“Peace and see you later” is common to say in Israel where I will spend the next semester as guest professor at The Weizmann Institute of Science. The sabbatical arrangement is a great opportunity to establish new collaborations, build networks and set of time to plan projects and write applications. The network is not only useful for the professor him or herself. It also opens up for exchange of younger researcher in the involved groups. Several of the groups at the institute have used this opportunity in an exemplary way, such as the diabetes and lung research groups.

Staying abroad requires planning not only of the academic project, but also of the practicalities concerning work and studies for any partner, school for children and housing. The faculty provide grants each year, and funds can also be obtained from Helse Vest, the Research Council of Norway, and other funding bodies. Application deadline for research terms is 1 May each year.

It is less common for foreigners to apply for a sabbatical at K2, but our goal should be to attract good researchers from abroad who wish to spend a year with us. Don’t forget this possibility

Finally, I would like to end my term as vice head and short guest appearance as head of department, by saying shalom ve lihitraot. Now, Jone takes over until the new head of the department is ready to start.

Good weekend and good remaining 2017.

Eystein

A researcher at UiB recently published a very interesting scientific work that could potentially pave the way for a new treatment principle to increase muscle strength. In an interview with the newspaper Bergens Tidende, the journalist asked if the discovery could yield income to the researcher or UiB. The researcher shook his head before he replied: I have not thought about it. I am most concerned about helping people. That’s why I’m a researcher. Revenue is less important.

It is understandable that the researcher wishes to have his primary focus on the discovery. But the findings have only a potential utility until someone finds some practical realization of the findings. Potentiality and realization marks the difference between research and innovation. And by practical realization of the findings the researcher, through his or her expertise, can shorten the path to patient care, while at the same time acquiring additional sources of external funding and also creating new jobs.

At the Department of Clinical Science, Audun Nerland has lead a group that has looked at conditions that can improve the innovation ability at the Department. The group points, among other things, to awareness-raising about innovation and commercialization, training in the stages of the innovation process, providing facilities and meeting places, providing information about innovation-oriented research support (e.g., NFR FORNY2020, BIOTEK2021, BIA) and giving merits if you contribute to innovation. Innovation is not only relevant in research, but also in teaching, as illustrated by the project of Professor Jarle Rørvik (K1) Adap (Adaptive Online Learning Environment).

I hope that everyone, besides publications and public dissemination of their research, also considers the potential for innovation. Then, as the newly appointed Vice Dean of Innovation, I will do my best to make the best possible arrangements to make innovation happen. One of my first tasks is to find residents to the new Incubator Building, which is planned on the parking deck behind the Laboratory Building, in such a way that it promotes a culture of innovation.

Helge

Dear all K2s,

Welcome to a new semester as teachers and facilitators / contributors to all the teaching we perform at UoB and K2.

Medicine 2015 (“New Study Plan in Medicine”) is rolled out, and this autumn the old “propedeutics term” is completely reorganized. There has been an increase in research in research / journal writing, and we need urgently more fresh effort to participate. That is why all fellow students have received an email from me to request for contributions to this course now. But we also need contributions from other disciplines, so I have asked for information about each individual’s background. We will probably come back with requests for other teaching later.

Teaching is one of the main areas of responsibility for the university, and all fellows are also supposed to develop teaching skills (dissemination) during their PhD course. We therefore hope that both fellows and supervisors see the importance of contributions into teaching, also for those who have a scholarship outside of UoB.

I have received MANY positive answers. Thank you very much to those of you who show interest in contributing, and to those who have not yet answered, I hope to receive a feedback.

Wish you all a good teaching autumn!

Jone

Many of us witnessed how Karsten Warholm became world champion and won 400 meters hurdle in London on Wednesday. An amazing achievement that shows how a talent can, with systematic work, set the highest goals and reach them

Let this be an inspiration for us at K2. UiB, like Ulsteinvik, is not the metropolis for science and sport, but we can still deliever achievements in the top international level in research, teaching and dissemination. Although Warholm’s success is first and foremost his own profit, it is also the result of good helpers and an organized environment. Therefore, it is important that the university, the faculty and the department all make it possible for talent to develop and showcase. K2 will work for everyone at the department to be among the best in their area, and the new head of department will be central to this work.

When the application deadline for the position as Head of Department expired on August 4th, 4 highly qualified individuals had applied. Now the committee will look forward to finding the best suitable applicant, whom we hope to get to work on September 1st. Until then I will lead the Department.

With the hope of a productive autumn

Eystein

Acting head of department

This is the last K2Nytt editorial before the summer vacation and my last as head of the Department of Clinical Science. I will take the opportunity to express my gratitude to all of you. More than four years have passed since K2 was established, and a lot has happened these years. It has been ups and downs, but I have always felt a very strong support and kindness from every corner of K2.

