News from the senior management team no. 3/2014

Senior schemes: application deadline 4 February

Senior schemes were discussed at the Main Liaison Committee meeting on 13 December 2013. An agreement was made to offer employees the option of senior scheme agreements in order to contribute to the reduction in the number of involuntary redundancies connected with the current budget process. In this connection, the relevant type of senior scheme is the option of a reduction in hours.

To be eligible for a reduction in working hours (part-time work) the employee must be 60 years old when the senior scheme enters into force. The employee must have been employed for a total of ten years in the Danish state sector or the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Denmark. The employee’s work week must be at least fifteen hours after the reduction.

If you are interested in applying for a senior scheme, you are encouraged to contact your immediate supervisor or your union representative.


Who should sit on the new board and council?

The Danish Ministry of Education has openly invited proposals for candidates to sit on the:

  • Board of the Danish National Innovation Foundation
  • Denmark's Research and Innovation Policy Council

Everyone is eligible to submit nominations, which must be received by the the Ministry of Education by Monday 17 February 2014.


Info day on EU's bioeconomic strategy

Aarhus University has, together with the Danish Council for Strategic Research and Novozymes, organised an info day on the coming public-private partnership for bio-based industries (the Bio-based Industries Consortium, BIC) in Europe.

The development of bio-based industries is a core element in implementing the EU's bioeconomic strategy, and the Council of Europe's research ministers have adopted a plan for their development. According to the plan, EUR 1 billion will be used from the Horizon2020 budget and approx. EUR 3 billion of private funding for research, innovation and demonstration projects in the coming years within the bio-based industries.

The consortium behind the new partnership (the Bio-based Industries Consortium, BIC) is currently putting the final touches on the working plan for 2014, which will be discussed at the meeting. The desire is that the participants have daily practical experience with the relevant topics.

The info day will be held on 6 February at Aarhus University. The deadline for registration is 30 January.


The Festival of the Century revitalises our understanding of the 19th century

A broad spectrum of researchers from Aarhus University will be involved when the Danish University Extension in Aarhus holds the Festival of the Century in close collaboration with the university.

This year's theme is the 19th century. Researchers will contribute their knowledge in new ways in collaboration with actors, musicians and artists on the city's stages. The festival's ambition is to make learning fun.

In connection with the Festival of the Century, Aarhus University,  the Aarhus University Press and the Danish University Extension are together publishing the book Danmark bliver Danmark – Krig, damp og genier i 1800-tallet (Denmark becomes Denmark – War, steam and geniuses in the 19th century). In presenting 101 stories about the 19th century – one for each year – the book offers a unique journey through the period.

The festival itself is taking place in the week of 7-16 March, but relevant events will also be held both in the run-up to and following the festival.


ERC grant boosts research

Alexander Zelikin, associate professor of chemistry at Aarhus University, has received EUR 2 million to support his research and development work. The money is a so-called ERC Consolidator Grant from the European Research Council.

Specifically, the ERC grant will enable four PhD students and a postdoc to be employed.

A total of six ERC Consolidator Grants have been awarded to Denmark in this call, of which one goes to a researcher at Aarhus University. Last year, 312 grants of this type were awarded. The recipients were selected from a field of  3,673 applicants.

Alexander Zelikin has spearheaded the design of a new method for building tiny, degradable medicine factories inside the body. A patent application has been submitted for the technology, which is being commercialised through the Technology Transfer Office at Aarhus University.


Calendar

  • 3 February: Minister for Health and Prevention Astrid Krag visits the Faculty of Health
  • 26 February: Board meeting
  • 6 March: Joint Main Liaison Committee/Main Occupational Health and Safety Committee meeting



Kind regards

The Senior Management Team

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/2014.