Daily Archives: Friday December 15th, 2017

New as Head of Department: Wirkola, Boklöv and 1 + 1 = 3

Hi! 2017 is soon history. Christmas is approaching – a holiday that for many is the highlight of the year – followed by some peaceful days, then New Year’s Eve, the New Year’s Concert and the traditional German-Austrian Ski Jumping Week before a new year is embarking.

As most people probably know, I am the new Head of Department of Clinical Science (K2) after Per Bakke. Since not everybody knows me: I was educated MD 1986 and PhD 1989 at UiB, is consultant physician in Endocrinology and Metabolic Diseases at the Department of Pediatics and Adoolescents, and has been Professor of Pediatrics from 2000. I have international experience from three research years at the University of Chicago, Harvard Medical School, and Massachusetts Institute of Technology, respectively. I have built up the research group in diabetes genetics and lead the KG Jebsen Center for Diabetes Research.

Why K2? Yes, that is a big jump. The motivation for applying for the job as Head of Department was a wish for new challenges at a great institute with a lot of positive energy. Here are top research groups, EU projects, Jebsen Centers, a new study plan in medicine under implementation, and a budget in balance. What scares me is that it is indeed jumping after Wirkola (Norwegian ski jumper legend). Per Bakke and the team around him have really done a great job at K2. Then it is an extra motivation to see if it is possible to bring K2 even further in the field of research and teaching. The Swede ski jumper Boklöv challenged the jump sport with a new way to jump; it is always possible to do something good even better. I believe in inspiration, involvement, internationalization, and innovation. My mother usually says “cleaver people are needed everywhere” – everyone can do an important job for K2 even though the roles are different. One challenge is therefore to work together to make each other even better. Let 1 + 1 be 3 and not 2. But we should also applaud for those that jump the longest and most stylish. We need role models, we need top research, we need top educators, and we always need new ideas.

Finally, I would like to thank you for your warm welcome at the Institute’s day. I would also like to thank the administration for extra efforts during the time that has been, as well as Eystein Husebye, Jone Trovik and Roland Jonsson who have been willing to be instituted department leaders. I wish to thank each of you for working hard for K2 during 2017.

I am looking forward to getting to know K2 better and taking on this exciting task. Wishing you a peaceful Christmas and everything good for 2018.

Pål

HSE corner: My Time is introduced at MED from 12.02.18

In order to improve the time registration at the University of Bergen, the University Management has decided that all technical and administrative staff at UiB should use My Time (“Min Tid”). This applies to both those with fixed and flexible working hours, and hourly paid. My Time will replace the flex time schedule, and for hourly paid, the system will replace the time lists.

More information can be found here. (Link only in Norwegian.)

Best regards,
Julie

Admission of apprentices 2018

The HR department hereby invites all UiB institutes / faculties / departments to report an interest in receiving one or more apprentices for the summer / fall 2018. Retrieving apprentices is an important part of UiB’s corporate social responsibility, and we hope that as many units as possible will help make UiB a large and diverse learning company also in 2018.

More information can be found here. (Link in Norwegian.)

Best regards,

Sonja Dyrkorn
department director, the HR department

Information and match-making: New Health calls in Horizon 2020

The Research Council of Norway invites to a large conference on new possibilities for health- researchers and industry in Horizon2020 on the 16 January 2018. The program is exciting: the conference will be opened by the health- and care minister Bent Høie followed by a representative from the European Commission who will present future possibilities for health research and innovation in the Horizon2020 program. You will receive information on the calls, and there will be a panel debate and nice opportunities for “match-making”.

The Research Council of Norway arranges the conference together with Norway Health Tech and Innovation Norway, placing a focus on collaboration possibilities between researchers and industry. The intention of the day is to provide information, but also to better prepare you for collaboration across sectors.

Time: 16 January 2018, at. 09:00.
Venue: Horisont2020, Drammensveien 288, Oslo.

Registration.
Deadline for registration: 10 January 2018.

You can also visit the Facebook page of the event.

The Nansen Fund and its associated funds 2018

Fridtjof Nansen’s fund for the advancement of science and the associated fund seeks fellow recipients.

The purpose of The Nansen Funds is to promote scientific research in various disciplines. In accordance with the statuettes of each fund, research funding may be allocated to operations, research equipment, professional travel and scientific assistance. Within life sciences / medicine, support for operations and smaller equipment is generally prioritized. Contributions are granted on application. It is assumed that the project manager or supervisor applies for his research group. Only exceptionally, applications from master’s students and PhD fellows will be granted.

It can be applied from 1 December 2017 to the application deadline of 15 January 2018.

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Fridtjof Nansen’s reward for outstanding research

Fridtjof Nansen’s reward for outstanding research is awarded by the Nansen Fund and the associated funds at the Norwegian Academy of Sciences’s annual meeting in May. The reward can be awarded to Norwegian researchers, or researchers living in Norway, who have provided scientific contributions of international importance at a very high level.

Application deadline: 10 February.


Fridtjof Nansen’s reward for younger researchers

The reward, consisting of a sum of money (NOK 100,000) and a diploma, can be awarded to Norwegian researchers or researchers resident in Norway, who have not yet completed 40 years. Otherwise, the same rules apply as Fridtjof Nansen’s reward for outstanding research. The reward for younger researchers is awarded annually without a change between science and medicine and humanities and social studies.

More information can be found here. (Link in Norwegian.)

New publications

Here are recent publications with contributions from K2 based on last week’s search on PubMed (and optionally articles that have not been included in previous lists). This time the list includes in total 20 recent publications. The entries appear in the order they were received from NCBI. If you have publications that are not included in this or previous lists, please send the references to Johnny Laupsa-Borge.

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