Category Archives: This week’s editorial

External work

Per BakkeWe 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

KG Jebsen Center for Diabetes Research

Per BakkeThe 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

Well passed Easter!

Jone Trovik, portrett til disputasI 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

How to succeed with research at the Department of Clinical Science?

Ræder_portrettFirst 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.

Portrett disputas på Det medisinsk-odontologiske fakultet,

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

The technicians at K2

bakke0x2c_per_0x2830x29The technicians at K2, and the skills and knowledge they represent, are a great resource for the department. In total, there are 46 technicians employed on basic funding at K2. In addition, there all the technicians who are externally salaried at the department. Technicians employed on basic funding are allocated across the research groups after a certain formula based on group size, research production and citation index. The research group leader is responsible for the disposition of the technicians associated with the group. This means that everyone in the group should have equal access to assistance from the technicians. It is particularly important that young researchers are included when the technical resources are allocated. It should not be the case that the technicians are reserved for the established professors in the groups. Finally, it is important that the technicians’ skills and wishes are taken into account in the allocation of resources.

Besides, I will remind you that K2 has set aside funds for competence building among technicians. It can be applied for funding at any time. Support from the department assumes that the research group contributes with the same amount as it is applied for. Last year, not all the deposited funds were spent.

Per

Innovation

Ultrafiolett EysteinInnovation 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 11th, 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

More funds available

bakke0x2c_per_0x2830x29We’ve already had one round of allocation of funding (Smådriftsmidler) this year, but there is still money left. Therefore, there will be a second round of allocations. The same criteria apply also this time.

Criteria and requirements

  • The leader of the research group must apply, and the purpose must be discussed and prioritized within the research group.
  • It must be documented that the group has applied for other external research funding in 2016.
  • Appropriations shall be annual and used during the budget year. The funds are not transferable to the next year.
  • 
Funding will be allocated to research groups that do not have large appropriations already.
  • The research group must document how the funds will be used.

A research project can receive up to 150,000 NOK per year. Researchers who have been awarded this amount in the recently completed round, cannot apply for more, while researchers with less funding, can apply again. Although an applicant in the same research group has received money, it is an opportunity for another within the same group to apply, but the same project can get maximum 150,000 NOK.

Application form are available here.
Send the application to Siv Eggereide.

The deadline is 1 April (and that’s not a joke!).

We have to play each other better

k2nytt_2017_uke-10_leder_portrett_raederThe soccer team Rosenborg’s famous coach Nils Arne Eggen launched in his time the “Good Foot-Theory”. According to his theory we must “play each other better.” Nobel Laureate May-Britt Moser subsequently repeated his point in a research context. Unfortunately, it seems that the culture within the more competitive levels of academia goes in the opposite direction, at least if we are to believe a recent article in The Guardian. In this article, immunologist Lemaitre shares his reflections after his mentor Jules Hoffman received the Nobel Prize in 2011 for a discovery Lemaitre himself claims he was behind. He writes that “Reaching the top of the scientific hierarchy increasingly depends on a glittering media profile, publishing in “trophy journals” and cultivating a network of academic frenemies who are treated as close allies until they become obstacles in the path to academic glory”. He further writes that this narcissistic behaviour could eventually affect the objectivity of scientific research. He concludes by saying that “When you do a collective project with a narcissist at the end he has the feeling that he has done everything.” Such a culture is totally unacceptable and should be discouraged. One way to counter such a culture is to reward seniors who promotes their juniors’ career, for example by organizing their research activities so that their junior researcher develop independence and get their rightful last authorships without creating conflicts of interest. Today´s system credit the senior scientists for the numbers of doctoral students receiving their PhD. I hope we could also credit senior researchers´ ability to lift juniors to leading positions, both within and outside academia. To this end, the senior scientists would need to pass on some niches of their own research field and some potential last authorships to their junior group members. In return, the career progression for former junior group members should stand out in the senior´s CV, both at salary discussions, in applications for UiB scholarships and post-doctoral positions and in research applications. As it says in the Holy Bible, “for whatever one sows, that will he also reap”.

Helge

New Art faculty at UiB

bakke0x2c_per_0x2830x29University of Bergen got a new faculty on January 1st 2017 . The offcial name is Faculty of arts, music and design. It consist of the former Bergen National Academy of the Arts and the Greig Academy. The main purpose of the new faculty is education, artistic development, research and dissemination of art, music and design.

