Today, we will submit the budget proposal for 2019. It is an ambitious budget that addresses the challenges we face in the coming year in terms of education and research. The finance section deserves a big thank you for solid work with the budget.

As discussed at the Faculty Lunch and announced in previous K2 News, we would like to look at the opportunity to organize teaching at K2 in a different way to achieve better command lines, responsibility, and authority for those who need it. This is in line with the evaluation of the Future Faculty. We have organized a committee consisting of Jone Trovik, Julie Stavnes, Tore Lillebø, Svein Håvik, Gottfried Greve, and Kristin Greve Isdahl. They will explore various possibilities for how the teaching can be organized so that it can be integrated with the research groups that we still need to retain as the main structure of the institute. The results of the investigation are expected during the autumn.

Furthermore, we have invited the academic communities to come up with proposals for thematic areas they consider important for future-oriented research, and how this can be linked to education and innovation, and preferably people they consider relevant to an tenure track position. There were five proposals: Medical bioinformatics, endocrinology and biorythms, rheumatology, influenza, and galenic pharmacy. In the budget process, we are now working to find room for 1-2 positions within some of these fields.

At the time of writing, I am on my way to an interview at the US Embassy in Oslo. Before I applied for the position as Head of K2, I already had approved a research term in Boston at the Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, and the Massachusetts General Hospital. With the new position and new assignments, I have chosen to postpone the stay to September 20th, so we can get a good start for K2 after the summer vacation. Furthermore, the time is cut down to six months. A plan has been put in place to take care of my functions. Most importantly, Eystein Husebye is willing to be Acting Head of Department (thank you very much, Eystein!). This is a position he has had several times before, and I’m sure he will take care of the function in an excellent way.

We have had an amazing spring with better weather than several summers combined. People from Bergen are good at taking the opportunity to enjoy good weather when it suddenly appears, and one may wonder whether we really need summer vacation after this spring. However, for most people, it has been busy working with applications, completion of examinations and planning the first OSCE, as well as all endings at the end of a semester. So it will be good to have a few weeks off to do completely other things. It’s important to charge the batteries so we can start the fall with new energy and workload. I want to take this opportunity to thank everyone for your great effort this half year. Have a nice summer vacation!

Picture is showing Pål Njølstad, Stefan Johansson, Victor Norman og Janne Molnes

Every other month, the K2 management organizes a lunch for those with a permanent academic position. The purpose of this is partly to have a meeting place for those the permanent academic employees and partly that the management can inform about relevant issues and not least to get important feedback on these issues.

For the Faculty Lunch on May 9th we were joined by Victor Norman, Heidi Annette Espedal, and Per Bakke. None of them needs an introduction, but it is not certain that everyone knows that Victor Norman is the Head of the Faculty Board. The reason for the visit was Victor Norman’s wish to meet the departments at our faculty. He turned out to be very curious and asked a number of good questions during the tour and the lunch. As many of you know, one of my mottoes for active learning and research is: What’s your question? Hence, Victor Norman passed the test and is offered to be Professor Emeritus at K2!

An important topic of discussion was the organization of the institute. Victor Norman praised K2 for a brave and foresighted organization across different research fields, and his experience is that the option, a traditional division into specialties, easily leads to turmoil and internal conflicts. However, the challenge with our current organization is lack of a structure with clear command lines, responsibility, and authority for those who manage the teaching. The management will therefore organize a committee that should make a proposal for an adjustment and supplementation of the current structure at K2. The challenge is how the teaching can be organized better, and at the same time be integrated with the current research groups.

Another topic of discussion was the management’s proposal of a process for what and who K2 should select for the next 10 years to build powerful environments with future-oriented research, teaching and innovation. For one thing is certain, if we are to succeed in this, we need to secure more external funding. Using all the good and wise heads of K2 in such a process is important. One element to consider, is the tenure track system. Tenure track is a type of position that is common in the United States. Newly employed academics will not be permanently employed, but will be on a trial period for 5-7 years. If this falls positively, the person will receive a professorship. If not, the position will re-advertised. The university has “innstegstillinger” similar to this and which we intend to use as a starting point.

In order to take advantage of the good resources we have at K2, the research groups are hereby challenged to come up with suggestions on a thematic area they consider important for future-oriented research and how this can be linked to teaching and innotion. The suggestions should contain preferably one person they think is relevant to a tenure track position. The proposal must be justified and must be on a maximum of one page. The deadline for proposals is 1^st June and should be sent to Silke Appel (silke.appe@uib.no).

