Dear everyone!

Now it has been one year since Covid-19 came to Norway. We have been through several lockdowns that have had a major effect on the research, teaching and not least the entire operation of K2. We have gotten used to talking to a screen and using the kitchen table as a desk. But all of this has not stopped our PhD fellows from finishing their projects. We have had a total of 42 disputations in 2020! I congratulate all the PhD candidates (and the supervisors) who have managed to finalize their thesis despite difficult conditions. The day was probably not quite as one had imagined without the opponents present and with only a few people physically gathered, and some may have had extra technical challenges, but all in all it has gone very well. The fact that trial lectures and disputations are conducted as zoom webinar actually allows more people to follow along online. There is a lot of exciting research going on! Check https://www.uib.no/nye-doktorgrader

In that context, I would also like to say a big thank you to all of you who have been custos! For 2021, we expect similar numbers (between 35 and 40 disputations), and I hope that all our professors and associate professors are willing to take on the role of custos.

Have a good winter holiday!

The rearrangement of the NFR deadlines in combination with a new lockdown in Bergen and one of the coldest, but most beautiful winters I have experienced, certainly has brought a novel twist to 2021 thus far. While most of us come up for air after the NFR deadline, there are many more deadlines for funds, positions and positioning right around the corner, it’s a case of hold on to something tight and here we go! Firstly, I would like to highlight the possibility to apply for small research funds, which has a deadline of 14.02.21 and here are the application criteria:

• Funding for researchers who do not have large funding.
• You can apply for 15 000-150 000 NOK.
• The funds have to be used within 2021 and cannot be transferred to 2021.
• Recipient has to be an active researcher with a permanent position, prof II or 1.am. II
• The recipient must have applied for external funding during the past years

Do not forget the application deadline for PhDs (9 positions) and Postdocs (2 positions) at the Medical faculty also with a deadline of 14.02.21.

Finally, 2 exciting application possibilities in conjunction with the Trond Mohn Foundation have been published. In collaboration with Haukeland hospital, the medical faculty will fund a new center of regenerative medicine. This center will build on the existing efforts of the Bergen Stem Cell Consortium (BSCC) and the new ex vivo clean room facility at the laboratory building of the culture of cells to be utilized for clinical trial. The center will be supported by the Trond Mohn Foundation over a 5-year period and the foundation has set off 20 MNOK to support 3-4 research project within the field of regenerative medicine. Additionally, the foundation has also put aside 5 MNOK funding for collaborative projects between a Bergen – and Oslo environment in core facilities for genetically modified cell therapies in Oslo. Application details can be found here:       https://www.uib.no/sites/w3.uib.no/files/attachments/crm_prequa.pdf

In another initiative, the Trond Mohn Foundation has in collaboration with the University of Bergen, Haukeland University Hospital and Stavanger University Hospital established the West Norwegian Center for Antimicrobial Resistance (CAMRIA). The center is led by Professor Nina Langeland at K2, University of Bergen. The centre aims to shed light on the spread of resistant bacteria in hospitals, by combining new and predictive mathematical approaches with advanced molecular biology. This intersection of disciplines will allow the unprecedented characterisation and prediction of AMR spread and outbreak dynamics and the identification of optimal control strategies using the paradigm of “precision medicine”. In parallel, new logistic, and policy research will provide a change in our ability to intervene in outbreaks. The center is now announcing funding for 3-4 projects that can help achieve the center’s objectives. For more details on this call and application templates please contact MEDforsk@uib.no. The deadline for this call is March 15^th, 2021.

Teaching is one of our core activites and we want to stimulate GOOD teaching at K2!

This year, we focus on raising awareness about the requirement for teaching education, which now applies to all scientific staff both for novel employees and for applications for the renewal of temporary positions (20% positions). The decree demands 200 hours of courses (about 8 study points). We are working on sharing information regarding courses in teaching and learning, and on finding god solutions for how to facilitate the acquisition of the required education for those in need. “Enhet for læring” (the learning center) at the Faculty of Medicine offers a selection of courses that may be recommended.

