News from the Senior Management Team no. 3/2013

AUFF repeats AU IDEAS in 2013

In 2013, the Aarhus University Research Foundation has allocated DKK 50 million to a new round of the AU IDEAS programme, which supports freedom of research and good research ideas.

A more detailed call for AU IDEAS applications is expected to be published at the beginning of March 2013, with the application deadline at the end of May 2013. The grant recipients will be announced in September/October 2013 with a view to project start in January 2014.

AU IDEAS is an initiative that was created through a collaboration between the Aarhus University Research Foundation and Aarhus University. The IDEAS programme, which distributed funding for the first time in December 2011, aims to help realise visionary and original project ideas.


Ambassador says au revoir to AU

The outgoing U.S. Ambassador to Denmark Laurie S. Fulton was at Aarhus University this week in connection with her farewell tour of Denmark. She took the opportunity to say goodbye to the senior management team and several of the university's American employees and students.

Laurie S. Fulton has been the United States Ambassador to Denmark since 2009. 


ERC Advanced Grant to AU physicist

The European Research Council (ERC) has awarded an Advanced Grant to Dr Jeffrey Hangst, professor with special responsibilities (MSO) at the Department of Physics and Astronomy.

Jeffrey Hangst and his research group are the first in the world to have developed a method of making, storing and studying antihydrogen. The group will now be able to develop a data-gathering device that will allow them to study the substance.

The ERC grant to Jeffrey Hangst totals EUR 2.1 million. Jeffrey Hangst is the twelfth AU researcher to receive the ERC Advanced Grant.


Research input sought for major scientific conference

The Danish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Higher Education has just announced that proposals may now be submitted to the Euroscience Open Forum (ESOF), Europe's largest interdisciplinary scientific conference.

ESOF is held every other year in a major European city. In 2014, Copenhagen will be hosting the conference. In addition to the scientific sessions at the conference, for which it now possible to submit proposals, ESOF 2014 will also have an ambitious programme for the public: "Science in the City", for which it is also possible to submit proposals.


New car park barriers to solve parking problems

Employees at Campus Aarhus are increasingly finding that the parking spaces are being used by people who are not connected in any way with the university.

New car park barriers will solve this problem.

Rising arm barriers are already installed at several places in the University Park, but in autumn 2013 additional arms will be installed at Lille Barnow, Tåsingegade and at the Victor Albeck building, where the need is deemed to be greatest. The result of installing rising arms at these three locations will be used to decide whether further arms should be installed elsewhere on the campus.

DKK 500,000 from the maintenance pool has been allocated for installing and maintaining the barriers, but it will also be necessary to charge users in order to cover costs.

Employees and students who want to use the parking spaces during the day will have to pay a one-off charge of DKK 500, which will allow access to all the parking areas on Campus Aarhus.

One-day cards can be issued for guests, conference participants, suppliers etc.

The Main Liaison Committee Meeting (HSU) will be informed about the parking barrier trial at its next meeting.


New AU media: Editorial committee in place

An editorial committee has now been appointed, paving the way for the new joint AU media.

The editorial committee comprises two academic staff (VIP) members, two technical and administrative staff (TAP) members, two students and a management representative. The members have been found through recommendations from the academic councils and the Joint Consultation Committee for AU Administration. The editorial committee will, among other things, decide the overall editorial principles for the new media together with the editor.

The seven members are:

  • Per Stounbjerg, Associate Professor (VIP)
  • Bo Laursen, Associate Professor (VIP)
  • Lizzi Stausgaard, Laboratory Coordinator (TAP)
  • Helle Colding Seiersen, International Coordinator (TAP)
  • Bo Tranberg, MSc student, physics (STUD)
  • Nina Bjerre Andersen, MSc student, medicine (STUD)
  • Per Lindblad Johansen, Administration Manager (management representative)

In mid-January, the new editor and a journalist joined the media, so all key persons are now in place in order to develop the newspaper which will replace UNIvers.


University strategy management seminar

The forthcoming management seminar in March will consider the university's strategy for the 2013-2020 period. Discussions will address what the strategy will require at the various management levels.

Two management seminars are held each year. The seminars bring together the academic and administrative managers at the university. The participants comprise the senior management team, vice-deans, heads of department, deputy directors, administrative managers, chief advisers etc.

Generally speaking, the objective of the management seminars is to contribute to the establishment and maintenance of a coherent management at Aarhus University – centrally and decentrally, academically and administratively.

The seminars are also an opportunity for joint issues and tasks at the university to be considered from a management point of view.


Calendar

The Senior Management Team publishes a newsletter every week. This newsletter includes a brief description of current activities and discussions. You can sign up for the Danish version of the newsletter at http://info.au.dk/medarbbreve, after which you will receive an e-mail whenever the newsletter is issued.

If you would like to subscribe to the English version of News from the Senior Management Team, please go to http://info.au.dk/medarbbreve/index.asp?sprog=en. The English version of News from the Senior Management Team is available at http://www.au.dk/en/about/uni/seniormanagement/newsletter/. You can read previous editions of News from the Senior Management Team at http://www.au.dk/en/about/uni/seniormanagement/newsletter/2013.