Evaluation of individual research units - Norges forskningsråd

More documents

Recommendations

Info

22 Evaluation of biology, medicine and health research in Norway (2011) Norwegian University of Science & Technology (NTNU) Department of Biology Description of institution The Department of Biology at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology was established in 2002 in response to the research evaluation in 2000, which recommended the establishment of more-cohesive research units. The Department of Biology includes the former departments of botany and zoology and the department of marine biology at Trondheim Marine Biological Station (Museum of Natural History and Archaeology). After an interim reorganisation, the department was partitioned into three units: Ecology, Ethology & Evolution; Physiology, Environmental Toxicology & Biotechnology; and Marine Science. The Ecology, Ethology & Evolution section has three research groups: the Centre for Conservation Biology; Behaviour, Evolution & Life History; and Plant Ecology & Physiology. Our evaluation covered these three units, and Marine Science. When the self-assessment was submitted the department’s scientific personnel comprised 24 professors, nine associated professors, three adjunct professors, 17 research scientists, 13 postdoctoral fellows, 26 technicians, 54 PhD students, 150 MSc students, and more than 200 BSc students. The administrative section of the department has eight positions. General evaluation & recommendations Allocation of internal funding to research is based on number of publications averaged over the past three years and the number of students graduated. This is an objective metric that creates an incentive for publication, but might inadvertently lead to relatively piecemeal publication and to publication in journals with relatively low impact factors. Exemptions from teaching are given to some of the professors with relatively active research programs, and staff who generate relatively few publications over long periods of time have increased teaching loads. On the one hand, this trade-off might allow those who particularly enjoy and excel at teaching to maximise their contact with students. On the other, it is possible that teaching will be devalued relative to research. Staff indicated that financial and teaching awards help to acknowledge excellence in teaching. The department could recognise and reward service on science advisory panels and similar activities more formally. From 2012 onwards, physical proximity to the Norwegian Institute for Nature Research (NINA) may help increase opportunities for communication with end-users, whether by department staff or via collaboration with individuals at NINA. The self-assessment notes that recruitment of group heads has been from among relatively well-known and established scientists. This could work very well provided the heads are able to allocate time for administrative tasks, including strategic leadership, in addition to maintaining their own research outputs.
Evaluation of biology, medicine and health research in Norway (2011) Follow up of previous evaluation The current structure of the department appears to have resulted from the previous evaluation. The establishment in 2007 of a new building for marine research, including aquaculture, similarly was a response to the previous evaluation. A replacement position in plant physiology and new positions in systems biology and plant molecular biology followed from questions raised in the 2000 evaluation about the future development of experimental plant biology. Evaluation of individual research units Centre of Conservation Biology Grading of scientific quality Excellent Description of unit The unit includes 14 scientists and secures approximately 30% of the department’s external funding. According to the self-assessment, the unit focuses on predicting the effects of anthropogenic environmental changes, including harvest, on population viability and on trends in population size and community composition. The group also seeks to identify factors that affect the rate of evolutionary responses to environmental change. The group has considerable quantitative expertise. General evaluation & recommendations In the self-assessment, population biology was regarded as the research strength of the unit, which we accept. We note without prejudice that population biology is a relatively small subset of conservation biology as currently understood; the unit might consider increasing its breadth over time. Societal impact The societal impact of the group seems to be moderate, and likely could be increased if staff wish to do so. The group appears to rely on NINA to translate its work into lesstechnical language and to interact directly with end-users that might be able to apply the information. If students and junior staff do not already have the opportunity to collaborate with NINA on such activities, they might be encouraged more strongly and rewarded for doing so. Behaviour, Evolution & Life History Grading of scientific quality Very Good Description of unit The unit contains five professors and three senior researchers or postdoctoral fellows. The group is strongly male-biased and all but one of the members are older than 50. 23
Page 1: Public Health and Health-related Re
Page 4 and 5: © The Research Council of Norway 2
Page 6 and 7: 2 Evaluation of biology, medicine a
Page 10 and 11: Statement from the Panel To the Res
Page 14 and 15: 10 Evaluation of biology, medicine
Page 24 and 25: Evaluation of individual research u
Page 44 and 45: University of Nordland Faculty of B
Page 48 and 49: Seafood Quality Grading of scientif
Page 62 and 63: Fish Biology & Population Genetics
Page 64 and 65: Marine Plankton Grading of scientif
Page 72 and 73: Deep Sea Species Grading of scienti
Page 74 and 75: Observation Methodology Grading of
Page 76 and 77:
72 Evaluation of biology, medicine
Page 78 and 79:
Page 80 and 81:
Page 82 and 83:
Page 84 and 85:
Section of Plant Pathology Grading
Page 86 and 87:
Page 88 and 89:
Page 90 and 91:
Page 92 and 93:
Page 94 and 95:
Norwegian Polar Institute 90 Evalua
Page 96 and 97:
Page 98 and 99:
Page 100 and 101:
SNP Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms
Page 102 and 103:
Page 104 and 105:
2. Organization and methods 100 Eva
Page 106 and 107:
102 o Gender and age balance in aca
Page 108 and 109:
Page 110 and 111:
Dialog og tilbakemelding 106 Evalua
Page 112 and 113:
Page 114 and 115:
Vedlegg 2 Avgrensning og organiseri
Page 116 and 117:
Page 118 and 119:
Page 120 and 121:
Page 122 and 123:
Page 124 and 125:
Page 126 and 127:
Page 128 and 129:
124 2. Fungal systematics Evaluatio
show all

Evaluation of individual research units - Norges forskningsråd

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

Delete template?

Save as template?