Global guidelines for the sustainable use of non-native trees to prevent tree invasions and mitigate their negative impacts
Brundu, Giuseppe, Aníbal Pauchard, Petr Pyšek, Jan Pergl, Anja M. Bindewald, Antonio Brunori, Susan Canavan, ... Johannes J. Le Roux, et al. NeoBiota 61 (2020): 65. | Find with Google Scholar »
|
Message from the HoD
Dear all,
This week was a great reminder of all the exciting research going on in the Department with two days of wonderful presentations by our HDR/MRes students. On behalf of the Department, our thanks to all of the students that presented their work, all of the session chairs for keeping things on track, to Ajay and Julian for organising and hosting the conference, and of course to everyone else for tuning in to listen, support and ask questions at such a busy time. Despite the disruptive effects of COVID this year, it is heartening to see such a vibrant research culture in the Department.
Cheers – Nathan
Group Zoom photo to celebrate the marvelously successful MRes and PhD seminars:
Save the Date
This Coming Week
19th-23rd October: ECR Careers Events, part 1; see below
Tue 20th October: Queers in Science NSW Chapter Launch; see below.
Future Events
Thu 29th October: Pride in Diversity online learning series, 12:30pm -2:00pm; see below.
5th-10th November: 6WW (E8C) Electrical Shut-down; see below.
Mon 16th November, COB: Finance and Travel admin deadline; see below.
Wed 9th December, 9am-5pm: SAVE THE DATE for the Biological Sciences Research Retreat; venue and further details to come soon.
Weekly Events
Wed, 1-2pm: Department Seminar, Zoom link will be emailed out.
Mon-Fri: morning writing sessions on Zoom with HDR Learning Skills; see below.
General News and Announcements
MUST READ – 6 Wally’s Walk (E8C) Electrical Shut-Down Planned for 5th-10th November
There will be a planned Electrical shutdown in 6WW (E8C) from Thursday 5th November to Tuesday 10th November 2020 to replace the main electrical board for the building.
ALL POWER, PHONES AND INTERNET will be shut down. For safety reasons, the building will be closed, and NO ONE WILL BE ALLOWED TO ENTER.
Those impacted are asked to work from home; if this is not an option, please contact Marita Holley before COB Friday 23rd October to arrange an alternative lab or office space for the duration of works.
End of Year – Processing Deadlines via Admin team = 16th November, 2020
The end of the year is approaching fast! The admin team needs your help to ensure all administration processes are finalised before the university shuts down. Any items below that don’t have a due date yet will be updated in due course.
To help us carry out your request, please email fse.bio-adm@mq.edu.au
|
Area |
Task |
Date |
|
Administration Contacts |
|
Finance |
-New orders -Invoices to Pay -Invoice Requests/Funds -Journal Requests (transferring expenses between accounts) -Non-order payment forms/Reimbursements -One-off Payments -Account Reconciliations -Stationery Orders -Store Purchases |
Monday 16 November 2020, Close of Business |
Sharyon O’Donnell Department Manager 9850 8179
Erin Cheng (Travel, Purchasing) 9850 4227
Harriet O’Sullivan (Purchasing) 9850 4188
Jenny Ghabache Administrator and Outreach Coordinator 9850 4230
Kate Barry – Administrator Academic 9850 8267
Phil Dartnell – Administrator Academic (Casual appointments) 9850 8182
Julian May (Travel, HDR) 9850 4288
Veronica Peralta Finance and Staff Administrator (Fixed-term appointments) 9850 9235 |
|
|
Finance/Other |
Travel |
Monday 16 November 2020, Close of Business |
||
|
Finance/Other |
Concur |
Dates to be provided by University Procurement |
||
|
HR |
Casuals: -New Appointments -Changes to Existing Appointments -Final Timesheet Submission |
Dates to be provided by Bio Admin |
||
|
HR |
Fixed Termers: -New & Further Appointment of Fixed Term Staff |
Tuesday 3 November Close of Business (December Dates to be provided by Bio Admin) |
||
|
HR |
Fixed Termers: -Changes to Existing Appointments |
Dates to be provided by Bio Admin |
What Happens to 2020 Funds?
