SOME ANSWERS, SOME QUESTIONS
Comment by Royal Society CEO Dr Steve Thompson (steve.thompson@rsnz.org)Last week, the Foundation for Research, Science and Technology announced new investments, such as those it will make in biomedical industries, new sauvignon blancs, and flood mitigation. In all, some $80m per year will be invested for several years. The projects chosen were outstanding – they represented the best of some very fierce competition.
That’s good news, but some organisations must inevitably lose funding when the pie is cut a different way. In this round, IRL, GNS and Canesis (formerly WRONZ) lost out. But by how much? We can’t tell because the press release talks of transition funding to assist the three to retain capabilities and try for other funding. That’s good too; transition funding is exactly what the Royal Society recommended in its recent advice paper on capabilities (www.rsnz.org/news/policy/i3_response.php), though we think it’s the OWNER’s responsibility to deal with transition arrangements, not the investor’s. Nevertheless, the effects will be cushioned so that IRL will lose $1.5m next year, compared with its total income of over $60m ($30m from FRST), while GNS and Canesis will lose under $1m each. Canesis doesn’t seem to have published its total revenue, but it gets $4.5m from FRST. Total revenue for GNS is $37m.
So the immediate losses are presented as small beer, but there’s more to come after the budget announcements on May 27. The story is not over yet.
WINNERS OF TRANSIT OF VENUS COMPETITION
Tears of joy were shed in Tolaga Bay when they learned on Tuesday that they were one of three schools to win a place on the Transit of Venus Expedition to the UK, leaving on 28 May.Nelson and Pakuranga Colleges were also selected. The surprise announcements were made at special assemblies set up by the Principals on various pretexts. Tolaga Bay teachers were led to believe that the large visitation from the British High Commission, the Freemasons (principal sponsor of the competition), British Council New Zealand, and the Royal Society, was from the Ministry of Education.
The other seven finalists, which went forward to the final selection panel, chaired by Dame Anne Salmond, were:
Burnside High School, Christchurch, Caitlyn Westbrooke, Hannah Smeele, Lucy Dalton, Lynda Keer-Keer (teacher);
Macleans College, Howick, Auckland, Lara Markstein, Amy Castle, Natalie Frew, Lesley Shepherd (teacher);
Napier Boys’ High School, Daniel Wallis, Elliot Limm, Grant McBride, Hugh Forlong-Ford (teacher);
Northcote College, Auckland Sophia Blair, Matthew Harnett, Martin Nagels, Graeme Ball (teacher, history);
St Cuthberts’ College, Epsom, Auckland, Helen Broome, Verena Tan, Sophie Rennie, Faye Booker (teacher);
Tauranga Boys’ College, Rawiri Jobe, Mark Sands, Cameron Magowan, Garry Carpenter (teacher);
Wellington Girls’ College, Jenny Choi, Isabella Doak, Josephine Hall, Raewyn Baldwin-Denton (teacher, ICT Manager).
Each school team had to produce a c5 minute video and supporting material, which in most cases was a website. The choice of topics ranged from the history of the Transit of Venus to the impact of Cook’s crew on the people of the Pacific. 72 entries were received from schools all around New Zealand. See http://www.transitofvenus.co.nz and http://www.rsnz.govt.nz/news/venus/ for further information.
EUREKA: THE TRANSIT OF VENUS
This week’s Eureka (2.00 p.m. Saturday, Monday at 8.00 p.m. and Thursdays, after the 1.00 a.m. news) is on the Transit of Venus and prefaces Radio New Zealand’s broadcast of the Royal Society’s Transit of Venus lecture series, starting Sunday 9 May at 2.00 p.m.Poet Chris Orsman and geologist Dr Hamish Campbell begin the series in Nelson, at the College of Music, Tuesday 4 May at 7.00 p.m.
It is dedicated to the late Dr Michael King, who was going to make the introduction to Dr Campbell’s lecture. For the full schedule of lectures see http://transitofvenus.auckland.ac.nz/docs/TRANSIT%20OF%20VENUS%20LECTURE%20SERIES.doc
The programme will include some of the winning school entries in the Transit of Venus competition, Chris Orsman’s poem ‘Transit’ (dedicated to Michael King), Dame Anne Salmond making the announcement at Pakuranga College, and interviews with astronomers Richard Hall, Kay Leather, Denis Sullivan, William Tobin and others.
