Research training, PhD Forum and Early Career Scientists Forum

The PhD Forum is open for all PhD-candidates affiliated with the Bjerknes Centre. The Bjerknes PhD Forum intends to create a community for international and Norwegian PhD students from different research areas during their time in Bergen. Our aim is to facilitate exchange among new and advanced PhD students as well as to distribute and preserve knowledge about “the way things work”.

We meet about once a month to network and discuss different aspects of the academic career and/or life in Bergen. Visiting PhD students and interns are welcome to join our activities.

The current PhD Forum board members are:

• Linda Latuta (GFI, New Leader): Linda.Latuta@uib.no
• Ana Gomes (NORCE):  agom@norceresearch.no
• Laymara Sampaio (BIO): Laymara.Sampaio@uib.no
• Marianne Williams-Kerslake (Nansen): marianne.williams-kerslake@nersc.no
• Pushpak Nadar (GEO): Pushpak.Nadar@uib.no
• Erika Giorgi (GFI): Erika.Giorgi@uib.no
• Nina Hecej (GEO): Nina.Hecej@uib.no
• Camille Alfonso (GEO): Camille.Alfonso@uib.no

The ECSF is open to all post-doctoral Early Career Scientists affiliated with the Bjerknes Centre, e.g. postocs and independent researchers in their early career years. The goal of the ECSF is to create a more supportive and better networked community within the Bjerknes ECSs, and to provide relevant career development opportunities beneficial to our career stage. We provide a platform for the exchange of relevant information via the mailing list. 

What do we do?

• We aim to organize two skill-building workshops per year.
• We organize a few social activities per year.
• We have two regular networking / community-building events: 
  1) Wednesdays, weekly at 09:00-11:00: Writing /task session at Bergen Kaffebrenneri
  2) Thursdays in semester period at 11:45-12:30: Common lunch at the GFI cafeteria 

Join us and make suggestions:
If you have an idea for a workshop or event, please suggest it to any of us on the organizing committee. We are always looking for ideas for how the ECSF can better serve the community and welcome your engagement.
If you identify yourself as a post-doctoral early career scientist* affiliated with the Bjerknes Centre. Visiting ECSs are also welcome to join.
If you are interested in being the next representative of one of the research themes, reach out to the current representative. We encourage and appreciate your engagement and contributions. 

*Who is an Early Career Scientist? Inspired by the EGU and AGU ECS definition, the BCCR ECS Forum targets practicing scientists who received their PhD within the recent years. The definition of recent is left to one's personal opinion to promote inclusivity. For reference, EGU / AGU uses 7 years. 

The group is currently not active as of June 2025.