MBS Bulletin

The current issue of the Faculty Office Bulletin is now available at:
http://www.microbiology.adelaide.edu.au/faculty/

Health cover causing you pain?  Well, look no further…  It won’t hurt as much with Mutual Community and the University of Adelaide Health Plan.

Members of the University of Adelaide Corporate Health Plan will enjoy a special ‘no excess’ offer.  Choose from Mutual’s Top, Intermediate or Saver Level 2 corporate cover options and if you go into hospital, you won’t have to pay your excess.  The University of Adelaide Corporate Health Plan will pay it for you!

See attachment for more information.  Health Plan

You are invited to a Crown Scientific product display and morning tea at 10.00am on Wednesday 17 February in the 1st Floor Breakout Space, Molecular Life Sciences Building.  It will also be an opportunity to view the new Research plus family of Eppendorf pipettes.

Melissa Webber, Account Manager

mwebber@crownsci.com.au or 0411 704 319

Is anyone in the school using 3B11 mouse tumour endothelial cells? If so, I would be grateful if you could spare a plate/vial. I can be contacted by email (paul.thomas@adelaide.edu.au) or phone (x37047).Thanks,

A/Prof. Paul Thomas

Australian Science Communicators (ASC) Workshop:  The Dilemmas of Science Reporting - Complexity, risk, and the dissident voice

This workshop is on Monday 15 February, 6.00-8.00pm, at RiAUS, The Science Exchange, Exchange Place, and will help better prepare people for dealing with the Media.  It is also a great opportunity to network with professionals in this field.  Panellists are:  Clare Peddie, Rob Morrison, Susannah Elliot and Rod Irvine, and the MC is Richard Musgrove.  The event is free for ASCSA members; $10 for non members; $5 for non member students.

Bookings:  http://asccommunicatingrisk.eventbrite.com/

Please see attachment for more information including the detailed program.

ASC Event

If you are interested in participating, you can also contact Melanie Bagg at the Faculty office, melanie.bagg@adelaide.edu.au

Grants for international travel

The Australian Academy of Science is inviting applications (from Australian researchers living in Australia) for grants to support short-term scientific visits (14 to 40 days) to Europe, North America (USA, Canada and Mexico) and Asia (China, Korea and Taiwan) in 2010-11, to foster international collaborations. Closing date for applications is 26 February 2010.

Go to: www.science.org.au/internat/programs.htm

This project is supported by the Department of Innovation, Industry, Science and Research’s International Science Linkages - Science Academies Program.

Funding to stage Sir Mark Oliphant conferences in Australia

Applications for funding to hold Sir Mark Oliphant International Frontiers of Science and Technology conferences in Australia between 1 July 2010 and 30 June 2011 are now open. The closing date for applications is 12 March 2010.

Go to: www.oliphant.org.au/index.html
www.oliphant.org.au/application.html

This conference series is managed on behalf of Department of Innovation, Industry, Science and Research - International Science Linkages program (ISL) by the Australian Academy of Science and the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering.
Nancy Pritchard
Manager - International Programs
Australian Academy of Science
Phone: + 61 2 6201 9411
nancy.pritchard@science.org.au
www.science.org.au

1. All casual contracts must be signed by the supervisor and the staff member completing the work. All dates on the form and appropriate current levels MUST be completed. (Any errors on the forms, i.e. crossing outs, must be initialled by all signing the form OR a new form will be required.)
2. These forms are then sent to Pamela Lovison or Sharon Kolze for checking prior to the Head of School signing.
3. Any forms that are incorrectly completed will result in the casual staff member not being paid.  This also causes considerable work for those trying to process the forms.

Please note that Casual Contracts have legal implications and hence need to be filled in correctly.

Sharon Kolze
Executive Officer

INTERNATIONAL FULBRIGHT SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY PhD SCHOLARSHIP

Details can be found at:

http://www.fulbright.com.au/scholarships/InternationalFulbrightScienceandTechnologyAwards.html

The scholarship provides funding to study for a PhD at a US university, fully funded for up to three years, at up to Aus $300,000. The scholarship covers full tuition, return airfare, monthly stipend, allowances for books, health and accident insurance, support and enrichment seminars.
Applications close 1 May 2010.

Each quarter, the School’s Health and Safety Committee meet to discuss safety issues at the School. The minutes of these meetings are published on the School’s Intranet and can be read by any School member.

https://www.adelaide.edu.au/mbs/intranet/safety/bulletin/

Kate Dixon
HSW Officer
Ph: 08 8303 5432
Mb: 0420 958 780

Please find attached our first issue of the HDA Newsletter for 2010, and we will look forward to seeing you at some of our research and networking events this year. If you would like to include any news items relevant to HDA’s focus then send them my way for consideration.

newsletter

Anne Jurisevic
Network & Communications Officer
HEALTHY DEVELOPMENT ADELAIDE (HDA)

Ph : 08 8303 8222
e-mail: anne.jurisevic@adelaide.edu.au
web : www.adelaide.edu.au/hda
Winner in Excellence in Research Collaboration
SA Science Excellence Awards 2009

Many moons ago a competition was held in this school for the coveted Whacker trophy.