Grants ending this year, funds in operating accounts or 2020 approved HDR funds may be absorbed by the faculty. Please spend funds by the above dates to prevent this happening.
If you hold a research grant and need an extension, request one as soon as possible. Please contact Veronica Peralta, veronica.peralta@mq.edu.au if you are unsure about how to do this.
What if I can’t meet the deadlines?
Please contact the Department Manager Sharyon O’Donnell.
Admin understand that requests may be needed after these dates but we cannot guarantee that your request will be met due to our extreme workload during this busy time. If we cannot process your request, it will be held for processing in 2021.
Admin may have a closed-door policy, dependent on the workload.
Baby News!
Congratulations to Nick Harris on the birth of daughter Fern Anne Harris on 11th October 2020! At 2.18kg, she came a little earlier than expected at 34 weeks, but she’s doing great. Mum and bub are doing very well.
L&T: New Academic Integrity Insights features in Turnitin
Additional features have been enabled in Turnitin that can help with identifying academic misconduct such as contract cheating and text manipulation to hide plagiarism.
These include Flags of inconsistencies and Document Details that provide a focus for further review of potential academic misconduct. The attached document provides details and steps on how to access the new features and the Learning Innovation Hub will be updating online guides: New academic integrity features in Turnitin
Of course, multiple approaches are needed to encourage and maintain academic integrity (Turnitin is only a small part) and a larger initiative is currently underway to promote academic integrity at Macquarie. Some great resources and strategies are outlined in the Teche article, Three ways to enhance academic integrity in your unit and also in the recently developed TEQSA Academic Integrity Toolkit.
MQRIS funding Schemes
MQRIS large and small funding schemes should be opening in a week’s time. If anyone intends to apply to this internal scheme, please contact Andrew Barron <andrew.barron@mq.edu.au>
Library renewal: Do you use Descriptions of Fungi and Bacteria to support your research or teaching?
Please forward a short response to Fiona Jones (fiona.jones@mq.edu.au) by Thursday 22 October 2020. You may like to comment on:
- The importance of this resource for your research and/or teaching
- Whether the content can be accessed via any alternate means
The Library appreciates your engagement with the collection development process. This year a very detailed evaluation process accompanies all our renewal recommendations due to budget considerations.
Remembering Our Nonna, Mother Teresa
If you have not left a message of condolence, please contact <jenny.ghabache@mq.edu.au> to have it included in the digital card sent to Teresa’s family.
Teresa was part of the Faculty and Biology family for 11 years from 2004 to 2015 and before that in Purchasing for 22 years from 1981 to 2004.
She retired twice, once from Purchasing and lastly from Biology in 2015.
Those of you who were lucky enough to meet Teresa will remember her kindness, warmth, work dedication, her delicious biscuits and so much more.
Department Vehicles – New contact
Josh Griffiths has now taken over managing all department vehicles from Tarun. Any vehicle related inquiries, induction requests, or key safe access please contact Josh via josh.griffiths@mq.edu.au, or 9850 7484.
Purchasing: OneHelp approval required for anything IT-related
This covers: computers (and notebooks, laptops, phones), cameras, hard drives, software, services (including subscriptions), and all computer peripherals (keyboard, mouse, dock, webcam, headset, etc.).
1x. If unsure, just submit a OneHelp ticket with a description/links/attachments of what you want to buy; FSE IT can give you a quote.
1a. If ordering from a preferred supplier, submit a OneHelp ticket and FSE IT will help you.
1b. If ordering from outside standard options/suppliers (including custom computers or services), then you will need to submit a OneHelp ticket for CIO approval – this is a fast process.
