Helse Vest RHF annually awards two prizes: a research prize and an innovation prize. The prizes will be awarded at the annual Research Conference in the autumn, and we encourage the various research environments in K2 to apply.

Helse Vest’s research award

The award is given to a researcher, research environment or young researcher (under the age of 40) who, through his or her research, has contributed to strengthening a research field or a research-based health service offering. The research must be of a nature and standard of significance for the level of research and / or the service offer in the region. Candidates (researcher, research environment or young researcher) who have contributed to the development of either a) research area, b) research collaboration / environment or c) who through their research have improved clinical practice in Helse Vest can be proposed.

The following form (Norwegian only): Forslagsskjema 2020- forskingspris og innovasjonspris should be filled in by the proposer.

Helse Vest’s annual research prize consists of NOK 200,000 and a work of art. The prize amount will be used for further research.

Helse Vest’s innovation award

The innovation prize is awarded to one or more persons who, through their work, have contributed to the development of a new or improved product, service, production process or organizational form that constitutes a concept that can be reused in the health sector. The award can be given both on the basis of research-driven and demand-driven innovation. The development must be made visible through the idea / innovation project being either reported and / or further developed together with the regional office of Innovation Norway, InnoMed, the Research Council of Norway or one of the region’s two Technology Transfer Offices (TTO). Similarly, internal projects that have not been made visible through the mentioned actors will also be considered. In such cases, it will be important that the product, process or services have been used, and it can be demonstrated to what benefit the innovation has had for the hospital.

A separate form (Norwegian only): Forslagsskjema 2020- forskingspris og innovasjonspris has been prepared to be filled in by the proposer.

The innovation award consists of NOK 100,000 and a work of art. The prize amount will be used for further innovation work.

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It is time for the annual employee interviews. These are a part of targeted management and employee development. Therefore, the annual, systematic and mutually prepared personal conversations are between an employee and the immediate superior. All employees who have a main position at UiB must have employee interviews. This also includes fellows. For employees with a 10-20% position, the manager can agree with the employee that it is not necessary.

New this year is that it is not enough that the employee interviews are offered – they must also be carried out. Due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, I think a phone call or digital meeting can be fine in cases where for various reasons it can be difficult to complete the call with physical attendance.

Employee interviews are an important arena for clarifying expectations for performance, providing mutual feedback, and insight into each other’s work situation and addressing the work environment and conditions at the workplace. The conversation will be linked to K2’s strategic plans and be a real and results-oriented management tool for achieving set goals.

Elements related to life phase can be addressed as a theme. The conversation will also be used to uncover competence needs, change and development. The content of the employee interview must be focused on matters the manager and employee can do something about.

It is important to communicate what you want to achieve in the employee interview and facilitate the confidentiality needed for the interview to have added value for both parties. This can be a gradual process that can take some time to develop.

For foreign employees, it is important to be aware of their need to understand overall strategies and goals for the university, the importance of a good and inclusive work environment, and the individual’s opportunities for contribution to the community. Relevant topics can also be their social network, trust vis-à-vis the manager and colleagues, experience of belonging, and in some cases facilitation and integration also outside the workplace.

As a natural part of the performance appraisal and clarification of expectations, conversation about salary conditions is included as part of the employee interview. It is then important to remember that we have established systems for wage negotiations.

As Head of Department, I am responsible for ensuring that all employees conduct annual employee interviews and am responsible for ensuring that the results of the interviews are included in K2’s plans and budget. It is not possible to carry this out for all K2’s employees, hence the conduct of the interviews is delegated. I have employee interviews with the research group leaders, while they in turn are responsible for their group members. When it comes to administrative staff, head of administration Julie Stavnes is responsible.

Time is short and suddenly it’s Christmas. It is therefore a good idea to start the employee interviews as soon as possible. Good luck!

The semester is already well underway with some different teaching in the Corona era. I encourage all instructors to join the Teams group “K2 digital teaching” which contains a lot of useful information and is a platform for experience exchange.

Also this year, UiB has announced infrastructure funding with a framework of NOK 15 million. The Faculty of Medicine can submit 3 applications. It is the dean of research, Marit Bakke, and research leaders from the institutes who rank the applications and choose the 3 to be sent to the university. The guidelines can be found here (Veileder Forskningsinfrastruktur 2021). In short, the following applies:

1. Each application can be a maximum of 4 MNOK
2. Own financing of at least 20% (of application sum) is required
3. The faculty has set aside 1 MNOK to cover parts of this
4. If two faculties join together, the application sum can be 8 million. Note that the application must be among the three applications submitted by both faculties.

The application form can be found here (Søknadsskjema). Applications from K2 are sent to me (silke.appel@uib.no) and ranked by the leader group. Application deadline is 7/9.

I hope everyone had a great holiday. Most people have probably vacationed here in Norway and perhaps seen with new eyes how beautiful and exciting our country is?

Corona virus
As you know, there is currently an increased spread of coronavirus and the government is now slowing down the reopening of our society. Dean Per Bakke has recently sent an email what this means for employees at the Faculty of Medicine. The use of home office is delegated to the department level (K2).

• Who can have a home office?
  The main rule is that all employees must go to work. This especially applies to the laboratories.

Home office may be relevant for those who are in risk groups or to relieve public transport. This must be agreed with your closest leader (Research Group Leader or Julie Stavnes for administrative staff). It is assumed that the work tasks can actually be performed at home.
Risk groups: Elderly employees over the age of 65 years, employees with underlying chronic diseases such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, cancer, drug-induced immune deficiency, or chronic lung, liver, or kidney disease (https://www.fhi.no/en/id/infectious-diseases/coronavirus/).

• How to behave when traveling in from abroad?
  Since we work in a hospital environment, we must follow Helse Bergen’s guidelines.

Red countries: You must be quarantined but testing for SARS-CoV-2 is not required. The exception is if special circumstances indicate that you must start work before the expiry of the quarantine period (then two negative tests are required at least 48 hours apart and the last test at least five days after income).

Yellow countries: If you have been in a yellow country for the last 10 days, you must test yourself. As a general rule, you should not go to work until a negative test result is obtained. If your closest leader still deems it necessary, you can – if you are healthy – go to work with a facemask until the test result is ready.

In both cases, you should inform your closest leader before returning to work.

• Where can I test myself?
  Those who also have a position in Helse Bergen should test themselves in the parking garage at Haukeland hotel (open 08.30-11, tel. 55976160).

Those who only have a UiB affiliation are recommended using your GP (fastlege), the local emergency room (legevakt,) or contact Head of Administration Julie Savnes for information about UiB’s system (https://www.uib.no/en/ir/137267/testing-covid-19-employees-uib-coming-abroad).

The Olav Thon Foundation’s prizes and project funds in science and medicine 2021
The Olav Thon Foundation has announced up to three awards for outstanding teaching and a support scheme for student-active research projects in science and medicine for 2021

• Award for excellent teaching
  The prize for outstanding teaching can be awarded to academic staff who teach at universities and colleges in Norway in combined positions. Persons with adjunct positions (bistilling) can also be proposed. The price is personal, and amounts to NOK 500,000. There is a requirement for student affiliation in the nomination.
• Financial support for student-active research projects
  Support can be given to research projects in medicine and / or science that are actively brought into the education as an element in «student-active research. Amounts that can be awarded are up to NOK 830,000 per year for a maximum of three years.

Further information can be found in the appendix Thonpriser_undervisning_2020. Nominations must be sent to K2 by 19 August (mette.vesterhus@uib.no). We will pass on the nominations to the Faculty.