In this last editorial of the year it is time to look back at the K2 activities in 2015. With regards to education the main focus has been on the new curriculum in medicine. Although much work remains, the planning is well underway. Digital tools in teaching and examinations are coming. Although the vision of new, fully funded study places in pharmacy has not yet been realized, the Center for Pharmacy has made a great effort of raising the parliamentarians’ awareness of this issue. A new course in galenic pharmacy has been started.

The research activity and the outcome of grant applications have been very good. K2 researchers obtained seven new NFR projects this year, including a part in an infrastructure application that is coordinated from Oslo. K2 received about 60% of the new multi-year grants from Samarbeidsorganet as well as four new EU projects. The total funding received in various applications by K2 employees, will amount to approximately 93 million NOK which is 7 million more than we received from the government. There is however still a large potential for improved external funding.

The technical staff at the department makes important contributions to the successful research. I wish to give credit to Ersilia Bifulco, Jenny Zhang and Tove Folkestad who have reestablished the Forum for Technicians.

HSE is important to all of us. All the staff at K2 has received, or will be offered appraisal interviews annually.

A very tight department economy has left its mark on the activities this year. Although several research groups have received large grants, there are also groups that have not obtained external funding, and the department has had little to offer. I am grateful that people have shown understanding for the limitations linked to the tight budgets. On the bright side, the debt K2 gained by the reorganization of the faculty is now nearly liquidated. This means that in the coming years, there will be some money to promote the K2 activities.

Keywords for next year are the new curriculum in medicine, Ferdighetssenteret, The research unit for health surveys, a new strategy for K2, a structured process for grant applications, and the Forum for Technicians.

Finally, I would like to thank you all for a great effort in 2015, and I wish you all a Merry Christmas!

Per

This week the institute arranged lunch for the Emeritus Society. The society consists of professors emeriti from K2. The emeriti make a very important contribution to the department in several fields, and are well worth a lunch.They manage most defenses at K2 as custos and are part of several committees that consider applicants for vacancies and applications for endowments. Several of them are still teaching, and last but not least, several of them still publish with K2 affiliation. All of this is free of charge for the Department!

The only thing they get in return is free access to university computer services, library services and E-mail lists. In addition they receive K2Nytt. The Emeritus Society is open to anyone who goes into retirement from a scientific position at K2. Membership is renewed annually.

We have good reason to thank the emeriti for the effort they make for K2!

Per

Most of us associate HMS with just that; health, environment and safety. If you look up the Norwegian abbreviation HMS in korrekturavdelingen.no, it is synonymous with health, environment and safety – that makes it easy for people who have Norwegian as their mother tongue to understand. A similar search in English will result in over 100 definitions of HMS. One of the more well-known is the Harvard Medical School. One may first think of Her Majesty’s Ship or be inspired by 007 Her Majesty’s Service, or the more unfamiliar might be the Hybrid Male Sterility and Happy Mask Salesman…

Where am I heading with this commentary? K2 is becoming more and more international, and the department has a significant number of foreign staff and students – therefore how we communicate is of the utmost importance.

This years HMS seminar was (unlike the previous meetings) held in English, which was very well received. Communication was a main theme in the group work. In the plenary session, Silke Appel had a proposal that all Ph.D. defences should be held in English. Rebecca Cox called for proper translation of K2Nytt into English – she occasionally had to consult the Norwegian translation to understand the English… However, everybody agreed that K2Nytt is useful, and most employees read it. There were calls for an improved “layout” and easy access to earlier editions of the newsletter.

We also discussed meeting places within the department. Shared meeting places that were highlighted where the scientific K1 / K2 seminars and the K2 HMS seminar. These are good venues to meet departmental colleagues for an informal chat, but they sometimes have poor attendance. Serving wine was suggested as a possible incentive to attend – it apparently worked in Denmark. One of the more specific forums the “Faculty lunch” has been initiated. There is also a plan to resurrect the Technical Forum. The K2 management will summarize all comments from the HMS day and will focus on implementing many of the suggestions.

Two important issues were presented by the HMS department at UiB; the new portal for reporting of adverse events and a new tool for risk assessment. These topics could potentially be very dry, but they were elegantly and inspiringly presented by Johannesen, including a Kohoot quiz, and Bjørn Arild Petersen from the Geophysical Institute (link).

