How can VR glasses be used in nursing care? How does regular attendance at a day centre change the resilience of senior citizens? And how are nursing services financed in different countries?
These are just three of many questions from medical and health-related practice that the Health in Society Research Network has collected together with partner organisations and is now communicating to Master's students as part of its new matching platform.
The project offers young researchers a wide range of topics from different disciplines – from nursing sciences to social sciences and psychology – to choose from for their master's thesis. "We want to promote transdisciplinary collaboration and socially relevant research," say the heads of the research network, Janina Kehr and Robert Böhm. "In this way, we are working very specifically towards a better healthcare system for everyone."
Taking a closer look at everyday work
The partner organisations benefit directly from this, explains Sonja Steinbauer from the Vienna Social Fund: "In our everyday work, there are always topics that we would like to examine more closely, but for which we lack the time and resources. The research network's platform gives us the chance to have these topics worked on by dedicated students."
The collaboration with the City of Vienna goes beyond individual issues, says René Krenn, Head of Science, Research and Business Location. For example, the project also uses the city's own platform for theses, supporting the goals of the 2019 Higher Education Agreement. "We are delighted that this very promising cooperation between the research network, the Vienna Social Fund and other organisational units has come about," Krenn summarises.
Now that the agreements have been concluded, it is time to start matching. To this end, supervisors from within the research network and beyond will first be recruited for as many topics as possible. Towards the end of the year, topics and supervisors will be published on the research network's website so that students can make their selection. The actual research work will begin in the summer semester of 2026, and the first results should be available no later than 18 months after that – practical, implementable and very concrete.