$8.4 million worth of Marsden research grants have been donated to Victoria University researchers for 2010. The grants include nine standard grants and six Fast Start grants.

This year’s largest standard grant in the country and Victoria’s largest ever, $1.04 million, was awarded to Professor Sir Paul Callaghan for his research into magnetic resonance. Callaghan will also be presented with an honorary Doctor of Science at the December graduation ceremony.

Some of the other prominent Marsden investments include a standard grant of $885,000 for Jeff Sigafoos’ research into communication intervention for autistic children and a standard grant of $830,000 for Dr Monica Handler’s isotope tracing research.

The Marsden Fast Start Grants are all of $300,000 value, and were awarded to a very diverse group of research initiatives.

Vice-Chancellor Professor Pat Walsh was extremely pleased with the wide range of faculties that received Marsden grants for this year.

“We had research funded right across the University. Of particular note were grants to researchers in the Faculty of Education and the Faculty of Architecture and Design, both of which received Marsden funding for the first time.”

The Marsden Fund invests annually in research in New Zealand. This year more than 100 research projects received $60 million in grants.

All grants, despite their difference in value, are distributed over the course of a three year period.

Rivalry between halls of residence is likely to increase in 2011, with the university’s introduction of a new contender for first choice on application forms.

The yet-to-be-named accommodation at 132 The Terrace will be a fully-catered, 241-bed hall, serving primarily domestic first-year students.

This development comes shortly after University Hall announced its decision to significantly limit accommodation for domestic students from 2011 onwards. As reported in Salient, Manager of Student Accommodation Nick Merrett said she believed students wouldn’t be disadvantaged by the changes, as there were already a large number of places in halls of residence offered to domestic students.

In a press statement released by the university, Vice-Chancellor Professor Pat Walsh indicated that there was a significant need for accommodation for domestic students.

“The demand for accommodation at Victoria has been growing significantly in recent years—students from across New Zealand and overseas want to study at Victoria. With Te Puni Village, and now this new complex, we are meeting this need for high quality accommodation.”

The building will be leased by Victoria University and is soon to be refurbished into a student accommodation complex.

Students are able to apply for the new hall online at www.victoria.ac.nz/accommodation

Victoria University’s newly opened Alan MacDiarmid building has been gifted the Nobel Prize Medal which belonged to the late scientist of the same name.

The medal was gifted to the university by MacDiarmid’s widow Gayl Gentile, who acknowledges that having the building named after him is a huge honour.

MacDiarmid was a part-time student at Victoria before furthering his studies overseas and earning the Nobel Prize for his achievements in the field of Chemistry.

The medal will be placed in the foyer of the new $48 Million science building. Vice-Chancellor Pat Walsh described it as “an inspiration to the staff and students that study here”.

A group of protesters gathered outside the National Party headquarters on Willis Street last Monday to oppose the government’s proposal to extend the 90-day trial period to all employers.

Organised via Facebook, by 5.30pm the picket protest was well underway, with protesters carrying signs baring slogans such as ‘Screwed if we don’t work, Screwed if we do!’

Former VUWSA President and protest organiser Joel Cosgrove described the policy as “anti-workers law”.

“It is a bill that could, in some way, affect everyone that is starting a new job.”

A ‘Toot for Support’ banner received a lot of attention from bus drivers.

However, not everyone present agreed with the protesters. Hundreds of people walked straight through the middle of the demonstration, with one passer-by yelling “Go home wankers!” into a protester’s microphone.