Programme on Sickness Absence Research and Exclusion from Working Life (SYKEFRAVAER)
Norway
2007-2016
Total budget: € 4 mill. per year
www.forskningsradet.no/sykefravaer
Financed by the Ministry of Labour and the Fund for Research
and Innovation
Given the composition of
the population, in which the proportion of elderly people is growing, the full exploitation of
accessible labour resources is vital. Few countries have greater workforce participation rates
than Norway. This is due in part to the high participation of women in general and of older
workers of both genders. At the same time a large – and rising – proportion of the potential
workforce is receiving social insurance benefits. There is, however, little indication that the
overall health status of the population has deteriorated, even though a number of diseases are
becoming more prevalent, including musculoskeletal disorders, certain types of cancer, and
mental health problems, particularly among young people1. Norway’s medical health
indicators for life expectancy and infant mortality are among the best in the world. Causes of
sickness absence and exclusion from working life must therefore be sought in factors beyond
medical diagnoses and disease.
The overall objective of the programme is:
To promote more cohesive knowledge about causes of sickness absence, disability and
exclusion from working life;
To procure research-based knowledge about effective instruments for preventing and
reducing sickness absence and disability;
To create conditions that promote increased research-based teaching in relevant
disciplines.
This objective will be achieved by promoting relevant, high-quality research that focuses on
individual, workplace-related and social causes of sickness absence, exclusion and transition
from work to disability benefits.
Research activities under the programme will focus on four thematic priority areas and the
interface between them:
Health, socio-economic status and particularly vulnerable groups
Health-related social insurance schemes
The workplace, the working environment and health in the workplace
Sickness absence and exclusion from working life as a social and an individual
process
Work & Productivity, Social Systems & Welfare
The Sickness Absence Research Programme seeks to:
Generate new, socially significant insight into causes of sickness absence and
exclusion from working life.
Enhance the basis for political decision-making and give the players in working life a
better basis for creating a satisfactory inclusive working life.
Establish long-term research activities, develop sustainable research environments and
adequately fulfil recruitment needs within all the fields encompassed by the
programme.
Foster new perspectives within the programme’s priority thematic areas by, for
example:
- encouraging interdisciplinary research, particularly between the social sciences and
The medical/health sciences;
- promoting research that combines qualitative and quantitative methods;
- improving access to empirical data for use within the field;
- examining the phenomena of sickness absence and exclusion in greater detail;
- enhancing reflexive research;
- supporting comparative studies.
Enhance internationalisation by, for example:
- encouraging Norwegian researchers to cooperate with leading international
researchers in the field;
- promoting publication in international journals;
- organising a Nordic, or an international, conference in Norway during the
programme period.
Facilitate adequate contact between researchers and relevant user groups by creating
meeting-places for researchers themselves and, ultimately, players in working life may
be included as well.
Create conditions that promote increased research-based teaching in relevant
disciplines.
Draw up a summary and analysis of research on causes of sickness absence and
exclusion from working life.
- Applied research
- Scientific projects
- Social sciences
- Medical/health sciences
- Multidisciplinary
The Programme will encouraging to interdisciplinary research, particularly between the social sciences and the medical/health sciences. Funding under the programme will be adressed to researchers/research groups at universities, university colleges and independent research institutes to fund researcher-initiated projects.
Grant funding via national call.
Support for Events for dissemination activities within SYKEFRAVAER
A referee panel assesses the applications. The referee panel's assessments and recommendations will be submitted to the SYKEFRAVAER programme board, which is responsible for final processing and approval of grant allocations.
The Research Council of Norway
Division of Strategic Priorities
Yngvill
Tømmerberg
Senior adviser
To coordinate the SYKEFRAVAER programme
Pb 2700, 0131 Oslo, Norway
+47 22037000
+47 22037001
yrt@rcn.no
http://www.forskningsradet.no/
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