The PhD Project
I work on the project Organizing Impact, which examines the factors leading to societal effects (impact) in health research. In addition, the project also investigates how the increasing focus on societal effects of research, influences research and its impact, perhaps in unforeseen ways.
More specifically, I am involved with three work packages for the project. One of these is quantitative and looks at characteristics of research projects that have been supported by research funders and the societal effects of these projects. The other two work packages are qualitative and involve following research projects, and the funding organizations who sponsor them, over several years. We follow these projects and funding organizations to explore factors that may influence societal effects during the research projects and which may not be as easy to identify in retrospect. Finally, we will also interview stakeholders who are affected by these research projects to hear their views on stakeholder inclusion in research and their expectations of research.
The project is funded by the Research Council of Norway and collaborates with the Foundation Dam, the Norwegian Cancer Society, and the South-Eastern Norway Regional Health Authority (Helse Sør-Øst).
Background
I have a bachelor’s and master’s degree in psychology from the US. Previously, I have worked on research projects related to resilience, stress management, post-traumatic growth, predictors of substance abuse among adolescents, and the consequences of methodological choices in research.
Academic Interests
I am interested in exploring how we can improve the quality and societal relevance of research (both short-term and long-term). Relevant topics could include how we interpret the results of studies, how accessible research is for stakeholders, and barriers for researchers to employ what leads to better research. When I have the opportunity, I demonstrate these concepts using a psychology-related phenomenon, but the message from the research is often relevant across all disciplines.