What the programme gives you
The visitors programme brings outstanding scientists to the Centre for experiments that use the combination of local marine resources and state-of-the-art research facilities. The aim is both excellent research and stronger networks locally, nationally and internationally.
As a visiting researcher you are invited to give an internal seminar, you meet the scientists at the Centre, and you may use the Michael Sars Centre affiliation in publications that come out of the work you do in Bergen.
The programme does not cover salary and does not give employment at the University of Bergen. The Centre can support your stay, and the amount depends on what your research requires.
How to apply
Acceptance depends on mutual scientific interest, ongoing projects and the availability of space and resources. You can get in touch at any time of year.
Send your application to the group leader or leaders you want to work with, and to the Centre director. The application should include an academic CV and a short statement covering
- your general research interests
- what you specifically want to achieve by visiting the Michael Sars Centre
- what you can contribute to the academic and scientific life at the Centre
Start planning early. That leaves time for a visa application if you need one, for agreeing on equipment and training, and for help finding accommodation. Check the rules that apply to your nationality with the Norwegian Directorate of Immigration (UDI).
Funding and accommodation
We encourage you to apply to local and international funding bodies for your stay. Relevant schemes include
- EMBO Scientific Exchange Grants, which support international collaboration and the transfer of expertise
- Travelling Fellowships from The Company of Biologists
- travel grants from the Boehringer Ingelheim Fonds
- embassy programmes for small-scale exchange projects, such as the Franco-Norwegian Aurora mobility programme and the Åsgard programme
We help you find accommodation for your stay, for example in housing run by the University of Bergen. The earlier you plan, the better the chance of finding somewhere close to the Centre.
Laboratory space
Visiting researchers get space in a dedicated visitor laboratory with four bench spaces for basic molecular biology. It has micropipettes, a mini-centrifuge and a table-top centrifuge, a heat block and water bath, shakers, fridge and freezer space, storage for chemicals, and instruments for DNA and protein electrophoresis and blotting.
The cell culture laboratory
The cell culture laboratory is an access-restricted room for work under sterile conditions. You can work there after a one-hour training session organized by the Centre. The room has a laminar flow hood for mammalian cell lines, biological safety cabinets for choanoflagellates and a clean bench for other organisms, two incubators, a Nikon Eclipse TE2000-S microscope with fluorescence, a fridge, a freezer and a bench microcentrifuge.
The isotope laboratory
The Class C isotope laboratory is an access-restricted room for work with low-activity radioactive sources. You need a training certificate for working with radioactivity, or you must work under the supervision of a certified person. Radioactive sources must be registered and purchased through the person responsible for the laboratory. The room is certified for up to 10 GBq of sulphur, phosphorus and hydrogen and up to 10 MBq of phosphorus-32, and has a fume hood, fridge, freezer, plexiglass shields, shielded waste bins, a microcentrifuge, a PCR thermocycler, an electrophoresis system, a Geiger counter and phosphor imaging plates.
Why Bergen
The Michael Sars Centre is an international community of scientists using advanced technologies to study the molecular and cellular biology of marine organisms in a changing ocean. The Centre was one of the first EMBL partner institutes, and serves as a national asset for Norwegian marine life sciences.
Bergen is a UNESCO World Heritage City and a European City of Culture, set between fjords and mountains. The city is an international centre for aquaculture, shipping, offshore industry and subsea technology, and a dense hub for marine research. The rich animal life along the coast outside the city complements the cultures in our facilities, and widens the range of projects that can be carried out here.