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GLOBVAC-Global helse- og vaksin.forskn

Norwegian Research School of Global Health

Alternative title: Nasjonal forskerskole i global helse

Awarded: NOK 18.0 mill.

The Norwegian Research School in Global Health (NRSGH) was funded by the Research Council of Norway and started in 2016. The aim was to strengthen the quality of the PhD education in global health. To achieve the goal NRSGH developed and provided courses, seminars, workshops, mobility grants and traveling grants for international conferences and study visits. An additional aim was to build a network among the PhD candidates, by arranging annual conferences and strengthen academic capacity and improve supervision skills by holding regional seminars in partner institutions in low-income settings, and to increase awareness among academic leadership and policymakers to promote global health as a crucial research area. The school estimated to recruit around 100 students. The PhD candidates, studying various aspects of global health and registered at a Norwegian university, were eligible to apply for membership. NTNU, the universities of Bergen, Oslo and Tromsø, together with the National Institute of Public Health were collaborating partners in the school. The Board members represented the partner institutions, together with one international member and two student representatives. The Board worked through regular monthly, digital meetings and, one physical meeting a year. NRSGH accepted in total 305 members, 113 members were alumni, and 181 were still ongoing. Eleven students left the studies before completion, due to other job opportunities, illness and death. A decline especially in new African students after the Quota program ended, and fewer PhD candidates due to the imminent termination of the GLOBVAC program was observed. Most members were linked to UiB and UiO, but NRSGH was definitely important to members registered at NTNU, UiT and other universities, with smaller research groups within global health topics. The years 2020 and 2021, were challenging, due to the corona pandemic and strict meetings and travels regulations. After the pandemic gradually ceased, data collection, fieldwork, courses, and conferences could be resumed. However, during the pandemic other learning ways were developed, such as monthly webinars on methodological issues from the school. Several of these new education forms are still in use also after the corona lock-down. Webinars became hugely appreciated by members, and accessible for students in other countries performing their field work. The members became invited to a Nordic collaboration, also giving monthly digital talks, targeting various professional areas in global health. The PhD students have had continuous contact with their supervisors, and access to the NRSGH webpage, which was constantly updated with information of funding opportunities, mobility grants, relevant courses, conferences, blog reports from international study visits and information to supervisors. All activities, regardless of whether they were given physically or digitally, were evaluated, and NRSGH was privileged to receive good feedback from the students. https://www.ntnu.edu/nrsgh. An evaluation of the school’s activities was performed among 60 alumni and is published; Darj E, Hoem IB, Dvergsdal EY. What Is the Value of a Global Health Research School for PhD Students? Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2022 Oct 16;19(20). A midterm-evaluation was performed in 2020 with positive feed-back from an external authorized panel. Recommendations for the remaining years were given, which the school approve to and started directly to implement the advises. The funding from RCN has been utilized beneficially and the economy was reported to RCN yearly. Mobility grants, and international travel grants, funding for PhD conferences, and course development have been supported. Some courses, such as; Epidemic/pandemic infection control and, summer schools have provided the PhD candidates valuable knowledge and transferable skills, as well as an important network in global health activities during the next years. The annual PhD conferences were highly valued, both among the candidates and Board members. Seven PhD conferences were organized during the financed period. NRSGH has been of highest importance for development of global health in all participating institutions in north and south. The Board members received acceptance and managed to prolong the time period for NRSGH with one year. Board members have been engaged in other groups to strengthening the Nordic collaboration in global health, aiming for continuation after the NRSGH supported period. Eg; Nordic Network among Universities, supported by NorPlus, NorDoc, the Nordic University Health Hub, and Nordic Case challenges projects and NRSGH has applied for a Nordic Research School in Global Health at Nordforsk for funding.

The aim of NRSGH was to build capacity in global health by a strong national team to meet the challenges within education and research globally. Several surveys have been conducted during the project timeline and NRSGH has organized and facilitated meetings with many national stakeholders and department heads, try to raise awareness of importance of research from low- and middle-income countries, international networks and good learning environment for PhD candidates are essential. Supervision has been one of the focus areas and there has been courses to strengthen the quality among supervisors, but also how the PhD candidate themselves could get most out of supervision. NRSGH generated a unanimous recognition of the relevance of a strong Norwegian community in global health with equitable partnership with institutions in low- and midle income countries. NRSGH facilitated the building of new interactions between groups at different universities, often resulting from interactions between individual students employed in different groups who met during courses and even more so during the annual PhD conference. Interdisciplinary work and research communication has been essential for the success of NRSGH. NRSGH thus achieved its formulated aims and objectives.

In the efforts to reach the Millennium and Sustainable Development Goals, Norway is punching considerably above its weight and Norway needs to match this global involvement with relevant knowledge and competence on global health challenges. Norwegian Universities have since long trained and graduated national and international PhD candidates in projects concerning global health. However, some institutions are small and access to relevant training for the PhD candidates may be limited. The four Norwegian Universities with Faculties of Medicine and Norwegian Institute of Public Health are now joining together to establish a national research school of global health. This subject which reaches beyond medicine and public health will benefit from intensified interaction between institutions, supervisors and PhD candidates. Competence is needed in addition to several areas of medicine and public health, also in for instance, politics, aid and trade, nutrition, health systems and capacity strengthening globally. Pooling our resources in a national research school will add value in capacity, diversity and quality, beyond what the individual institutions are able to. It will be beneficial to other Norwegian organizations and actors of higher education as well. All PhD candidates with projects in global health, registered at a Norwegian University or University College, can become members. Members of the research school will access a broad network of professionals and academic environments, a variety of PhD-courses at all Norwegian Universities and regional meetings in other settings. Annual meetings for the PhD-candidates will be arranged and the research school will facilitate mobility between institutions for courses and other visits. Meetings for supervisors are included aiming to improve the quality of supervision and sharing of experiences of coaching the candidates to complete their PhD.

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Funding scheme:

GLOBVAC-Global helse- og vaksin.forskn