Best regards,

Pål

”Teaching isn’t just what I do; it’s who I am” This was the final slide of the lecture by Ragnhild Sagvoll, UiT regarding documentation of educational competence during the K1-K2 education seminar this week. Is your teaching role so internalized that this fits you?

Those of us who participated were at least properly inspired:

-Each participant presented a recent teaching contribution he/she was proud of (albeit, in line with Norwegian modesty, only in confidence to the nearest seminar participant and not publicly in the auditorium).

-Theory regarding Team Based Learning was presented and good practice examples from teaching in neonatal and pulmonary medicine demonstrated (including use of Socrativ).

-What is pedagogical competence? This was discussed in plenary and specific advice on how to start documenting this using teaching portfolio was given.

The aim of the teaching portfolio is two-fold: documentation of own teaching competence, useful when applying for/promotion in an academic position and in wage negotiations, but also formative: to reflect on my own teaching; What is my teaching philosophy, how have I planned and implemented my teaching, which pedagogical methods have been used and which evaluation have I received. How has my professional development been. What have I achieved (well deserved self-praise) but preferably also include possible obstacles or difficulties regarding teaching development.

How do you start to build a teaching portfolio? Create a folder on your computer where you enter (short, key words) what you do of teaching, both practical (bed-side, possibly bench-side for those with lab work!), group activities, lectures, examination work but also participation in faculty development and any feedback on your teaching. Perhaps after half a year try to reflect on what you have done and if there may be reasons for implementing changes.

As another inspiration: K2’s educational prize for 2017 was awarded Ketil Grong for his important effort to introduce OSCE (objective structured clinical examination). This is a radical change in our exam form for testing of clinical skills. He took on this task, started out using his esteemed professional medical competence as well as military experience and have maneuvered steady so we have actually changed course and now steer towards the desired goal; to use an evidence-based exam form to evaluate our students. Thank you for your efforts and congratulations Ketil!

The University of Bergen should deliver on four social issues, namely: research, education, dissemination and innovation. Previously, K2´s leadership had a strong focus on the fact that the Institute’s research would benefit society and K2 is therefore an institute that has thus far maintained its reputation in the field of innovation. The institute contributes many innovative projects where cooperation with both the hospital and the business community is central, among other things within drug development, medical technology and nutrition. Many will probably think that running innovation takes time from research and teaching and should just be a secondary consideration at UiB. However, the development of research ideas with commercial potential can be an excellent way to expand both networking and funding potential for project financing. The development of products and processes can also contribute to new research ideas. In K2, news no. 4, Amra focused on the importance of planning the application processes towards external funding sources. This is also true for innovation and commercialization projects.

The University of Bergen has set up Bergen Teknologioverføring AS (BTO) to help handle the further development of research ideas with social or commercial potential. Very often, in the development of these ideas and projects, its critical to apply for funds, just as in research. BTO has gradually gained experience with applications towards the various different funding programs availible. First and foremost, it is very important to get started as soon as possible with the application. The fact that these projects often also have more external partners only reinforce the importance of starting early. Furthermore, it is extremely important not just to describe the research or technical aspects, but also the usefulness and the commercial aspect. Business developers at the TTOs know how to best describe this. In addition, they often seek advice and assistance from external advisors to review the applications and provide feedback. BTO also cooperates closely with our administration at K2 and with the research advisors in the application processes. Here are some of the most important programs where UiB collaborates with BTO to get project funding, but there are of course many others, depending on the subject area and themes. Start by checking out these and see if there are some opportunities for financing some of your great ideas:

BIOTEK 2021 Optimizers: Project ideas with a commercial potential in biology and biomedicine can receive funding at a relatively early phase for further development. It is UiB which is the applicant institution, but it is mandatory to have a TTO onboard (in UiBs case, BTO), to ensure that the project evolves in a commercial direction.

STUDENT: Students with a good idea can earn up to NOK 1 million to further develop their idea commercially. It is UiB, which is the sender of an application to the Research Council of Norway. The scheme is aimed at those who are (or almost) at the master’s level. BTO assists both in the application process and after the project has been granted.

FORNY 2020 is the Research Council’s own verification program. The projects must be at a more mature stage of development than is the case with Biotek2021 Optimalization, but still the early “high risk” phase.

So if you have a good idea, please contact BTO right away!

Emmet Mc Cormack
Randi Taxt, Vice-director BTO