Dear all, Please find the latest news:

2015.11.24 | Thomas G. Jensen

Draw of VIP members to the Academic Council

At the deadline, no VIP-candidates from Biomedicine had signed up. The department's members were therefore found by the drawing of lots, and Helle Prætorius, Jens Peter Andersen and Christian Folsted were drawn.

Election for the Board of Directors and the Academic Council 23 - 26 November

From the Department, we know that Bertha Beck Mortensen and Jeppe Prætorius are running for the Board of Directors and Inger Merete Paulsen for the Academic Council.

Consultation on the moving plans and the price level in the animal facilities

Remember that the deadline for amendments is on Thursday 26/11. We would like to thank you for the constructive comments and proposals for changes that we have already received. 

Start packages from AUFF

In the Department’s management team, we have decided that also in the last round of applications with deadline 1/12 it is possible - for associate professors and assistant professors who are hired within the last 4 years and whose salary is paid with department funds - to apply for start packages.  From the Department, in the first three rounds, 16 applications for start packages were sent, and so far two of the applicants have been given grants. AUFF has announced that in 2016 start packages can be given to applicants who were employed within the last year, or to potential candidates for employment.

Transfer of annual grant (Annuum)

The Department will allow the transfer of up to DKK 5,000 per VIP from 2015 to 2016. The transfer will take place automatically. 

Working environment 

Through the year, the Department has had a number of supervisory visits from the Danish Working Environment Authority. Only very few minor errors have been identified. Most recently, the 1170-complex (Biochemistry building) was awarded a green smiley. The excellent inspection reports is a result we can all be proud of, and it is made possible through hard work and dedication. The occupational health and safety organisation (AMO) has made a great effort throughout the year and is now working hard to draw up action plans for the problems identified in the workplace assessment (APV). AMO will hold the annual meeting on 15 December, where they, among other things, will discuss the issues that could not be resolved in the local environment groups. An overview of the workplace assessment problems and action plans will be available at a later stage.

There are still odour problems in parts of the Biophysics building. We are still working on the case, but the problems are, unfortunately, still to be solved.

The Departmental Forum and Local Liaison Committee

The next meetings are on 15 December and 11 January. All employees may suggest topics for the agenda to the members. On future meetings, the local implementation of the new guidelines for the appointment of VIP and TAP staff and consultation of "draft action plan for more women in research" will be discussed. Find the lists of the members here: biomed.medarbejdere.au.dk/udvalg-og-moedereferater/institutforum-referater/ and biomed.medarbejdere.au.dk/udvalg-og-moedereferater/samarbejdsudvalg-referater/

Competency Development

The local liaison committee (LSU) has appointed a working group who is to prepare a plan to develop the competences of the Department's technical and administrative staff. The working group has started with the largest technical and administrative staff group - lab technicians. The working group has decided that competence development plans can best be decided after an examination of the need. Therefore, we hope that all permanent members of the academic staff and the lab technicians will take the time to fill out an online questionnaire on competence development that will be mailed within the next couple of weeks. It will only take 5 minutes.

Supervision of PhD students

PhD supervisors must be aware that the Graduate School has announced that within 2 years a PhD supervisor course will be mandatory for principal supervisors (unless they have participated in a supervisor course already or have experience with mentoring more than 4 PhD students). The faculty's graduate school is offering the course “PhD supervision” that is addressed to postdocs, associate professors, clinical associate professors and clinicians from the faculty or AUH, who are either main or co-supervisors for enrolled PhD students or pregraduate research students at the faculty. Registration via the graduate school course calendar: service.health.au.dk/modules/Course/mypage/coursecalendar

The course is free of charge.

PhD students’ sick leave

Absence due to illness can be an indicator of the lack of well-being, and expenses for the PhD students' long-term sick leave is to an increasing extent paid by the Department. Therefore, it is important that there is a discussion with the Graduate School on the follow-up on sick leave as soon as possible. In addition, it is important to establish a strong supervisor team for each PhD study. Pro forma supervisors are not acceptable, and it is important that the ones who undertake the role of supervisor are ready to take on the tasks fully and completely. The Department will, together with the research programme leader, Thomas Vorup-Jensen and the Graduate School ensure the best possible support of the supervisors at the Department, including what to do in sick leave situations. 

Holiday

Employees who have not planned their entire holiday or their special holidays as of 1 January 2016, will, in the course of January, be notified that their holiday is to be held before the end of the holiday year, which is May 1, 2016. It is therefore important that all check whether their holiday is registered correctly on mit.au.dk.

T-shirts

T-shirts with the Department’s name and AU logo have been produced. The T-shirts are sold for DKK 50 via the webshop at auws.au.dk/t-shirt. The design can be seen on the staff website biomed.medarbejdere.au.dk/index.php

International AIAS fellowships

The next round of international fellowships at AIAS is now advertised with a deadline on 5 February (starting date 1 October 2016/1 February 2017). The notice can be found here: aias.au.dk/aias-fellowships/aias-cofund-fellowships/

 The Lundbeck Foundation awards fellowships to young group leaders (DKK 10 million)

Application deadline 14/12. More information:

Http://www.lundbeckfonden.com/ansøgningsmuligheder-og-frister

Sincerely,

Thomas G. Jensen