Interview with DN

Today I was interviewed by the Norwegian daily newspaper Dagens Næringsliv, on zoos.

To present at Estonian seminar on ecosemiotic methodology

I plan to take part and present at the Seminar on methodology of ecosemiotics which is to be held November 28th-29th in Tartu, Estonia. This will be my first trip to Tartu since last summer.

The title of my presentation will be “Plans for field work on predator-prey conflicts in Norway involving video-recorded interviews followed by pico-scale analysis” (see posts on the Norwegian-Estonian research project "Animals in Changing Environments: Cultural mediation and semiotic analysis").

Webpage of Estonian project partner launched; Estonian title

A few weeks ago the Norwegian research group of the Norwegian-Estonian research project "Animals in changing environments: Cultural mediation and semiotic analysis" launched a webpage, first in English, then in Norwegian. Now the Estonian research group's webpage has been launched too: See its English version and its Estonian version, both sorting under University of Tartu's Department of semiotics.

The Estonian language title of the project is "Loomad muutuvates keskkondades: Kultuuriline vahendatus ja semiootiline analüüs".

Contract for Norwegian-Estonian research project signed; employment and shared office agreed on

Tuesday last week the Partnership Agreement between University of Tartu and University of Stavanger was signed by Department of Health Studies' Head of Department Kari Vevatne, on behalf of the University of Stavanger. The 32 page document, which I had gone through with a research consultant at the university (we had a meeting October 15th) and signed with my initials page by page so as to confirm that I vouch for it, was then posted to Tartu. The contract regulates the research collaboration involved in the project "Animals in Changing Environments: Cultural Mediation and Semiotic Analysis".

As part of the project work - where I'm the Norwegian project leader - I will be employed in a 10% position from March 15th 2014 to April 30th 2016. During my meeting with my Head of Department she also confirmed that I'll get a shared office in the project period (starting next summer, until then I have my own office, based on my current employment contract).

"Animals in changing environments" launches Norwegian language website

The Norwegian language homepage of the research project "Animals in changing environments: Cultural mediation and semiotic analysis" has now been launched.

See also:

The research project "Animals in changing environments"launches website [in English]

The research project "Animals in changing environments" launches website

The research project "Animals in changing environments: Cultural mediation and semiotic analysis" has today launched an English language website for the Norwegian research group on the pages of University of Stavanger. A Norwegian language version will appear soon.

The other researchers and myself are presented on the subpage "Researchers". Other subpages include "Our Estonian partner" and "Publications".

The research project has thematically been placed under the research area "Society, culture and religion".

EMP 151: Revised budget; draft of plan for specific activities

This last week I've revised the budget of the Norwegian research group of the research project "Animals in changing environments: Cultural mediation and semiotic analysis" (EEA Norway Grants EMP 151). The revised numbers will be included in the partnership agreement between University of Tartu and University of Stavanger. Revisions include more to fieldwork in 2014 (and no fieldwork in 2016), more to technical equipment (video camera etc.), less to travel costs in 2013 but just as much more in 2015, and some money saved on salary (to me) due to changes in the NOK/EUR exchange rate; even though I have increased number of paid work hours from 380 to 397 (starting March 15th 2014). 

I've further contributed to a 2-page plan for specific activities, based on the scientific rationale of our application but with some minor adjustments. Plus I've done a lot of thinking on practical sides of conducting the Norwegian fieldwork.

See also:

Research project application on "Animals in changing environments" successful

"Animals in changing environments": First research seminar scheduled; Norwegian website to be launched next week

The first Norwegian research seminar of the research project "Animals in changing environments: Cultural mediation and semiotic analysis" (EEA Norway Grants EMP 151) will take place at University of Stavanger's Department of health studies Friday December 13th. A website for the Norwegian research group will be launched next week, featuring among other things a program for this research seminar.

"Animals in changing environments" project part of cultural-social research trend

On September 15th, the (e-mail distributed) newsletter of the Research Council of Norway linked to a story they published online September 9th, entitled "Kultur- og samfunnsforskning får flest norsk-estiske EØS-midler" [Culture and Social Research receives most Norwegian-Estonian EEA Grants]. As the story narrates, 6 of the 13 projects that got funding under the EEA Norway Grants scheme were within culture and social research. This includes the research project "Animals in changing environments: Cultural mediation and semiotic analysis", where I'm involved.

Norwegian-Estonian research projects: Details

Here are the results of the call under the Norwegian-Estonian Research Cooperation Programme, annunced September 2nd.

As the overview of the funded projects shows, 13 projects (out of 170) got funding - including "Animals in changing environments: Cultural mediation and semiotic analysis" (EEA Norway Grants EMP 151), where I am involved as the head of the Norwegian research group. More than 500 experts are said to have participated in the evaluation of the applications. While University of Tartu is involved in 8 of the 13 projects, including mine (where Timo Maran is project leader), University of Bergen is involved in 6 projects on the Norwegian side. EMP 151 is the only project University of Stavanger is involved in. Altogether 7 different Norwegian institutions are involved in the 13 projects.

In the programme committee that evaluated the applications there were two Norwegians and three Estonians.

See also:

Research project application on "Animals in changing environments" successful