LFS Today Feb 12, 2021

Monday is Family Day

Don’t forget that Monday is a statutory holiday – enjoy the long weekend!

Sustainable Friday

Your sustainability tip of the week is:

Try some Virtual Team Building Exercises to improve the sense of community in your work group or lab.

Do you have a sustainability tip to share with your colleagues? Send it to mcm-lst@lists.ubc.ca and lfs.today@ubc.ca! Tips can cover a range of settings, from lab work to your community to working from home.

Graduate Student Award Winners

Congratulations to Tebby Leepile, a PhD student co-supervised by Crystal Karakochuk and Eduardo Jovel, on receiving first place in the 2021 Global Health Conference at the BC Children’s Hospital Research Institute for her outstanding oral presentation titled: “Anemia prevalence and nutrition status among San women and children in rural Botswana.”

Congratulations to Kaitlyn Samson and Jordie Fischer (Karakochuk lab) who TIED for FIRST PLACE in the poster competition at the 2021 BC Children’s Hospital Research Institute’s Healthy Starts Trainee Research Day (Feb 3, 2021). Kaitlyn presented her MSc research titled: “The inclusion of folic acid in weekly iron-folic acid supplements confers no additional benefit on anemia reduction: A randomized controlled trial in Malaysia”. Jordie presented her MSc research titled: “Evaluating the effect of 12 weeks of supplementation with ferrous sulfate, ferrous bisglycinate or placebo, on iron status and gut inflammation in Cambodian women”.

Assessment Forms – Assistant Professor of Human Dimensions of Biodiversity Conservation

We have included links to assessment forms for the 6 candidates being interviewed for the position of Assistant Professor of Human Dimensions of Biodiversity Conservation (joint position with IRES).  We hope that you will be able to attend and would welcome your feedback. If you’d like the seminar details sent to you again please contact Melanie Train (melanie.train@ubc.ca).

Candidate 1 – Dr. Aparna Howlader, Postdoctoral Researcher, Princeton University (Feb 8-9)
Assessment form:  https://ubc.ca1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_7X1eUMZTzevAbmS

Candidate 2 – Dr. Robin Naidoo, Lead Wildlife Scientist, WWF-US, Washington, DC (Feb 10-11)
Assessment form:  https://ubc.ca1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_6fWd7fHsUa6IyA6

Candidate 3 – Dr. Ranaivo Rasolofoson, Postdoctoral Associate, Cornell University (Feb 16-17)
Assessment form:  https://ubc.ca1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_enQg9JIGbkuHTme

Candidate 4 – Dr. Yuta J. Masuda, Senior Sustainable Development and Behavior Scientist, The Nature Conservancy, Global Science (Feb 17-18)
Assessment form:  https://ubc.ca1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_9Qs7gxFmDaKjZX0

Candidate 5 – Dr. Youpei Yan, Postdoctoral Associate, Yale University (Feb 22-23)
Assessment form:  https://ubc.ca1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_9nPP7ryO7StLRsi

Candidate 6 – Dr. Laura Vang Rasmussen, Assistant Professor, Department of Geosciences and Natural Resource Management, University of Copenhagen (Feb 24-25)
Assessment form:  https://ubc.ca1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_7Uvco8L1QUyGGxg

Lunch and Learn Series: Easy Ways to Improve Student Engagement with Universal Design for Learning

This session will be held today! February 12 at noon.

Universal Design for Learning is an approach to give students multiple means for engagement, representation, action, and expression. Encapsulating such a diverse range within your course will help students interact however they feel compelled to.
There are easy ways to start adding diversity and flexibility to your classes that we will outline in this session.

To register for the session, please visit https://ubc.zoom.us/meeting/register/u5cscumsqDwrG9OI5NHXco_FeqnmI0pzdWM1

SOIL 500 Graduate Seminar Series – Today

Date: Friday, February 12, 3:00pm
Title: Evaluating hedgerows and riparian buffer carbon storage potential in the Lower Fraser Valley, from field to landscape.
Speaker: Lyndsey Dowell, M.Sc. Grad ISLFS (supervisor Sean Smukler)
Abstract & bio available here.

Register in advance for this seminar: https://ubc.zoom.us/meeting/register/u5codeiqqzksGNdAwk5PH3y9cDt4b2IrCrBM  

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting. All are welcome!

Resources for Self-Isolating Faculty

UBC HR has released a revised Resources & Guidelines for Self-isolating Incoming Faculty document, which includes new information on the incoming COVID test requirement for entering Canada by land, effective February 15, 2021.

Foundation for Food & Agriculture Research (FFAR) 2021 Seeding Solutions Request for Applications

The Foundation for Food & Agriculture Research (FFAR) is announcing the 2021 Seeding Solutions program and is inviting applications for audacious research that benefits farmers, consumers and the environment. FFAR seeks to award up to ten meritorious proposals across our Challenge Areas, prioritizing those projects that emphasize a commitment to cross-sector partnerships.

Individual awards will range from $300,000 to $1 million and all projects must have planned durations ranging between 12 and 60 months. All grants require matching contributions equal to or greater than the FFAR funding request. At least 50 percent of matching funds must be a cash match per FFAR’s definition of cash.

Pre-Applications Due: March 10, 2021 5:00pm ET. An approved pre-application with an invitation to submit a full application is required for submission.

Please visit FFAR website for more information and apply.

BC FNAR Grant Opportunity

Applications are now being accepted for the BC Foundation for Non-Animal Research (BC FNAR) funding program for the 2021 academic year.  BC FNAR is committed to supporting a diverse range of creative methods that challenge the use of animals in research, testing, and education and encourages the adoption of alternatives to harmful animal use across Canada.
 
The Foundation provides grants of up to $10,000 to emerging or established scientists for biomedical experiments, development of testing methods, and teaching curriculum that do not involve animal use. This may also include capital equipment and software which facilitates the replacement of animal use in teaching or training.
 
We encourage a diversity of applicants who are working to further the development and discourse of non-animal research. Priority will be given to applications that have a clear goal, which are timely, and which have a profound effect on thought and practice.

Applications will be accepted until March 1, 2021. You can find the application form here.