Author Archives: imo014

Editorial

Personal development interviews

These are part of targeted management and employee development. Therefore, they are annual, systematic and mutually prepared personal conversations between an employee and their immediate superior. All employees who have a main position at UiB must have staff meetings. This also includes fellows. For employees with 20% positions, the manager can agree with the employee that it is not necessary.

New from last year is that it is not enough that the personal development interviews are offered – they must also be carried out. These interviews are an important arena for clarifying expectations for performance, giving mutual feedback and insight into each other’s working situation and addressing the working environment and conditions at the workplace. The conversation must be linked to K2’s strategic plans and be a real and results-oriented management tool to achieve set goals.

Elements related to life phase can be taken up as a theme. The conversation will also be used to uncover skills needs, change and development. The content of the employee interview must be focused on conditions that the manager and employee can do something about.

It is important to communicate what you want to achieve in the personal development interview and arrange for the confidentiality needed for the interview to have added value for both parties. This can be a gradual process that can take some time.

For foreign employees, it is important to pay attention to their need to understand overall strategies and goals for the organization, the importance of a good and inclusive working environment and the individual’s opportunities to contribute to the community. Current topics can also be their social network, trust vis-a-vis manager and colleagues, experience of belonging and in some cases facilitation and integration also outside the workplace.

As a natural part of the performance assessment and the clarification of expectations, the contractual conversation about pay matters is included as part of the personal development interview. It is therefore important to remember that we have established systems for salary negotiations. As you know, salary negotiations are ongoing this autumn.

As Head of Department, I am responsible for ensuring that all employees carry out annual personal development interviews and am responsible for the results of the interviews being included in K2’s plans and budget. It is not possible to carry out this for all K2’s employees, so carrying out the conversations is delegated. I have staff meetings with the research group leaders, while they in turn have responsibility for their group members. When it comes to administrative staff, head of administration Maria Holmaas is responsible.

In principle, the hD student should have their personal development interviews with someone who is not a supervisor, e.g. a group leader. This can be difficult to implement at K2 since we have so many PhD student, and here it is important to meet the wishes of the scholarship holders.

I remind all to register your holiday by 1 October. This is not only important to have an overview of when the individual takes holiday and how much, if any, is to be carried over to the next year, but becomes important in our budget in the event of a larger deficit.

supervisor, eg. the group leader. This is not easy to can be achieved by the K2 side in which there are many scholarship holders, and the scholarship holders are also very important.

Minner om å registered holidays within October 1st. This is a good idea for the children to be overtaken by their children and for my children to be able to look after the nest, men for betydning and other buds jett ved et større underskudd.

Finally, I would like to remind you of the Faculty’s Research Day on Tuesday!

Enjoy your week-end!
Pål

Internal control of GMO facilities and work

All institutions that use genetically modified organisms are obliged to monitor the contained use (https://lovdata.no/forskrift/2001-12-21-1600/§16). It has been a long time since this was implemented. K2 will therefore have a review with all research groups that have conducted GMO trials/work in 2022 and 2023.  The focus will be on containment measures and other protective measures such as safety routines and waste management, in addition to the registration protocol and lab journals. Before the review, we will request that risk assessments and work procedures be sent to HSE coordinator Siv Lise Bedringaas (Siv.Bedringaas@uib.no).

Research groups to which this applies can use this link, Please book time using name and research group: https://doodle.com/meeting/participate/id/bqZBOjDd Please contact us if none of the times are suitable.

The inspection will be carried out by HSE coordinator Siv Lise Bedringaas and the safety delegate service.

Life Science Research Data Management course

We (ELIXIR Norway and Digital Life Norway) are pleased to announce the Life Science RDM course for current and future life scientists in Norway.
All Norwegian universities require a DMP for all projects. All projects that receive funding from the Norwegian RCN are required to submit a data management plan as soon as possible after the contract with the RCN has been signed. This course focuses on how to generate a data management plan for a Life Science research project that will meet both requirements.

