MasterMatch
The Health in Society Research Network operates the MasterMatch matching platform to promote transdisciplinary collaboration and socially relevant research.
MasterMatch connects Master's students at the University of Vienna who wish to write a thesis on a health/medical topic with partners from the healthcare sector, civil society, politics, administration or business who provide research questions from their fields of work.
Topic identification and matching
Practice partners can submit questions twice a year (on 28 February and 30 September) that arise from their fields of work and on which they would like to initiate student research. These can be very specific questions, but also rough outlines that will be refined in the course of the cooperation.
The research network brings the topics to its members and their employees in order to attract supervisors for as many topics as possible. The list of research questions and supervisors is then published on the research network's website and made available to students.
Students who are interested in a specific research question contact the specified supervisor directly. If the supervisor agrees to supervise the student, the student then registers with the research network, which establishes contact with the practice partners.
Available topics
Collaboration in the ongoing research project
The cooperation takes place between the student, the supervisor and the practice partner. The research network is not involved in the cooperation after the matching process has been completed.
It is up to the cooperation partners to decide how they want to structure their cooperation. We recommend at least four meetings:
- Refine, adapt or expand the research question; Discuss framework conditions, wishes and expectations and record them in the cooperation agreement; then sign the cooperation agreement.
- Discuss the detailed research concept and further steps (e.g. finding interview partners, access to databases, etc.).
- Discuss interim results and open questions.
- Discuss results (before or after submission of the Master's thesis).
Once the student has submitted the master's thesis and policy brief to the research network, the research network publishes both documents on its website and pays out the second instalment of the scholarship. This concludes the collaboration.
Tasks of the cooperation partners
Student:
- At the beginning of the collaboration, you will send the signed cooperation agreement to the research network.
- You will write your master's thesis and policy brief (a generally understandable short summary of the central findings and practical significance of your work).
- Unless otherwise agreed, you will complete both documents within 18 months of signing the cooperation agreement.
- Upon completion, you will submit your master's thesis and policy brief to the research network.
- You will invite your practice partner to the defence of your thesis.
- Evaluation of MasterMatch: At the beginning and end of the collaboration, as well as once every semester during the collaboration, you will fill out a short online questionnaire from the research network.
Supervisor:
- You will take full responsibility for supervising the thesis.
- Evaluation of MasterMatch: At the beginning and end of the collaboration, you will fill out a short online questionnaire from the research network.
Practice partner:
- You will provide access to data and share your expertise.
- You will not take on any supervisory tasks, but you will be available and willing to engage in dialogue.
- Evaluation of MasterMatch: At the end of the collaboration, you will fill out a short online questionnaire from the research network.