Strategic Plan for Research in Health and Social Sciences

Research Strategy 2020 -2025

The Department of Health and Social Sciences (Avdeling for helse- og sosialfag in Norwegian, in the following abbreviated to AHS) will work to develop further and ensure the quality of the department's core tasks. These are teaching, research, and communication related to our professional education.

In line with (1) Meld. St .4 (2018-2019) Long-term plan for research and higher education 2019-2028, (2) Quality in higher education/the quality report, (3) Award letter 2019 Molde University College, Development agreement between KD – HiMolde and (4) Rector's strategy document 2025 – framework for further strategy work, it is AHS' starting point that research and education must be closely integrated and mutually enhance quality and competence.

This means that AHS's research must be clinically, pedagogically and socially relevant within the fields of health and social sciences, and developed in collaboration with the public sector, working life and society. This means that, therefore, professional development and education run by AHS must beis research-based. Research expertise must then be maintained and further developed through active research. A significant proportion of AHS' activities must therefore be research-oriented.

The main emphasis of the research activity must have an applied purpose, and be based on the knowledge needs of the fields of practice. The research areas are developed within the core areas of health and care research, social service research and education research. It is a fundamental premise that AHS's research takes place in close collaboration with the fields of practice, users/patients and students.

The PhD education, which is offered in collaboration with Volda University College, will continue to be a central part of the department's research activities. The PhD education should contribute to increased recruitment, expand AHS's national and international network, and ensure that practical research expands in accordance with the PhD profile; Professional practice - conditions and development.

Below are AHS' goals and measures for the planning period.

A.    Professional production

Aim:
AHS aims to increase publication activity in the coming years, both in volume and quality. AHS's responsibility for spreading knowledge locally, regionally and nationally dictates that the academic production must also include Norwegian publications, in the form of reports, specialist articles and book chapters. The main emphasis of the publication activity shall lie on international publications in peer-reviewed scientific journals.

Measures:

1. Registration of all academic publications in Cristin 
2. Ensure that the research projects include an sufficiently adequately ambitious publication plan
3. Clarify expectations for R&D professional target achievement for each individual employee
4. Operationalize criteria for allocating R&D time beyond the norm, criteria for retaining R&D time, and criteria for reducing R&D time
5. Operationalize criteria for "incentive arrangements"
6. Maintain good recruitment and throughput (completion within the stipulated time) in the doctoral education

B. Quality

Objective:

Increase the share of external competition-based research funding. Increase the proportion of clinically and socially relevant research projects ( etatstyringsdoc . 2019).

Measures:

1. Increase knowledge of available funding sources and application procedures
2. Facilitate guidance in application writing
3. Facilitate further collaboration between research groups at AHS and other research groups at Molde University College
4. Facilitate increased regional, national and international cooperation, also via the other colleges and universities in the region (Volda and Ålesund).
5. Establish research networks with clinicians from the specialist health service and the municipalities and others
6. Increase the number of publications at level 2
7. Increase the proportion of publications through NVI-approved publication channels with open access

C. Evaluation of research

Objective:

Further develop internal quality assurance systems. Increased use of colleagues in the department's other research groups as colleagues in project development work.

Measures:

1. Continue the work in the Research Forum (F-forum) and the Doctoral Committee (DU)
2. Ensure that all research projects are correctly registered in the systems at Molde University College
3. Establish regular (semi)annual reviews of all research projects
4. Increase the use of reference groups in the research projects
5. Facilitate the exchange of peer reviews with other research groups at AHS
6. Map needs and deficiencies in subject and research expertise
7. Map research production and resources
8. Assess the research results against the operationalized criteria for allocation of R&D time, retention of R&D time, reduction of R&D time

D. Research ethics and quality systems

Objective:

Employees at AHS must be familiar with the current regulations relating to the exercise nature of research activities, the college's guidelines for research, and their own role as a research group member, see himolde.no/forskning ( link ).