We would like to invite researchers (PhD candidates, Post Doctoral Fellows, Researchers, Associate Professors and Professors) in existing and upcoming Life Science projects to develop their DMP in this course.
Maximum number of participants: 45
The course will take place if there are at least 10 participants.

Program:

06.10.2023: Introduction to DMP and DSW

13.10.2023: Data classification + Information on national storage & analysis infrastructures

20.10.2023 Metadata standards, identifiers/Vocabularies/Ontologies

27.10.2023 Ethical, Legal and Social Implications (ELSI)

03.11.2023 Archive and Deposition repositories

10.11.2023 Intellectual Property Rights & Licensing

More information: https://www.uib.no/en/ii/164749/life-science-data-management-planning-workshop

Registration: https://nettskjema.no/a/353512#/page/1

New call for innovation projects

Our goal is to contribute to more efficient healthcare services and expedite the translation of research into patient benefits. For instance, we recognize that one critical area for improvement lies in the patients’ transitions from large hospitals to their home municipalities.  

In partnership with Helse Vest, we have allocated earmarked funds of up to NOK 5 million specifically for innovative projects aimed at addressing challenges in the field of cancer research and treatment.

The application deadline is Tuesday 17th of October at 13.00

We look forward to receiving your application!

https://kreftforeningen.no/forskning/sok-forskningsmidler/#h-utlysninger

KNOCKING ON THE DOOR OF HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS: the AU-EU Innovation Agenda and the involvement of Nordic actors

On behalf of Nordic Universities, it is our great pleasure to invite you to the HYBRID event:

KNOCKING ON THE DOOR OF HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS:
the AU-EU Innovation Agenda and the involvement of Nordic actors”

 27th of September 2023, 14:30-17:00
During this event we will discuss the current state of the development of the joint European–African Research & Innovation agenda, its priorities and future implementation through Horizon Europe. The event also aims to build on already existing research cooperation between Nordic and African Universities to contribute to the implementation of the EU-AU R&I agenda. We will pay
 particular attention to the cooperation between Nordic and African universities during this event and what role universities can play in this process. More information about the event can be found here.

Other invited speakers include Umesh Bawa – Director of SANORD & Director of International Relations at the University of the Western Cape, Lora Borissova – Cabinet Expert of European Commissioner of International Partnerships Jutta Urpilainen, and Professor Kenneth Matengu – Vice-Chancellor at the University of Namibia & Chair of the Pan African University Council. In addition, high-level representatives of Nordic Universities will also be attending ready to engage in fruitful exchanges.

Registration is closed, but online participation is still possible. E-mail til Charlotte Eide (charlotte.eide@uib.no) to get online access.

BRSI guest lecture, Juhi Bagaitkar, Ph.D.

On the 5th October Dr Bagaitkar, will give a lecture on her research titled “Type III Interferons and oral mucosal antiviral immunity”.

The lecture starts at 1pm in BB-Bygget Auditorium 4

Everyone is welcome, no registration required.
This event is proudly organized by the Bergen Research School of Inflammation.

Webinar – IBA vaccinology course

Når: 25.09.23, klokken 14.00-15.00
Foredragsholder: Stanley Plotkin, Professor emeritus of Virology, University of Pennsylvania
Tittel: Correlates of vaccine-induced immunity
Hvor: Zoom
Link til webinar: https://uib.zoom.us/j/64462229768?pwd=TWQ2Z1lIdm4vbzNmUGREZm5RTEh4UT09

Passcode: Y3P8ctu5

 

Når: 26.09.23, klokken 15.00-16.00
Foredragsholder: Florian Krammer, Professor, Department of Microbiology, Icahn School of Medicine, Mount Sinai
Tittel: Antigen discovery & vaccine development
Hvor: Zoom
Link til webinar: https://uib.zoom.us/j/64462229768?pwd=TWQ2Z1lIdm4vbzNmUGREZm5RTEh4UT09

Editorial

Vestlandslegen funded – and novel practical training tested at Voss

A week ago, the good news finally came: The government parties have agreed to finance 20 new study places in Medicine at UiB, and the funding for the first stage of Vestlandslegen is landed. The first students started in Stavanger in August and will complete their studies at SUS, having had their first three years of teaching in Bergen. Long-term, good work from the faculty has thus borne fruit. K2’s Simon Dankel has now taken over from Steinar Hunskår as coordinator for Vestlandslegen. As discussed at the recent UGLE meeting, it will be important going forward that we continue the good work in the teaching groups to integrate the teaching environments.

