In April, a new management body called the Health Research Committee will begin the tactical work of realising Health’s objectives of increased external grants, more interdisciplinary collaboration on research ideas and systematic recruitment of the best researchers and teaching staff.

2019.03.18 | Nanna Jespersgård

There is no doubt that Health Research Committee will be the faculty’s way of guaranteeing that the key decisions laid out by the faculty management are also realised in practice at the departments, says the committee’s coming chair Ole Steen Nielsen, who is vice-dean for research at Health.

On 10 April, eleven of the faculty’s employees will meet in the new Health Research Committee to begin the work of providing impetus to the faculty’s overall research, talent development and recruitment strategies.

The Health Research Committee will be the faculty’s way of guaranteeing that the key decisions laid out by the faculty management team and AU’s Committee for Research and External Cooperation are also realised in practice at the departments.

One example is the wish for increased collaboration on projects and research applications that involve multiple disciplines or departments – an ambition which the majority of researchers and managers share. However, as experience shows, this does not mean that people just automatically come together to produce new and original ideas.

Strategy is the ‘what’, tactics are the ‘how’

“It’s often said that the gap between visions and reality is called ‘action’ and there is little doubt that ‘how do we do this in practice’ will be the focal point of our work in the Health Research Committee. Our task will be to make the general statements of intent and wishes for the future more tangible, so we know who needs to do what in order for us to reach our goal,” says the committee’s coming chair Ole Steen Nielsen, who is vice-dean for research at Health.

“Now, of course, the members of the research committee are also welcome to contribute the other way around with their own suggestions and help to influence the faculty’s strategies and goals. However, this research committee is first and foremost the link that we lack today so that people can take action on decisions at a local level on things such as ‘strengthening the international impact of research’. In other words, the Health Research Committee should be instrumental in allowing the deputy heads of department and the research support office to better carry out their duties,” says Ole Steen Nielsen.

Fewer irrelevant emails

Since the new research committee will primarily be working to implement and coordinate initiatives, there will in all likelihood be some associated positive effects for individual researchers – also in the short-term.

“One example I hope to see is that a joint coordinated effort can help to hinder the flood of irrelevant ‘cc all’ emails that many researchers and lecturers are quite rightly tired of,” he says.

“I also hope that the academic staff will quickly notice the heightened interaction between the department’s support system and the top of the faculty. For example by finding it easier to get ideas from their support system brought into play,” says Ole Steen Nielsen.

In addition to Ole Steen Nielsen, the members of the Health Research Committee are the deputy heads of department for research and talent development from the five departments, the vice-dean for talent development, an adviser from the faculty management team secretariat and the managers of the graduate school and the research support office respectively.

Facts: The Health Research Committee’s tasks 

The Health Research Committee will pave the way for strategies and visions and make putting them into practice easier for the individual researcher or research group. The research committee’s tasks include:  

• Providing advice and exchanging ideas on applying for funding in connection with large calls for applications from foundations.
• Strengthening opportunities for interdisciplinary cooperation on research ideas and applications.
• Initiating and coordinating academic initiatives and ideas for projects which require proactive dialogue with selected foundations.
• Coordination and exchange of recruitment initiatives across departments and centres.
• Launching initiatives which strengthen the international impact and visibility of the faculty’s research.
• Presentations to the faculty management team on the overall direction of work on e.g. applications and recruitment.
• Advising the dean and the faculty management team on matters relating to research, talent development and recruitment.

Contact

Chair of the Health Research Committee and Vice-dean for Research Ole Steen Nielsen
Email: osn@au.dk
Mobile: (+45) 2476 5093