The UiB guidelines for integrity and cheating have been updated. These also discuss the use of artificial intelligence. However, we see that students at the Faculty of Medicine need some clarification on this topic.

AI is an exciting and useful technology that can contribute to both learning and development for you as a student provided that you use it wisely. It is important to be aware of the ethical, legal and professional framework for AI-based tools. Keep in mind that no AI tool is truly intelligent – they’re just good at imitating human intelligence. A text generation tool is trained to answer your questions anyway. If it can’t find the answer in its database, it will be “creative” and answer something that it thinks might be true. If you criticize the answer you get, it will correct its original answer, even if you may be wrong. Although it is called artificial intelligence, such tools are not particularly intelligent. They struggle to distinguish between evidence-based facts and unsubstantiated claims, so-called “fake news”. In addition, they mainly use data and sources from Western, English-speaking countries and are currently poor on gender balance, cultural differences, and ethnic variation.

You can use this type of tools to increase your own learning and development, as well as learning to be critical to the answers. It is also worth noting that the various AI-tools available on the market are good at different things. ChatGPT-3.5still has the best language model and is the most creative, while Bing, Bard and ChatGPT-4 is better at up-to-date knowledge, references, and citations, because it uses the internet as a source. Grammarly is suitable for controlling grammar and spelling, Deepl for translation, while Elicit and Jenni are made for scientific summaries. These are just a few of the AI tools that have emerged in the past year. The various solutions will rapidly be more advanced and better at integrating more functions into the same model (multimodal models or foundation models).

Remember that you are here to learn and that it is neither appropriate nor confidence-inspiring to rely on AI to find answers to all questions in a busy professional life.

Here are some examples of what students can use AI for:

• Ideas and inspiration: AI tools (e.g.: ChatGPT, Bing or Bard) can be used to create a suggestion for a text based on a topic or question. This can help you to find inspiration, arguments, examples, or sources for assignments. You must nevertheless be critical to the text produced, and always refer to the tool used.
• Improve language: You can use various tools to check grammar, spelling errors, word choice or style in your text (eg: Grammarly, ChatGPT, Bing). However, keep in mind that the tool does not always provide correct or appropriate suggestions, so all proposals must be critically assessed.
• Learn new things: You can use AI tools (e.g.: Bing, ChatGPT) to get a general overview of a new topic, subject, or topic.
• As a study buddy: You can make a chatbot (ChatGPT, Bing or Bard) ask you questions from the syllabus, or to give you examples of different exam questions you can solve alone or with fellow students. Be skeptical to the answers given. Keep in mind that they may be taken from a different curriculum and/or medical practice than the one currently used in Norway. The less you know about a topic, the more difficult it will be to verify the quality of the information you receive. It may be a good idea to compare with a textbook or other quality-assured source provided by the instructor. Ask for constructive feedback on you own texts.
• Practice of clinical situations, dialogue and diagnostics: You can ask a chatbot to create a role play or clinical task you, where you are the doctor/dentist/nutritionist, etc. Together, you can create a dialogue that will lead to a diagnosis, the right treatment or the right drug. An example of such a prompt could be: ‘Give me a fictitious blood test result and anamnesis of a patient who is in an emergency department and has a defined diagnosis. I will try to reason and guess the diagnosis from the blood tests. Give me feedback when I’m done.” The more specific you are, the better it responds. It takes some practice to excel at making such prompts.
• To help you organize your student life. For example, you could ask it to make a schedule for getting through the syllabus in time for exams that matches your other activities.

AI tools cannot be used for:

• Accept the information without checking whether it is correct
• Construct data, images or movies without indicating that AI has been used
• Copy text directly without clearly indicating that it comes from an AI tool
• Submitting personally identifiable information
• Write exams, home assignments, bachelor’s and master’s theses with text that is fully or partly generated by AI (unless otherwise stated)

Academic integrity and Cheating | Division of Student and Academic Affairs | UiB

https://www.uib.no/student/164404/verkt%C3%B8y-basert-p%C3%A5-kunstig-intelligens-i-utdanning#plagiat-og-fusk-nbsp (not in English yet)

Student Use Cases for AI | Harvard Business Publishing Education

ChatGPT and artificial intelligence in higher education: quick start guide – UNESCO Digital Library

AI Will—and Should—Change Medical School, Says Harvard’s Dean for Medical Education | Medical Education and Training | JAMA | JAMA Network

The pros and cons of integrating chatbots into research proposal writing

In recent times, the use of advanced technologies in various aspects of academia has become increasingly prevalent. One such technology gaining attention is ChatGPT, a powerful language model developed by OpenAI. This editorial explores the potential benefits and drawbacks of incorporating ChatGPT into the process of writing research proposals.

A Pros:

Efficiency and Time-Saving:

Pro 1: ChatGPT can significantly accelerate the initial stages of proposal writing by generating coherent and relevant content quickly. Researchers can use it to outline ideas, generate key points, and even draft sections of their proposals, saving valuable time.

