Horizon 2020 – Here and Now
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DEPARTMENT OF CLINICAL MEDICINE FACULTY OF MEDICINE AND DENTISTRY UNIVERSITY OF BERGEN Newsletter No. 18, Vol. 1, 8. November Horizon 2020 – here and now For leading research environments at K1 it is important to look towards EU-projects. A continu- ously increasing part of Norwegian research is being channeled through Europe. Horizon 2020 is EU’s new research program, with a total budget of 70 billion euro. The first announcement will be December 11th, with health issues as main focus. Our research groups are in need of external funding. EU is a source not enough used. EU has a higher granting percentage than free programs in the Research Council. In Horizon 2020 large funds dedicated to medicine and health, including clinical medicine, is being announced. Main themes are personalized medicine and demographical aging changes in Europe. The request to you is that you reach out to interna- tional cooperation partners to see if they are planning an application, discuss if you should plan an appli- cation together, possibly suggest a specific cooperation project. We have two experienced research advi- sers who may help. You can apply UiB for positioning funds. Participation of at least three countries is required. Other requirements are: a very good project, clear con- tributions of each partner and distinct project aims. Horizon 2020 has less specified project demands than we are used to. Most of us will be able to find an appropriate program and theme. The most important part is finding good partners, who also may do well in the competition, maybe also be willing to coordinate the application work. My last two articles in K1-nytt have been on tight economy and internationalization. EU-applications can be the answer of both challenges. The Norwegian granting percentage in the EU is high, but the number of applications is low. The granting percentage is fairly even for the Nordic countries, but Norway participa- tes in far less applications than the other countries. More applications may be the challenge for both K1 and for Norwegian medical research. The faculty, the university and national institutions are continuously considering who and what should be given priority. Breakthrough in an EU-application counts as much, but also a submitted EU-application may count and may sometimes be a requirement in order to be given internal priority. K1 is good at several things. We also wish to be good at EU-applications. There we have a long way to go. Horizon 2020 is a stepping stone to accomplish that goal. Nils Erik Gilhus Head of Department 1 DEPARTMENT OF CLINICAL MEDICINE Newsletter No. 18, Vol. 1, 8. November 2013 Professors Leif Hove and Bernt A. Engelsen are highlighted in Bergens Tidende as healthcare heroes Bergens Tidende has recently started a series of articles they call "healthcare heroes", everyday heroes in healthcare. With the close link K1 has to clinical practice, it is perhaps to expect that we will find news reports about several of our employees here. Leif Hove is a professor of orthopedic surgery at K1, chief physician and head of the National Center for tetraplegia surgery at Haukeland University Hospital. Tetraplegia surgery helps spinal cord injured people to regain function in hands and arms. Such surgery is possible for those who by an accident or injury has broken their neck and become paralysed from the neck down, ie damaged the fifth or sixth vertebrae. As a rule, the muscles in the neck and shoulders are intact, but not in your hands. By moving the muscles and tendons, and transplant tendons from the legs, the patient may again be able to stretch his/her arm and grip with his/her hands. Altogether the patients need four operations for both arms. Surgery can be performed even if the damage is several years old, and can make formerly paralysed per- sons able to do a lot themselves. For most, this means a totally new life! Last year, Haukeland University Hospital was recognized as leading in this field, as the National Centre for tetra- plegia surgery was established in Bergen. Leiv Hove after a successful operation. Photo:Eirik Brekke. Read the BT-article here. Bernt A. Engelsen is an adjunct professor at K1, neurologist and leader of a multidisciplinary epilepsy team at Haukeland University Hospital, Department of Neurology. He and his team follow annually around 100 epilepsy patients to special treatment. Some over short time, others for several years. By monitoring the development of the patients, Engelsen can give best possible advice on treatment, education and occupation. The patients are very appreciative of this support. The patient interviewed in the article says it is thanks to Engelsen that she has been able to go through with an education, get a job and a driving permit, and that she dared to have children! Engelsen think it is important to help patients to achieve a best possible function in society. He is happy that persons with epilepsy face less prejudice than before, but he wish for more employers who are willing to hire people unable to work full time. Bernt Engelsen with a very content patient. Read the BT-article here. Photo: Jan M. Lillebø. 