2a. [Admin purchase – hardware] When you receive approval, forward emails with OneHelp approval + any quotes to fse.bio-adm@mq.edu.au, and admin can assist with making the purchase.
2b. [Credit card purchase – some software and services] IF you are able to buy the product (e.g. software licence) on a corporate credit card, then you will need to attach a copy of the OneHelp approval to your card reconciliation.
3. If you are given a purchase order number from admin for a computer/IT hardware, attach this number to the OneHelp ticket; this allows FSE IT to match-up your ticket with the item when it is delivered.
Queers in Science NSW chapter launch Tue 20th Oct 6-7pm
Queers in Science is a growing Australian network that promotes visibility of LGBTIQ STEMM professionals and to the LGBTIQ and wider community. QiS welcomes those who identify as queer and allies. Several MQ staff are driving the etsablishment of the NSW chapter.
On October 20 (6-7pm) we will launch the NSW Chapter with Converstations with Queer scientists (Alice Motion, Emelie Ens and Hérve Sauquet) discussing spanning citizen science involving indigenous communities, Breaking Good to discover new drugs with citizen scientists, and connecting Queer Scientists via Mardi Gras events.
Come along for some great dicussion – Register here: https://bit.ly/36DpGfL #scicomm
Pride in Diversity online learning series, October – limited places!
Trans Pride in a Pandemic
This is a four-part online forum series with two remaining dates for trans and gender diverse people and allies, developed in partnership by ACON and Trans Pride Australia with funding support by the City of Sydney. Every forum is free and all speakers are paid. Register for one, some, or all forums.
Forums will take place on Thursdays 6-7pm:
- Gender Euphoria :: A New Narrative – 29 October
Plant of the Week – Euphorbia peplus – Petty Spurge, Radium Weed
Petty Spurge, or Euphorbia peplus, is a rather nondescript garden weed, common in gardens throughout Australia. However, for many older Australians, its white milky sap was well-known as a grandmother’s remedy for numerous skin blemishes, including warts, corns, sun spots and ulcers, but now, thanks to a very determined Australian chemist, backed up by CSIRO, a key component has been sussed out, patented, approved and commercialised for some skin cancer treatments.
Plant of the week – Euphorbia peplus – Petty Spurge – Radium Weed
OPPORTUNITIES
$15,000 Tech Voucher grants to support SME / University Partnerships
MQ has available ~$120K for tech vouchers to support SME (small to medium enterprise) partnerships. The funds are to be allocated between now and the middle of next year. Each grant is for up to 15K, to be matched by the SME. Information about the scheme can be found at https://www.business.nsw.gov.au/support-for-business/innovation-and-research/techvouchers. Contrary to what the website says, applications related to research to be done in partnership with MQ are being accepted.
This scheme could represent a way for ECRs to catalyse industry connections and hopefully pave the way for a long-term relationship – potentially very useful in a time of tight budgets.
The scheme can:
- seed a research project in partnership with a BBIP delivery partner
- support a research project that will lead to an application for an Entrepreneurs’ Infrastructure Programme Research Connections or Accelerating Commercialisation, or other similar scheme
- fund access to research facilities and equipment such as electron microscopes, medical imaging, e-research supercomputers, nanofabrication, marine and climate infrastructure, and other BBIP delivery partner facilities
- fund product or process design activities, such as engineering or technical design expertise to determine prototype structure, function and/or materials
- access technical assistance
- trial production runs or processes to demonstrate technical concepts
- validate or demonstrate technical capabilities of a product, process or technology
- fund toxicology studies on materials you have invented, or wish to incorporate into a new product.
This is the final year where MQ will receive a set allocation within this scheme and to date this scheme has been underutilised. In future years this will be a competitive scheme across institutions. This is a very good opportunity to get in now.
If you would like more information or support to progress an application for a TechVoucher, please contact PVC Research Innovation Professor Dan Johnson (dan.johnson@mq.edu.au).
