BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES DEPARTMENT MATTERS | April 15, 2016

Dear all,

I hope you all had a good week while I was on holiday! Back for graduation ceremony this afternoon where many of our HDR students as well as undergraduates will be looking splendid in their robes. Join them in the marquee afterwards!

cheerio

Michelle

Save the Date

This section will keep you informed of the events and meetings that are of specific interest within the Department.

This coming week 18th – 22nd April

Thu 21st; Genesearch Morning Tea; 10.30 – 11:00am; E8A-280 (tea room).

The following week 26th – 29th April

Tue 26th; R-Users Group – Reading and Writing Data in R; 3.00 – 5:00pm; E8A-280 (tea room).

Wed 27th; Department morning tea and Labtech Morning Tea; 10;30 – 11:00am; E8A-280 (tea room).

Coming up

Wed 15th – Fri 17th June; 2016 Annual HDR Conference; 9am onwards each day; Location TBA.

Aug 20th; Open Day

General News and Announcements

Australia-Germany Joint Research Cooperation Scheme

Please be advised that an information session will be held on the Australia-Joint Research Cooperation Scheme this Tuesday, 19 April from 1:20pm to 2:00pm in building E3A, Seminar room 244 (level 2).

A representative from the DAAD will be in attendance and there will be a presentation by Kerrie Thornton, from Universities Australia. An overview of Macquarie University’s internal application process will also be provided. Please direct any questions to <research.preaward@mq.edu.au>.

Applications:

The aims of the scheme are to:

• foster research collaboration of the highest quality between Australian researchers from participating Universities Australia member universities and German researchers from German universities, research institutes and universities of applied sciences; and
• produce research outcomes and the exchange of skills and knowledge of mutual benefit to Australia and Germany.

Macquarie University will provide funding for three (3) projects of up to AUD$12,500 p.a over two years starting in 2017 (AUD$25,000 in total). This funding is to support  living and travel expenses for Macquarie researchers to spend time at partner institutions in Germany. Further details on the scheme’s aims and eligibility requirements are in the attached supporting information and available from the Universities Australia website.

An Expression of Interest (EoI) stage will be held to determine which proposals will proceed to the full application. The deadline for the EoI stage is 9:00am (AEST) Monday 2 May. The attached EoI form must be used for this stage of the scheme.The EoI applications will be assessed by representatives from each Faculty – the composition of the panel is still being determined at present.

Proposals selected to prepare a full application will be advised in mid-May to ensure adequate time to prepare a proposal for the deadline of 17 June set by Universities Australia.

Macquarie presentation re DAAD scheme 19.4.16

Australia-Germany Joint Research Cooperation Scheme FAQs

Australia-Germany Joint Research Cooperation Scheme Terms and Conditions 2016

Australia-Germany Joint Research Cooperation Scheme_EoI Form_DAAD_2016

Plant of the Week

Palm Grass – Setaria palmifolia  – great for aviaries, but don’t let this one escape into bushland.

New Collaborations in Rob Harcort’s Lab

Dr. Alastair Baylis will be an Honorary Associate collaborating with Rob Harcourt until 3 April, 2019.

“I am broadly interested in marine predator foraging and population ecology. My ongoing research is at the Falkland Islands, where I study sea lions and fur seals to understand how marine predator populations have responded to past changes in ocean climate, and the ecological and genetic consequences of historical population crashes. My research at the Falklands also examines individual specialization in foraging and its influence on offspring survival, competition between the sexes, and juvenile dispersal. Further project details are available at: https://albaylis.wordpress.com/”

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Dr Rebecca McIntosh is collaborating with Rob Harcourt until 14 February, 2019.

“I am a Research Scientist at Phillip Island Nature Parks where I work on marine predator demography and ecology and became an Honorary Associate of the Marine Predator Research Group to facilitate our research collaborations. I have spent the last 15 years working on various species of seals in Australian waters, including Macquarie Island in the sub-Antarctic and the islands of South Australia. Much of my work has involved studying the life history and demography of the endangered Australian sea lion. At Phillip Island, my research focusses on Australian fur seals and Little penguins. For the Australian fur seal I am monitoring population trends, entanglement rates in marine debris and diet. My research on the Little penguin includes their foraging behaviour and how this is affected by oceanographic conditions and prey distribution.”

