Two applications for green funding rejected by University of Stavanger

Recently I sent two applications to the University of Stavanger concerning green funding/green transition funds, with one of them involving a public lecture on the future of environmentalism, and the other a field trip in relation to my study of socialized wolves. None of the applications were funded.

No ph.d. position allocated

Today I was notified that none of my 2 proposed ph.d. projects were awarded a ph.d. position from the Faculty of social sciences at University of Stavanger. There were altogether 19 applications for the 4 ph.d. positions available. 

See also:

Ph.d. project proposal on Norway´s HDI performance developed

Ph.d. project application on sustainable welfare

Today I have composed a ph.d. project description (4 pp.) for a ph.d. project on "Bærekraftig velferd" (sustainable welfare), focused on analysis of the Human Development Index and the recently launched Planetary pressures-adjusted Human Development Index (PHDI). If successful I will be the main supervisor. The application was sent to the University of Stavanger´s Faculty of social sciences.

A second Norwegian-Baltic research application rejected; a third (SEMIOPOLIS) submitted

Our second application in the Baltic Research Programme, in the Lithuanian call, was not funded.

A third application in the Baltic Research Programme, in the Latvian call, was submitted in October. The project title is "Semiotic policy analysis facilitating socio-ecological change" (SEMIOPOLIS). In addition to me, Kathrine Skoland and Ingvil Hellstrand are involved in the Norwegian research group. Sergei Kruks is tentative project leader.

Three meetings and a Ph.d. supervision session

Today I have had a ph.d. supervision session, and attended a meeting with two colleagues related to the Latvian call in the Baltic Research programme, a BOA project meeting, and a research administration meeting.

Norwegian-Baltic research application OPINION submitted

Today our Norwegian-Baltic research application "One planet: Inclusion and environmental awareness" (OPINION) was submitted, after intense preparations the last few days and weeks. I take part in two work packages, came up with the project title and acronym, and have recruited two external experts, among other things. Kathrine Skoland is designated Norwegian Project Leader, with me and Ingvil Hellstrand also being involved researchers. If funded 15% of my work time will be devoted to this project for 3 years. Kaunas University of Technology would run the project, with partners in Stavanger, Riga (Riga Stradins University) and Tartu.

A meeting and 2 papers graded

Today I have attended a meeting at UIS related to a research application, and taken part in complaint grading in the posthumanities course GEN550 (2 exam papers).

RCN application got grade 3

My research application sent to Research Council of Norway, "Assessing human and animal welfare in the Anthropocene", got grade 3 (scale 1-7) from the expert panel. Not a good result at all.

AHAWELL not funded by RCN

Today it was announced what research projects got funded by the Research Council of Norway following the April 10th deadline this Spring. My research project application "Assessing human and animal welfare in the Anthropocene" (AHAWELL) was not among them.

Evaluation of Baltic-Norwegian research application

Our Baltic-Norwegian application received a positive evaluation, scoring 13,5 out of 15 possible points, I have been informed. However, to get funded, it would need 14,5 points or more, as only 7 of 130 applications were funded.

No Norwegian-Baltic funding

I have been notified that our research application to the Baltic research programme (Estonian call) scheme was not funded.

See also:

baltic-Norwegian research application submitted (February 1st)

Grade C on ERC Consolidator application

I have received feedback from ERC panel and 5 reviewers for my ERC Consolidator application "Assessing human and animal welfare in the Anthropocene" (AHAWELL). The overall grade was C. I was deemed to be everything from "non-competitive" to "good" and "excellent" (though mostly non-competitive).

ERC CoG application AHAWELL rejected

I have been notified that my ERC Consolidator Grant application "Assessing human and animal welfare in the Anthropocene" (AHAWELL) has been rejected by not continuing to step 2 of the evaluation process.

AHAWELL submitted to RCN/FRIPRO

Today I have submitted the final version of my research application "Assessing human and animal welfare in the Anthropocene" (AHAWELL) to Research Council of Norway´s FRIPRO scheme. The resulting PDF is 56 pages long (of which project description 10 pages). I apply for 11,999 million NOK, with a total budget of 15,76 million NOK including own financing (mostly of 1 PhD). The project would involve 35% of my work time for 5 years (2020-2024), 2 PhDs and 2 PostDocs, as well as the involvement of five researchers from Tartu University, University of Central Florida, Universidad de Lisboa and BI business school.

Application budget counseling; PhD program document revisions

Today I have received economic counseling on my Research Council of Norway application AHAWELL, and revised PhD program draft documents (cf. post earlier this week) along with the Dean of Faculty of social sciences.

Half proposal writing day

Today I had (half) a writing day working on my RCN research application.

Project proposal feedback

Today I attended a meeting with a researcher from UiS´ Research and Innovation Department getting some feedback on my RCN project proposal "Assessing human and animal welfare in the Anthropocene" (AHAWELL).

RCN proposal writing day

Today I have had my second-ish writing day for the Research Council of Norway FRIPRO-version of my research project application "Assessing human and animal welfare in the Anthropocene" (first submitted to the ERC Consolidator Grant scheme, in February). 

ERC application finished

I have just submitted the final version of the ERC Consolidator Grant application "Assessing human and animal welfare in the Anthropocene". This is the most ambitious, and longest, research application I have ever written - 13 page Scientific proposal (plus references) with 5 page Extended synopsis. Some 26 pages of text written including CV, early achievement track record etc., and 50+ pages including attachments and online forms.

Proposal summary:

Two of the main challenges of the 21st century is to secure high levels of human welfare for a growing number of humans, as well as to secure the welfare of animals. Until recently, human and animal welfare have for the most part been regarded as separate issues, and there has not been much interdisciplinary research making connections between welfare in humans and welfare in non-humans. The main aim of AHAWELL is to develop practical tools for cross-species assessment of welfare in both humans and animals in the ecological context of the Anthropocene. Given the intrinsic or inherent value of both human and animal individuals, such tools will be required if we are to successfully overcome the environmental crisis while simultaneously pursuing human development.

   Most current methods for assessing welfare are limited by not looking at human and animal welfare in context, and by not accounting for their interrelation. In results, there is a lack of tools for cross-species assessments of subjective welfare. Since self-reporting is not an option in assessment of animal welfare, nor in assessment of all human cases, there is a need for development of new tools. This project makes use of Umwelt theory, originally developed by Jakob von Uexküll, as a basis for such tool development for use in cross-species welfare assessment.

   The specific research objectives of AHAWELL is 1) to develop methodology for Umwelt mapping of human–animal relations, 2) to develop an Umwelt ethogram, 3) to describe key features of current human ecology by mapping global animal species, 4) to use biosemiotic ethics to set welfare standards, 5) to critically analyze the role of income growth for the Human Development Index (HDI), 6) to develop an Animal Development Index (ADI), and 7) to develop novel, cross-species measures of human and animal welfare.

   Successful completion of the project will require interdisciplinary collaboration integrating work done in philosophy, biology and economics.

Baltic-Norwegian research application submitted

By yesterday we submitted our Norwegian-Baltic research project application "Semiotic strategies for addressing environmental change as a path to better inclusion in multicultural societies". While University of Tartu is project promoter, University of Stavanger is a partner along with Vilnius Gediminas Technical University. My main collaborators in the application is Timo Maran (Estonian Project Leader) and Dario Martinelli (Lithuanian Project Leader), while I am Norwegian Project Leader for a group also involving Ingvil Førland Hellstrand and Kathrine Skoland.