Dear Colleagues,

It has been an interesting time as the acting Head of School for the last two months. I freely admit that I had not realised just how much is happening!

We have circulated the 2017 review of SMS. It is very supportive of our exceptional progress while also highlighting important research, pedagogical and structural challenges that we need to address.

The SMS careers event on Thursday was very successful, with lots of enthusiastic feedback from students and staff. This will be closely followed by a postgraduate opportunities meeting today, 3 October. I encourage supervisors to be there and discuss their projects.

PBRF portfolios are gradually coming through, thank you to those who submitted theirs. The deadline is Sunday, 8 October, except by personal agreement. It sounds early but it is very little time if we are to have the first drafts reviewed internally, revised, and ready for full University review. Remember that the results of the HRC EOI round are about to be released, so many of us will be consumed getting grants ready. You will be so much more focused if your portfolio is already submitted.

Finally, with the upcoming shift of Population Health from Tamaki to Grafton, we want your ideas on how to accommodate the growth of the School and the wider FMHS faculty. Please send your Head of Department any suggestions for better use of space.

With the very best,

Alistair Gunn