Participants battled it out in a not-so-traditional game of cricket where the aim was to include everyone regardless of age and ability whilst also having fun and a good time. The game itself was punctuated with a barbeque lunch between innings and with modest liquid refreshments. It was an opportunity for the School to get together as well as a day out for family and friends of members of the School.

It has been suggested we resurrect this time-honoured trophy and battle it out once more!

I am looking for expressions of interest from members of the School for a game of Cricket and barbeque for a weekend in early March. If enough interest is indicated I will look into obtaining equipment and an oval for the event.

If you are interested, have suggestions or questions, or might be able to procure gear and/or a space for the day, please contact me at james.byrne@adelaide.edu.au

Ever wanted a chance to do an experiment on radio? Sonya Feldhoff, presenter ABC Drive, is sounding us out regarding an idea she has to have a regular slot of simple science “experiments”. She’s keen to get a couple of people (a few altogether - not just this uni) who are really good communicators who could do fun “experiments” on radio, describing what’s happening and the science behind it in a 10 min slot. She’s just looking for nominations of people to road test over the coming two months. Presenters would need to come up with regular ideas for the slot but maybe only once every 6-8 weeks or so.

To express your interest, please email melanie.bagg@adelaide.edu.au with a brief description of what your ideas are and why you would be good at communicating on radio.

Melanie

For areas planning to conduct Planning, Development and Review sessions with staff over the coming months, I would like to draw your attention to the Take Control of Your Email behaviour course.

The course provides staff with proven techniques to reduce anxiety levels and free up time currently consumed with excessive amounts of email. 400 academic and professional staff have attended this short course to date with an average time saving of 45 minutes per person per day. Staff suffering extreme email anxiety has dropped from 1 in 5 to 1 in 20, highlighting they have learnt how to control their email rather than it controlling them.

I recommend all management staff be made aware that this course exists and consider it as a potential development opportunity for staff suffering from email anxiety and who feel time poor.

Further information about the course can be found at:

http://www.adelaide.edu.au/hr/development/

Professor Pascale Quester
Executive Dean
Faculty of the Professions

Dear NIH principal investigators, signing officials, and applicants,

Are you planning to submit an NIH grant application? If so, please note that all applications intended for due dates on or after January 25, 2010* require the use of new forms and instructions. Major changes include:
• Restructured forms to align with review criteria
• Significantly shorter page limits

These changes apply to all competing applications, so whether you are submitting a new, renewal, resubmission or revision, you must take action now to ensure a successful submission!

1. Return to the updated funding opportunity announcement or reissued parent announcement to download the new application package and instructions.
- FOAs are in the process of being updated. See timeline for more information.
2. Be sure to choose the correct forms. Applications intended for due dates on or after January 25 require new forms.
- For Electronic SF 424 (R&R): ADOBE-FORMS-B
- For Paper PHS 398: Revision date “June 2009″
3. Read the updated FOA and new application instructions carefully

For more details the Enhancing Peer Review Web site which has a page dedicated to the upcoming application changes, as well as a number of additional resources including:
• A short video overview of the changes
• FAQs
• List of related policy notices
• A Training and Communications Resources page, and more.

NIH Office of Extramural Research
Division of Communications and Outreach

* Applicants eligible for continuous submission who are submitting R01, R21, and R34 AIDS applications should use the old SF 424 (R&R) ADOBE-FORMS-A on or before February 7, 2010 and the new SF 424 (R&R) ADOBE-FORMS-B thereafter. Non-AIDS applications from applicants eligible for continuous submission need to us ADOBE-FORMS-A on or before January 24, and the ADOBE-FORMS-B on or after January 25, 2010.

Receive monthy updates on NIH grant policies and activities through the NIH Extramural Nexus.

We want to investigate how the rhythms of the brain influence the learning of new motor skills. These experiments are non-invasive and painless. The electrical rhythms of the brain will be recorded using electrodes placed over the scalp (EEG). Temporary changes, lasting less than an hour, will be induced by stimulating the region of your brain that controls your hand using a technique called repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (rTMS). We will record the muscle responses (EMG) in your hand in order to measure the induced changes. You will also be required to perform a simple visuomotor training task, involving tracking a moving object on a computer screen using your index finger. Participants will be required for two experimental sessions, each approximately 1.5 hrs long. You will be reimbursed for your time at $15/ hr. The study will take place at the Neuromotor Plasticity and Development (NeuroPAD) Laboratory, The Robinson Institute, 77 King William Road, North Adelaide.To be eligible for this study, participants must:
• Be right-handed
• Be aged 18-50 years
• Not have any neurological conditions such as epilepsy
• Not be on any medications which alter nervous system function

To register your interest or for more information please phone Suzanne McAllister on 8313 1308 or email suzanne.m.mcallister@adelaide.edu.au

This study has been approved by The University of Adelaide Human Research Ethics Committee.