We are approaching the winter holidays and for many a much appreciated break from work. And for those who are not going to leave, there is a little more peace and quiet at the workplace to clean up the desk or to plan new activities.

Bergen Research Foundation (BFS) has two different initiatives: BFS Starting Grants and Thematic Strategies. There will soon be a new deadline for BFS Starting Grants, and we have also very good candidates this year. As regards the Thematic Strategies, BFS operates with different phases of the process. It starts with an idea phase without any form of ties that eventually passes into an analytical phase with only administrative management. If certain criteria are fulfilled, the idea is treated at a board meeting where it is decided that the idea / theme will be announced as a call. In the review phase, the applications are processed. The project that wins comes to the appointment phase. When an agreement is reached, the project is in the active phase. At the end of the project period, the project enters the final phase period.

The Faculty of Medicine wants to get an overview of new and existing ideas for projects and centers that may be relevant for the Faculty to suggest to BFS. The Faculty wishes to receive input from the Departments for discussion at the Department Head Meeting on 20 March. Since the BFS plays an active role in the idea phase of a project, the Faculty wishes ideas more than completed projects.

K2 therefore invites the research group leaders to submit input to possible projects / centers financed by the BFS. It is desirable with sketches that are approx. ½ page. The amount allocated from BFS should be given, which probably should be in the order for 20–30 mNOK. The deadline is Friday 16 March, and the sketches should be sent to pal.njolstad@uib.no.

Happy winter holidays!

Pål

It is time for the allocation of small research funds (SMÅFORSK). The funds are available due to a joint event between RCN and UiB. The intention of these funds is that funds will be awarded research groups that have not been endowed large allocations so that they can start new projects. Applicants can ask for means to cover expenses for travel, seminars, courses, materials, technical-administrative assistance and other operating expenses. It is a requirement that the applicant should hold a permanent position, be an active researcher at K2, and that the applicant can document that he/she has applied for funds from other external sources during the last two years.

Requirements for application and criteria for allocation:

• The research group leader shall be applicant
• The purpose of the use of funds must be justified and should be discussed and prioritized within the research group
• It must be documented that the group in 2016 or 2017 has applied other external sources for research funds covering the present purpose
• The funds must be used this year and can therefore not be transferred to next year
• Benefits go to research groups that do not already have large assets

The deadline is Monday 5 March at. 13:00.

The application form can be found here and should be submitted to Siv Johnsen Eggereide.

Good luck!

Pål

As new deputy head of research at the Department of Clinical Science, will research education be something I focus on. The past years, the number of PhD thesis defences at the Faculty for Medicine has declined. While it was 98 and 97 defences in 2015 and 2016, respectively, it was only 82 in 2017. At the same time, the number of candidates taken up into the PhD programme has been quite stable between 90 and 100 per year. The numbers for the Department of Clinical Science are following a similar pattern. The number of defences has decreased from 31 in 2015 to 19 in 2017, while around 30 new PhD fellows have been taken up per year. Therefore, the leader group will give more attention to having PhD candidates finalizing their thesis and try to arrange as good as possible for this to happen. All PhD candidates and supervisors are encouraged to take contact if they encounter any problems.

In the last round of PhD positions from the Medical Faculty, the Department of Clinical Science was very successful with up to 16 new PhD candidates. That is very good news! Most of them have gotten a 4 years position with 25% obligatory duty work. As the head of research at the time, Roland Jonsson, wrote already in 2014, this is a great asset for the institute. In order to get a fair distribution of the obligatory duty work, all PhD candidates financed from the university will be contacted during the next weeks for a short meeting regarding planning of the obligatory duty work, together with representatives from the leader group, main supervisor and PhD coordinator Irene Hjelmaas.

Silke

The Faculty of Medicine has a temporary economic surplus for 2018 due to positive results in 2016, which provides budget growth in 2018; transfers of unused funds from 2017; as well as the need for lower transfers in the basic fund than 20 million NOK in total for 2019.

This means that the departments including K2 will be given an opportunity to increase the basic appropriation beyond what is budgeted for 2018. K2 is important for the faculty’s budget growth, and it is great that some of this now will benefit us.

The order from the Faculty are that the measures can go to research, including equipment that can be purchased this year; teaching, including equipment that can be purchased this year; and other measures such as HSE.

Research group leaders are challenged to propose measures within the framework of approx. 0.5 mNOK and that equipment cannot have a cost beyond the EU limit for tender. The last is because tenders take time, and the faculty wishes to spend the funds in 2018.

Unfortunately, there is a very short deadline for making suggestions. This is set to February 9 at the Faculty level. We need time for an internal process on K2, too, why our deadline for you is during February 5. I am very sorry for this ultra short deadline. All proposals must come through the head of the research groups.

Enjoy the weekend!

Pål