MANUAL

IRSAE Organization and share of responsibilities

1. Steering board

The steering board follows a consensus based decision – making process and is responsible for
the strategic development of IRSAE, the budget,and applications from new member institutions. The board consist of a chair, a senior researcher, and an elected PhD representative from each theme. The IRSAE coordinator prepares the agenda together with the chair and the secretariat, and finalizes the minutes from the meeting. The chair and an elected representative sign the protocol.
PhD representatives
– Within themes: Each theme selects a PhD representative
who gets a seat at the Board.
– Within partner institutes: Each partner institute selects a student to be the PhD
representative for his/her home institute, who will be one of the main contacts.

2. Secretariat

The secretariat is made of three members from INN (Inland Norway University
of Applied Sciences): The program director of IRSAE Tomas Willebrand, the quantitative ecologist
Olivier Devineau, and the scientific coordinator Henriette W. Gelink. These are responsible for the daily management of IRSAE.
The program director (Tomas Willebrand) is leading IRSAE on a daily basis with responsibilities for the budget and the accomplishment of the strategies decided by the board. He is responsible for the development and the quality assurance of PhD courses, seminars and workshops. In addition, he is responsible for the preparation of documents for the board meetings. He is the project manager and the Norwegian Research Council’s contact at IRSAE.
The quantitative ecologist (Olivier Devineau) is responsible for the development of PhD courses and seminars.
The scientific coordinator (Henriette W. Gelink) is the main contact person for the network.
Any questions from partners or PhD – students should primarily be directed to her. She oversees the web page and social media; is the moderator of forum, list news and information etc. She handles most of the administrative duties as the follow up of the budget, preparing decisions on mobility grants and course budgets.

3. The role of partner institutes

Each IRSAE partner institute agrees on contributing actively to the network by providing a senior researcher and a PhD student representative as main contacts. The partner decides how to distribute partner duties, such as:
1. Continuously provide an updated list of PhD students and defenses.
2. In form the coordinator about courses relevant to the network.
3. Ensure that the information about their institute on the IRSAE website is correct.
4. Ensure,together with the coordinator, the active contribution and participation of the partner to the network.
5. Actively engage in the development of theme related activities and courses.

4. Annual base funding

The IRSAE annual base funding is of NOK 15 000 to each partner institute and should cover expenses related to the partner duties described above. The funding is conditional on the active participation of each partner in the network. A short report about the activities for the previous year is to be sent to the IRSAE coordinator within January 15. Failure to do so may cause the loss of the funding the following year. Additionally, each partner institute has to send an invoice of NOK 15 000 and a list of their current PhD students by January 15 to receive the base funding for the upcoming year.
The invoice should be addressed: – By post: Inland Norway University of Applied Sciences
-Fakturamottak, Postboks 369 Alnabru, No – 0614 Oslo
– By e-mail: Send invoice in PDF- format to: einvoices.hihm@bscs.basware.com
The invoice must be marked with “IRSAE –6000”

5a. Theme guidelines

The current five main themes in IRSAE are
1) Movement and Population Ecology
2) Ecosystem Services
3) Freshwater Ecology
4) Understanding and Managing Biodiversity Conflicts
5) Climate Change Ecology
New themes can be proposed at any time, and themes or working groups should consist of one or more senior researchers and at least six PhD students. PhD students should take ownership of the working group and contribute to theme related activities.
– PhD students should select a primary (mandatory) and secondary (optional) theme.
– The theme leader and PhD representative are the main organizers and should provide
an updated list of the theme members and activity plan for the IRSAE coordinator.

5b. Theme related activities

IRSAE will prioritize theme related activities from 2017-2021. Partner institutes and theme leaders should propose theme related activities, such as workshops, seminars, exchange, visits and meetings. Theme related activities will be partly funded by IRSAE, but partner institutes should also contribute with additional funding and resources.
How to propose a theme related activity:
Development: All partner institutes or theme leaders are expected to contribute to the
development and instrumentation of theme related activities.
Organization and budget: The partner institute or theme leader has to fill out a theme activity application form (see web page >
grants), and send the application to the IRSAE coordinator. Applications should include documentation from the partner institute for some of the funding needed to organize the activity. For activities developed as a collaboration between two or more IRSAE partners, the funding can be raised.
Selection of activities: Each theme should make an activity plan, and the secretariat will decide which activities should be declined, revised or accepted. The activity plan should be submitted by 1st October, and reflect the theme’s level of ambition.
Upon completion of an activity: The organizing partner or theme leader should ask participants to evaluate the activity , and the evaluation should be sent to the IRSAE coordinator.
ECTS: If the activity qualifies for ECTS, all partner institutes should acknowledge the ECTS issued by other partners.

