BIOLOGICAL HERITAGE UPDATE
|
|
Update from Andrea Byrom, Challenge Director
Kia ora koutou,
There is never a dull moment in Challenge-land! Here’s an update on where things are at in our Challenge.
Our first full year!
The NZ’s Biological Heritage National Science Challenge has now been fully funded for almost a year and a half. We reported to MBIE on our first full year at the end of August, and I’m delighted to say that MBIE came back with a gold rating – the highest possible rating on their red/amber/green/gold scoring system. This satisfying result represents a huge amount of hard work by our Science Leadership Group, Governance Group, Support Team, advisory groups, and of course all 17 of our Challenge Parties. I’d like to take this opportunity to thank everyone – scientists, research offices, and Challenge Party representatives – for your support, advice, good humour, and most of all the science expertise you bring to this Challenge.
Aligned research
One tangible example of the support our Challenge Parties can give us is in the research they have chosen to align. Over the first year of Challenge activity, our Parties have aligned more than $55M of research activities. Over the coming year, our job is to work with all the Parties to clarify how this significant body of work aligns with our Challenge Mission. We’re also in a much better position to showcase research highlights from the work – don’t hesitate to get in touch with me or with our Communications Manager Glenda Lewis if you have a story you would like us to highlight.
International Science Advisory Panel
Some of you may already have caught up with the fact that we have appointed an International Science Advisory Panel (ISAP). We are very excited to have secured their international expertise and perspective. The first meeting of the panel in person will be in May next year during our Challenge conference (see below).
Contestable funding: decisions imminent
Decisions from our contestable funding round are almost complete, with peer reviews of the full proposals received from most of the ISAP. Our Science Leadership Group will be making recommendations to the Challenge’s Governance Group this week, and we hope to be in touch with the successful bidders shortly after that. So watch this space!
Genetic and genomic technologies for NZ’s Biological Heritage
Some of you may have seen that the Challenge is funding a position paper on the use of genetic and genomic technologies for protecting and managing NZ’s biological heritage. This work will be led by Professor Peter Dearden from the University of Otago. Representatives from all Challenge Parties have been invited to contribute, so if you haven’t already heard about this and you’re interested, talk to your official Challenge Party representative. The process from there is that Programme 1 Leader Thomas Buckley is compiling a list of contributors. The aim will be to target the position paper at a high-profile international journal.
Challenge conference: 8-10 May 2017
Plans are now well underway for our Challenge conference at Te Papa, 8-10 May 2017. We have already secured an exciting line-up of national and international speakers (including our International Science Advisory Panel members). The aim of this conference is to mix science and policy, traverse some hot topics such as freshwater issues, Predator-Free NZ 2050, Biosecurity 2025, indigenous management of biological heritage, social licence and partnerships in the management of biological heritage, and much more. Keep an eye out for a call for abstracts shortly.
Letter from Universities NZ to Challenges and CoREs
Quite a few of you have asked me about the recent letter from Universities NZ to Science Challenges and Centres of Research Excellence, taking issue with the fact that some of these entities have requested reduced overheads on researchers. I can confirm that our Challenge has never officially requested reduced overheads on any science projects.
In the next newsletter
More on our upcoming conference, a quick update on Predator-Free NZ 2050 and Biosecurity 2025, the appointment of a permanent Kāhui Māori, and some highlights from our science projects and from aligned research from our Challenge Parties.
Ngā mihi,
Andrea
|
|
From the newsfeed
MSc/Hons project available: Novel methods to monitor the presence and distribution of native and pest fish species in New Zealand freshwater
Here's a great student opportunity - an MSc/Hons research project in eDNA detection of freshwater fish. Read more...
Wasps in the media
Professor Phil Lester (Victoria University of Wellington) spoke to the Nelson Science Society about the research he is leading to eliminate wasps. Phil said it was appropriate that he was giving the talk in Nelson, which he said was the "wasp capital of New Zealand". Read more...
High-Tech Solutions to Invasive Mammal Pests
A Challenge research grant will help rat eradication expert Dr James Russell (University of Auckland) and his team attack the problem of invasive mammals at a molecular level. They are looking at an array of solutions such as species specific lures and toxins. Read more...
For regular postings of information and upcoming events, visit the News & Events page on the Challenge website.
If you have upcoming events you’d like us to include, contact Glenda Lewis at glendajanelewis@gmail.com.
|
|
For more information
Visit our website: www.biologicalheritage.nz
Or email Challenge support staff: support@biologicalheritage.nz
Biological Heritage Updates come out intermittently, and a full list of back issues is available.
|
|
|
|
