Operational plan science academic area

Operational Plan for Science 2015-2016 1

Operational Plan 2015–2016Science


Operational Plan for Science 2015-2016This document briefly outlines the plans of the Scientific Area of Science for the next two years. The overarching goal is to further develop research and education in science, as well as collaboration with the Scientific Area of Humanities and Social Science and the surrounding community.

The starting point is the problems and opportunities that have been identified, and the document is a supplement to the University-wide strategies, goals, and measures found in “Strategies for Stockholm University” and “Action Plan for Stockholm University 2015-2016”. In addition, the Scientific Area of Science has an overlapping strategic five-year plan for 2012-2016, which is still in effect. This plan also includes a description of the operations within science.

Operational Plan for Science 2015-20164

First- and second-cycle courses and study programmesA process for determining the resource allocation and prioritisation of courses and study programmes has been initiated by the advisory committee for under-graduate studies (GB). This work is of central impor-tance. In the long term, the Scientific Area must take greater responsibility to ensure that the best possible programmes are provided. The Scientific Area’s de-centralised structure, with strong independent depart-ments, must be balanced by active work within GB and the Board of Science in order to ensure the provision of good programmes through collaboration between departments. In science, there are significant problems related to both recruitment and student completion. Traditionally, the major focus has been on recruitment. The issue of student completion, particularly in the first cycle, is even more serious; it is probably the Scientific Area’s most important, but also most difficult, problem. There is probably no simple solution, but components may include new, more active forms of instruction, such as flipped classrooms, as well as stricter require-ments on results in order to proceed to higher-level courses. The recruitment of teachers in mathematics and science subjects is a major societal problem over which universities unfortunately have limited influence. What the University should do is provide and market the best possible teacher education. Collaboration between the subject-specific departments and the Department of Mathematics and Science Education should be increased.

• Phase out the Science Foundation Year. This is an upper-secondary-school level programme, which is not the University’s responsibility to provide.

• Transfer responsibility for the Master’s Programme in Nutrition to Karolinska Institutet. Consider the future of the bachelor’s programme.

• Perform a more in-depth analysis of existing data concerning student completion.

• Develop a practical teaching collaboration between the Department of Mathematics and Science Educa-tion and subject-specific departments, both in teacher education and subject-based programmes.

• Review and plan the education in parts of the envi-ronmental sciences and environmental chemistry.

• Reintroduce the Master’s Programme in Toxicology after deciding on a coordinating department.

• Introduce supplementary teacher education for teachers in school years 7-9.

• Seek to preserve the national resource centres in science subjects.

• Ensure that funds for research and third-cycle cours-es and study programmes are not used for first- and second-cycle courses and study programmes.

Since most science education is closely connected to re-search, many of the proposals relating to research also have consequences for education; this affects planning, even if it is not explicitly mentioned.

Third-cycle courses and study programmesDoctoral grants are currently being phased out, which means that doctoral students will become much more expensive. This could lead to a sharp reduction in the number of doctoral students, especially as the high cost in many cases will make it more attractive for re-searchers to hire postdocs. Some movement in this di-rection may be positive, but it must not go too far. We should ensure that an adequate range of third-cycle programmes is provided. In addition, we must ensure that achieved programme objectives are documented for future evaluations.

• Follow the development of doctoral student ad-missions. Review the system with targeted faculty grants for doctoral studies.

• Make sure that individual study plans have been drawn up, and that they contain information about achieved programme objectives.

Research and education


SciLifeLabStockholm University should seek to make SciLifeLab an effective national resource for molecular life scienc-es, make SciLife-Stockholm a strong research centre in the area, and ensure that SciLifeLab strengthens research at Stockholm University. Stockholm Universi-ty’s research niche has so far mainly been bioinformat-ics, but is now developing into several areas of biology through the recruitment of SciLifeLab Fellows. There are plans to establish molecular toxicology as a profile area for Stockholm University at SciLifeLab. This fits in well with the founding of the new environmental science department and SciLifeLab’s general focus on health and the environment.

• Recruit SciLifeLab Fellows in selected research areas.

• Consider placing senior researchers at SciLifeLab.

Mathematics and theoretical physicsScience, and thus modern society, is based on mathe-matics, and the need for mathematics is now rapidly growing in other disciplines, of which the life sciences at SciLifeLab are an important example. Together, Stockholm University and Royal Institute of Technol-ogy (KTH) have the strongest research environment for mathematics in the country, and the Mittag-Lef-fler Institute in Danderyd is an important comple-ment. In the long term, a joint mathematics centre should be created next to AlbaNova in the southern part of Albano, where Stockholm University, KTH, and Nordita already have a strong joint research environment for theoretical physics. Department of Numerical Analysis and Computer Science and com-puter science at KTH are important complements. Statistics and economics from Stockholm University will also be placed in Albano. All in all, this creates an extremely strong and visible theoretical hub which will complement the SciLifeLab hub located at Karo-linska Institutet.

• Plan for a theoretical centre in southern Albano in collaboration with KTH.

• Secure the future of Nordita.• Plan the future of Department of Numerical Analy-

sis and Computer Science.

Relations between the University’s scientific areasCollaborative projects between the two scientific areas should be maintained and developed. The Deputy Vice-Chancellors on the Senior Management Team currently have close contact. Contacts between other managers at the faculties, such as deputy deans, sec-tion deans, and the chair of the advisory committee for undergraduate studies, should be developed further. This is best done through collaboration on specific issues.

• Secure the future of the Centre for the Study of Cultural Evolution.

• Emphasise the collaboration between disciplines within EkoKlim in connection with the creation of a research centre.