Looking for volunteers?
Want some help with your research or fieldwork? Contact Jenny Ghabache jenny.ghabache@mq.edu.au for the list of people that have registered their interest in doing volunteer work in our Dept.
Recruiting Mentors for the BioTech Future Challenge
The BIOTech Futures team are seeking academics to mentor high school students under the BIOTech Futures Challenge 2020, a large outreach event hosted by the Australian Research Council (ARC) Training Centre for Innovative BioEngineering (Director: Prof Hala Zreiqat), in conjunction with our many partner institutes and centres.
This is a fantastic opportunity for academics, postdocs and research students (all can be mentors) to work together with high school students and inspire the next generation of young scientists. As an academic mentor, you will be guiding one to several teams of high school students on an innovative project in science, engineering, medicine, etc. that is related to your research area. The teams will conduct their research and design for the project, and present their ideas and findings in a short presentation at our end-of-year symposium.
Please find some additional information regarding the event below. For more detailed information about our expectations for mentor commitment, please see the attached “Final Statement of commitment” document. More information can be found on the website https://biotechfutures.org/ or contact biotech.futures@sydney.edu.au.
Please register as a mentor through our Google form. Mentors have the choice of submitting possible projects or to work with students who develop their own project. https://forms.gle/q5wRkHzeCca8gn7p9
Working With Children Check (WWCC). This is not required for registration – we will ask you to update when we’re allocating projects. You can apply or renew at https://www.kidsguardian.nsw.gov.au/child-safe-organisations/working-with-children-check (free for volunteers).
SEMINARS AND WORKSHOPS
ECR Careers Events, part 1: Mon 19th – Fri 23rd Oct
This year, the ECR Network team have put together a suite of career-related events which will occur over two separate weeks: one in October (details below) and one in November (details to come). All events will be held online however for some workshops there will be limited capacity. Where possible, events will be recorded and made available through the ECR Website.
- Mon 19 Oct, 10:30am-12pm: AltAc: Academics out of Academia
- Tue 20 Oct, 11:30am-2pm: Career (re)Planning: Starting with YOU
- Thur 22 Oct, 10:30am-12:30pm: Looking beyond the company website: Developing your business research skills
- Fri 23 Oct, 1-2:30pm: Networking 101: Preparation and Practice
For details of all workshops and registration links, go to the ECR Careers website: tinyurl.com/mq-ecr-careers2020
Mock Interviews
Mock Interviews: Interviewing for jobs can be challenging. Over the last few years, we have been offering mock-interviews for Students, Postdocs and Casual staff who have been shortlisted for one. If you are shortlisted for an interview and would like to do a mock before the real deal, please email Ajay [ajay.narendra@mq.edu.au] with relevant information [job description, application, mode of the interview – online or in person]. We will put together a relevant panel to help you prepare for your interview.
Online Statistics Workshops
Insight Research Services Associated is proud to be presenting three workshops online in October/November 2020. 2020.11 Insight Online
* October 24/25: A Gentle Introduction to Statistics in SPSS and R
* October 28/29: Introduction to Linear and Logistic Regression
* November 4/5: Introduction to Longitudinal Data Analysis
These workshops are aimed at non-statisticians as well as statisticians new to these fields. Please read the attached flyer for more information, or visit our website at <https://insightrsa.com/workshops/upcoming>. For questions please contact Mark Griffin at m.griffin@insightrsa.com or by phone on 0448 176 926.
To keep up to date with the training programs being delivered by Insight please consider joining our email list at <https://insightrsa.com/connect-with-us>.
Venture Café – will be convening their community online, via Zoom, and offering the #ThursdayGathering programming in a Virtual format.
For more information visit: https://venturecafesydney.org/whats-on-this-week
HDR NEWS AND OPPORTUNITIES
Rice Field Research Award – applications open!