Our institute wishes to honour a teacher or teaching environment who has demonstrated an extraordinary effort within the field of teaching or development of innovative teaching and learning programs, by forwarding the K2 Teaching Award (NOK 50’000). Think of a nominee an e-mail the name of your candidate and a brief explanation to mette.vesterhus@uib.no by March 15th.

RETHOS is active from 2022. All UGLE must revise descriptions within their fields accordingly, securing that they comply with the requirements in RETHOS as regards form and content. Contact Harald Wiker for help.

The K2 Teaching Award is awarded at the TEACHING DAY May 19^th – save the date!

Christmas and the holiday season at the end of the year are over. It has been a busy time – everything must be fixed and arranged for a few, intense days. However, for most people it has been a precious holiday with time together with the ones we love, as well as an opportunity for contemplation and reflection. It provides motivation and strength to embark on a new year with new opportunities.

We entered the new year with dramatic events. The landslide accident in Gjerdrum was a terrible event, and our thoughts go to relatives, friends and acquaintances of those who lost their lives or were affected in some other way. There are probably many of us who could not believe what we saw on TV on Wednesday where the riots in Washington DC were a failed attempt at a coup in a country that has been a guardian of democracy and a champion of individual freedom. And unfortunately, the coronavirus infection rates have increased significantly, which has necessitated more and stricter restrictions.

There is still reason to look at the new year with optimism! We have learned a lot of new things in the past year in terms of infection prevention and alternative forms of learning, so we are well on our way. A lot of activity will therefore be able to continue as it did in the autumn of 2020 when it comes to research and teaching.

Vaccination is now underway and hopefully the infection situation will be under control sometime this year. We have therefore decided that K2 Retreat, which we had planned for the spring of 2021, will be moved to the autumn while the teaching day (together with K1) will be in the spring, even though it may be digital.

We received good results on applications last year (EU, Helse Vest, Hjertefondet, Kreftforeningen, NFR, Novo Nordisk Fonden). There are a number of application deadlines already now in January and February, among others Novo Nordisk Fonden and NFR so it’s just a matter of getting around. Contact Amra for help and advice. There is the possibility of financial support for applications, especially for those who want to try their hand at ERC. The latter should be considered by more people, the one who dares nothing, nothing wins!

All the best for the new year!

“Just another year”? Because of Covid-19, 2020 will be a year for the history books. The pandemic has turned research and teaching upside down for most of us. Hygienic measures such as social distancing, face masks and antimicrobial sanitizing, as well as the reorganization of communication and teaching to digital media, have required a lot from the individual and the organizations, including K2. But it has been great for me as a leader to see how well you have coped with this upheaval with acceptance, constructive action and even enthusiasm. Thank you very, very much!

We have learned a lot in many areas. Within a few weeks, UiB became digitalized, including eg. The K2 Day! New forms of communication make distances trivial and new international contacts and networks have become possible. I think we will emerge stronger from the pandemic, although there are some things that have been delayed or made more difficult.

K2 has undergone a number of changes in 2020 in that the research groups have been partially reorganized and teaching groups have been established with teaching group leaders (UGLEs). I think this will improve the academic environment for research and teaching. Thanks for constructive processes and involvement.

Despite Covid-19, 2020 has been a good year for K2. Employees have published in the best journals and been awarded prizes. Professor Nina Langeland will lead a National Program Against Antibiotic Resistance, Professor Eva Gerdts a Center for Heart Disease in Women, and Professor Einar Klæboe Kristoffersen a Center for Regenerative Medicine. Congratulations to these environments!

We have so far not fully achieved our goal of external research funding for 2020, but we hope this year’s allocations in the Research Council of Norway, which will be announced next week, will rectify this. K2 coordinates two COE applications, is shared leader of two more and partner on another five. It is to hope that at least one of these will make it! Thanks to Silke and Emmet for being temporarily willing to move up!

