NFIF - Norwegian PhD School of Pharmacy

The Norwegian PhD School in Pharmacy (NFIF) has aimed to raise the quality of the PhD education and research in pharmaceutical sciences and strengthen coordination and collaboration between the universities offering education in pharmacy in Norway (UiT, UiB, UiO, NORD Universitet and OsloMet). This has been operationalized through five key points: 1) student mobility and internationalization; 2) the NFIF conference; 3) scientific courses; 4) international guest lecturers; and 5) local activity and digital communication. NFIF has prioritized delegating a large part of the budget to promote student mobility and internationalization. PhD students have been able to apply for grants to travel to cover international conferences, courses/workshops, or short research stays. Travel reports and questionnaires show a high degree of satisfaction amongst the students who have taken advantage of the offer. 216 travel grants have been handed out between 2014 and 2021.The yearly conference has been the only national arena for coordination of research between NFIF?s partnering institutions. The conference has aimed to give PhD students, post docs, and supervisors an overview of current research in Norway, facilitate presentation of research, and to develop transferrable skills. It has been an arena for networking, where students, post docs, supervisors and faculty leaders have met, leading to exchange of information and collaboration. NFIF has developed and offered 12 PhD courses at the partnering institutions, co-organized two collaborative courses with other PhD schools, and arranged two courses in connection to bigger conferences. Leading researchers and international lecturers have been recruited to the courses, which has contributed to providing the students with a broader perspective and access to world leading expertise. Every course have been approved by the board of NFIF, as well as by the partnering institution hosting the course, where the courses have been integrated into the PhD portfolio. NFIF has financed recognized international lecturers to hold scientific lectures/seminars. This has given PhD students and their supervisors an important possibility for interaction with leading international experts, and it has paved the way for collaborative and scientific initiatives. 15 guest lecturers/researchers have been recruited to participate at NFIF courses and events. The PhD school has encouraged and financed initiatives to local activities. Student forums have been organized at the University of Oslo, the Arctic University of Norway, and the University of Bergen. One national network for PhD students and post docs in clinical pharmacy and social pharmacy has been created. These smaller networks have supported student development through offering a forum for the development of dissemination and presentation skills, though creating a good foundation for the development of scientific collaborations, and through strengthening NFIF?s presence at the different institutions. Digital communication has been used to strengthen participation in the goals presented by NFIF by the means of a website, a Facebook group and a Newsletter. These have been evenly updated with relevant news and information regarding events for both PhD students and supervisors. These initiatives have been important to strengthen participation and ownership of NFIF for the students, to secure good communication about NFIF?s events, to promote efficient collaboration between the partnering institutions, and to create a platform to promote NFIF to potential members and contributors. Several of the elements from the PhD school will be continued after 2021. This is expected to happen through the following six points: 1) the continuation of courses; 2) new PhD schools; 3) travel grants; 4) the continuation of networks; 5) visibility of research; and 6) a focus on supervision. Through digitalizing popular courses, these will continue to be available across the institutions. Several of the partnering institutions of NFIF are part of new applications for PhD schools, and will encourage their students to become members if they are approved. These will most likely have similar offers for the students as NFIF. The partnering institutions agree to invest resources in communicating external opportunities for financing to their own students/post docs. In this way, a focus on and opportunities for student mobility and internationalization will persevere. The network in the educational environments within Pharmacy in Norway that has come together due to NFIF is expected to live on. There is work going on exploring which platforms to arrange new network meetings on. The hope is that one through these platforms can also arrange collaborations on inviting guest lecturers across the institutions. The partnering institutions agree to continue to emphasize the visibility of the research. Student presentations will be encouraged at new arenas.

- Studentmobilitet og internasjonalisering for PhD-studenter innen farmasi gjennom reisestøtte - Forskningsformidling og nettverksbygging for PhD-studenter og veiledere gjennom NFIFS årlige konferanse - Nedbryting av administrative barrierer gjennom felles organisering og godkjenning av vitenskapelige kurs for PhD-studenter på tvers av NFIFs parterinstitusjoner (UiT, UiB, UiO, NORD Universitet og OsloMet) - Kunnskap om aktuelt internasjonalt forskningsbilde gjennom innhenting av internasjonale gjesteforelesere og forskere - Fellesskapsbygging gjennom lokale aktiviteter ved partnerinstitusjonene og digital kommunikasjon med NFIFS medlemmer - Samarbeid og nettverksbygging i forskningsmiljøet innen farmasi i Norge

The PhD-School is a joint school for all PhD students at the 5 institutions educating pharmacists in Norway: UiT, UiB, HiNT, HiOA and UiO - with UiO as host. The School will be open for all PhD students enrolled at the 5 partners. The PhD School will, t hrough a yearly seminar (requested participation), 2 workshops/courses, facilitate for students to visit the partners, other public institutions and industry, aim at heightening the content and quality of the PhD study for students. A major source of info rmation and news flow will be a website. The ambition of the School is to offer the students the best PhD courses, where experts from both Norway and foreign countries will participate, regardless where the course takes place. This will especially give st udents at the Colleges a better access to the PhD courses at the Universities. Another ambition of the School is to have more articles published in higher ranked journals and to have more students accepted and presented their work at international confere nces. The School will through building of a better network than what exists today, have students and their supervisors exchange information, get access to equipment unique to one institution and exchange course programs. There will be a separate session f or the supervisors for improvement of pedagogic teaching methods and establishing of new courses. The School is headed by a Board with representatives from the 5 partners and students representation. The Board is headed by Prof. Anne-Brit Kolstø. The bo ard will have a scientific advisory board comprised of senior staff from the partners and other Universities in Scandinavia (mainly) with experience from PhD Schools to give advice on relevant topics. Communication and practical arrangements will be done through a secretary function at the 3 universities, where the main activity will be located at UiO. As host UiO will take responsibility for the economic control through its regular staff.