The Sea Lice Research Centre gets top marks
An expert evaluation team has found that the Sea Lice Research Centre (SLRC) in Bergen is an excellent research centre with diverse expertise, enthusiastic researchers and high production levels.
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The expert evaluation team was appointed by the Research Council of Norway to do an evaluation of the Centre for Research-based Innovation (SFI) programme. The Sea Lice Research Centre (SLRC) at the University of Bergen (UiB) was one of seven centres to receive SFI status in 2011, and as part of the SFI programme there is a midway evaluation of the centres. The evaluation is great news for SLRC.
“We are pleased with the feedback we get on our research,” says Professor Frank Nilsen at UiB’s Department of Biology, who is also SLRC’s centre director.
Among the best
The SFI midway evaluation is crucial in order to secure funding for the centre’s last years. The evaluation looks into research activity, internationalisation, the researchers’ productivity, education, organisation and plans for the last half of the SFI programme period.
SLRC meets the criteria very well, and is given green light to continue the work for the next four years.
The evaluation panel were impressed with the range of core competence within the senior research team at the centre: ”The range of expertise spanning veterinary medicine and parasitology, through nutrition, immunology and biochemistry to molecular biology and genomics represent an extremely diverse and singularly appropriate skillset.”
“We did not dare to hope for an evaluation like this. We appreciate to be evaluated among the best,” says Frank Nilsen.
Enthusiastic employees
The evaluation also points out the unique position of SLRC on an international level.
“To build up our expertise has been our main priority, and the feedback in this area is therefore particularly important,” says Nilsen.
The evaluation also points to the work environment at SLRC. The researchers are enthusiastic and positive and use their knowledge in their educational programmes.
Horizon 2020 is the next goal
The evaluation recommends that SLRC put in place meaningful international collaborations in the coming years.
“Internationalisation is something we will focus on in the time to come, we currently have a project with the Research Council of Norway that we hope will increase our international interventions ,” says Nilsen.
Along with a number of international partners, the centre is looking towards Horizon 2020 to secure future funding. Horizon 2020 is the EU’s eight framework programme for research and the biggest funding mechanism of its kind in the world.
“Our goal is to keep up with our research so that we can still deliver solutions of practical use for the industry. It is my clear opinion that the SLRC has its place also in the future,” says Professor Frank Nilsen.
FACTS/Sea Lice Research Centre
- The Sea Lice Research Centre (SLRC) is a Centre for Research-based Innovation (SFI)
- The centre is hosted by the Department of Biology at the University of Bergen (UiB) and was officially opened in September 2011.
- The Sea Lice Research Centre aims at becoming world-leading on research on salmon louse and related parasites.
- Around 35 researchers are associated with SLRC.
- SLRC has an overall budget of NOK 200 million (EUR 25 million) spread over eight years.
- For more: http://www.slrc.no/