2 DEPARTMENT OF CLINICAL MEDICINE Newsletter No. 18, Vol. 1, 8. November 2013 My sabbatical in Hong Kong – a travelogue from Hans Flaatten Most of us having a sabbatical, tend to go westwards or stay in Europe; here is a travel-note from one that took the opposite way, to the Far East, or more specific Hong Kong. Also unlike most, my primary aim was not research, but aspects of medical education and trai- ning with a group of academics at the Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK). For several years now I have had collaboration with friends at CUHK in the area of creating post-graduate and graduate educational courses in intensive care medicine and emergency care, and recei- ved an invitation to come there. CUHK is at present number 124 on the Times World Universi- ty ranking list for those interested in such rankings (UiB is No. 201). I am working half-time academically and half time clinically. In my academic time I am mostly engaged in creating case-based scenarios in Intensive care intended to be used for in-training assessment, but I have also participated in teaching medical students. In my clinical time I work daytime in a large and busy tertiary (30 bed) ICU at the Prince of Wales Hospital in Sha-Tin, mainly to get experience from a larger ICU than we have at home. Read the rest of the travelogue here. Hans Flaatten is Adjunct Professor and Section manager at the Anesthesiolo- gy and Intensive Care Section. His sabbatical started in August and ends in Flaatten og datteren ved Hong Kongs January 2014. strender. Get to know the new research adviser Next in line for the presentation of the at the faculty K1-administration: Eli Winther Corina is a new resource for researchers when Name: Eli Winther. planning applications for external funding. Family: Jonatan 14 and Selma 11 years old. Name:Corina Guder Lives: At Landås. Family: Partner and 2 children Originally from: Fredrikstad. Originally from: Germany What is your position and Office: Lab building, 8th floor what do you actually do? I am (Mon, Wed, Thurs), at IBM a Higher Executive Officer at the (Tuesdays) and AHH Personnel section. I mostly (occasionally). work with administrative proce- Phone: 555 86339/90229353 dures related to hiring people, or E-mail: leave of absence matters. I can [email protected] advise you on rules and regula- What is your position and what do you actually tions in personnel issues. do? I am employed as research adviser at MOF What's great about the job, and what can be and I work for both faculty and the departments. challenging? I really like working with personnel First of all, I give support to researchers who write proposals in order to get their research projects fun- issues and are motivated to further develop my ded by external sources. EU, The Research Council knowledge in this area. It is a challenge that we are of Norway (RCN) and the local foundations are prio- three girls named Eli here at the K1 administration! ritized funding institutions. This requires close co- work with the heads of faculty and departments, What do you like doing in your own time? I love and with administrative staff, especially the financial being with my kids and think it's fun to go to spinning officers. class. I enjoy the occasional pub visit with friends, Read the entire interview here (scroll for English). and I love music, art, and cultural activities. 3 DEPARTMENT OF CLINICAL MEDICINE Newsletter No. 18, Vol. 1, 8. November 2013 The Bergen ER moves to Appointment of vice-deans at the faculty Solheimsviken The Faculty Board approved 10/23/13 appoint- BT reports that the municipality will move the ment of Professor Inge Fristad to Vice-Dean of Emergency Room in Bergen to the building education in addition to reappointing the current called “Utrustningsbygget” in Solheimsviken. Vice-Deans. The first and second floor is scheduled to be ready Inge Fristad is currently professor in the Department for occupancy March 1, 2015. Construction work of Clinical Dentistry. Vice-Dean of Research Robert starts now. Bjerknes, and Vice-Dean of Education Arne Tjølsen were both reappointed in their functions. On the third floor of the building, there will be a new ward with 34 urgent care beds. The municipalities The Faculty Board sees the need to appoint two vice are required to establish such emergency care -deans of education, in connection with work on the beds, and most municipalities choose to locate this new study plan in medicine.