No. 76 January 2012

New Zealand Antarctic Research Institute Progress

The focus for the development of NZARI continues to be establishing the Board of Trustees and working on a process for the Board of Trustees to recruit a Director.  Lou has sent information on a proposed process for recruiting a Director to all New Zealand Universities and some Crown Research Institutes.

Antarctic Conservation Workshop

The combination of scientists and policy people who were at Scott Base in January 2012 presented us with a fantastic opportunity to have a small, informal workshop to discuss how scientists and policy makers can work together to tackle some Antarctic conservation challenges. We are working to forge closer working relationships with the science community; understanding the Antarctic environment and strengthening environmental protection requires a collaborative approach.

We used two examples of project work that AntNZ is planning to develop in the coming year to fuel our discussion; a proposed new approach to reporting on the state of Antarctic environments and managing non-native species risks. Jana Newman (AntNZ) convened the workshop. A report is currently being drafted, but please get in touch with Jana if you have any further questions about this: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Paul Woodgate Receives Honour

As many of you may already know, Paul Woodgate was made a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit in the 2012 honours list.  Paul was recognised for his services to transport.  I’m sure anyone who has travelled to Antarctica in the last 30 years or so will know Paul and would agree that he deserves this honour.  Congratulations Woody.

2012 SCAR Open Science Conference in Portland

The SCAR open science conference will be held in Portland from the 16^th to the 19^th July 2012.  The dates of the individual meetings are below.

• Friday 13^th - Sunday 15^th July 2012: SCAR Business meetings (SSGs and subsidiary groups)
• Monday 16^th - Thursday 19^th July: Open Science Conference
• Friday 20^th July: SCAR SSG meetings (without subsidiary groups)
• Monday 23^rd - Wednesday 25^th July: SCAR Delegates Meeting

To find out more about the conference and the meetings visit the website on: http://scar2012.geol.pdx.edu/

2012 IPY conference

If you are planning to attend the IPY “From knowledge to action” conference, the early bird registration ends on February 29, 2012.  The conference will be held in Montreal from the 22^nd to the 27^th April 2012.  Click on the following like to read more about the conference: http://www.ipy2012montreal.ca/

Ministry of Science and Innovation (MSI) Request for Proposals

MSI is calling for proposals into environmental research, with proposals due on the 4^th April 2012.    The request for proposals is attached to this e-mail.  Within this request for proposals is a specific question around Antarctic research.  More details around the investment round will be released in early February 2012.  For more information (including preliminary guidelines for applicants) go to the MSI website at: http://www.msi.govt.nz/get-funded/research-organisations/types-of-funding/environment/

Antarctica New Zealand Post-Graduate Scholarships

This is another reminder that applications for the Antarctica New Zealand scholarship are due on the 2nd March 2012.  If you are planning on applying, you should be talking to your potential supervisor and Antarctica New Zealand in the next couple of months.  More details about Antarctica New Zealand’s graduate and post-graduate Scholarships are now on the website at the following link: http://www.antarcticanz.govt.nz/scholarships-and-fellowships