In this edition:
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News From the Dean |
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News from the Australian School of Advanced Medicine |
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Opportunities |
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Events |
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Snippets | |
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Science News Archive | |
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News from the Dean |
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Dear Colleagues, The Masters of Biotechnology Transition Workshop has been running over the past two weeks and it was great to talk with the students and staff last Saturday during the lunch break. The all-day lab session is designed to give the students the opportunity to develop or review basic lab skills essential for their study this year. Feedback from the lecturers suggests that the students are already benefiting from the whole experience, and report that the students are less anxious and much better prepared for the work in both the lectures and the labs. All the students I spoke to were certainly enthusiastic about the year to come and welcomed the opportunities and experiences the workshop was providing. The ARC Discovery grants have now been delivered to Canberra . The Research Office worked tirelessly on our behalf, facing an uphill struggle with staffing shortages, an email and internet crash, as well as all the normal last minute hitches. Thank you Grants Team for all your efforts. The NHMRC applications are due today. Good luck to everyone who has submitted an application to both the ARC and the NHMRC. Some opportunities that have come across the desk this week:- 1. The Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering (ATSE) forthcoming Sir Mark Oliphant International Frontiers of Science and Technology Conference, Vaccine and Immunotherapy Technologies, 9-11 April in Canberra. The draft program and conference registration are available online:- www.oliphant.org.au/april2008.html. 2. The Australian Academy of Science, Science at the Shine Dome. The annual 3-day event, 7-9 May is open to members of the research community. As part of Science at the Shine Dome there is a special program for early-career researchers. Further details at http://www.science.org.au/sats2008/ecr.htm and http://www.science.org.au/sats2008/index.htm. 3. The Australian Flora Foundation research grants for funding in 2009. Applications for grants to support original scientific projects on the biology and cultivation of Australian plants are invited from research workers in Australia . Special interest in the following areas: Applications are in two stages with the first stage due by 24 March 2008. Further details at http://www.aff.org.au/AFF2_Call_for_applications.htm. Till next week Kevin
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Macquarie University and GE Healthcare form new medical alliance to tackle brain diseaseGE Healthcare, a unit of General Electric Company, and the Australian School of Advanced Medicine at Macquarie University are joining forces to break new ground in the early identification and treatment of brain diseases like hypertension and arteriovenous malformations (AVMs). Approximately $831 million is spent annually in Australia on the prevention and treatment of hypertension, which affects an estimated 600 million people worldwide. While AVMs are not common - the incidence is about one diagnosis per 100,000 people per year - they are the most common cause of intercerebral haemorrhage for people under 40 and therefore are of particular concern to younger people. GE Healthcare will make a significant contribution of sponsorship and equipment over three years to support neuroscience research at the school. The partnership is a major achievement for the newly established Australian School of Advanced Medicine, which provides specialty training for surgeons and physicians. Macquarie is one of the few universities to be named an international luminary research site by GE Healthcare. Other research partners include the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, Imperial College London, Oxford University and the European Cancer Centre in Milan. Macquarie University Vice-Chancellor, Professor Steven Schwartz welcomed the new agreement. "This partnership is testament to the very high quality of researchers and clinicians assembled at the new Australian School of Advanced Medicine," he said. "It's exciting to consider what benefits to patients might result from their collaboration with other leading researchers around the world based at GE's partner sites." Country Manager of GE Healthcare, Harry Simeonidis, said GE Healthcare was committed to working with the healthcare community to move the focus from treating symptomatic 'late-stage' disease to earlier pre-symptomatic detection and intervention. "Catching chronic neurological disease earlier than we do at present, will have a critical impact on healthcare providers and more importantly, patients' lives," Mr Simeonidis said. "Macquarie University will play a significant role in developing innovative ways to identify and treat some of today's most pressing neurological problems."