There was also time for good breaks, including Godt Brød for lunch, a grand piano performance and the journalist Linda Eide spoke unrestrictedly on the theme “Ekte begeistring er ingen spøk” (Genuine enthusiasm is no joke). All in all, the HMS day was very successful, including a fire alarm rehearsal, all superbly directed by Irene, Ingvild and Julie. Those of you that did not come missed out on a good day!

Finally, let this seminar be a reminder that we all have responsibility for our occupational health, safety and environment. I wish you all a good weekend.

Eystein

The results of the applications of Samarbeidsorganets research grants were published this week. Applications from researchers connected to K2 did very well. Of a total of 12 PhD scholarships 5 was granted to candidates with main supervisors from K2. Corresponding figures for postdoctoral fellowships were 6 and 2. Funds were granted to 23 new multi-year research projects. Of these 14 (60%) were granted to projects where the applicant is affiliated with K2. Also for the one-year projects K2 employees were well represented. There is every reason to congratulate!

For those who did not get anything from this year’s applications: Though it is immediately frustrating, just keep applying and do better next time. In this connection I will remind you that K2 will run a structured support for NRC applications this spring and also for the EU projects. Further information will follow.

This column will also encourage Samarbeidsorganet  to look critically at the way the applications are assessed. Although there has been a clear improvement from previous since the committees that consider the applications now are external to Helse-Vest, there is always room for improvement of the comittees research expertise, and the way the evaluation is organized.

Per

The term career is by many perceived as a value-laden concept, but for those who work in academia this is a reality. At present there are great demands to recruit the best talents and follow them up so well that they remain at the institution, in our case Department of Clinical Science. This applies to ensure that Norwegian institutions will be able to assert themselves in the international competition for talents and research funding. To make this work, leaders at all levels need to prioritize good recruitment and career policy. Recently a working group appointed by UHR delivered an inspirational document with proposals for a coherent framework for career policy at Norwegian higher education institutions. The report can be found here (in norwegian): http://www.uhr.no/documents/230615KarrieredokumentetUHR.pdf

In the inspiration note Better Career Policies for academic staff in the higher education sector (UHR June 2015), that the report has been called, the working group proposes to systematise career and HR policy into four phases in a scientific career:

• Phase 1. Those who are in a doctoral program (PhD)
• Phase 2. Employees in qualification level (postdocs, researchers etc.)
• Phase 3. Permanent employees in combined positions (Associate professor, professor, etc.)
• Phase 4. Internationally leading professors

Career Politics is of course about the whole career path, from PhD to internationally leading professors. We should embark on and continue to work with this. The best time to bring this up is in the appraisal interview.

Roland

The office situation at K2 is a challenge. A large and pleasing increase in BOA activity has contributed to an increased demand for office space. The administration is going to take another round in K2 areas in the lab building to see if it is possible to exploit the areas better and make sure that people do not hold places they are not supposed to. In the allocation of seats, we will follow the already decided ranking for allocation of office spaces: Professor, Associate Professor, researcher, postdoc, PhD student, research line student, master’s student. In addition, we will strive to have people sit near their labs and close to their partners. It is possible that we also need to utilize some lab areas as office spaces.

Finally, it is important that people report their needs for office space to Irene: Irene.Hjelmaas@uib.no

It is in everyone’s interest that these rules are followed. If we all show agility this can easily go well!

Per

All permanent employees in main position shall anually be offered an appraisal interview. As department head, I have interviews with research group leaders, heads of platforms and permanent academic staff in main positions. Research group leaders must ensure that appraisal interviews are offered to other employees in the research group, including technicians. The head of administration will offer appraisal interviews to the administrative staff.

The appraisal interview is voluntary for the employee. The conversation will be confidential and address expectations both ways, as well as efforts and results. It should be very concrete, as that makes it easier to assess the impact of it. An important point is that both parties in advance think about what should be addressed.

The purpose of the interview is to help create a better working environment, at the same time as we improve, both as individuals and organization. Medical university work is carried out in a tight relationship. This makes the appraisal inerview particularly important.

Per

Linda Eide (the one with the matching tracksuit and “Norske attraksjoner”) will contribute with the lecture “La deg begeistre!” (Be inspired!) The Grieg Academy sets the tone for a more balanced mood.