6. IRSAE PhD courses

Partner institutes should propose PhD courses, and document in the application their financial contribution to the organization of the course. The IRSAE secretariat aims at organizing at least 3 IRSAE PhD courses per year: Scientific Writing, Proposal Writing and the IRSAE Summer School. Partner institutes should propose PhD courses, anddocument in the application their financial contribution to the organization of the course. The IRSAE secretariat aims at organizing at least 3 IRSAE PhD courses per year: Scientific Writing, Proposal Writing and the IRSAE Summer School.
How to propose an IRSAE PhD course:
Development: All partner institutes are expected to contribute to the development
and instrumentation of IRSAE PhD courses.
Organization and budget: Partner institutes should fill out a course application form
(see web page > grants), and send it to the IRSAE coordinator. Applications should include documentation from the partner institute for some of the funding needed to organize the activity. For courses developed as a collaboration between two or more IRSAE partners, the funding can be raised.
Selection of PhD courses: PhD courses can be proposed all year round, and the Secretariat decides if the course should be declined, revised or accepted.
Upon completion of an IRSAE PhD course: The organizing partner should ask participants to evaluate the course, and the evaluation should be sent to the IRSAE coordinator.
ECTS: If the course qualifies for ECTS, all partner institutes should acknowledge the ECTS issued by other partners.
IRSAE summer school: The annual IRSAE summer school is organized by the IRSAE secretariat and will take place in August at Evenstad. This is the only course or activity fully funded by IRSAE. Accommodation, food, activities and travel for all IRSAE PhD students and senior researchers are provided by IRSAE.
Scientific Writing and Proposal Writing: These courses are organized by the IRSAE secretariat. Accommodation and course fees are covered for IRSAE members. Travel and food is not covered.

7. Mobility grant applications

Each IRSAE PhD student may be attributed a maximum of two grants per year. PhD students
should fill out the grant form (see web site > grants) and send it to the IRSAE coordinator.
The form should include documentation from the partner institute for part of the funding needed. IRSAE PhD students can apply for amobility grant all year round for the following purposes:
1.Theme- oriented activities or IRSAE PhD courses: High priority
2. Extended research visit or exchange: High priority
3. Individual – oriented non – IRSAE activities and courses: Low priority
Selection of mobility grants
All application forms are available on our web site >grants.
The PhD student should specify the purpose of the activity in the application. Applications will be evaluated on a case by case basis with emphasis on the relevance of the activity, course, visit or exchange for the PhD student. The partner institute should contribute with some funding towards the activity, which should be specified in the application. If a grant for attending a conference is rewarded, the IRSAE logo should be clearly visible on the poster or presentation.
Payment
The home institute should send an invoice to IRSAE with a detailed budget of the total cost of the theme activity, IRSAE course, exchange, research visit or non-IRSAE activity. IRSAE does not pay directly to PhD student, but only reimburses the home institution upon the invoice.
Student blog report
After participation in a theme activity, IRSAE course, exchange, visit or non – IRSAE activity, the PhD student must write a report (see web page > grants > blog report), to be emailed to the IRSAE coordinator. This report will be published as a blog – post on the IRSAE website. No reimbursement will be issued without this report.

8. Staff Mobility grants

Staff from IRSAE partner institutes can apply for a mobility grant to visit other IRSAE partner institutes. Meetings to prepare theme related activities are prioritized. The application and report forms (see web page > grants) must be sent to the IRSAE coordinator. These grants cannot be used to cover salaries for lecturers participating in one of IRSAE PhD courses, which must be covered by the sending institution itself as one of the partner duties.

9. Master students

Master students intending to pursue a PhD can apply for attending theme related activities, IRSAE PhD courses or other activities that could benefit their career. Master students should fill out and send the master student applications form (see web page > grants) to the IRSAE coordinator, together with a written recommendation letter from their supervisor. Applications will be evaluated on a case by case basis with emphasis on the relevance of the course, workshop or conference for the master student.