• Further develop the collaboration on climate re-search between disciplines (via the Bolin Centre).

• Further develop the collaboration on Baltic Sea research within Baltic Ecosystem Adaptive Manage-ment (BEAM)

• Strengthen social-science operations within the Swedish Institute for the Marine Environment, after its planned reintroduction, at the Baltic Sea Centre.

• Strengthen the collaboration on environmental science between disciplines (including Stockholm Recilience Centre).

FundingIt has become increasingly difficult to obtain core funding in the form of project grants from the Swedish Research Council (VR), Vinnova, and Formas, while new types of grants have been introduced, such as KAW’s project grants, the ERC, and VR’s programme for international recruitment of leading researchers. We have been successful in the competition for KAW’s and VR’s large grants, but one problem is that the grants are concentrated in only a few environments. We have been less successful in the competition for grants from the ERC, but these are few in numbers.

• Identify potential KAW projects in biology, geosci-ence, and environmental science.

• Identify candidates for ERC grants, encourage them to apply at the appropriate time, and help them with their applications.


Recruitment and continuing professional development The University now has a tenure-track system in place. It is expected that most associate professors will be recruited via assistant professorships in the future. It is important that recruitments to these positions are very strong and to establish a good system for evaluation to determine whether or not assistant professor should be promoted after four years. The University must be able to reject the promotion of those who do not meet the specified requirements. The assistant professors must be giv-en the best possible opportunities to establish their work and eventually be promoted.

• Develop an introductory programme for assistant professors. This may include a mentorship at the relevant department and the creation of a Junior Faculty, which in turn should include Wallenberg Academy Fellows.

• Follow up the research funding provided by the departments to newly recruited personnel.

• Plan the evaluation of assistant professors in good time.

Strategic research areas (SFO)The future use of the SFO grants (BEAM, EkoKlim, and the Bolin Centre) that Stockholm University is responsible for should, provided they still remain after 2015, be determined by the University Board. (The Scientific Area of Science also has SFO grants for Sci- LifeLab and SeRC, but KTH is the responsible author-ity for these grants.)

• Seek to ensure that the University Board decides to distribute the SFO grants to the Scientific Area of Science in such a way that they will be used in areas that are based on the original ones but appropri-ately modified. Prioritise collaboration with the humanities and social sciences.

• Create decision-making structures that ensure the flexible use of funds in order to achieve good results.

• Establish a centre for EkoKlim.

InfrastructureA national reference group for infrastructure, with representatives of the eleven research universities, has now been created. This will constitute a good forum for upcoming discussions on infrastructure of national importance (mainly with VR/RFI, but also with other parties in the future). The Stockholm-Uppsala region provides excellent opportunities for regional collabo-ration, which a subgroup of the reference group will discuss. Create a structure for infrastructure within Stockholm University, regionally, and nationally, which allows for necessary investments and facilitates efficient use and collaboration.

• Adopt guidelines for the management and financing of infrastructure.

• Further develop the regional collaboration.• Create a regional, possibly national, microscopy

centre at Department of Materials and Environmen-tal Chemistry.

• Coordinate Stockholm University´s mechanical workshops.

• Proceed with the construction of the new ship for the Baltic Sea Centre.


International and national collaboration Research in science is very international, and the recruitment of doctoral students, postdocs, and researchers/teachers in most subjects takes place on an international market with a significant influx of people from other countries. There is no reason for any major changes when it comes to the internation-alisation of research, except perhaps in certain fields. However, the international student exchange is far too limited. Outreach and knowledge dissemination is an integral part of operations at the Scientific Area of Science – both for catching important issues in society and disseminating research results.

• Consider providing one or more bachelor’s pro-grammes in English.

• Introduce scheduled semesters at selected foreign universities in certain programmes in order to stimulate more students to study abroad as part of their education.

• Develop collaboration with Swetox.

The Bergius Botanic GardenStockholm University is responsible for the Bergius Botanic Garden, whose director, the Professor Bergianus, is employed by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences (KVA) but conducts research at the University. The next Professor Bergianus is currently being recruited. The future funding of the botanical garden, including the Edvard Andersson Conservatory, has not been secured. New financiers are needed in the long term. It would be natural for the City of Stockholm to contribute, in the way that Uppsala and Gothenburg contribute to the botanical gardens in those cities.

• Seek out new funding, primarily to the Edvard Andersson Conservatory.

• Monitor the status of the foundation and the botanical garden vis-à-vis KVA.

• Complete, in collaboration with KVA, the recruit-ment of a Professor Berganius.

Administration and operational support • Operations within the Scientifc Area of Science

are dependent on the well-functioning Office of Science. Monitor the Office of Science´s ability to maintain the same high quality.

• Overhead costs vary greatly between depart-ments. Investigate if this is a problem, what the causes are, and if any action is necessary.

FacilitiesThe Scientific Area of Science, like the University as a whole, desperately needs more facilities. The newly established Estates Unit is currently con-ducting a survey of the needs and possibilities, which will result in a facility plan. The list below only includes the most important issues related to facilities.

• Find facilities for the four departments of the Bolin Centre in, or adjacent to, the Geoscience building. This will involve moving Department of Meteorol-ogy, in addition to partially new facilities where the Department of Environmental Science and Analyti-cal Chemistry can coordinate its operations.

• Free up laboratory facilities in the Arrhenius Labo-ratory for the chemistry departments.

• Investigate the need for future laboratory facilities in case of evacuation in connection with renovation.

• Plan for a mathematics centre in southern Albano.• Resolve AlbaNova’s ownership problem.


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Operational plan science academic area

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