The Panel assessed the Departments of the Scientific section 2
On September 19 - 22, 2022, the first evaluation of institutes and centres was carried out as part of the SAS 2016 - 2021 accreditation. Panel II led by prof. Toivo Maimets (University of Tartu, Estonia) visited the institutes of the Scientific Section 2.
Other members of the evaluation panel were prof. Taina Pihlajaniemi (University of Oulu, Finland), prof. Imre Vass (Biological Research Center, Szeged, Hungary), prof. Kristian Vlahovicek (Zagreb university, Croatia) and prof. Jaak Järv (University of Tartu, Estonia).
"The panel of foreign evaluators visited a total of 13 scientific centres and institutes of the SAS. In addition to the institutes in Bratislava, on 20.9.2022, the panel visited the Institute of Forest Ecology SAS in Zvolen. Scientific researchers of the Institute of Parasitology SAS also came to Zvolen from Košice in order to save the panel valuable time," says Mária Omastová, SAS evaluation representative and member of the SAS Accreditation Commission.
The panel positively evaluates the shift in the performance of all scientific workplaces evaluated so far, which is the result of the previous evaluation that was carried out six years ago.
Metapanel member Dr. Gemma Modinos from King's College London joined Panel II for 3 days. She focuses on evaluating the performance of young scientists. On 22 September 2022, Dr. Modinos met at the Plant Science and Biodiversity Center SAS with the Committee of Young Scientists of the SAS to listen to the suggestions of the young generation for improving their position and work in the SAS.
"At the meeting, we mainly discussed the possibilities of the wider promotion of our group at individual institutes and the position of young scientists within the SAS structures. Even though, since the last accreditation in 2016, the SAS management has implemented several proposals that improved the conditions of doctoral and postdoctoral students - I will mention at least the changes to the Štefan Schwarz fund statute or a wide range of courses and training for doctoral students - there is still a lack of, for example, an effective domestic grant programme within which fresh postdoctoral students could fund their research. Dr. Modinos agreed with our suggestions and we hope that at least some of them will be transformed into the general recommendations of the Metapanel during this year's evaluation. Overall, we perceive the meeting as a grateful opportunity to compare the working conditions of the young generation of scientists at SAS institutes and abroad," commented Barbora Buzássyová, president of the SAS Young Scientists platform.
During the evaluation of each scientific workplace, a closed session was also held, where the Panel spoke with doctoral and postdoctoral students up to 7 years after obtaining the PhD degree.
The results of the evaluation will be known at the end of December, when after the evaluation of the first and third scientific departments, the Metapanel will meet to conclude the demanding procedure of evaluation of individual panels.
Edited by Martin Bystriansky
Foto: Martin Bystriansky