With 320 employees coming from four different departments, it has for sure been conflicts of interests and different opinions of how to cope with various challenges. However, I have always felt that people have taken a strong interest in where to go, and have sincerely wanted a good solution. The occasions when some did not have it their way, the final solution has always been accepted.

There will soon be a call for the position as new head of K2. I hope that many will consider applying. It is a very rewarding job. It is a fantastic bunch of people at K2, be it the administrative, technical or scientific staff. I want the next head of K2 to be met with the same kindness as has been offered me. There are still many tasks to take on at K2.

Thanks a lot, all of you!

Per

Bob Dylan sings that it’s time to wake up for the times have changed; also for UiB and K2. The UiB Board made two decisions on June 1st that will affect us. One seems unimaginable; We are now going to be called “The Faculty of Medicine” – simple and straightforward, but at the same time clear and powerful. The second decision that Per Bakke is offered the position as Dean touches us more. I received the news with mixed feelings. I was very happy on Pers and my own behalf; The Faculty of Medicine receives a new and visionary leader. The backside, however, is that K2 will soon be without a leader.

Per has led the department through a major and extensive reorganization and has managed to get groups from different institutes to work well together with a low conflict level. Under Press Management, the business has had impressive growth. K2 researchers regularly publish in “top tier” journals, receive grants from national (K.G.-Jebsen, NFR, Cancer Society) and international funds and organizations (EU, Novo Nordisk). We have managed to pay off debt and have provided us with an action room that enables strategic measures to further improve the quality of research, teaching and dissemination.

Per, in other words, leaves an institute with good vitality and little obstructivity. When he on July 31st, extends his right arm with the baton, who is ready to grab it and the challenge of leading K2 futher?

The Department Management thinks that it will be possible to conduct own research while leading K2, as Per has shown possible with about 130 articles published since 2010. The new department head gets its own post-doc position, a reliable management and the ability to build up a senior management team – all to facilitate high academic activity.

We hope that «The Times They are a-changin» in a positive way and that many, both internal and external, see the opportunities that lie in the position of head of department and apply.

Eystein

The government has made it clear that the universities are to promote digitalization within all fields. Traditionally we have considered digitalization primarily as a tool to optimize administrative services. In recent years digitalization within teaching and at examinations have become more common. A good example is the efforts done by Martin Biermann of which he received the Faculty Dissemination Prize 2017.

Also, research may benefit from digitalization. As part of the efforts to respond to the requests from the government, the university has made a strategy for digitalization.  UoB will establish working groups for how to promote digitalization within teaching and research, and within the administrative services. I have heard some state that digitalization is just a way to make the scientists do secretary work. This assessment is too simple.

The university will organize a “Come together day” on digitalization 4 October 2017 in Grieghallen. The aim is to present various ways of digitalization to promote teaching and research, as well as administrative services. Those who might have projects that could be presented in Grieghallen, please notify this by sending an e-mail to org2022@uib.no within Monday 12 June.^.

The event in Grieghallen will be open to everybody at the university. Note the date! Digitalization is here to come, we should join it. By visiting Grieghallen 4 October, we might get some good ideas to use in our own research, teaching or administrative work

Per

Thanks to the OSCE-lad Ketil Grong for steady organization, motivation, arrangement and evaluation. And thanks to those who made assignments and contributed as examinators as well as timer/organizator.

For those who haven’t understood what this is; Objective Structured Clinical Exam, to replace traditonal oral examinations. Stations are made with a task that should be clinically directed, this year they had 14 different tasks that ran parallell in two ”rounds”
So every task duplicated; held in two different rooms with an examinator each. The students were doing 14 different assignments this time; tuning fork test, makroanatomi, identify heart structures, hypertension/ Control blood pressure, heartauscultation, throatpalpation, abdomen and rectal Exploration, joint status survey, Cardiac pulmonary resuscitation, talking and interpreting about normal EKG, case history (communication), microscopy/ evaluation of culturedishes, hip examination and finally geriatri (the latter post I don’t quite know what was about)

The OSCE-lad with a tenical assisstent rigged the day before (at the Medical Skills Center and the course rooms in the BBB building a few examiners stuck their head in. 32 students attended the exam, two ”resting stations” between the 14 active examinatior = 2,5 hours of active examinations, after 4 hours of clean-up.

Conclusion: the students were satisfied. The OSCE general tired (but satisfied?), but needs more PRACTICAL / ADMINISTRATIVE help next time

Challenges: Electronic solution for how to record earnings per station must immediately be procuted. When this is rolled out on a large scale; 160 students each spring 6th semester need more parallel circles and both area and equipment must be dobbled.

