//The Association of Doctoral Organisations in Norway (Stipendiatorganisasjonene i Norge), or SiN for short, is a free and politically independent organization. SiN in as an umbrella organization for interest organizations for doctoral candidates and/or early career researchers (such as postdocs) at Norwegian higher educational institutions. Its goal is to ensure PhDs and post-docs’ academic rights.
Wonder what they have been doing? Check out their latest newsletter!
//DION was contacted by Karina Mahan, leader of the research group ‘Language Practice in Education’ at NTNU, about an opinion article of new language regulations in higher education sector.
As many of our members have international background, the DION board considered it relevant for its members, and has therefor decided to share this information with you. However we would like to highlight that this opinion piece doesn’t present DION´s attitude on that matter.
Continue reading “Opinion on new regulations for Norwegian as working language in higher education”
//We would like to announce NTNU’s new Network for Staff with Disabilities, Neurodivergence, Chronic Illness and Mental Health Issues — called INCLUDE. For all employees & allies at all NTNU campuses.
We will host our first meeting on Monday 4 Sept, 12-13:00, on Teams to discuss planned activities, network goals and general operations. Please join us on Teams to access the meetings and information (link below).
Get in touch with us with any questions: includentnu@gmail.com. Also, you can follow us via our Facebook page, ‘Include NTNU’, and join our private Facebook group, ‘INCLUDE @NTNU’.
//When? Monday 13 June at 1200-1300 on the lawn behind the main building at Gløshaugen.
Why? After repeated and dramatic cuts in funding for research infrastructure, construction projects, student grants, projects funded through the Research Council and the continuation of the ABE cuts, Forskerforbundet and the other unions at NTNU believe that enough is enough – research and education need long-term.
We want to spend an hour of the working day to mark this with appeals from, among others, May-Britt Moser, the students and Forskerforbundet. Together we will show that research and education are important for the future of Norway.
We encourage you to stop working and join the event to send a clear signal to the government.
//On January 6th, 2021, NTNU library announced that it would no longer be possible to apply for support for open access from NTNU’s publishing fund. No warning or prior announcement were made, leaving many temporary scientific employees with limited options when it came to the work they had submitted or were about to submit to a publication which publication cost (APC) was formerly covered by this fund. Meanwhile, no extension or increase of quotas have been negotiated as part of the UNIT agreement, to compensate for the loss of support from the NTNU publishing fund.
While some faculties or departments are exploring solutions to replace the support provided by the NTNU publishing fund, other are unable to do so, leaving the cost of open access publishing to the employee, their project budget or their supervisors. It should also be noted under Plan S, many temporary scientific employees not only want to publish in open access but have to, under the funding their position is based. Moreover, due to the nature of their contract (e.g. PhD thesis) many temporary scientific employees have to get their work published in the near future and cannot afford any delays (e.g. having to withdraws and re-submit or wait for a new funding mechanism to be created next year).
DION is greatly concerned about the inequalities between employees, departments and faculties this situation is leading to, and the risk it presents to employees whose thesis or contract depends on having their work published within the year. Therefore, DION urges NTNU faculties, NTNU board and the prorector for research to act:
