Scientific publishing, expert committee and nominations for level 1 and 2

As you all know, institutions (for example UiB) are accredited for scientific publications authored by persons acknowledging affiliation with the institutional unit at the time of publishing (through author affiliations included in the publication). The units are credited based on the share of the publication’s authors affiliated with the unit. This is called author shares. Thus it is important that addresses etc. are correct in Cristin and here the responsibility rests on the individual institution (read: also researcher).

The national measurement system for scientific publications is based on a subdivision of scientific publications in various levels based on an evaluation of the quality of the journals.  The purpose of a quality division of journals is to stimulate high quality output when publishing scientific articles. When the publication channel has level 1 or 2 it means that it is of approved standard, and level 2 channels have the highest international prestige (about 20 % of all scientific journals within respective disciplines).

NSD is case handling level 1 channels, whereas UHRs’ Publication council is coordinating the placement of level 2 channels. This is done based on feedback from UHR’s many national expert committees. The national expert committee you will find here.

You may search for any scientific journal at NDS‘s publication channel register.

In order to find out where “your” scientific journals are situated, you may read pages 4 and 5 in the following letter. This was sent out together with the nomination process last autumn 2013.  Here you will find links to all scientific journals in medicine, sorted into academic sub-disciplines. Note that changes done last autumn will not be updated in this letter (which was sent out prior to the nominating).

If you wish to suggest changes in levels 1 and/or 2 within your academic area you may contact the national expert committee or NSD which is responsible for administering centralized services for the documentation system, such as registers for authorized publication channels (scientific journals, series and publishers):

– Procedures for suggestions to the register (in Norwegian):

 Description of procedures for adding new channels to the register, with focus on how user suggestions are processed.

– Criteria for approval of new publication channels (in Norwegian): Information about criteria used to evaluate new channels.

– System for research documentation (in Norwegian): Information about the model for the documentation system.

Deadline for suggesting new channels within the reporting year 2014 is November 30.

Roland

The Lab Animal Facility is a core facility at MOF, where K1 has operational responsibility and Aurora Brønstad is the director. At K2 there are several users of both large and small animal models. The activities of the Lab Animal Facility have changed over time. Several activities have expanded to a considerable degree, such as the use of transgene mouse models, whereas other activities such as testing with large animals have been reduced.

There is an increased need for prioritization of the facility’s tasks and two-way information between the facility and the users regarding what assistance the researchers may expect and what demands the researchers must adhere to. Research projects wishing to use the facility must contact Aurora as early as possible in order to ease the facility’s planning. All applications will be subjecte to prioritization. One cannot take for granted that access will be given as soon as the need arises. As is the case with other core facilities, the costs of the services given, must also be considered.

There has recently been a useful meeting between representatives from the Lab Animal Facility, K1, K2, IBM and the faculty based on an initiative from K1 where these issues were discussed. One course of action implemented subsequent to the meeting is that the academic advisory group at the Lab Animal Facility will be more active and advise on guidelines for prioritization of projects.

It is important that all users contribute constructively in the debate regarding the facility.

Per

New positions at K2

Despite the tight financial situation at the institute, we must steadily work with future recruitment of staff.  Good recruitment is extremely important for the long-term development of the institute.  This spring, K2 will start working on the framework for future recruitment.

It will be important to single out and weigh the criteria to be used in the recruitment process. Key words are teaching needs and skills, research, cooperation abilities, and leadership.

Unanswered questions are whether or not new positions should be allocated the academic sections or if we should follow the model: “We don’t care what you do as long as you are a leader in your field”.  What weight should the university clinics’ wish for specialized skills be given?  Likewise, we must discuss what positions are most suitable given the tasks we have – should we aim for more 50 and 100 % positions at the expense of 20 % positions?  Should the division of principal positions into multiple 20% positions as has been the case in recent years be reversed? Should we now hire more people to technical positions at the expense of scientific personnel?

We will begin by collecting background information about the present employment situation, expected budget resources for new positions, teaching needs (undervisningsregnskap) and scientific production (Cristin). Next we will ask for input from you regarding the principles for prioritization, as well as well-founded requests for new positions.  I hope many of you will engage actively in this.

Welcome to an important and a most certainly, demanding process. A detailed plan for the recruitment process will be published in K2’s weekly newsletter during April.

Eystein Husebye

This year, as in previous years, the Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry has announced prizes for the publication of the year, the research group of the year, the PhD-work of the year, as well as a prize for outstanding research dissemination.  Each institute may suggest up to two candidates within each category.

So far one suggestion for the publication of the year has been submitted.  Thus there is plenty of room for more suggestions and there is definitely not a lack of strong candidates at K2.  For each suggestion a brief justification report should be attached.  More information about the criteria for each prize category can be found here (in Norwegian only).

