News from the senior management team no. 21/2015

Ten AU researchers receive DKK 77 million for independent research  

On 23 June, one top researcher and nine research group leaders received grants totalling almost DKK 77 million when the Danish Council for Independent Research announced this year’s grants from the Sapere Aude programme’s top two steps.

AU professor of mathematics Søren Fournais was one of six researchers to be awarded a DFF-Advanced Grant of DKK 12 million.

The nine recipients of DFF-Starting Grants for research group leaders counted four researchers from Health, two from Aarhus BSS, two from ST and one from Arts. In all, a total of 20 DFF-Starting Grants were awarded.

Altogether, the Danish Council for Independent Research awarded grants totalling DKK 170 million.


New employee representative on University Board

The employee representative on the University Board, Associate Professor Peter Bugge, is stepping down on 1 August. Peter Bugge has a new job, and his primary employment is now at the University of Copenhagen. He will continue to be employed at Aarhus University, but not to such an extent that it can warrant him continuing on the University Board.

He will be replaced by his substitute, Associate Professor Søren Pold from the School of Communication and Culture. Søren Pold will sit on the Board for the remainder of Peter Bugge’s term, which expires on 31 January 2016.


New names at the Faculty of Arts

Following a series of local processes, two schools at Arts have been given new Danish names.

As far as the English names are concerned, the Department of Education is has been renamed the Danish School of Education, the Department of Culture and Society has been renamed the School of Culture and Society, and 

the Department of Aesthetics and Communication has been renamed the School of Communication and Culture.


Temporary appointment of deputy director for AU HR

Head of Organisational Development and Working Environment Anne Lindholm Behnk has been appointed acting deputy director of AU HR as of 1 August. She replaces Louise Gade, who has been appointed director of the School of Continuing Education at VIA University College.

Anne Lindholm Behnk has been employed at AU HR since 2012, and has served as senior director for Corporate HR at Arla Foods.

The position of deputy director of AU HR will be advertised as soon as possible.


Appointments at Health 

The Department of Dentistry and the School of Oral Health Care both have new heads.

Director of studies and Deputy Department Head Eva Karring has been appointed acting head of the Department of Dentistry at Aarhus University from 1 August 2015. Eva Karring is taking over the position from Department Head Ellen Frandsen Lau.

Deputy Head of School Anne B. Christensen has been appointed acting head of the School of Oral Health Care at Aarhus University from 1 August 2015. She has been appointed to the temporary position after Head of Sector Caroline Hørsted.

In the autumn, Dean Allan Flyvbjerg will, together with the rest of the faculty management team and employees, continue to work on describing his vision for a merger of the Department of Dentistry (IO) and the School of Oral Health Care (School for Dental Assistants, Hygienists and Clinical Technicians (SKT)).

The process will involve employees and students at the two units.


Nominations open for the 2016 Elite Researcher Prizes

The Danish Agency for Science, Technology and Innovation is now accepting nominations for the 2016 Elite Researcher Prizes. The Elite Researcher Prize is awarded to outstanding younger researchers under the age of 45 who are in an international class of their own and who are contributing in an exceptional way to strengthening Danish research.

The deadline for nominations is 4 September 2015. The same deadline applies to nominations of talented PhD students for the Elite Researcher travel grants.

  • Read more (in Danish)

The deadline for applications to the Danish National Research Foundation’s Niels Bohr professorships is in September. The candidates for the special professorships must be recruited from a foreign university or research institution for a Danish university. In his time, Nobel laureate and economics professor Dale T. Mortensen had a Niels Bohr professorship at Aarhus University.

The deadline is 1 September.

  • Read more (in Danish)

New grants etc. from AUFF

This year, the Aarhus University Research Foundation is introducing new instruments with a budgetary framework of DKK 83 million for 2015.

The new instruments being introduced in 2015 are:

  • AUFF NOVA
  • Starting grants for assistant professors
  • Starting grants for associate professors
  • Mobility scholarships
  • Summer camps at Sandbjerg Estate
  • Extra funding pool

Read a brief description of the new instruments on the foundation’s website.


New Incuba director

Mai Louise Agerskov has been made new director of Incuba. Mai Louise Agerskov comes from a position as CEO of Insero E-Mobility, and before that she was CEO of Naturvidenskabernes Hus A/S and Fonden Naturvidenskabernes Hus. She has also lectured in strategy and organisational development at what is now Aarhus BSS.

The current director, former rector of Aarhus University Niels Christian Sidenius, has decided to retire after almost ten years in the position where, among other things, he was involved in developing Navitas at the Port of Aarhus, which opened in summer 2014.

A combined farewell and inaugural reception will be held on Monday 10 August at Navitas.


Calendar

  • 12-18 July: International Biology Olympiad at Aarhus University
  • 11 September: Annual celebration at Aarhus University
  • 15-16 September: University Board seminar at Sandbjerg Estate

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/2015.