz) *Prof. Jeff Tallon, Industrial Research Ltd and Victoria University of Wellington, nanotechnologies and nanosciences (J.Tallon@irl.cri.nz) *Prof. Diana Hill, Global Technologies Ltd and Marsden Fund Council, food quality and safety (contact diana@glotec.co.nz ) *Dr Ian Whitehouse, Landcare Research, sustainable development, global change and ecosystems (whitehousei@landcareresearch.co.nz) *Dr Christine Cheyne, Massey University, citizens and governance, with emphasis on science and society issues (c.m.cheyne@massey.ac.nz) *Professor Martin Holland, National Centre for Research on Europe, focusing on opportunities for NCRE to take a leadership role in facilitating research links between NZ and the EU (Martin.Holland@canterbury.ac.nz) *Dr Werner Friedrich, IRL, New Zealand’s RS&T Co-ordinator for Germany, will also participate. (german.coordinator@morst.govt.nz) *Rick Petersen, Senior Adviser, MoRST, will co-ordinate the delegation’s activities and escort the delegation on the trip (rick.petersen@morst.govt.nz)

Delegation members are required, in respect of their FP6 theme area to: *Use their existing RS&T networks, prior to departure for Europe, to publicise their participation in the delegation; and *prior to departure for Europe, receive requests for information and support from NZ research organisations and individual researchers; and *while in Europe, gather information necessary to respond to these support and information requests and to meet the reporting requirements specified below;

You are invited to circulate this information and contact the delegates if there are either specific initiatives you want more information about, and support with, or get on the circulation list for the reports generated by the delegates.

Further information on FP6, and on MoRST initiatives to enhance RS&T links, is available on the MoRST website at http://www.morst.govt.nz/global/eurounion.html.

JAMES COOK RESEARCH FELLOWSHIPS

The James Cook Research Fellowships are administered by the Royal Society of New Zealand on behalf of the Government.They are awarded to researchers who are recognised leaders in their respective fields, have the requisite qualifications and experience, and are able to demonstrate that they have achieved national and international recognition in their area of scientific or technological research.

Applications are now being sought in the following two research categories:

*Physical Sciences *Research of relevance to the peoples of New Zealand and/or the South West Pacific

The primary intention for the award of Fellowships is the recognition of sustained excellence in research. The normal term of a Fellowship is 2 years and the stipend offered for those awarded in this round will be $110,000 incl. GST per year. This increased stipend will hopefully make tenure overseas for all or part of the Fellowship more viable. Reimbursement of relevant expenses to a maximum of $10,000 annually will also be offered. Those appointed will be required to take up their Fellowships by March 2004.

Eligibility: New Zealand citizens or permanent residents. Host Institution: Fellowships will be tenable in a location and institution of the applicant’s choosing, whether in New Zealand or overseas. Closing date for application: 1 September 2003.

For further information, please contact: Executive Officer – Awards (awards@rsnz.org) or see http://www.rsnz.org/awards/james_cook/index.php

KIM HILL INTERVIEW WITH PIONEER OF DNA

Marking the 50th anniversary of DNA, Kim Hill will be interviewing the pioneer of DNA research in New Zealand, Emeritus Professor George Petersen, on Saturday 3 May at about 9.30 a.m.Professor Petersen tells the story of those early years in an article he wrote for the 50th anniversary issue of NZ Science Review. This is complemented by a contribution by Professor Dick Bellamy of Auckland University. A small number of copies (30 or so) of this special limited edition issue are available for purchase at $12 each, which includes postage. First come, first served. Email: mike.waiser@rsnz.org

LARGER IS MORE BEAUTIFUL

Comment by Royal Society Chief Executive, Dr Steve Thompson (Steve.Thompson@rsnz.org)Australia’s top R&D advisory body is the Prime Minister’s Science, Engineering and Innovation Council. At its last meeting it talked about Australian security, post-Kyoto options, and encouraging start-up companies. In December 2002 the Prime Minister announced four national research priorities: An Environmentally Sustainable Australia; Promoting and Maintaining Good Health; Frontier Technologies for Industry; and Safeguarding Australia. That looks a bit different from New Zealand’s list of strengthening our economy, environmental and social wellbeing, and developing new knowledge. Prime Minister Howard has asked each of Australia’s research agencies to build his goals into their strategic plans.

Frontier Technologies include R&D in bio-informatics, nano-technology, quantum computing and geo-informatics, ICT, digital technologies for business and media, genomics/phenomics, and advanced materials such as ceramics, organics, fabrics, polymers and light metals. New Zealand’s emphasis is on ICT, Biotechnology and Creative Industries.

In 2002, the Federal Science Minister launched an enquiry into the commitment of businesses to R&D. While Australian private sector R&D investment, at 0.7% of GDP, is more than double New Zealand’s level, it is still low by OECD standards. Australia thinks that its 950,000 firms are generally small, with 18% of them employing under 20 people. That’s ironic by New Zealand standards, where about 85% of our 270,000 or so firms employ under six people. About 3,500 Australian firms invest in research, with about three-quarters of these doing so on a sustained basis. Australia has a greater proportion of its business research conducted in firms with fewer than 100 employees than any other OECD country except Iceland. New Zealand doesn’t register on that scale because we do virtually no research in industry. In the US, 55% of business research is done by firms with over 10,000 employees!

Now, what can we do to encourage small firms to come together and develop an understanding of how new technologies might help in their business?

 
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