FIRST TRANSIT OF VENUS LECTURE IN NELSON
It is unusual to begin a lecture series in Nelson.It turns out to be an inspired choice as one of the three winners in the Transit of Venus school video competition is from Nelson College. And, unbeknown to the Royal Society, the two speakers, poet Chris Orsman and geologist Dr Hamish Campbell, have many personal connections with Nelson.
The lecture, ‘How the land got here; the split from Gondwanaland and the development of our unique flora and fauna’, is at the Nelson School of Music on 4 May at 7.00 p.m. It will be broadcast on National Radio on Sunday 9 May at 2.00 p.m.
For the full schedule of lectures see http://transitofvenus.auckland.ac.nz/docs/TRANSIT%20OF%20VENUS%20LECTURE%20SERIES.doc
SCIENTISTS STAGE 24-HOUR SEARCH
In the first event of its kind in New Zealand, biologists will join forces in a race against time to find out who and what (besides humans) lives in Auckland.‘BioBlitz finding nature in the city’ is a 24-hour search for all different kinds of life, running from 3.00 p.m. Friday 30 April through until 3.00 p.m. Saturday 1 May. Organised by Landcare Research, a multi-disciplinary team of scientists will scour the forest of Dingle Dell Reserve, St Heliers, Auckland, and the bush gully and grounds of Meadowbank Primary School. They will record everything they can find, dead or alive, from plants to fungi to fish to animals, and keep a running tally. Department of Conservation, Auckland Museum, Auckland Regional Council, Unitec, and University of Auckland staff will also share their expertise.
Members of the public are welcome to come along to the BioBlitz ‘base camp’, a large marquee on Tamaki Drive at Vellenoweth Green, St Heliers, equipped with computers, microscopes and displays. Species that cannot be readily identified in the field will be brought to the base camp for examination.
BioBlitzes are regular events in the parts of the United States. It is hoped this BioBlitz will be the first of many in New Zealand.
THE SETTING RESEARCH DIRECTIONS FORUM
The Royal Society of New Zealand will be holding a forum to review and learn from the recent changes in the way that New Zealand goes about setting research priorities and to compare our systems with those used overseas.At present, Government provides high-level goals and objectives to the research, science and technology administration. Our forum will discuss the systems used by the administration to translate these goals into priorities for government investment in research. A range of systems are used overseas, with varying degrees of centralisation, prescription and complexity. The forum will investigate the strengths and weaknesses of these systems and report on international trends in priority setting. We will find out what these can tell us about the New Zealand system, its advantages and disadvantages, and what options there are for improvement.
The forum will be held on 10 June 2004, at Science House in Wellington. Speakers are coming from overseas, from the New Zealand research, science and technology administration, New Zealand research, and also from industry. We hope that many working researchers will be able to attend, taking this opportunity to engage in a dialogue with policy-makers. Prior to the forum an evidence base will be made available in order to inform the discussion. The RSNZ will provide summaries of existing relevant literature and links to in-depth studies.
For further information, see http://www.rsnz.org/news/policy/srdf/.
TRADITIONAL KNOWLEDGE CONFERENCE
Nga Pae o te Maramatanga Research Centre of Excellence, has organised this international conference to be held on 10-12 June at Te Papa Tongarewa, Wellington.The conference will address several strands of work in research, including: research with socially marginalised groups; bioethics; the challenges presented by the knowledge economy; Tikanga Māori; Matauranga and indigenous knowledge; and the rapid advances being made in new technologies.
With these issues becoming increasingly important throughout the world, the conference will provide a unique opportunity to reflect on how they affect various communities.
For more information please see http://www.researchethics.m&ori.nz.
NZ SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY MEDALS
The New Zealand Science and Technology medals were instituted by the Royal Society of New Zealand at the request of the Government to recognise and honour those who have made exceptional contributions to New Zealand society and culture through activities in the broad fields of science, mathematics, social science, and technology.The award of any medal recognises contribution beyond the bounds of the discipline or immediate work environment. This may take place through novel ways such as the media (print, radio or television) to audiences such as children, selected interest groups, Māori, or the general public.