Idea Generation and Expansion:

Pro 2: ChatGPT’s ability to generate diverse and contextually relevant text can be a valuable asset for brainstorming and expanding on research ideas. Researchers can use it to explore different angles and perspectives related to their proposed work.

 Language Enhancement:

Pro 3: ChatGPT can assist in refining the language and structure of proposals, helping researchers to articulate their ideas more effectively. It can suggest improvements in clarity, coherence, and overall writing style.

 Accessibility and Inclusivity:

Pro 4: ChatGPT can enhance accessibility for researchers who may face language barriers or challenges in expressing their ideas in writing. It promotes inclusivity by providing language support and aiding those with varying proficiency levels.

B Cons:

Lack of Domain-Specific Knowledge:

Con 1: One of the primary limitations of ChatGPT is its lack of domain-specific knowledge. It may not understand intricate details of highly specialized research areas, leading to inaccuracies or irrelevant content in proposals.

 Risk of Plagiarism:

Con 2: Overreliance on ChatGPT without proper verification may pose a risk of unintentional plagiarism. Researchers need to carefully review and authenticate the generated content to ensure originality and avoid potential ethical issues.

 Contextual Understanding:

Con 3: ChatGPT may struggle with nuanced contextual understanding. It might misinterpret the intended meaning or tone of certain phrases, potentially leading to misunderstandings in the proposal content.

 Ethical Considerations:

Con 4: The use of AI in research proposal writing raises ethical concerns related to transparency and authorship. Researchers must be transparent about the extent of AI assistance used and ensure that the intellectual contributions are duly acknowledged.

C Conclusion:

While ChatGPT holds great promise in enhancing the efficiency and accessibility of research proposal writing, researchers should approach its use with a discerning eye. Leveraging the strengths of ChatGPT for idea generation and language refinement can be valuable, but cautious oversight and domain-specific verification are essential to mitigate potential drawbacks. Ethical considerations should guide researchers in maintaining the integrity and authenticity of their work. In the evolving landscape of academic writing, striking a balance between harnessing the capabilities of AI and preserving the essence of human creativity will be crucial for the continued advancement of research endeavors.

The editorial above (A-C) was written and translated (into Norwegian) using the chatbot ChatGPT without altering the content (chat.openai.com; “Can you write an editorial on the pros and cons of using ChatGTP in writing research proposals?”). It took 10-15 seconds and is just a simple example of the ongoing revolution in the use of AI for language and text processing.

Artificial intelligence and language models like ChatGPT are rapidly making their way into academia. I don’t think the point is whether it can/should be used or not, but rather what it can be best used for and how. There are numerous current and future applications. The example above pertains to the use of chatbots like ChatGPT in writing research proposals. According to a survey in Nature of 1600 researchers, 15% already use ChatGPT to assist in writing research funding proposals, and a whopping 25% use it for writing scientific articles (doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-023-02980-0).

But is this considered cheating? I don’t think so, and I believe it is more of a powerful enhancement, for example, compared to using Google to gather systematic knowledge, where human interpretation and critical thinking are still essential.

Artificial intelligence with chatbots like ChatGPT can also influence and improve processes that may seem time-consuming and unnecessary. Most researchers probably agree that writing proposals in itself is useful for organizing project ideas, but the writing process itself takes a lot of time, and a significant portion of proposals focuses on details that may seem unnecessary. In another article in Nature (doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-023-03238-5), the value of many aspects of writing research funding proposals is discussed, especially now that proposals can be written with the help of chatbots like ChatGPT, and whether the entire application process should be changed.

How are we doing in terms of incorporating artificial intelligence into our work? We are likely lagging behind the international trend. It is crucial to adopt this technology. In the next FORUM, we have artificial intelligence and chatbots as a theme and think it should be included in the program for the K2 seminar next spring. UiB has a dedicated initiative in this area, UiB AI (https://www.uib.no/ai), where the head of the steering group is Professor Pinar Heggernes. There are already several courses and informational videos on the subject, see, for example, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sJbp2dB3hyA. I would also like to remind you that UiB has recently made Bing Chat Enterprise available to all employees at UiB. This runs the GPT-4 chatbot from OpenAI. Open bing.com and click on the Chat button.

It’s approaching the weekend. According to Bing Chat Enterprise: “Of course, there are many other things Norwegians like to do on the weekend, such as watching TV, going to the cinema, playing games, reading books, shopping, visiting friends and family, going to museums, going to cafes, attending concerts, etc. But outdoor activities, cabin life, and packed lunches are some of the most typical Norwegian activities that set them apart from other people.”

Have a great weekend!

New planned call for proposals in 2024 for Centres for Research-based Innovation (SFI)

• The Research Council is planning a call for proposals for SFI-V in 2024
• At least 8 new centres in autumn 2025
• The call for proposals will be similar to SFI-IV, but RCN proposes major changes to the call process:
  • 2-step call for proposals
  • Max. 30-35 in 2nd grade
  • Interview as part of 2nd grade
• Timeline (tentative)
  • Feb. 2024: call for proposals 1st stage
  • Apr./May 2024: application deadline 1st grade
  • Sep. 2024: results 1st stage
  • Dec. 2024: application deadline 2nd grade
  • Spring 2025: results 2nd grade
  • Autumn 2024: start-up of new SFIs

Interested? Contact Silke and Susanna as soon as possible.