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Job Opportunity: Educational Designer Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources Reference No. 125452 The Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources has extensive links with the agricultural industry and a strong presence in the rural sector. Currently we have an active international, interdisciplinary research program, and there is an increasing emphasis on innovative ways of teaching. The Faculty has recently received a substantial grant to develop new teaching materials with an emphasis on problem-based learning and eLearning, and seeks a dynamic Educational Designer to manage this project. This challenging role is an outstanding opportunity to develop your skills and career in a forward thinking and vibrant environment. You will call on your solid educational research experience and information management skills to facilitate the learning activity surveys from development stages to implementation and result publication. A confident communicator, you will liaise with academic staff, conduct training sessions and present research findings at workshops. Important to this position will be your problem solving skills and proficiency in MS Office, Acrobat and Photoshop. To succeed, you will possess a research degree in Education or a related discipline and a sound understanding of learning and teaching in Higher Education and online learning. You will also need a familiarity with WebCT, a demonstrated ability to develop, administer and collate survey data and an awareness of developmental research approaches. Experience in Agricultural, Scientific, or Agricultural Economics units of study will be highly regarded, as will a flair for developing aesthetically pleasing digital material. The position is full-time fixed-term for nine months, subject to the completion of a satisfactory probation period for new appointees. Membership of a University approved superannuation scheme is a condition of employment for new appointees. Specific enquiries about the role can be directed to Fang Zhou on (02) 9036 7292. Remuneration package: $56k - $71k (which includes a base salary, leave loading and up to 9% employer's contribution to superannuation). For more information or to apply online, please visit http://positions.usyd.edu.au and search by reference number 125452 . Closing Date : 20 March 2008
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Job Opportunity: Project Officer (Research in Biology Education) The School of Biological Sciences is one of the largest units in the Faculty of Science, and is a leading provider of education across the spectrum of the biological sciences. In conjunction with two other universities, we are currently undertaking a Carrick Institute of Higher Education project: Using Threshold Concepts to Generate a New Understanding of Teaching and Learning Biology. This project aims to develop new approaches to teaching biology and to improve student learning outcomes. The School currently seeks a dynamic and committed Project Officer to run the project's daily operations. Offering flexible hours and diverse responsibilities, this part-time position is your chance to play a crucial role in an innovative initiative and build strong domestic and international networks with leading researchers. You will be responsible for a broad range of administrative responsibilities, as well as applying your high-level organisation skills to administer surveys to students in three Sydney universities and report on survey outcomes. Important to this role will be your exceptional communication skills, as you collaborate with team members and an extensive national reference group, as well as organising interviews with biologists in Australia and the UK . Your strong computer literacy, data management experience and familiarity with online communication and administration systems, such as WebCT, will enable you to maintain an online discussion forum and manage online data. Furthermore, you will oversee the production of various materials such as newsletters, guidelines and workshop resources. To succeed, you will possess a degree in (preferably) Biological Sciences, Psychology Education or Science Education. You will also need demonstrated experience in project management, data collection and budget and report preparation. Experience in educational research will be highly advantageous. A current driver's licence, will be desirable, as travel to various Sydney metropolitan university campuses will be a requirement. The position is part-time [17.5-21 hours per week] fixed-term for two years, subject to the completion of a satisfactory probation period for new appointees. Membership of a University approved superannuation scheme is a condition of employment for new appointees. Specific enquiries about the role can be directed to Fang Zhou on (02) 9036 7292. Remuneration package: $68k - $73k pro rata (which includes base salary, leave loading and up to 17% employer's contribution to superannuation).
For more information or to apply online, please visit http://positions.usyd.edu.au and search by reference number 122066 . Closing Date: 17 March 2008 _________________________________________________________
Fight Climate Change and Win Prizes for Your School Are you looking for an engaging project that empowers young people to use science to make positive changes to our world? The Macquarie University Eureka Schools Science Prize for Action Against Climate Change encourages Year 7-10 students to conduct their own research and consider science-based responses to CO 2 emissions associated with climate change. Using their home or school as a case study, students are asked to use scientific methods to identify and estimate CO 2 emissions and suggest ways these might be reduced. The Prize is especially designed to address Prescribed Focus Areas and Life Skills Outcomes in the Stages 4 and 5 of the New South Wales syllabus. The lesson plan for the Prize provides step-by-step guidelines to completing the project - from understanding the effect of CO 2 emissions on the environment, identifying sources of CO 2 emission, measuring emissions, researching ways to reduce CO 2 output and understanding ways to offset emissions. Results must be scientifically measured (it is a science prize after all!) and presented online. How students present their online results is up to them - the more creative the better. They could write a song, do a dance or rap. Or they could produce an animation, short film or website. Or perhaps do a PowerPoint presentation, film a debate or record an audio discussion. How the presentation is made is not the critical issue. What matters is how effectively the chosen Action Against Climate Change message is conveyed - and that the presentation is available for viewing online. Winners of the Macquarie University Eureka Prize for Action Against Climate Change will share over $11,000 worth of cash and prizes. Entries open February 2008 and close 5pm 2 May 2008. Competition details, entry forms and lesson plans will be available soon at: http://www.austmus.gov.au/eureka/
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Tuesday 11 March
Wednesday 12 March
Wednesday 12 March _________________________________________________________ "PLAGUE IN BLACK-TAILED PRAIRIE DOGS"
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ELS Seminar Series Departments in ELS host seminars covering a wide range of topics associated with ongoing research projects and other areas of interest. The seminars are delivered by academics, research staff, and students from within the Division, as well as guest speakers from other institutions and industry. Details of times, dates, locations and topics of seminars to be held over the next few weeks are listed here.
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SnippetsEpilepsy increases girls' fracture risk Native plants fight infections Fish get lost in acidic oceans Nanoparticles kills germs, not cells NZ Government withheld unleaded Brainy bees sniff out flowers
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