Agnes Blackie was the first female physicist appointed as a lecturer in a New Zealand university. She started service at the University of Otago (at the time a constituent college of the University of New Zealand) in 1919 and continued teaching even after retirement in 1958. More information on Agnes Blackie and her career can be found at the Royal Society Te Apārangi website (https://royalsociety.org.nz/150th-anniversary/150-women-in-150-words/1918-1967/agnes-blackie/).

The Dodd-Walls Centre calls for applications for the inaugural award of the prestigious Agnes Blackie Memorial Fellowship. The award of this Fellowship coincides with the 125th anniversary of universal suffrage in New Zealand in 2018 and the 100th anniversary of Agnes Blackie’s appointment as the first and only female physics lecturer at the University of New Zealand.

The Fellowship will be tenable at any of the six university partners of the Dodd-Walls Centre – Otago (host), Auckland, Canterbury, Massey, Victoria or AUT – and in any research area that aligns with the aims and research themes of the Dodd-Walls Centre. Details of the Centre’s research are found at doddwalls.ac.nz/research and spans areas of physics, chemistry, mathematics and computer science. The Fellowship will be tenable until 31st December 2020 and appointment will be made on the appropriate university’s Research Fellow or Senior Research Fellow scale depending upon experience. Recruitment and appointment procedures and approvals will follow those of the employing university. There may be a possibility for the position to be held in conjunction with a fixed-term lectureship subject to negotiation with the host university.

Candidates are responsible for identifying and obtaining an endorsement from an academic mentor within the department where they wish to hold the Fellowship. The academic mentor must be a Principal or Associate Investigator within the Dodd-Walls Centre, a list of whom can be found at doddwalls.ac.nz/ourpeople. For candidates whose research is laboratory-based, this mentor must also indicate that they have space available in their lab and that proposed work can be undertaken in that setting.

The intention of the Fellowship is to bring an emerging, yet outstanding early career researcher to the Centre, either to enhance research strengths or bring new ideas and directions. The criteria for selection are research excellence and candidates must outline how they will spend 10% of their time supporting and leading diversity efforts in support of under-represented groups in STEM education and research.

Further information can be obtained from our website or via email from the Deputy Director, Professor Neil Broderick at n.broderick@auckland.ac.nz.

Applications including a CV with structured reference list, one page research proposal abstract suitable for a broad assessment panel, a cover letter that also details future diversity-related activities, and a letter of support from your mentor endorsed by the head of the host department must be submitted via email to diana.evans@otago.ac.nz no later than 5:00 PM (NZ Standard time), Monday 5th November, 2018.

The Dodd-Walls Centre is committed to meeting its obligations under the Treaty of Waitangi and achieving equity outcomes for staff and students in a safe, inclusive and equitable environment. We encourage applications from traditionally under-represented groups including women, Māori, Pacific, LGBTI, and people with disabilities.