Call for proposals for research funding for young researchers through the Centre for Advanced Study (CAS). Check the link below and see if this is of interest to you. The deadline is Dec. 9.

https://cas-nor.no/young-cas-grant

We are happy to invite you all to the CCBIO Junior Scientist Symposium, December 6, 2023. This seminar series is a perfect place to meet and interact with other young scientists. We anticipate lively and interesting discussion also this time. We are looking forward to the keynote lecture by CCBIO Professor Dana Costea, who will share her story about how and why she ended up in cancer research. The program spans several exiting topics including preclinical development of new therapeutics in mantle cell lymphoma, the link between salivary gland manifestation and renal disease in Sjøgren’s Syndrome and how brain-blood derived exosomes may act as biomarkers in multiple sclerosis (MS). A novel tool for spatial analyses of the tumor microenvironment will also be presented.

Please register within December 4th at 11.00.

When: December 6, 2023, at 09.00-13.00

Where: Auditorium B302, Sentralblokka, Haukeland University Hospital 3rd floor, Bergen

Registration: on this link

Open to both junior and senior researchers as well as students. The symposium series is open, but also part of the CCBIO Research School under the code CCBIO901, and participation is eligible for ECTS.

Program:

09.00-09.15: Introduction

09.15-10.00: “My Path in the World of Cancer Research” Keynote lecture by Professor Daniela Costea

10.00-10.20: Coffee break

10.20-10.45: “Preclinical development of novel therapeutics in Mantle Cell Lymphoma” by May Eriksen Gjerstad

10.45-11.10: “Sjögren’s syndrome- Assessment of salivary gland manifestations and their association with renal disease” by Hanne Borge

11.10-12:00 Lunch (free of charge, register within December 4th at 11.00)

12:00-12:25: “Brain-derived blood exosomes – a potential for new biomarkers in multiple sclerosis: Pilot study results from relapsing MS patients under anti-CD20 therapy” by Sam Anandhan

12:25-12:50: “Spatial analysis of the cancer tissue microenvironment using mass cytometry imaging technologies” Rezvan Ehsani

12:50-13:00: Concluding remarks

Mari Kyllesø Halle and Vladan Milosevic are coordinators of the junior seminars and are planning and chairing these meetings. Any questions can be addressed to them.

Sorry, this entry is only available in Norsk.

In UiB’s application portal, an overview is provided of various foundations from which it is possible to apply for funds. These foundations have research and education at the University of Bergen as their statutory purposes.

The target audience includes employees, doctoral candidates, postdoctoral researchers, and students at UiB. Some of the foundations also allow external individuals to apply for funds. Information about who can apply can be found by examining each foundation in the portal.

In the application portal, it is also possible to filter based on the applicant group (employee, student, doctoral candidate, etc.) and/or the field of study to which one belongs, and relevant foundations will be displayed.

The general application deadline is January 12, 2024.

Note that the Astri and Edvard Riisøens legacy is not yet included in the application portal but will be added soon. The legacy provides funding for research on cardiovascular diseases and other unexplored diseases, such as cancer and rheumatic disorders.

Also, please refer to the faculty’s website (in Norwegian) that deals with funds and legacies. This page will be updated if funds are announced from foundations not included in UiB’s application portal.

This is an excellent opportunity for curiosity-driven, talented researchers from all over the world and within all research disciplines

Up to 10 fellowships are available for curiosity-driven, talented researchers from all over the world and within all research disciplines. The new AIAS-AUFF Fellowships have a duration of 23 months, starting on 1 September 2024.

As a fellow you will benefit from the international and multidisciplinary environment at AIAS that brings researchers together across disciplines, academic seniority and borders in a thriving and creative house.

Eligibility

• applicants must hold a Ph.D.-degree and a minimum of two and up to ten years of experience
• researchers are eligible for application if they have not resided in Denmark in more than 12 monthswithin the last two years prior to the application deadline 1 February 2024

https://aias.au.dk/events/show/artikel/10-individual-fellowships-open-for-application

Sorry, this entry is only available in Norsk.

Cancer researchers can apply for project funding from Foundation Dam/Stiftelsen Dam. In addition to researcher positions, support for research in line with the purpose of the program can be applied for.

The application is sent to the Norwegian Cancer Society, which mediates applications for funds to Foundation Dam.

The application deadline for sketches is Thursday 1st of February 2024.

We look forward to receiving your application!

Read more in Norwegian https://dam.no/programmer/forskning/utlysning/

Apply for funding in Norwegian https://kreftforeningen.no/forskning/sok-forskningsmidler/#h-utlysninger

Sorry, this entry is only available in Norsk.