This award is open to PhD candidates and MRes candidates undertaking their second year in 2021, enrolled in the Department of Biological Sciences. The scheme is supported by a bequest by the Rice Memorial Fund, established in the memory of Barbara Rice (1944-2009).
The award supports field work activities, by providing funding of $1000. Field research is interpreted as research undertaken in outdoor environments where wild populations of the study organism occur. The award will be given to a postgraduate research student who is judged to have prepared the best proposal towards their future field research, with the funds to be spent on that research within a year of receipt.
The application is to be signed and emailed to the Head of Department (fse.bio-hod@mq.edu.au) before the closing date: 30th November 2020. The application form with further details is attached: Rice Memorial Field Research Proposal Award_2020
- In conjunction with the ASHB Conference, 7-8 Dec 2020; abstract submissions due Thur 22 Oct.
King’s Park summer scholarships (Western Australia)
- To undertake a 12-week research project under the supervision of scientists at the Biodiversity Conservation Centre, King’s Park and Botanic Garden, WA. Includes stipend of $7000 and operating costs. Applications close 30 Oct 2020.
- USD$2000 towards research costs; applications close 31 Oct 2020.
Wine Australia top-up scholarships(PhD and MRes)
- Top-up stipend of approx. $6000 p.a. (to bring total to $35,000 p.a.) + $10,000 operating funds p.a. Applications close 6 Nov 2020.
Morning Writing Sessions on Zoom
Are you keen to carve out some (or more) focused time for writing or working on your respective projects? Here’s your motivation!
Florence Chiew from HDR Learning Skills is running daily 9-10am sessions on Zoom, for anyone wanting to establish a focused work routine.
From next week onwards, Huong Ly Tong, a current PhD candidate from the Faculty of Medicine, Health and Human Sciences, will be hosting an additional Zoom session from Mondays to Wednesdays, 10am-12pm. Ly will be using the pomodoro technique for her sessions.
If you’ve been looking for ways to dedicate and protect your time to focus on your work/projects, these sessions are for you. All are welcome! No need to register, just show up when you can, as often as you can or would like to.
Mondays to Fridays, 9am-10am: https://macquarie.zoom.us/j/171886921
Host: florence.chiew@mq.edu.au
Mondays to Wednesdays, 10am-12pm: https://macquarie.zoom.us/j/84482783098?pwd=K0JNRE1tQmo0WWhUd2UxSHRIRFlOUT09
Password: 607014
Host: huong-ly.tong@students.mq.edu.au
HDR Domestic Applications (scholarship) close 31st October 2020
Supervisors, please be reminded that new Domestic candidature and SCHOLARSHIP applications (PhD, MRes year 2 direct entry) are due 31st October 2020 by 11 pm, for programs starting 2021.
Please contact culum.brown@mq.edu.au if you have potential students, to make a preliminary assessment of their eligibility.
Program info and the submission link are on the HDR How to Apply webpage.
Program info and the submission link are on the HDR How to Apply webpage.
CSIRO Postgraduate scholarships
CSIRO PhD Top-up Scholarships are worth AUD 7,000 per year, plus an operating budget of up to AUD 10,000 per year. Projects offered:
Health and Biosecurity
– Self-limiting genetic control of invasive vertebrate pests (zebrafish)
Agriculture and Food
– Various, including sustainable production and genome “bioprediction”
Land and Water
– Fire, termites and tree hollows: is there a trade-off between habitat condition and carbon storage in tropical savannas? (based in Darwin)
– Spaceborne LiDAR as a vegetation biomass scaling tool
– River flows and aquatic predator ecology in tropical river-floodplains of northern Australia
Oceans and Atmosphere
– Coral characteristics and processes for modelling and restoration
– Image capture and deep-learning applications to fisheries research
Applicants must already have University PhD admission and a stipend, and an university supervisor who is willing and able to supervise. Applicants who already commenced their PhD studies must be less than 12 months into their PhD as of 1 January 2021. Recipients should generally be Australian citizens or permanent residents; tnternational applicants must have the appropriate immigration approvals to allow them to take up the scholarship.
