Daily Archives: Thursday May 22nd, 2014

Mandatory duty work for UiB PhD-Candidates

Roland JonssonAs is known, all PhD-candidates funded by the University have a four-year employment contract, where 25 % of the employment is allocated mandatory duty work. This work has to be planned each year in collaboration with supervisor(s) and employer. The faculty’s and the institutes’ executive officers for research education have reviewed this practice. It turns out that the amount of work time spent on duty work differs a lot between the PhD-candidates.  Currently, almost 50 PhD-candidates at K2 are UiB-funded, and when considering the fact that each of these PhD-candidates in theory should spend one whole year on duty work, we are talking about nearly 50 man-years available at the department’s disposal. Thus we should aim for a good structure in the organization of duty work so that this resource is utilized optimally.

Examples of actions discussed:

  • All UiB-funded candidates and their supervisors must inform executive officer for research education about planned duty work ahead of each year.
  • All scientific employees may, in addition, ahead of each semester submit tasks they wish to recruit PhD-candidates for, but where they have not yet obtained any.  This includes teaching tasks, communications work, conference/seminar organization, database work, supervision of Master students, etc.
  • All new UiB-funded PhD-candidates will, together with their principal supervisor, be called inn for a short meeting regarding planning of duty work with executive officer for research education and head of research as soon as application for admission to the PhD-programme has been submitted.

Roland

Spring cleaning!

mary_poppinsEveryone will appreciate if one took a “spring cleaning” in the offices and the open office areas. We have gotten complaints from the cleaners at HUS about it being difficult to clean in the offices belonging to K2 employees. There are empty bottles and clothes in the windows and at floor areas, in addition to plastic bags.

Food remains must be disposed in containers in the kitchen areas, which are emptied every day. Waste containers from the offices and open office areas are only emptied once a week.

If everyone makes an effort, it will be nicer for us all, and the cleaners gets an easier workday. We ask for your understanding.

Best regards from
Mary Poppins at K2

Nominations for the MØBIUS Prize

untitledThe research groups are encouraged to nominate candidates for the Research Council’s award for outstanding research, the MØBIUS Prize, to be awarded in autumn 2014. Both research groups and individuals may nominate candidates. The proposals must be well justified and documented. The proposals must be submitted to the Research Council no later than June 13. The MØBIUS Prize statutes.

Would you like to be presented in the media?

medieomtale1The Faculty wants to give young and promising researchers a course in dissemination and communication. There will be one course for 10 participants during the fall 2014. The goal is to give all participants at least one case in the press/on the radio/on TV as a direct result of the course.

If you wish to participate you must send a message to Per Bakke  before May 24 and the institute leader will prioritise if many are interested. Only two from K2 will be allowed to join this exciting program. For more information (in Norwegian).

Invitation to a discussion meeting

lover-reger-juss-trimA central work group consisting of Deputy Rector, the deans from all the faculties and the Museum Director are leading the process of developing a new strategy for the University of Bergen for the period 2016-2022.

The work group invites all employees to an open discussion meeting on Tuesday June 10, at 12:30-14:20, at Auditorium 1, BB-building. All interested must register by June 3 to Lars Nilsen.
For more information (in Norwegian).