News from the Rector's Office No. 2/2010
DKK 55 million for new scientific research equipment awarded
The Danish Agency for Science, Technology and Innovation has awarded grants to nine research infrastructure projects. Three of these go to reseachers at Aarhus University.
The Faculty of Science has been granted DKK 30 million to fund the construction of a 25-meter research vessel. The ship will help promote the goal of establishing a world-class field laboratory in the waters of the North Sea and the Baltic. The ship's primary research focus will be human and natural influences on marine geology, hydrography and ecosystems, in addition to ocean-atmosphere interaction.
Researchers from the Faculty of Science and the Faculty of Health Sciences have received DKK 14.6 million to strengthen the bioimaging infrastructure of the iNANO-MEDICINE Core Facility. The goal of nanomedical research is to develop new methods for the diagnosis and treatment of serious illnesses such as coronary diseases, diabetes, pulmonary diseases and neurodegenerative diseases. Research is also focussed on the development of new biocompatible surfaces and materials for use in applications such as bone prostheses and artificial heart valves.
Finally, researchers from the Faculty of Social Sciences have received a DKK 10 million grant towards the establishment of Danish Data Center for Accounting and Finance (D-DCAF). The new centre will give researchers access to international accounting and finance research databases, which will improve the quality and scope of Danish research in the fields of finance, accounting and quantitative economics. The databases include such information as time-series of the prices of stocks, bonds and derivatives in addition to financial accounting information on firms.
The Vice-Chancellor’s Office is quite pleased that the university has succeeded in attracting funding for these three projects from the Agency for Science, Technology and Innovation’s infrastructure pool. The infrastructure pool forms part of the government’s 2006 globalisation pool agreement. Funding from the pool is earmarked for research equipment acquisition.
Progress towards construction project on the Lille Barnow property
At a meeting on 17 December 2009, the Board pledged continued support to the Lille Barnow building project. The plan is to erect a multiple-story building on the Lille Barnow property, currently the site of a parking lot at the corner of Nordre Ringgade and Nørrebrogade in Århus. The Lille Barnow project is mentioned in the 2000 university vision plan. The property’s prime location next to the coming light rail and close to downtown Århus would make the new building a prominent landmark on the Aarhus campus. The 61,000 m2 multiple-story building will house two to three lecture theatres in addition to classrooms and other facilities for students, staff and guests of the university. Total construction costs are estimated at approximately DKK 1.1 billion, equivalent to an annual rent of between DKK 60-80 million.
The project is intended to accommodate an expected increase in the number of students and academic staff at the university, as the government’s goal is to see 50% of children born in a given year take some form of post-secondary education by 2015.
Before the project can be realised, a new local development plan must be adopted, a competition project must be developed, and negotiations with the Danish University and Property Agency must be initiated. As yet no date has been set for the Board’s final decision on the Lille Barnow project.
AU Communication reorganised
On 1 January, the Communication Office, the News Service and Aarhus University Photo Service were merged into a new unit: AU Communication. Under AU Communication, the functions of the three units are now organised into two 'pillars': an event and marketing pillar and a media pillar. Anders Frølund is the new Marketing and Events Manager, and Bjørg Tulinius will take up his position as Media Manager on 15 January. These organisational changes will not involve adjustments to the staffing level of AU Communication.
Calendar
- 18 January: University management meeting
- 27 January: Global Dialogue Prize award ceremony
- 27 January: ElitForsk award ceremony
Kind regards
The Rector's Office
12 January 2010
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The Rector’s Office publishes a newsletter every week. This newsletter includes a brief description of current activities and discussions. You can sign up for the Danish version of the newsletter at http://info.au.dk/medarbbreve, after which you will receive an e-mail whenever the newsletter is issued.
If you would like to subscribe to the English version of News from the Rector’s Office, please go to http://info.au.dk/medarbbreve/index.asp?sprog=en. The English version of News from the Rector’s Office is available at http://www.au.dk/en/uni/rectorate/newsletter. You can read previous editions of News from the Rector’s Office at http://www.au.dk/en/about/uni/rektorat/newsletter/2010/.