Applications close 31st October 2020; see: https://www.csiro.au/en/Careers/Studentships/Postgraduate-scholarships
Attention all Unit Convenors
Now is the time to mention the Master of Research program to your students. Students at all levels will benefit from knowing about post-bachelor options, and many of our best MRes students have started out volunteering with research groups very early in their bachelor degree program.
We encourage all unit convenors to carve out 2-3 minutes to talk about:
– We are a very research active department.
– We encourage students to volunteer and participate.
– The cool things that you are doing in your research!
– For a 2021 S1 start applications are due at the end of October.
Attached here: – 2021 MRes-Recruitment is some AV which you may find useful. Any student with questions about the Biology MRes program are encouraged to contact the BPhil/MRes Yr. 1 advisor: Matthew Kosnik <Matthew.Kosnik@mq.edu.au>.
THIS AND THAT
Be COVID Safe – clean meeting rooms after use
Please be reminded to clean meeting rooms, such as the Tearooms after use. This includes wiping down surfaces and used equipment like computers and keyboard.
Please do your part to look after the health of the University.
Outreach Activities
Have You Participated in an Activity for Biology Recently? Don’t forget to fill in the super-quick form here – ACCESS OUTREACH FORM HERE
Call out for Social Media Content
We are looking to feature a different student each week on the Biology Social Media accounts. If you would like to share your research or fieldwork with the public, please send photos and a short blurb about your work to Jenny Ghabache: <jenny.ghabache@mq.edu.au>
Correct Method for Submitting to Department Matters
Department Matters submissions now have their own email address. Please send all your news items for the newsletter to <fse.bionewsletter@mq.edu.au>
Have You Missed Out on an Issue of Department Matters? Back issues can be found at this newsletter archive link for your reading pleasure.
New Publications
First record of the rare deep-sea polychaete Rhamphobrachium (Rhamphobrachium) agassizii (Annelida: Onuphidae) in European waters
Arias, Andrés, and Hannelore Paxton. Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom 100, no. 5 (2020): 719-724. | Find with Google Scholar »Refined Shortest Paths (RSP): Incorporation of topography in space use estimation from node-based telemetry data
Niella, Yuri, Hugo Flávio, Amy F. Smoothey, Kim Aarestrup, Matthew D. Taylor, Victor M. Peddemors, and Robert Harcourt. Methods in Ecology and Evolution (2020). https://doi.org/10.1111/2041-210X.13484 | Find with Google Scholar »Future of Ecology? Unsolved Problems in Ecology (book review)
Mark Westoby. Trends in Ecology and Evolution 2020, 35(10): 860-862. | Find with Google Scholar »In the Media
Professor Culum Brown was interviewed by ABC Pilbara on sharks.
Read more »
Julianna Kadar was interviewed on ABC Radio Melbourne Conversation Hour regarding her research on shark behaviour.
Read more »
Associate Professor Michelle Power was featured on ABC Radio Sydney Drive explaining zoonotic diseases.
Read more »
Professor Culum Brown provided comment to ABC Online about the reasons to protect sharks.
Read more »
Dr Alessandro Ossola was interviewed by Nature Index in relation to different career paths to succeed after a PhD.
Read more »
Professor Robert Harcourt provided comment to The Guardian about La Niña’s possible influence on shark feeding habits as the 2020 shark attack death toll reaches the highest number in 86 years.
Read more »
Associate Professor Darrell Kemp was interviewed on ABC Radio Sydney Saturday Breakfast about butterflies.
Read more »
Professor Culum Brown was interviewed on ABC Radio Sydney Afternoons regarding the documentary My Octopus Teacher.
Read more »
Distinguished Professor Lesley Hughes was featured on ABC Online regarding government investment in science and technology research.
Read more »