Nominations close on 30 June 2004 and must be made via the form on http://www.rsnz.org/awards/st_medals/. Further information on the medals and nomination requirements may be obtained from the website or by emailing awards@rsnz.org.
TONY HEY TO VISIT NEW ZEALAND
The Director of the UK e-Science Core Programme, Tony Hey, will be in Wellington in early June for meetings co-hosted by NGI-NZ and NZT&E.NGI-NZ would urgently like to hear from ALERT subscribers who would be interested in meeting with Tony Hey, and what if any specific areas of interest or inquiry you would have for him. Professor Hey’s itinerary will be finalised in early May, so urgent responses are required to Debra Sturm at debra@ngi-nz.co.nz. For more information about Tony Hey and the UK e-science programme, see http://www.rcuk.ac.uk/escience and http://www.ecs.soton.ac.uk/~ajgh.
SENIOR WOMEN SCIENTISTS IN UK
Top-level women scientists in the United Kingdom still feel disadvantaged on salary and promotion compared to their male counterparts, according to a survey released this week by the Athena Project, at a conference at the University of Bristol.Women professors also feel significantly less supported by senior colleagues, less socially integrated with their department and that administrative contributions are not valued.
The report entitled ‘Athena Survey of Science Engineering and Technology (ASSET) 2003′ received responses from roughly five per cent of UK academics working in science, engineering and technology (SET) at lecturer level or above. They were asked about participation in activities that may influence career progression, career aspirations and expectations and perceptions of the barriers to the advancement of women in SET.
At the lecturer and senior lecturer levels the picture is more encouraging with similar perceptions among men and women about their personal situations. However, women at these levels are still less likely to be encouraged to apply for more senior positions.
EU/NZ JOINT MASTERS DEGREE
The European Commission and New Zealand’s Tertiary Education Commission have launched a joint call for proposals for one multilateral, student-centred project with the potential to serve as a model for future substantive and long-lasting structural EU/NZ cooperation in higher education.The project should bring together a consortium composed of at least three higher education institutions from three different EU Member States and at least two NZ tertiary institutions. The project should set up a framework for student mobility at a postgraduate level which corresponds to an EU Masters qualification by creating a consortium of EU and NZ higher education institutions. The consortium will develop a joint study programme and allow students to spend a period of study abroad. EU students will travel to NZ and vice versa. Study abroad must be fully recognised by the sending institutions in the framework of their Masters’ courses and the closing date is 16 June. See http://europa.eu.int/comm/education/programmes/calls/newzealand/newzealand_en.html for more details.
LECTURER POSITIONS IN MARINE BIOLOGY
Applications are invited for two positions of Lecturer in Marine Biology in the Department of Marine Science, University of Otago.Information about the Department of Marine Science can be found at http://www.otago.ac.nz/marinescience.
Application information and a full job description can be found at http://www.otago.ac.nz/jobs.
Specific enquiries may be directed to Associate Professor Mike Barker (mike.barker@stonebow.otago.ac.nz), Head of Department, Department of Marine Science.
Application deadline is 7 May 2004.
MACDIARMID YOUNG SCIENTISTS OF THE YEAR
The Foundation for Research, Science and Technology is proud to announce, in association with Fisher & Paykel Appliances, the MacDiarmid Young Scientists of the Year Awards gala dinner to honour New Zealand s best up-and-coming researchers and scientists.New Zealand Nobel Prize winner Professor Alan MacDiarmid will be the special guest at the dinner which will be held on 22 June at the Heritage Hotel, 35 Hobson Street, Auckland.
The new MacDiarmid Young Scientists of the Year Awards will also be attended by Ministers of the Crown, business people, leading scientists and researchers, and science communicators; some of the most influential people from the New Zealand RS&T sector.
For more information see http://www.frst.govt.nz/students/FirstAwards.cfm or contact Tracey Lewis (04) 917 7801 DDI.
EVENTS CALENDAR
Each week, new entries or changes to existing ones will be included in Alert but for a complete listing of events go to http://www.rsnz.org/news/events/.10 June The Setting Research Directions Forum at Science House, Thorndon, Wellington, see http://www.rsnz.org/news/policy/srdf/ for more details.
10-12 June Traditional Knowledge and Research Ethics Conference 2004 at Te Papa Tongarewa, Wellington. See http://www.researchethics.m&ori.nz for more details.
