A new year is ahead of us
Column
“After a year of successes, we have a lot to do in 2024,” says Eva Tiensuu Janson, Deputy Vice-Rector.
Now, we put 2023 behind us and look forward to 2024, a year filled with new challenges. But let’s recall some key events from 2023 first.
Successes
We were ranked as best in Sweden in the Swedish Research Council’s evaluation of clinical research (ALF evaluation), which means that we have SEK 33 million more in research ALF in 2024 compared to 2023. We can announce more research positions in competition and make strategic investments that benefit many clinical researchers. Medfarm consolidated its position as the disciplinary domain that brings in the most external funding, which is obviously a great success, but we would like to see our government funding for research also increased in order to maintain a good balance in the ’Domain’s economy. We were given permission to start a new education programme for occupational therapists, a profession with a real shortage in healthcare, started a master’s programme in precision medicine, and implemented a new support organisation for undergraduate education at the Faculty of Pharmacy. These are just a few examples of good progress in 2023 and we are now looking ahead to continue the positive development.
Evaluations
2024 is a year that will be marked by evaluations. KoF24 is kicking off with full force, even though we started the collection of data in 2023. At the university level, work to support research infrastructures and interdisciplinarity and multidisciplinarity will be evaluated. Both panel visits and benchmarking exercises are planned for the autumn. At the disciplinary domain level, a panel will come to Uppsala during week 41 to help us identify good research environments and environments with the potential to be further developed to become truly excellent.
Our major research infrastructure, SciLifeLab, will also undergo evaluations during the year. Both the organisation as a whole and the individual platforms will be reviewed by international panels. Of course, we hope that the activities in Uppsala will be successful and that we will be able to welcome new technologies with national status after the evaluation.
Visions
In addition to the work with all the evaluations, we also hope to be able to continue working with the results of our vision work and the resource allocation inquiry. Collegiality, CAGs (clinical academic groups), multidisciplinary research centres and discussions of changes in allocation keys are on the agenda. The Vice-Chancellor’s future strategic areas and the formation of a university-wide sustainability centre will also require our work.
As you can see, we will have a lot to do in 2024 and I look forward to good collaboration at the Disciplinary Domain to meet all the challenges ahead.
Eva Tiensuu Janson, Deputy Vice-Rector
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The columns are written by Medfarm managers and executives to tell you about what has happened, is happening, or is about to happen at the Disciplinary Domain of Medicine and Pharmacy.