Four young scientists recently received over 80 million NOK from Bergen Research Foundation and the University of Bergen, making world class research possible. The Bergen Research Foundation (BRS) supports young researchers at the University of Bergen through their Recruitment Programme. The goal is to build and lead outstanding research environments at the university. Applicants may apply for up to 20 million NOK over four years, and the University and the academic environments contribute a similar sum.
“This gives us the resources to expand our planned research group. We get access to new work capacity and expertise, as the money will primarily be spent on hiring PhDs and postdocs,” says Håvard Haarstad, researcher at the Department of Geography, and PI for the WUN Developing Compatible Energy and Climate Strategies project.
Haarstad’s research focuses on energy, climate and society. Currently he and his colleagues are hard at work establishing Spacelab, a research environment dedicated to climate and energy transition.His project was awarded 9,7 million NOK (ca 1 million Euros) by BRS and has a total budget of 22,8 million (2 million Euros).
Associate Professor Marco Hirnstein at the Department of Biological and Medical Psychology was awarded 9,95 million NOK from the Bergen Research Foundation. His project will examine whether a specific stimulation of the brain can reduce auditory hallucinations in patients with schizophrenia. Such hallucinations are typically treated with anti-psychosis medication, which in certain cases may be ineffective and cause severe side effects.
“Our proposed brain stimulation is pain-free, doesn’t require anaesthesia and has no known side effects”, says Hirnstein.
Marco Hirnstein was awarded a WUN Reseach Mobility Program grant from the University of Bergen in 2014 for a research stay at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