Autumn is often perceived as hectic due to application deadlines, meetings, and new student courses. And the semester is relatively short compared to the spring semester. Hence, as the year is nearing its end, it is good to be able to look forward to a holiday with the opportunity for peace and reflection.

For many, Christmas and the holiday season is the highlight of the year where family and friends gather for a holiday full of traditions and a sense of belonging, followed by Christmas in space, which can provide opportunities for other activities at home in Bergen, trips to the mountains or elsewhere. Covid-19 unfortunately places restrictions on this this year, but then we get the opportunity to form even closer ties within our own family.

What most of us take for granted is not necessarily the case for everyone. Some have lost someone they loved or have no close friends or family gathered this year. Can we think extra about these and maybe include them in our own Christmas celebration?

With wishes for a peaceful Christmas and all the best for 2021.

As an employee at the University of Bergen and Haukeland University Hospital for almost 25 years, I have been able to participate in and witness a fantastic research and competence building in our institutions. The many colleagues who are employed in so-called dual positions (both UiB and HUH) are in many ways the hubs of this collaboration and those who drive clinical research forward. Although the cooperation is good, there is also “debris in the machinery”.

Different salary models in recruitment positions between those who are employed at UiB and the health trust are a source of a potential conflicts as people who have the same type of job and function can end up with very different salaries. The previously sought-after part-time positions at UiB are no longer so attractive. Colleagues experience that they get a lot more work and stress without the department facilitating research and teaching. If a part-time UiB-position lead to reduced workplan at the hospital, the recent salary increase to these postion is being “eaten up”. There are many who now ask themselves the question – do I want this?

I call for a better climate of cooperation. We should not be competitors – our opponents are the research and teaching environments in Oslo, Trondheim and Tromsø. We in Western Norway need to cooperate more and become more competitive on the national and international arena. Perhaps a working group can take a closer look at how cooperation can be improved in concrete terms.

Eystein

Vice head of K2

Now that Pål and Eystein are back as head and deputy head of K2, I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for the trust and support I have received during my time as acting head of department. Being the leader of so many enthusiastic and amazing employees has been an exciting experience for me!

You actually have the opportunity to see each other next week on Institute Day (Tuesday 1.12. 8:30 -10:30). Remember to sign up! (https://k2info.w.uib.no/2020/11/05/pamelding-til-instituttets-dag/)

On the program is amongst others

1. Research on Covid-19: Rebecca Cox
2. Celebration of pensionists and jubilees
3. Presentation of the research group leaders and the UGLE (teaching group leaders)

As Mette wrote in the previous leader, we have had a meeting with all UGLEs at K2. All scientific employees shall belong to at least one UGLE, and we have sent out questionnaires which not everyone has answered yet (https://skjemaker.app.uib.no/view.php?id=9325840). Please answer that, so that the OWLS can get an overview of who they have in their group.

Wishing everyone a really good weekend!

Rain, storm and weather warnings have characterized Western Norway over the last couple of days. Perhaps this is how everyday work life has felt sometimes for those of us who take care of teaching, exams and administration of this, in a semester characterized by digital conversion and adaption to variable rules for physical gathering or distancing. Luckily, it is in fact true that every cloud has a silver lining. Is it possible that we may have gained something on our way through the storm, like new ways of teaching?

It is time to share our experiences regarding this as well as regarding the implementation of the K2 teaching groups when the teaching group leaders (UGLE) meet virtually on Tuesday November 24^th at 12-13. Link will be provided in a separate invitation to the UGLEs.

I would like to remind you of the short questionnaire that Julie sent to get an overview over the UNDERVISNINGSGRUPPENE. We would like to get the responses as soon as possible, in preparation for the UGLE meeting. It is swiftly done – please respond by Monday if you haven’t already done so! You will find the form here: https://skjemaker.app.uib.no/view.php?id=9325840

Wishing you a lovely wintery weekend.