Thank you very much to all who contributed to the successful completion of OSKE12 yesterday, and to those who will participate next week for OSKE6! I can only encourage more people to contribute, as it will reduce the workload for everyone.

I was also very pleased to hear that half of the applications to DRIV – Center for Women’s Health Research, submitted last week, came from K2, a total of 14 applications! Now the evaluation is underway, and we will find out in August who will proceed to step 2. Let’s keep our fingers crossed that some from K2 will make it through.

But this is a good starting point to continue with proposal writing and submit to NFR – FRIPRO. Marit Bakke provided information this week that:

1. FRIPRO will distribute 900 million NOK this year.
2. So far, a total of only 100 applications have been received from all fields in Norway.
3. Applications submitted by mid-August will be considered for this year’s round.

This means that there are better chances than ever to succeed in FRIPRO this year. And now we also have a deadline: mid-August. Remember to register your application in our portal for externally funded projects (Skjemaker for applications, K2), so one of the economists can assist you with the budget and help us turn around the deficit K2 has accumulated.

Have a great weekend

K2 is running a significant deficit, and changes are necessary to turn things around. Therefore, the management has initiated several measures that will affect your workday. In such situations, it can often be challenging, to use a favorite expression of politicians, but it is crucial to identify and seize the opportunities that exist.

The broader picture indicates that the Norwegian education sector is gradually being downsized over time, though perhaps not as much in the health and medicine sectors, where many hands will be needed in the future. We are not alone in this; reduced resources are something all universities must cope with, and as always, it’s important to be among the best.

What does this mean for K2? The following points summarize some of the measures management is working on:

• Space Reduction: K1 and K2 are working to reduce their area in the Laboratory Building by about 400m² to save on rent. The involved groups are collaborating with management to find solutions that do not harm research activities, and we hope this process can be completed by the end of August.
• Core Facilities: Our core facilities are crucial infrastructure for research and are often essential for securing research funding. K2 has many such facilities, all running at a deficit, which collectively poses a significant problem. We must, therefore, consider restructuring, relocating, or possibly shutting down non-critical core facilities.
• Zero-Overhead Projects: While these projects are beneficial, they also pose a problem as they burden the collective resources. K2 has many large projects in this category, contributing to the deficit. Until now, we have had matching funds to mitigate this, but this scheme has been discontinued. We are working on budgeting to reduce deficits in such projects, including freeing up project staff. So far, we have not declined such projects, but it could become a reality in the future.
• Efficient Teaching: The number of students is increasing, but the number of teachers is decreasing, requiring more teaching from fewer staff. In collaboration with the study administration, we are working to get a better overview of teaching responsibilities and who can contribute. We need to be open to new ideas; perhaps you will need to teach a subject you are not a super specialist in, or perhaps an academic environment needs to change the curriculum to make teaching more efficient with new tools. Introducing more weekly duties in the departments might also be necessary. Here, dialogue with healthcare institutions will be crucial to find good arrangements.
• Same People, New Tasks: Starting in June, we will map the competencies of technical staff and PhD/postdocs with an eye on administrative tasks. We need people to assist with events, defenses, and other work on a voluntary basis.

Turning the economy around requires everyone to contribute. We have discussed this in various forums, but so far, the engagement has been rather low. Everyone must participate if we are to succeed, and we must be willing to think creatively.

Eystein Husebye,
Acting Head of Department

Many individuals who are employed or indirectly connected to K2 through research contribute to teaching at the bachelor’s, master’s, and PhD levels, and towards the professional studies at the Faculty of Medicine. Yet, there is a need for more hands (or rather, brains) and a more adequate distribution of tasks. But why teach or supervise students if it is not a formal requirement in the position or role you hold?

Many discover the rewarding aspects of teaching and supervision when they reach a point where they “have to” get involved in such tasks, while some realize a bit too late that teaching experience would provide a more complete CV, in terms of both real-life and formal competence.

Teaching can force one to delve into areas slightly outside one’s core competence. Through the preparation for teaching and, for example, supervising students who work on various assignments, this can contribute to a broader professional impact. Evaluation (“sensor”) assignments can serve a similar function, while also providing an insight into other environments and their activities – which can come in handy when in need for an evaluator for one’s own students.

Through such processes, one often needs to look afresh at one’s own passive knowledge concerning definitions and basic concepts that might be taken for granted in everyday work activities – can you really explain them to a less experienced person? Sometimes, more experienced individuals may have moments of discovery when going back to concepts they think they have understood and can explain outright. Students ask questions one as never considered.

Everyone probably clearly recalls one or several teachers or mentors from their own time as a student. Some for the ‘wrong’ reasons, but some as important role models and academic mentors. In an era with a growing focus on digitalization in teaching, I believe it is very important that students meet dedicated professionals and scientists, and I believe these meetings can be motivating for both parties.

Regarding formal competence: various forms of teaching are credited in the training part of the UiB PhD education, and supervisors can encourage the emphasis on such activities in the training component. Specific requirements apply for promotions/appointments in academic positions, but teaching will always complement an academic CV.

Be reminded that teaching is not just lectures but can take many forms. If you want to contribute to teaching or supervision, you can communicate this to the leader of your research group, to teaching group leaders in your field, or to colleagues who teach a relevant subject.

Silje – Fungerende undervisningsleder.