1. Purpose
Faculty-appointed thematic groups shall contribute to research and/or teaching of high quality, strengthened collaboration and good academic environments at the faculty. Thematic groups must meet the researchers' need for flexibility, by allowing groups to be established at times – and for periods – that the researchers themselves consider beneficial.
The faculty's thematic groups may have different ambitions. This may include short-term forms of collaboration, small groups collaborating in more limited areas or more long-term collaboration that is not organized as a faculty-appointed research group. A thematic group can emerge from other collaborative relationships. A thematic group can also be developed in the wake of an externally funded project, provided that the thematic group's planned arrangement and activities do not overlap with activities that have already been financed through external funding.
No maximum number of thematic groups has been set, but the faculty envisages that the number will be around 20.
2. Appointment and duration
The thematic groups are appointed by the dean for a period of one to three years upon application from the thematic group.
The deadline for applications is 1 October each year, and the applications will be discussed in joint meeting with the heads of department and heads of offices before the dean approves the appointment. Start-up will be from 1 January in the following year.
An extension or renewal may be sought according to the same procedures that apply to the appointment of thematic groups.
3. Management of thematic groups
The thematic group must have clear leadership. The head of the thematic group must be a permanent employee at the faculty in the position of professor, associate professor or secondary education teacher with a master's degree, or in a temporary position as a postdoctoral fellow. A professor II may lead a thematic group, but this must be decided specifically for each case. If the head of the group is a postdoctoral fellow, the remaining period of employment must be at least as long as the period in which the person in question is to head the thematic group.
Rolling leadership can be proposed if the thematic group is to exist for more than one year.
The head of the thematic group is responsible for the operation and development of the group's activities, and shall ensure good dialogue with the group's members.
No one can be the head of more than one research group or thematic group at the same time.
4. Membership of thematic groups
The creation of thematic groups assumes a certain number of primary members. The head of the thematic group is considered a primary member, and the group must also have at least two other primary members.
In order to be a primary member, you must be an academic employee in a permanent or temporary position at the faculty, your main position must be at this faculty. Primary members are expected to make an active contribution to the thematic group's activities and development, including regular attendance and participation. Thus, the faculty's staff cannot be a primary member of more than two groups (research groups/thematic groups) in total.
A thematic group can also have associate members, if this is in line with the activity the group is planning. In thematic groups, an associate member will be an internal or external person who is invited into the group's activities, but who either cannot or will not be a primary member. Examples of associate members are:
- academic staff at the faculty
- emeriti
- staff at the International Department at the Norwegian Centre for Human Rights
- research administration
- external researchers who are not employed by the faculty or others who work in the field
5. Host department
As a general rule, thematic groups should be added to the institute where the head of the thematic group has his/her place of work, hereinafter referred to as the host department.
The host department shall support the thematic group's work, and assist the thematic group with practical and administrative tasks, such as visibility on websites, purchasing and orders. In practice, the thematic groups are expected to be largely self-managed, with the exception of larger events.
The management at the host department has overall academic and administrative responsibility for the thematic group.
6. Financial model
The host department receives an annual grant of NOK 40,000 for each thematic group administered by the host department. The amount can be freely used by the head of the thematic group within the framework and regulations at the University of Oslo and in the state. The host department follows up the financial management in cooperation with the head of the thematic group.
The financial model is related to the total number of research and thematic groups. If the faculty receives a large number of applications to establish thematic groups, the financial framework may have to be reassessed.
For events that require more than the annual amount, the thematic group should enter into a dialogue with its own department about the possibility of additional support. A thematic group can also collaborate with other thematic and research groups on larger events.
7. Application
An application for the establishment of a t group should be sent to the faculty from the academic environment itself. The application must be supported by the department of the person proposed as head of the group, i.e. from what may become the host department for the subject group.
The application must contain:
- indication of primary members
- a brief description of associate members of the group, where appropriate
- a description of the group's planned activities for the period
- reflection on how the group will contribute to collaboration and to thematic development
- reflection on how the group's activities can contribute to relevant teaching subjects, where relevant
- indication of the time period for which the group is to be created
8. Reporting
The thematic group will be monitored by the host department, and there are no reporting requirements beyond any needs the host department may have in connection with accounting reviews.