Wasted growth paper scheduled for presentation at virtual ISQOLS 2020 conference

My presentation "Wasted and wasteful growth in the USA" has been scheduled for presentation at the virtual ISQOLS conference (International Society for Quality-of-life Studies) on Thursday August 27th at 14-16 (Rotterdam time), as part of the session “Growth, Poverty and Well-being”. My presentation is for 30 minutes.

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.

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). 

Welfare talk scheduled for presentation at UiS workshop

On a workshop held by University of Stavanger´s Faculty of social sciences on April 30th, I will give a presentation work titled "Velferdsutviklingen i de nordiske landene og globalt" (The welfare development in the Nordic countries and globally).

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.

ERC writing day

Today I have had another writing day focusing on my ERC Consolidator Grant application "Assessing human and animal welfare in the Anthropocene". Some 5 hours... And more to be done tomorrow, and three days next week, before the deadline is upon me.

ERC Consolidator Grant - proposal writing

Today I have spent half a day on research proposal writing - my ERC Consolidator Grant application titled "Assessing human and animal welfare in the Anthropocene". I got some further consultancy feedback at the beginning of this week, and my head is spinning contemplating proposal possibilities.

Also catching up with some other tasks. And I still want my weekends back...

RCN spin-off version of ERC application planned

I have decided to make a spin-off version of my ERC application in process titled "Assessing human and animal welfare in the Anthropocene", for Research Council of Norway´s FRIPRO scheme, with deadline in April.

Outline of possible PhD project on welfare revised; long-term research plan sketched

Yesterday I finished revising a possible call for applications announcement text for a PhD project on welfare and prosperity - now with focus on people in vulnerable socioeconomic situations. I also drafted a long-term research plan, indicating possible topics for my own writing as well as possible partners and contacts. I am now awaiting feedback from a colleague and my head of department.

PhD project plans

Today I have attended a meeting with my head of department in relation to plans for a PhD scholarship with focus on the connection between welfare and wealth, with me as supervisor.

To attend Paris inequality conference after all

I have decided to attend the First WID.world conference, on global economic inequality, after all, even not presenting a paper. I see the conference, which is held in Paris December 14-15th, as very relevant for the research I am now starting on into the relation between prosperity and welfare.

See also:

"Future of growth" paper submitted to First WID.world Conference

Future of growth paper rejected by First WID.world Conference organizers

Cuba planning meeting

Today I have attended a planning meeting ahead of our research seminar at Universidad de la Habana on January 26-27th. We hope our Cuban partners can arrange a few field visits in the couple of days immediately before the seminar.

Tuastad and Tønnessen chapter revised

Today I have finished revising, again, the book chapter by Svein Tuastad and myself on Norwegian family policies seen in light of liberal political philosophy. The chapter will now be submitted to the publisher.

Joining UiS program area on welfare research

I have joined the University of Stavanger program area for "Velferdstenesteforsking" [welfare services research], which is headed by Siv Oltedal.