It’s just appointed a faculty director of the new faculty. It’s a person we here at K2 know well. Check who it is here.

Why does the the new faculty affect us at K2? For several reasons. Firstly because music and art has the potential to be used as a part of patient care, or to improve patients’ quality of life. Secondly, because art and design can be used to enhance both research applications and articles. Whether it concerns an application or a publication wishes to sell a message, and the phrase ”a picture tells a thousand words” is still valid. Thirdly, by working with people who are good in the audiovisual expression, we can better dissemination which is one of our main tasks, whether it involves the disclosure of our business in general or procurement of an application. Finally, we must be immodest enough to say maybe we can add something to the new faculty.

There is an increasing requirement to provide funds from externally. To do that, we need to think outside the box. One way is to seek cooperation with the people at the new Facutly of Arts from the points mentioned above.

Per

 

Who gets this year’s teaching award?

Jone Trovik, portrett til disputasTeaching is one of our core activities and we want it to be given good education at K2. Pedagogical skills will be emphasized when recruting academic positions and salary negotiation.

Conversion to Medicine in 2015 an enormous boost, thanks to everyone who helps out in both in semester boards and as educators and administrators! Also thanks to those who are Department mentors for students in early practice (this is where we can lay the foundation for an interest in Our own Field and emerge as good role models) as well as those who have taken on the leadership of their own mentor Groups.

Teaching the new curriculum be restructured from substantial traditional cathedral lectures to considerably more varied and student activating teaching methods.

Are you familiar with educational activities / principles PBL, TBL, flipped classroom or case-based teaching? Otherwise, I recommend educational foundation or any of the other courses at educational Department UiB (for example: Hot Moments in Teaching and Learning). Lectures will of course not be abolished but it has been shown that VARIETY in educational activities promote learning and that different teaching methods should be “tailored” to the kind of skill that must be learned. Then comes the concept of learning. Once it’s clear to us what we want the student to learn with the teaching tools at your disposal can then choose the best teaching Method.

At this year’s Teaching Price (NOK 50,000!), We want to honor an educator or an educational environment that has shown great interest in implementing new teaching; New study with other education than we have had in the past, new teaching methods, developed new courses (for example elective courses); Thus INNOVATION in education.
I would like to have nominated candidates, send reasoned proposals for me on jone.trovik@med.uib.no within March 10th!

Multiple Choice Database (MCQ) is being established, we have started testing data solution. It’s only for all educators to initiate to create tasks from their individual topics: a small case history with one more question and four alternative answers there ONE answer should  clearly be the best. We must add validation / comment for at least one of the available options. If each of us makes A puzzle of each lecture / group we teach the database will be kept up in volume. Questions should be validated by another teacher than yourself and happily send it to a student (who have finished the current installment) or a newly appointed assistant doctor who can ensure that the questions are relevant to the target group of students (and not just for the enthusiast professors …). Good luck!

And remember Teaching Day 27th April!

Jone

 

 

 

 

Spring’s most beautiful adventure

bakke0x2c_per_0x2830x29Also this year K2 is going to have a process for support to those applying for NFR grants. The schedule for the internal process at K2’s here and should be read by anyone applying through K2. Note that the internal K2 deadline to submit a draft of 1-2 pages is February 24th for those who plan to apply for the NFR programs BEHANDLING and BEDRE HELSE. The corresponding deadline for other NFR programs is March 10th. Those who comply with these deadlines will be given priority in the K2 internal review process led by Ola Myklebost. One gets the opportunity to present the draft in plenary and get constructive feedback from experienced colleagues which is useful in the preparation of the full protocol. Furthermore, one gets prioritized to support from our research advisors and budgetary assistance from the economic section at K2.

As Eystein wrote in last week’s editorial, it’s not enough with just good ideas. The presentation of the protocol and how to solve the problem you’ve outlined, is important to reach up in the application competition. Our reasearch advisers, Itana and Amra, are ready to help, but it goes without saying that there must be priorities in their use. Eystein will be the prioritizer. This means the inquiry about the help from Itana and Amra, will have to go through him.

The K2 internal deadlines are just around the corner, but the advantage with them is that one is forced to start already now and not wait until right before the NFR deadline. Conclusion: If you inted to apply for NFR this spring, check the schedule and start now. It can pay off!