There you will also find an overview of previous winners.This is a great opportunity also for younger colleagues to make a mark; in addition there is a cash award.  I encourage all research groups to consider if they have candidates relevant for the various prizes.  Suggestions should be sent to Irene by March 24

Per

With focus on education and research

The Solberg government is referring to knowledge as “the new oil” for Norway. Focus is on the university and college sector as the key to the knowledge society.  In January, the Minister of Education and Research, Torbjørn Røe Isaksen, presented 7 main points for how the government will proceed in its examination of the issue. The University and college sector will have both its funding and structure reviewed, and a course of action will be presented in a Government report in 2015.  The government will also consider how changes in funding may strengthen both education and research, while also focusing on how scientific employees are looked after.  A central point that was highlighted was the need for developing a strategy in order to motivate researchers to apply for EU funding.  In addition, the government will look at recruitment, employment structure and career development.  It is great that we have these floodlights shining upon us!

However, does K2 or MOF have a strategy for input to this important process?  Here it is important to get involved.  You can read more via this link.

Eva

Next week (5/3) the seminar series
“Perspectives in Translational Medicine” hosted by K1 and K2 will
commence.  The series has been presented
earlier in this editorial by Stefan Johansson

He is the leader of the group responsible for organizing the series.

The purpose of the seminar series is to let different research groups at K1 and K2 present their own research in a way which stimulates cooperation with other groups at K1 and K2.  A prerequisite for this to be a success is that established researchers allocate time to participate at the seminar.  The series may then be useful not only for the presenter of the topic, but also for other scientific employees and, not least, PhD candidates and postdocs. The series was recently discussed at the strategy seminar for K2’s research group leaders and academic leaders.  A number of suggestions for how this series can be a good meeting arena were proposed.

The first lecture is given by Bjørn Tore Gjertsen: Personalized Medicine – how personal can we get?  Location:  Main Auditorium, Sentralblokken, March 5, 2:15 pm.  I strongly encourage you to attend!  Knowing Bjørn Tore, there is a big chance that this will be time well spent!

Per

Doctoral education is a major Norwegian and European investment reflected also at Department of Clinical Science with its approximately 140 PhD trainees. Although the PhD education system has many qualities, it also faces persistent challenges and emerging issues that need to be addressed. One area where almost all higher education institutions have a way to go concerns explicating the relevance of the competencies acquired during the PhD period, for different labour markets and occupations. Current trends indicates that increasing numbers of PhD holders, also in biomedicine and health sciences, will work outside the research and higher education sectors, in a range of clinical, advisory and managerial jobs. Due to this, there is a need to strengthen the focus on the increasingly diverse career trajectories of their PhD holders, and consider how PhD qualifications are used in different occupations and sectors. In accordance with a recent NIFU report initiatives should be supported to develop better practices in promoting generic/transferrable skills training e.g. in project management, leadership and communication skills.

With such an increase in the demands of the PhD student, all skills cannot be accommodated by the traditional apprenticeship model, if the quality of the research is to be maintained.  Excellence in research is the sine qua non of the PhD programme, but a new attitude to the PhD is needed, away from the idea that it consists only of learning scientific method and laboratory techniques towards having responsibility for a project.  A new approach is needed. (Univ Wold New artikkel)

When it comes to translational medicine, which is clearly multifaceted, it should be emphasized that successful training in this discipline requires an understanding of at least three main subject areas: biomedical technology, clinical issues, and leadership and technology management. Increasing the quality of training for graduates who go on to have careers primarily in medtech and biotech are other challenges for our educational system in the field of translational medicine. For more information read here. Our institute aims to follow this up.

Roland

Centre for Pharmacy 10 years
Centre for Pharmacy celebrates its 10th anniversary at UiB. The center is interdisciplinary between MatNat and MOF while administratively located at K2 with Svein Haavik as director of the center. Today 24 students are annually accepted at the master program in pharmacy. It has become a popular program and has the highest admission requirements among the pharmaceutical schools in Norway.
It is a healthy 10 year old we are talking about. At the same time there is no reason to hide the challenges the center is facing. The study in Pharmacy is not fully funded by the government. It is a clear goal to achieve this. There is a great need for pharmacists in Norway and another goal is to increase the educational capacity to 35 students per year. The teaching of pharmaceutics is currently being held at the University of East Anglia. From 2015 it will be moved to Bergen and the teaching capacity within this subject must be developed at MatNat and MOF. There is a need for more pharmacists with research expertise and work is being done to establish a research school in pharmacy. Centre for Pharmacy also provides opportunities. Master Students in Pharmacy represents a great resource that many of K2 ‘s research groups should take advantage of .

More about the Center for Pharmacy here (in Norwegian).

There is reason to congratulate the Centre for Pharmacy with the first 10 years and wish good luck with the next!

Per