Measures:

1. Introduce a system to ensure that all employees with research competence complete relevant courses organized by research support
2. Arrange courses on research support as needed.
3. Ensure that everyone with project manager responsibility has sufficient competence in this area, and has completed courses related to what this responsibility entails
4. Introduce regular internal training on relevant topics related to research ethics and quality assurance of research activity ( e.g. GDPR and REK)
5. Invite collaboration with other research groups on internal teaching (cf. point 3)

E. Research funding

Objective:

More research projects with external funding. Increased proportion of competition-based external financing. The main partmajority of other allocated funds is used in line with AHS's prioritized professional initiatives.

Measures:

1. Develop internal routines and administrative support functions in line with the reporting requirements relating to externally funded research ( e.g. contract templates and templates for collaboration agreements)
2. Make arrangements for everyone those with research expertise to apply for external funding
3. Ensure that project managers have knowledge of systems to follow up on project finance (see MUC's finance handbook)

F. Position structure and recruitment

Objective:

Meet Exceed the external requirements for the proportion of employees with initial qualifications., with a good margin. This applies to both the number of positions with initial competence (level) and key subject areas and focus areas. Adopt arrangements for the international exchange of research expertise. Recruitment of professionals with research expertise. Development of research competence through Joint degree professional practice – conditions and development/ PhD program (HiMolde, AHS and Høgskulen i Volda).

Measures:

1. Develop a recruitment plan based on the prioritized investment areas
2. Facilitating that the recruitment plan fulfillstakes care of the need for interdisciplinarity and career paths for different professions
3. Ensure that each individual has the opportunity to make clear career plans
4. Make arrangements for employees to qualify for (top) academic (top) positions (professor, docent and associate professor, senior lecturer)
5. Increase the number of assistant posts related to teaching, supervision and research
6. Establish a structure for regular grantee meetings

G. Area

Objective: Ensure collocation of AHS.

Measures:
Ensure optimal utilization of existing office and teaching premises

H. Regional function

Objective :

Further develop the collaboration with the other colleges and universities in the region, to ensure a high quality in the handling of regional and national tasks. Establish networks with researchers from other institutions in our region. Produce international research with regional relevance.

Measures :

1. Facilitate joint arenas for the development of research projects linked to regional and national tasks
2. Organize communication seminars/professional days where AHS communicates novel research/knowledge results, new knowledge, etc. to the field of practice.
3. Maintain and facilitate collaboration forums related to the PhD program ( e.g. methods forum)

I. International cooperation

Objective: Further develop established international collaborative relationships at project and publication level.

Measures:

1. Coordinating visits by international partners with the other research groups
2. Collaborate with the other research groups on joint academic events with associated project development meetings

J. Organization and management

Objective:

Ensure that the research groups are well-organized units, with informative and functional names

Measures:

1. Ensure that all researchers are familiar with the research group organization structure in AHS, and their own role in that connection
2. Clarify professional responsibility in all projects
3. Clarify the division of responsibilities between professional and administrative management
4. Arrange regular joint research group meetings with the research activity at AHS as the theme
5. Establish systems that take care of the individual researcher's needs for research administrative support
6. Discuss and clarify research areas/axes versus research groups
7. Set a requirement that each researcher must be both a project manager and a participant in at least one project outside of their own
8. Consider reducing the number of research groups at AHS
9. All academic staff (including fellows) at AHS must be members of research group(s)

K. Infrastructure

Objective: Infrastructure for research is to be improved.

Measures:

1. Increase knowledge about Molde University College's systems for research support
2. Make arrangements for participation in courses arranged in connection with systems for research support
3. Establish systems that ensure sound application procedures
4. Establish and publicize systems that ensure proper storage of research data

L. Innovation

Objective:

Promote the use of (electronic) systems and clinical tools/approaches in relevant fields of practice

Measures:
aImplement a wider testing of methodology and tools that have been developed/tested/researched at AHS, initially at established internships in municipalities and specialist health services

M.    Visibility and research dissemination

Objective:

Strengthen the profiling of AHS's research through Molde University College's channels and online portal. Ensure high activity related to communication through radio/television and the activity related to written research communication in the press.