For the first time, medical students from Bergen get practice in gynecology and obstetrics at Voss Hospital. The first student has already started, and this autumn a total of 4 students will each get a week. In the long term, the aim is that at least one student every week during the 6-week internship period will have the opportunity to have their training in Voss during one of their three-week internships. Congratulations to the teaching group in GYN/OBS for getting this in place!

The Education Award 2023 from Helse Vest will be awarded at the Education Conference in Helse Vest which will be held in Bergen 30 Nov.-1 Dec. If you think K2 should nominate you or another candidate, send the proposal to mette.vesterhus@uib.no by Monday 2 October. Read more here: Utdanningskonferansen 2023 – Helse Vest RHF (helse-vest.no)

Mette

UiB Career Days 2023

For the first time, UiB is hosting career days for early-stage researchers and their support team. We invite early career academics, their supervisors, research managers, Ph.d coordinators and all others interested in the topic of career development within and outside of academia.

The career days is like a festival with different activities for you to choose from – you pick your best pieces. Register here: https://skjemaker.app.uib.no/view.php?id=15425782

More info here.

EMBO Postdoctoral Fellowships

Supporting internationally mobile postdoctoral researchers in Europe and around the world

EMBO Postdoctoral Fellowships support excellent postdoctoral researchers throughout Europe and the world for a period of up to two years. International mobility is a key requirement. The fellowship includes a salary or stipend, a relocation allowance and support for fellows with children. Awardees can attend an EMBO Laboratory Leadership course and become part of the global network of EMBO Fellows.

Applications accepted throughout the year (next cutoff date: 9 February 2024, 14:00 CET

https://www.embo.org/funding/fellowships-grants-and-career-support/postdoctoral-fellowships/

EMBO New Venture Fellowships

Supporting young scientists to enter a new field

EMBO New Venture Fellowships support early career scientists, in any field of life science research, who would use this opportunity to enter a new field of research. The intention of these fellowships is to support high quality candidates to explore feasible projects or generate preliminary data to help transform their research trajectory.

https://www.embo.org/funding/fellowships-grants-and-career-support/new-venture-fellowships/

MRCRM’s seminar series – September 2023 

Title: SMART-MS – Mesenchymal stem cells as regenerative treatment in multiple sclerosis 

Speaker: Christopher E. Kvistad, senior physician and researcher at the Dept. of Neurology and Neuro-Sysmed 

Time: September 19, 2023, from 14:30-15:30 

Where: BBB, Auditorium 4 

More information: MRCRM seminar series – September 2023 – Helse Bergen (helse-bergen.no) 

Welcome to the first seminar this semester in the seminar series of Mohn Research Center for Regenerative Medicine (MRCRM)! The seminar is open to all and light refreshments will be served.  

PhD Start-up seminar

Dear PhD Candidate at the Faculty of Medicine, UiB. We are pleased to invite you to the PhD Start-up seminar for PhD candidates at the faculty.

The seminar focuses on information of help and support in your PhD study, innovation in PhD research and sharing of experiences from a former PhD candidate. The link for registration is presented below.

The registration is binding, please register here: Registration for the PhD Start-up Seminar. 03.10.2023, 08.30-12.00 at Auditorium Armauer Hansens hus, Haukelandsveien 28 (uib.no). Registration deadline: 20 September.

We will end the seminar with a lunch, a good opportunity to get to know your fellow PhD candidates and to do some networking as well.

