KI, Uppsala University, Sophiahemmet University and Mälardalen University have been granted funding to set up a new research school: the Mälardalen Region’s Research School in Healthcare Science”.
About the new research school
The general purpose of the new research school is to offer high standard multiprofessional doctoral education integrated with healthcare programme teaching in order to ensure a steady access to teachers and strengthen the research basis within education. The school is a collaborative effort by four universities in the Mälardalen region, which have an extensive combined educational responsibility and considerable experience in doctoral education in the field of healthcare science.
Expected to launch in 2023
The Swedish Research Council grant includes salary costs for new doctoral students. A call for applications for grants for partial funding of doctoral education from prospective supervisors is expected to be launched next spring to the participating institutions. The applications will be reviewed by external assessors and the successful supervisors will then advertise a doctoral education position along with a place in the research school in accordance with the regulations in effect at the principal supervisor’s university.
It is hoped that the research school will commence towards the end of 2023. The doctoral students participating in the research school will be offered a coherent structure of courses and targeted activities, and allocated time for teaching. This will hopefully spur an interest in education and equip them for a future academic teaching career.
“In an effort to increase the pool of available healthcare professionals, the government has earmarked funds for increasing the availability of teachers able to teach on healthcare courses and programmes,” says Robert Harris, Academic Vice President for Doctoral Education. “KI and our partners prepared a very strong application. It’s fantastic that we’ve been awarded this financing from the Swedish Research Council. The venture is important to research, to healthcare and to the research basis of the students’ education and is in line with KI’s Strategy 2030.” said Robert (Bob) Harris, Academic Vice President for Doctoral Education at KI.
“An inadequate supply of teachers/researchers is a top priority risk at KI,” says Annika Östman Wernerson, Academic Vice President for Education. “We’re seeing problems of teaching staff shortages in many areas. It’s a complex problem without a silver-bullet solution, so we need to approach it from many different angles. The new research school makes a valuable contribution to securing teaching capacity in our vocational programmes.” said Annika Östman Wernerson, Academic Vice President of Education at KI.
“The Mälardalen Region’s Research School in Healthcare Science is a collaboration between four universities that together have a huge responsibility when it comes to healthcare education and a strong need for teachers,” says Maria Hagströmer at the Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society, project manager for the application. “The expertise of the four universities and their healthcare science focus both cements and enriches our partnership.” said Maria Hagströmer, Project leader for the application and Professor at KI.
This article was first published on 1 December by Karolinska Institutet.
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