Per

At it again

Ultrafiolett EysteinSpring will soon stand at the door which means new application opportunities, both for the research council and other organizations as the Cancer Society and Extra Foundation. In addition to FRIMEDBIO Research Council has a number of announcements second announcements, including subprograms TREATMENT and HEALTH that may be relevant for the K2 researchers (deadline 26/04/2017) The Department is now concentrating considerable resources on research support including through the appointment of our new research advisers itane and from April Amra Grudic-Feta. They will be key in the application processes during spring. As dashboard displays makes K2 makes it uniformly good although it goes a bit up and down – but we can always reach us anymore. Biomedicine Hanks in 5 new multiannual projects FRIMEDBIO in 2016, something we may have ambitions to copy.

2013 2014 2015 2016
EU applied 24 15 12
EU granted 2  3 (+1) 2 3
NFR applied 18 19 47 33
NFR granted 5 7 6 6
BFS applied 2 2 0 2
BFS granted 1 1 0 0
Kreftforeningen applied 18? 20 21 19
Kreftforeningen granted 9 11 11 2
Jebsen applied 2 0 2 6
Jebsen granted 0 0 0 *4

* 3 Extensions

The recent review of the applications for small operational funds revealed that application activity could have been better and some does’t revice the small operational funds because they do not seek it elsewhere. With the limitations in the allocation of the size we had not enough applications to distribute all the funds and it is probably one application round Number 2 later this year. There came no applications from department staff outside Haukeland Campus which possibly means that they are very satisfied or may not read K2news.

Therefore, it is also this year

• Sketch Plenary discussions
• Budgeting Help from the administration
• Printing Support from both research advisors and experienced colleagues

To take part in these “support services” it is necessary that applicants comply with deadlines. Participation is also an excellent opportunity to get tested and improved own ideas and help others to improve their applications. To reach up to competition required not only creative ideas, but often also a broad and multi-disciplinary approach to the problem one will resolve and good plans for dissemination and research training. All this can get input and ideas in a structured process where everyone helps each other.

 

 

New Year and New Opportunities for Even BETTER Teaching!

Jone Trovik, portrett til disputasDear everyone. Medicine 2015 progresses and we will keep the ‘pressure’ up to improve our educational expertise and offerings

We are fortunate to have a dedicated educator affiliated medical faculty: Monika Kvernenes. She helps us to find out what each of us want of further concrete offer educational expertise. It is therefore sent out a mapping survey. If you answer it, we can create personalized programs, isn’t it great? We hope as many as possible answers the mail sent on January 18th, check in your inbox.

April 27th is this springs teaching day. This is a forum with the possibility of concrete practical refills respect teaching. We have started working with Medical Multiple Choice Database for UiB. Hans Flaatten will show us how far this has come, how taxonomy (categorization) heal up and how we can take advantage of My UiB versus Inspera to save / import duties

He has extensive experience in the use of MCQ both the exam but also as “teaser” before the actual teaching ( “Quiz”).

OSCE; Objective Structured Clinical Exam for 3rd year students were piloted for the second time 4th of May. A sample (about 50 160 students) will be offered to participate. Ketil Grong heads the OSCE Committee (thanks for the great efforts here Ketil!) And is now asking for specific contacts of each semester (1 empty 6th semester) to clarify what is taught by current skills suitable for testing examination.

On the teaching day we will review how OSCE work and then go ahead and plan what might be appropriate jobs for the next step OSCE (end exam 12th semester). Skill Centre’s role both to provide skills training but also use the OSCE will be discussed.

We organize offers of clinical practice differently to different departments. At Stavanger University Hospital, they used a systematic program of practice supervisors who highly valued by students. Ragnar Sande will tell about how they have achieved such success.

Can we get better at recognizing and motivating clinicians in teaching work

“Clinical teacher” is a term used by some medical faculty / medical schools. This may involve a formal (albeit unpaid) adjacent to the faculty that gives merit respect any later university employment and access to some university benefits such as access to journal / web resources, training / cultural offerings, participation in educational / other universities courses. If you have suggestions for what can be content in such a clinical instructor / teaching remuneration takes educational officer K2 (jone.trovik@med.uib.no) welcome suggestions.

Jone