What does this have to do with HMS (Health-Milieu-Safety)? Of course this is well-founded; after all we are academic staff:

Health: “Humor is the best medicine,” though with some reservation, see (1, 2).

Milieu: To meet in the Aulas magnificent environment facilitates communication / interaction both with close and often somewhat distant colleagues in K2.

Safety: Will be attended there and then (instant security; escape routes will probably be demonstrated). The fact that we become better acquainted with each other and practice communication will undoubtedly contribute to increased safety when we are back at the respective workplaces.

We will be presented with the Working environment survey conducted in 2015. Based on the results of this survey thereafter we will work in groups and discuss what each of us can do to contribute to further development.

The HMS department will also hold more targeted posts, and there will be a good lunch (from Godt Brød)! Food as medicine was however too extensive to include in the reference list ….

Welcome!

Jone

References
1. R.E. Ferner og J.K. Aronson: Laughter and MIRTH (Methodical Investigation of Risibility, Therapeutic and Harmful): narrative synthesis, British Medical Journal 2013; 347
2. Svebak S: Forlenger god latter livet? Tidsskr Nor Lægeforen 1997; 117: 4360-1

The extended leader group has just discussed application strategies for 2016. A review of our project portfolio showed that K2 has had great success in the competition for the NRC and EU grants in recent years. In 2013, 5 of the 18 applications to the NRC was funded (28 percent), while the figure for 2014 was 7 of 19 (37 percent). The total percentage granted in 2014 was 11 percent. K2 has also had success with their EU applications. Of 24 applications 4 have been granted (17 percent), including 1 where Helse Bergen is partner and UiB third party and 1 project where UiB is coordinator. The funding percentages in the first calls in the H2020-program have been at 5 per cent or less.

To succeed in fierce national and international competition one must work systematically. We believe that the approach we have used for writing of NRC applications in recent years has contributed to our success and increased our competitiveness. Good research advisers have also been instrumental and in many cases had decisive impact.

Thus, there was a broad agreement to continue our application procedures consisting of:

• Plenary proposal discussions
• Budgeting help from the administration
• Writing 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 test and improve your own ideas and to help others improve their applications. To obtain funding it is often not enough to have a creative idea, a broad and multi-disciplinary approach to the problem is regularly required, including good plans for dissemination and research training. One can get input and ideas on all these areas in a structured process where everyone helps each other.
One thing is certain, -those who don’t apply will not get research money.
Good luck with this spring’s most important adventure.

Eystein

 As mentioned in a previous editorial in K2Nytt, the new organizational chart on K2 has been approved by the Institute Council. A new extended management team is part of the reorganization. The extended management team consists of 7 research group leaders and a representative from Stavanger, in addition to the department management. The 7 research group leaders have now been chosen: Emmet
Mc Cormack, Hematology; Eva Gerdts, Cardio; Henning Lygre, Pharmacology / Pharmacy; Per Eystein Lønning, Oncology; Pål Njølstad, Pediatrics; Vidar Steen, Genetics and Harald Wiker, Infection / Microbiology. In the choice of research group leaders to the extended management team, we have tried to let as many subjects as possible be represented. In addition, we have avoided subjects which are already represented in the management group (lung, endo, immunology, gyn / obs). I want to emphasize that there is no disallowance of those not selected. Each of the seven research group leaders will be in the extended management team for 2 years. The team meets once a month. In the extended management team the institute management wants to discuss ongoing matters. Examples are strategy, budget and finances, equipment priorities, educational issues, positions, lab areas and organization of application processes. The 7 research group leaders do not represent anyone but themselves. All the department’s 21 research group leaders will, like earlier, have a direct line to the department management and they will receive the minutes of meetings. The first meeting of the management team was held on Tuesday this week

Per

A core facility is a collection of scientific equipment and highly qualified technical staff made widely available to the research community. The three current core facilities at the Department of Clinical Science: Flow Cytometry Core Facility, Genomics Core Facility and Metabolomics Core Facility, cover important common functions by MOF and UiB as well as regionally and nationally. They are available to all academic users on the same favorable terms and for commercial users of the University’s conditions for contract research.

The department administers the Faculty’s policy regarding sharing of costs and co-authorship when faculty core facilities are used. This policy means that all higher education researchers in Norway, health trusts included, gain access on equal terms, including the same price. More on this see: http://www.uib.no/mofa/67221/kostnadsdeling-og-medforfatterskap (in Norwegian).