NatureJobs Notice and Feedback

The HDR Committee has placed at NatureJobs an ‘open call’ notice about PhD scholarship opportunities (http://www.nature.com/naturejobs/science/jobs/577619-phd-scholarships-department-of-biological-sciences-faculty-of-science-and-engineering-macquarie-university). Please let me know (ian.wright@mq.edu.au) if you receive enquiries via this advertisement, to help us assess whether this sort of thing works and is good value-for-money.

INSTRON Usage

There have been a number of requests to use the INSTRON material strength testing machine so far this year. Inductions take time, and so I am planning a group induction. If you anticipate needing to use the INSTRON this year (or have a student who might need to), please let me know <joshua.madin@mq.edu.au>.

Opening for HEW 7 Technical Manager for Physics and Astronomy, Macquarie University

An advertisement is now online for the position of Technical Team Manager for the Department of Physics and Astronomy, Macquarie University.

The position is fulltime continuing at HEW Level 7 and is open to internal and external candidates. The closing date is 8 May 2016.

Full details may be found at this address

http://jobs.mq.edu.au/cw/en/job/496933/technical-team-manager

2016 Nikon Small World Competition

Entries are now being sought for the Nikon Small World Photographic Competition and/or the Nikon Small World Image in Motion movie Competition for the 2016/2017 year.

Entries for the Small World contest can be uploaded directly to the MicroscopyU servers at the following URL:

https://www.microscopyu.com/smallworld/registration/entrypage1.aspx

Entries for Small World in Motion can be uploaded directly to the MicroscopyU servers at the following URL:

https://www.microscopyu.com/smallworld/videoregistration/entrypage1.aspx

The first place winner wins $3,000 and monetary prizes are also given to the top 20. You can read the rules and prizes listed at MicroscopyU.

The deadline is Saturday, April 30th, 2016. There is no “upper” size limit. If you have trouble entering your images, you may also email entries directly to <eclark@magnet.fsu.edu>.

Each contestant will receive a 2017 full color Small World Calendar in November, compliments of Nikon. The entries for each of these contests are judged separately and you are eligible to enter and win BOTH competitions. Nikon Small World has grown to be the largest photographic competition in the world with the winners images being displayed to over 500 million people each year worldwide.

The Small World gallery of winning images graces the covers and pages and websites of some of the worlds most respected publications including Nature, CNN, National Geographic, and Scientific American, just to name a few. Exhibits containing the winning entries are displayed at museums and science centers throughout the U.S. and Canada and has hung at the National Academy of Science in Washington DC.

Thank you for your time and consideration and if you have any trouble with your entry or have any questions, please contact Eric Clark at eclark@magnet.fsu.edu

Missing Artwork

Libby Eyre is looking for an artwork produced for the Animal Magic exhibition held in the Biology Museum in 2001. It is a quilt that was apparently bought by the University. She has asked the Art Gallery but found no leads. If you have an inkling of where it might be please contact her <libby.eyre@mq.edu.au>.

Anyone need a four week retreat on the Central Coast in June/July?

Dan W. and Teresa I. are off to meetings and fieldwork from mid-June to mid-July, and we’re looking for someone to cat-sit for us if possible.  Our house is north of Sydney near Woy Woy, about an hour and fifteen minutes from MQ by train.  It’s near the top of the hill in Horsfield Bay, almost in a national park, absolutely crowded by dense trees and vegetation on all sides.  It’s amazing for bird watching, has NBN access, and good spaces for working.  It would be a great retreat for a non-cat-allergic grad student or postdoc, or a couple looking to get away.  Preferably no kids though, as we don’t want to freak the kitties out too much.  Rent is free as long as you feed and pet the cats and tell them they are elegant little gentlemen (they are, see attached photographic evidence).  Please email dan.warren@mq.edu.au if you’re interested.

MQ Biology Intern Looking for Accommodation

Our new Lizard Lab intern, Anna Kuechler, from Germany is looking for accommodation in Sydney from 7 August until 9 October 2016. If you have any leads please contact her at: <anna.kuechler89@gmail.com>

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