Next OSCE autum 2017 is November 8th. That assumes that ALL Groups from K2 with tuition allowance in 1st -6th semester (that means the Three first years of study) MUST prepare at least one station assignment each and have avaliable Three People who can be examinatior per ask one delivers. That means NO ordinary teaching this day. And it is assumed that you have peronnel availability (not a good day to plan/ go to a congress/Meetings)

Spring 2018 we’re have the first OSCE for the Whole class, that means 5 parallel sections. We will need 65 examinators and then it will definitely be FACULTY LOCKDOWN. The date will be announced early in the fall, so that Teachers can be allocated here.

But before that time: Happy Pentecost!

Jone

This week I have attended the annual ATS (American Thoracic Society) conference in Washington. One of the sessions at the conference was about global warming and lung health. The first part of the session was science, the other politics. This editorial will deal with the latter. One of the speakers was Carol Browner, who served as director of the White House Office of Energy and Climate Change Policy under the Obama administration, and is also a previous head of the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency). She presented a rather shocking outline of the methods used by the oil, coal and automobile industry to misinform about global warming and health consequences. These methods make those used by the tobacco industry regarding cigarette smoking and health to look like nothing. These industries are now backed by the current head of EPA under the Trump administration, Scott  Pruitt. He has now laid off scientists, closed EPA web pages, and is planning to reduce the agency by about one third.

Does this concern us? Yes, as it does all of us, but also according to the ex-head of EPA, Carol Browner, particularly so as researchers. In this case, it affects particularly scientists into climate and health. The next time it could be other topics.

As researchers, we have traditionally had little interest to communicate our knowledge to the population at large. What is important is the scientific journals. However, times have changed, and so must we. Scientific publications does not exclude dissemination to the public. A good example is the communication about consequences of lack of vaccination that Becky and Kristin from K2 had last year.

Fake news and alternative facts should be opposed. This is a particularly responsibility for university employees!

Per

The ERC was created to address the need to develop long-term funding for researchers to pursue ground-breaking, high-risk/high-gain research where the intention is to establish excellent research environments in Europe. Scientific excellence is therefore the sole evaluation criterion for selecting the principal investigator and the scientific project. The ground-breaking nature and ambition of the project must be balanced by feasibility. In addition, the intellectual capacity, creativity and commitment of the principal investigator are evaluated. Proposals should cross the boundaries between different fields of research and ERC is welcoming pioneering proposals addressing new and emerging fields of Research.

The principal investigator of an ERC Starting Grant shall have been awarded his or her first PhD degree > 2 and < 7 years ago, while this period for the ERC Consolidator Grant is > 7 and < 12 years. Clinical training, long-term illness, maternity- and paternity leaves can be taken into consideration when calculating the effective elapsed time.

The ERC Starting and Consolidator Grants are looking for independent young and mid-career scientists who may become the future top notch researchers and/or leaders in their research field. What could, in your case, be seen as proof of research independence? It is expected that the applicant will have produced at least one important publication as main author or without the participation of their PhD supervisor for Starting Grant candidates, and several such publications for Consolidator Grant candidates.

For 2016, the success rate for Life Sciences proposals was 14 % for Starting and Consolidator Grant proposals; success rates which are in line with, or even higher than, similar programs from the Research Council of Norway.

We urge you to contact us if you consider applying for these grants during 2017 or 2018. The call for the Starting Grant will most likely open during summer 2017 and usually has deadline during October, while the Consolidator Grant call is expected to open during fall 2017 with the expected deadline during February 2018. In that respect, we want to make you aware of the ERC Starting and Consolidator Grants Course arranged by the Division of Research Administration at UiB. Representatives from the company Beacon Tech will guide you through the proposal elements and talk about presenting the research idea and yourself. You can book a session with them after lunch to discuss your idea and further questions. The course takes place 14 June at Hotel Ørnen and you can register via this link.

Helge, Eystein, Amra and Itana

We have been reminded that everybody must register and/or update his/her external work information. The University Board has decided that all employees at UoB, regardless of the job category and position fraction, have to register their tasks outside of UoB. The intention is that there shall be full transparency for people both inside and outside UoB about employees’ potential links. The list of external tasks is publicly available.

It is emphasized that it is entirely legitimate and desirable that UoB employees have external tasks. But all external work should be registered. Transparency about this is primarily an advantage for the employee. However, also for K2, as one of the largest institutes at the UoB and as such often reviewed by the university, it is important that we comply to this order.

You do the registration in Paga.

What external work should be registered? Read the manual here, and further about the principles here (links in Norwegian only). It is easy to register and takes most of us less than 15 minutes.

This topic was emphasized last year. For those who do not have any change in external tasks or none at all, no measure is needed.

If you are in doubt about the registration of external work, contact Julie.
(NB: Read the instructions first!)