We are looking forward to seeing you there.
3 October 2023, 08.30-12.00,  Auditorium in Armauer Hansens hus, Haukelandsveien 28.

 Antimicrobial resistancesurveillance in environmental and human samples

Thursday 21st of September 2023 Time: 11:30-16:00

Auditorium 2, BB-building, Haukeland University Hospital, Jonas Lies vei 91, Bergen.

On September 21st, 2023, Randi Jacobsen Bertelsen is organizing an event entitled “Antimicrobial resistance surveillance in environmental and human samples”. The seminar is very relevant for CAMRIA, with many excellent speakers and topics relevant for our centre – that is why we hope as many of you as possible will be able to participate.

Program here.

It is possible to participate in the event physically (which we encourage you to do if you have the opportunity), or online.

New scheme for administrator access to PCs

To employees and students who have local administrator access on a UiB PC

If you do not need administrator access to any UiB PC, you may ignore this e-mail.

This autumn we are working on IT security measures for the entire university, to protect UiB PCs and data. See news article in På Høyden (in Norwegian only): https://pahoyden.no/it-avdelingen-it-sikkerhet/reduserer-risikoen-for-hackerangrep/130033 .

This includes introducing a new routine for local administrator access as of 28 September this year. (This currently applies to Windows, not Linux or Mac.)

Unfortunately, we have seen over time that universities and colleges can be attractive targets for hacker attacks.

User accounts with administrator access are exposed and pose a major security risk for the University of Bergen.

We will still ensure that we have solutions so that employees and students can install the programs they need for their work.
The new scheme we are introducing from 28 September means that:

* All employees and students who need local administrator access on their PC must apply for it in UiB access. (If rights are required for more than one computer, separate applications must be submitted for each computer. Please contact the IT division if access to a large number of computers is required.)
* If you application is approved by your manager, you are granted access for one year before you have to apply again.
* Through the Make Me Admin program, you may log in easily and securely, and gain access for 60 minutes at a time.
* Applications are handled continuously. Do not delay applying if you know you will need access.
* During the application process you are supplying the IT division with important information about which programs you need to install, and any other tasks that require administrator access. This gives us a good basis for creating program packages and in other ways facilitating easier use of UiB PCs in the future.
You can find more information about the scheme, how to approve applications and other guidance here: https://hjelp.uib.no/tas/public/ssp/content/detail/service?unid=29b0c7092eba447ba316f88c5b9f0c28&from=3c6eadc7-4024-4189-9f8a-f7d6b279e644

Your immediate manager will also receive an e-mail with information about this new scheme.

Contact the IT division via hjelp.uib.no if you have any questions.

Antimicrobial resistancesurveillance in environmental and human samples

Thursday 21st of September 2023 Time: 11:30-16:00

Auditorium 2, BB-building, Haukeland University Hospital, Jonas Lies vei 91, Bergen.

Program

11:30Welcome

11:35 Antimicrobial Stewardship in Hospitals, Resistance Selection and Transfer in a One Health Context –the STRESST Project-Adam Roberts, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, UK

12:15Klebsiella pneumoniae in a One Health perspective in Norway-Iren Høyland Löhr, Stavanger University Hospital, Norway

12:55Population-levelvariation in the human gut antibiotic resistomeKatariina Pärnänen, University of Turku, Finland

13:35Coffee break (15min)

13:50Residues, recirculation, re-exposure and resistance. Why we need to consider the stability of antimicrobials in the farm environment-Aldert Zomer, Utrecht University, the Netherlands

14:30Monitoring of global AMR patterns using sewage and public data-Patrick Munk, Denmark Technical University, Denmark

15:10AMR in the environment and the need for surveillance: a Norwegian perspective-Nachiket Marathe, Institute of Marine Research, Bergen, Norway

15:50 Closing remarks

To receive a link to follow the event online, you can register here.

Seminar organizer: Randi J Bertelsen, e-mail: randi.j.bertelsen@uib.no