Unanimous Faculty Management Team initiates process to change iNANO’s status as a department-like center

The next phase will primarily focus on ensuring that iNANO staff are formally appointed under one of the faculty’s departments. In addition, the process will ensure continued strong conditions for nanoscience research and education. It will also develop an improved and future-proof infrastructure support and a model to maintain high-quality working conditions in the NAT buildings at Gustav Wieds Vej 14 (Current iNANO buildings).

“I’m pleased that we’ve reached this point and, together with the Faculty Management, have established a solid process for the organisational change. We now have a clear decision and can begin the work of creating strong frameworks for students, staff, research, and education within the departments, while also developing cross-disciplinary elements that embrace all academic disciplines at the faculty,” says Birgit Schiøtt, Dean of Natural Sciences.

As previously signaled during the consultation process, this decision is organisational in nature – it is not a cost-cutting exercise. On the contrary, the Faculty Management has decided to allocate strategic funds to support the process, ensuring a strong study environment and supporting the receiving departments.

Consultation responses have led to greater focus on balancing thoroughness and timeliness

Before the summer break, the process for the planned discontinuation of iNANO as a department-like center was subject to consultation. The responses received have helped improve the process in several areas:

“First and foremost, we would like to thank everyone for the many thoughtful and constructive consultation responses. For example, we have moved forward the date when all staff will formally be appointed to their new department to 1 August 1^st 2026. After the consultation, it became clear that we needed a better balance between thoroughness and speed – and we’ve acted on that,” says Ole Bækgaard, Vice-Dean for Career Development and Innovation.

Despite the faster timeline, it will still take some time before all staff know exactly which organisational unit they will be formally employed under, going forward. A respectful and inclusive clarification of future departmental appointments takes time, explains Birgit Schiøtt:

“We want to balance the wish for a swift clarification of future departmental appointments for current iNANO staff, and with the need for an individual assessment of each researcher and research group and of shared functions within iNANO – such as secretariat services, safety, and infrastructure,” the Dean emphasises.

The decision was made at a Faculty Management meeting on Friday, 26 September. The same day, staff and students at iNANO were invited to meetings at the beginning of week 40, where the Dean’s Office will provide more information about the process and answer questions.

Clarification for approximately 150 staff members

In the coming period, the new formal employment relationship for approximately 150 iNANO staff members will be decided. The first step is to clarify which department each senior VIP – that is, professors, associate professors, senior researchers, and assistant professors, both with and without tenure track – will become formally appointed under.

The process begins here because this group of staff will be organisationally reassigned along with their entire research group, typically including the junior VIPs they are responsible for, as well as the offices, laboratories, equipment, and related economy, that their group uses and manages. Senior VIP staff currently employed at iNANO will be invited to an individual meeting with either the dean or the vice-dean for career development and innovation.

Following this, the process will continue for postdocs, research assistants, and PhD students, who will generally follow their senior VIP supervisor.

Technical staff currently employed at iNANO will, generally, be reassigned to the department that takes over the laboratory, equipment, or infrastructure that the staff member primarily supports and operates. This will be clarified partly through the above-mentioned process for senior VIPs and partly through a parallel process to ensure proper organisation of infrastructure. Before the dean makes the final decision, technical staff (TAP) employed at iNANO will be invited to an individual meeting with the vice-dean for career development and innovation.

Most administrative staff with permanent positions in the iNANO secretariat will change formal employment relationship to a department and become part of a departmental secretariat. However, a few are expected to be appointed under a new faculty unit currently being developed to support knowledge sharing and innovation i. The former will typically include staff whose tasks are primarily related to HR processes, fundraising, or nanoscience education and PhD programme.

At the same time, Jeppe Vang Lauritsen has been extended as acting head of iNANO and will continue to lead the centre throughout the process until the end of 2026.

A taskforce will work on the future support of activities in the buildings at Gustav Wieds Vej 14, including how secretariat services here should be organised going forward.

Although all staff will change formal employment relationship on 1 August 2026, the financial transition will take place on 1 January 2027. This allows time for the financial implications of the organisational changes during autumn 2026 to be incorporated into the departments’ budgets for 2027.

Nanoscience will continue to thrive at NAT

Although iNANO is being discontinued as a department-like center, nanoscience will continue as a research field and educational programme at the faculty. The degree programme will continue as it is today, but under the Department of Chemistry. Current PhD students enrolled in the nanoscience programme, as well as those admitted up to 1 February 2026, will still be awarded the title PhD in Nanoscience on their diploma. We will also continue to develop support for interdisciplinary PhD projects across the faculty.

“We have a clear ambition that both education and research in nanoscience should continue to thrive and evolve at the faculty. The organisational framework is changing, but our ambitions for research and educational quality remain unchanged. We are deeply committed to creating strong conditions for nanoscience going forward, and I have great confidence that the local academic community will continue to take responsibility for the development of nanoscience,” says Birgit Schiøtt.

In summary, the future framework for nanoscience will look as follows:

• Nanoscience research projects will continue within the new organisational structure
• Great conditions for interdisciplinary collaboration will be maintained and developed
• The degree programme will continue – under the Department of Chemistry, with the study environment carried forward

• Interdisciplinary PhD programmes will continue through the departments’ programmes, and we will further develop support for interdisciplinary elements
• Infrastructure will be supported in a better and future-proof way, including the establishment of core facilities

Eight taskforces are working to ensure the best possible transition

While the future formal employment relationships for staff have top priority in the process, several other decisions also need to be made. The work has been divided into eight taskforces, each focusing on one of the areas requiring decisions as part of the transition. The eight taskforces are interdependent and will be coordinated by a steering group to ensure overall coherence.

The eight taskforces and their respective chairs are listed below:

A more technical overview of the process is available on the iNANO process website.

Here are the key dates:

• 26 September: Final decision made by the Faculty Management
• 29–30 September: Meeting in the iNANO LSU and focused staff meetings, followed by written communication to staff. Meeting with students
• 31 October: Decision on formal employment relationship for senior VIPs concluded with letter sent via e-Boks
• 12 December: Final decision on formal employment relationship for junior VIPs concluded with letter sent via e-Boks
• December: LSU meeting at iNANO
• Q4 2025: Regular LSU meetings where iNANO may be added to the agenda
• Week 2, 2026: Sub-process begins with individual meetings, first with technical TAP staff, then with administrative TAP staff
• 22 January: Decision on formal employment relationship for administrative TAP staff concluded with letter sent via e-Boks
• 27 February: Decision on formal employment relationship for technical TAP staff concluded with letter sent via e-Boks
• 1 August: All staff formally transition to new employing department 
• Autumn 2026: Receiving departments ensure successful integration of new staff and activities (work may begin earlier and continue into 2027)
• 1 January 2027: All financial matters fully transition to the departments
• Q1 2027: Mini-WPA (APV) conducted at the involved departments