Per

The KG Jebsen center for diabetes research has moved into new locations within the BUSP building. The event was marked with a symposium last week, and the leader of the Center, Pål Njølstad, should be congratulated. The establishment of the UoB attached KG Jebsen center for diabetic research within the hospital building of BUSP is an example of the good collaboration between the hospital and the university. However, it is also indicative of the strategic skills and entrepreneur ability of Pål.

KG Jebsen center for diabetes research was established based on funding from the Kristian Gerhard Jebsen Foundation. Since then Pål and his team have shown an impressive scientific production with papers in journals like Nature Genetics, New England Journal of Medicine and Cell, just to mention some. As important is the fact that the center has been able to recruit stellar researchers like Valeriya Lyssenko and Simona Chera.

A good collaboration between the hospital and the university is a prerequisite and necessity in order for Bergen to compete with the Oslo dominance within medical research. The future success of the center will not only be measured in high-ranking publications, but also in the ability of the center to promote the next generation researchers.

Good luck in the years to come!

Per

I hope everyone has had a well-deserved break – be it in the mountains, at the coast or in the city – and have gathered new power for the spring’s application processes and teaching tasks.

The joint lecturing day will take place next week, more specifically on Thursday 27 April. Here, among other things, we will be introduced to ETP (Excellent Teaching Practitioner). This is a merit scheme for outstanding teaching at the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences. Vise-Dean Harald Walderhaug will explain how this works. Perhaps this is something to strive for?

Objective structured clinical examination (OSCE) is relevant to many subject areas. Here, Ketil Grong will give us some practical examples, and afterwards we will have the opportunity to collaborate on proposals for assignments for later exams.

Apropos cooperation. The 12th semester of the medical studies is a great opportunity to present subjects across professional boundaries, where one can go deeper into terms than in previous semesters. Karen Budal has sent a call to relevant groups in the academic community and asked for input. Think wide! What other topics are related to your field of work? “Acute abdomen”; surgeon / urologist / gastromedicine / gynecologist. Diagnostics of almost anything; pathologist, microbiologist, radiologist. Treatment: what about comorbidity? Cardiologist / anaesthesiologist / pulmonologist. Multipharma; pharmacologist / geriatrics. Almost everything should be diagnosed primarily by general practitioners. Get them on the team!

Our vigorous professional efforts – be it research or education – is that what’s needed to have a good life? There is of course research that can say something about this: “The Harward Study of adult development” – a 75-year longitudinal and ongoing study! An excellent TED talk by the fourth leader of the study, Robert Waldinger, is recommended!

Jone

First you have to define your specific scientific goals and a reasonable time frame. The goals and time frame are perhaps most clearly formulated for the graduate students: One need to publish at least three papers within one´s field of interest and write a Thesis within the doctoral time frame. It is perhaps less clear what the goals are, if you are postdoctoral fellow or a younger researcher who would like a successful career in science, but a friend in Boston used to say that within the postdoctoral time period one should try to achieve the following three goals: to carry out interesting and publishable experiments, to publish a good paper, and obtain an independent grant. He also believed that these three goals were part of a cycle where they reinforced each other’s chance mutually: You do not get grants without papers, and you do not get papers without experiments and you do are not able to carry out experiments without any form of funding.

Amra Grudic-Feta

Somewhere in the cycle, however, you need to jump in, and here we hope that a new initiative from the Department can come to your assistance: The Department has defined its goals for better research in the Strategy Plan, and in June we will employ a research consultant, Amra Grudic-Feta, who will help us reach several of these goals. In particular, she will contribute towards four of the defined goals:

– in the structured approach for writing grant applications (F2),

– in follow-up of grant calls as well as publication of these in K2News (F2),

– as a resource that can help career counseling and career research education (RIK1), and

– as a contact point (catalyst) who may help scientists navigate to find the desired advanced equipment and expertise within the Department (RIK2).

We wish Amra welcome to the Department and hope she can help you to reach your goals.

Helge

Innovation was one of the topics discussed at the spring’s strategy meeting. In collaboration with the The Department of Biomedicine, we follow up on the matter with a joint seminar on Innovation and biotechnology. May 11^th, Professor Ulf Landgren from Uppsala University will hold two seminars on “Innovation and biotechnology” and “Molecular tools for high performance analyzes of proteins and nucleic acids”, the latter is held as a BBB-seminar. It also gives the opportunity to speak with Landgren in smaller groups.

Ulf Landgren delivers a number of inventions that are commercialized successfully, including Padlock method for amplification of DNA and “proximity ligation” that provides ultra-sensitive detection of molecules. The latter method led to the creation of the company OLink (www.olink.com).

Mark the day in your calendar already now

Good innovative weekend

Eystein