This text has been translated from Norwegian with the assistance of GPT UiO.
SPARK Social Innovation is a new innovation programme at UiO, aimed at enhancing the university's innovation activities—particularly within the social sciences and humanities. Researchers can apply for two-year funding to help translate their knowledge into societal application and usage.
There are numerous SPARK variants globally, but UiO is the first university to develop a dedicated SPARK programme for social innovation – now with the TIK Centre at the Faculty of Social Sciences as its host.
– This is very important for us at TIK, and it could be significant for the entire Faculty of Social Sciences. Perhaps SPARK can foster a greater recognition among social scientists and innovation researchers of their shared objectives? We must collaborate to ensure our research results are implemented and utilised, says Kristin Asdal, director of TIK.
– SPARK aims to support researchers who aspire to connect with the users they may dream of engaging with, but have yet to figure out how to reach. We are eager to embark on this coordination work.
Innovation is more than patents
Bjørn Stensaker, vice-rector for education at UiO, participated in the opening of the kick-off event. He emphasises that SPARK Social Innovation should shift the focus away from patents, recognising that innovation also occurs within the humanities, social sciences, educational sciences, and health disciplines.
– I'm very pleased that TIK is now the new home for SPARK Social Innovation. It fits well with much of what you do here at the TIK Centre, said Stensaker from the podium.
He finds the link between education and innovation particularly important. The TIK Centre already hosts the Innovation Certificate, comprising 20 ECTS credits that bachelor's students can take as a supplement to their degree.
– When I look at the five projects that have now received funding, there's a great mix of healthcare and education, I think. These are projects that could have quite extensive and broad applications. It's about sharing knowledge and putting it to use, said Stensaker.
– These are development projects that also have a research component, but there are some exciting connections here to the field of education that I look forward to seeing the outcomes of.
Preventing mental health issues through better communication
Two of the five research projects granted funding and now joining the SPARK network are from the Faculty of Social Sciences. Nabolagshelse is led by Tilmann von Soest at the Department of Psychology (PSI), and the Sibling Project SIBS is led by Torun Vatne and Krister Fjermestad, also from PSI.
– I'm pleased that we've received funding, and I'm very curious about what will emerge on the other side, says Fjermestad.
SIBS is the name of a group intervention, where parents and siblings of children with chronic illness or disabilities participate. Parents are trained to listen, explore, and show understanding for the children's situation and perspectives.
– We consider this a social innovation because the project addresses an unmet need, namely the prevention of mental health issues among siblings of children with chronic illness, said Fjermestad during his presentation.
– These families face a lot of extra challenges due to the child with the diagnosis. It leads to additional stress for siblings and parents. We aim to prevent mental health issues among siblings of children with chronic illness by improving family communication.
SIBS is already well established in Norway and is part of the Health Directorate's escalation plan for mental health. The SPARK funding will be used to further develop the project, including translating the intervention manual into the most common minority languages and promoting the initiative internationally.
– We have a collaboration with Cambodia's only public child and adolescent psychiatric clinic that we want to develop further. They have conducted an open study, and we plan to do more there, says Fjermestad.
– We also intend to utilise the SPARK funds to send some of the Cambodian clinicians to Australia to train with a team there. And there's a particular focus on Oxford in England. We have a PhD student there trialling a British version of SIBS.
These are the new SPARK Social innovation projects:
- Advancing the “SIBS”: Group Intervention for Siblings of Children with Chronic Disorders, ved Krister Fjermestad
- Nabolagshelse, ved Tilmann von Soest
- Untapped potential: Better learning from exams to close inequality gaps using generative AI and high-quality data, ved Stefan Schauber
- Data-informed Reflection Tool for Teamwork Simulation Training (SIMTEAM), ved Crina Damşa
- LangCom: The Language Community Web Platform Pilot, ved Veslemøy Rydland