The economy of all core facilities will be partially secured through user fees, and through operating models which address the need for reinvestment and equipment renewal.

To ensure that the core facilities are able to provide the best possible service to the communities it is a goal that they are tightly integrated with scientists who are leaders in their fields. Use of core facilities should thus be a more attractive option than buying your own equipment and pay own technical staff, both cost-wise and methodical. Experience has shown that core facilities are the best way to give researchers in Norway access to an updated and maintained instrument park, and to the methodological knowledge they do not have themselves and equipment and staff they could not afford.

The way the core facilities at MOF are operated is based on experiences from the NRC FUGE initiative. The core facilities are operated and financed by the Department / MOF in cooperation with the University of Bergen, Helse Bergen, Helse Vest, the Faculty of Science, Bergen Research Foundation, NRC, and individual groups of researchers.

Important to remember – If the use of a core facility forms part of the basis for a scientific publication the core facility should be mentioned in the acknowledgment section of the publication, for example: “Parts of the work was carried out at the NAME OF CORE FACILITY and was thus supported by the Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry at the University of Bergen and its partners “.

Two great new additions to be especially mentioned are: CyTOF – Mass cytometry with single-cell proteomic opportunities – for Flow (equipment has been delivered and is being tested), and NRC infrastructure funds for equipment for complete human genome sequencing to Genomics.

Roland

The new curriculum in medicine has already been introduced. The first class started this fall, before most clinical departments were ready to wind up their summer vacation.
K2 is primarily responsible for three semesters;
5th semester with pathology, pharmacology, medical biochemistry, preclinical course and circulation / respiration (“Medicine”)
9th semester with gynecology / obstetrics, pediatrics and genetics
12th semester with integrated clinical training and ending with a practical exam

New in this curriculum is that in addition to the medical sciences, “academic pillar” is also emphasized and placed as independent entities on the curriculum. What does that mean?
The objectives can be summarized as providing the student with knowledge of medical science and research, research and ethics, skills in evaluating medical literature, dissemination of scientific results and how to perform statistical analysis. In other words: topics the scientists at K2 know a lot about and that it is nice to communicate and pass on to the younger generation! Teaching in academic subjects is scattered throughout many semesters and “belong” not only to the institute which is responsible for just that specific semester.

I do not know who holds specific expertise in the various academic subjects or how you personally want to contribute, but I hope to find good teachers to the various topics when we get them elaborated from the study planning committee. We don’t want IGS to have a monopoly on research teaching, do we?

This week the first part of this autumn’s teaching day for K1 / K2 was held, the final part will be on October 14th, welcome!

Jone

The administration at K2, in consultation with the HSE Committee, wants to conduct a survey of the psychosocial work environment at the department. An email will be sent to all asking you to answer two questions: What is good about the psychosocial environment and what is bad. The questions are standard questions used in such investigations. It is emphasized that the answers are anonymous. Nor is it possible to find out who has and has not responded to the survey. The psychosocial environment at our workplace is important. I would therefore urge everyone to respond. The more who answer, the more representative the survey will be for the actual situation. The results of the survey will be presented at the HSE-seminar on December 2nd. The survey will form the basis for looking at the strengths and challenges of the psychosocial work environment in K2. It is important for all of us.

Per

The university management has recently conducted an internal audit concerning side tasks and roles in business. Three departments at UiB have been reviewed, including K2. In our department 70 employees were selected. Their registered external work was compared with information in Proff Forvalt, that is engaged in credit and financial information for the business community. Of the 70 persons 20 were registered in Proff Forvalt with roles that were not registered as external work at UiB. Examples that were not registered was the proprietor of sole proprietorships (n = 8), roles in business life like director of a condominium, housing cooperative or sports club (n = 8), duty in a corporation (n = 5).

The university management and faculty administration take lack of registration of external work seriously. It is the employee’s responsibility to register their external activities. K2 is one of the largest departments at UiB and are highlighted in many contexts. We want it to be in a positive slant, and must keep order in our own accounting, including the external work.

Wednesday an e-mail was sent out to everyone telling you to check your external activities and register whatever might be missing. In the e-mail it is indicated what should be registered. If you have questions or have problems registering, please contact as indicated in the e-mail.

I expect everyone to do this now!

Per