Measures:

1. Establish routines for dissemination seminars in connection with report publication (other relevant publications)
2. All research activity is registered in Cristin (including reports, interviews, chronicles, reviews, etc.)
3. Formalize the structures around and increase the activity linked to the Research Days
4. Increase the proportion of publications with open access (open access)

N. Grounding in clinical practice

Objective:

Increase knowledge about how AHS's knowledge dissemination is translated into clinical practice

Measures:

1. Establish common systems for regular evaluation of AHS' teaching and guidance activities
2. Develop systems for quality assurance of research and professional dissemination that include knowledge of implementation in clinical and educational practice

O. Interaction, knowledge transfer and equal health and care services

Objective:

Maintain the research activity linked to interaction between different levels of the health and care service, as well as other relevant agencies.

Measures:

1. Ensure that activity is maintained on research projects with a focus on interaction and interprofessional work
2. Contribute to the systematization and further development of experience-based knowledge from the fields of practice
3. Ensure user/patient involvement

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Action plan for research 2022-2025 at the Department of Health and Social Sciences is a follow-up to Strategy 2025 for Molde University College and the department's Action Plan for research 2020-2025.

Molde University College aims to "offer research-based and internationally oriented educations that provide insight and opportunities for students, sustainable social development and future-oriented innovation in working life". "Research with reach" is one of five overall areas in the strategy with associated defined investment areas F1-F4.

The action plan for research links selected goals and prioritized measures in the department's Action Plan for research to the defined focus areas F1-F4. Certain goals and measures are taken directly from the action plan, while other goals and measures are further specified and made more concrete in the action plan.

The action plan for research must be seen in connection with investment areas within other strategic areas at the University College and planning documents at the department. It is an ongoing goal for the University College and the department to connect research, education and working and community life, as well as build expertise for research-based education programs at all levels.

Abbreviations in this document:

AHS = Avdeling for helse- og sosialfag / Department of Health and Social Sciences
(F) = Forskning / Research
(T) = Trender og utfordringer / Trends and challenges
(V) = Verdigrunnlag / Value basis
(U) = Fremragende utdanninger / Outstanding educations
(F) = Forskning med rekkevidde
(A) = Samspill med arbeids- og samfunnsliv / Interaction with employment and society

(F) Publishing at the highest level

• Increased number of scientific publications per full-time research equivalent in 2022-2025 compared to 2018-2021
• Increased share of scientific publications in level 2 journals in 2022-2025 compared to 2018-2021
• Increased share of scientific publications in NVI-approved channels with Open Access in 2022-2025 compared to 2018-2021
• All Ph.D. students complete their degree within the allotted time

Measures

Incentive scheme: Part of the department's incentive funds is set aside for targeted grants, for example to individual researchers for each publication, where the level of publication, author role, language (eng.) and international co-publishing are taken into account.

PhD positions must be related to the college's strategic investment areas within research and education and preferably be linked to a defined research project when called for. The project description should be drawn up by or in close collaboration with the project manager/supervisor, including a publication plan where international level 2 journals must always be considered.

Guidelines for master's theses at the department: All master's students should be encouraged to publish their master's thesis in a professional journal. Master's students should be advised to familiarize themselves with project proposals/part studies from project managers and project offers in working life (e.g. via the master's project catalogue) or come up with their own proposals which can be prepared in consultation with the supervisor.

Students at both bachelor's and master's level can contribute to research work through, for example, data collection, analysis work etc. There are opportunities here in already existing student activities.
Establishment of a PhD supervisor forum for competence building in the PhD program at AHS.
 

Ambitious projects

• Increased share of applications for external research funding per full-time research equivalent in 2022-2025 compared to 2018-2021
• Ambitious projects are reflected from local to international research

International research with regional relevance

• Increased share of publications in international scientific journals in 2022-2025 compared to 2018-2021
• Increased share of publications with international collaborators in 2022-2025 compared to 2018-2021
• Local research contributes to the development of international projects
   

Internationalization

• Increased number of research projects with international collaboration
• Increased share of staff and students on exchange abroad