For several centuries, the Nordic countries have collected information on each of their citizens. There are registries in the region dating to the 1700s, with information on birthplaces, marriages and deaths, among other particulars. Today there are even more registries and linking their data together can provide a detailed record of each individual’s journey through life. This treasure trove of information could be a unique source of insight for Nordic researchers. On 17 February, during the American Association for the Advancement of Science Annual Meeting in Washington D.C, Dr. Maria Nilsson, talks about how NordForsk has invested heavily in efforts to promote Nordic research cooperation based on registry data.
Personalised medicine, tailoring the right therapeutic strategy to the right person at the right time, is more relevant than ever before. New knowledge and innovation will make it possible to provide the patient with more precisely targeted diagnostics and treatment. Innovation Fund Denmark, the Research Council of Norway, the Swedish Governmental Agency for Innovation Systems (Vinnova), the Icelandic Centre for Research (RANNÍS), Innovaatiorahoituskeskus Business Finland, and NordForsk are providing more than NOK 165 million in funding for seven Nordic projects that will target wider implementation of personalised medicine in the Nordic health care sector.
NordForsk, the Norwegian Cancer Society and the Research Council of Norway have pooled their resources for an historic initiative on paediatric cancer research and will be allocating a total of NOK 30 million for three Nordic projects on personalised cancer treatment for children. With their focus on Nordic cooperation on clinical studies, these projects will help to give children diagnosed with cancer access to the very latest treatment methods. “I’m excited to follow the progress of these projects, ” says Bent Høie, Norwegian Minister of Health and Care Services, “not only because they are strong projects on their own but also because they can help expand Nordic cooperation on clinical research.”
The Nordic Committee on Bioethics and NordForsk is launching the fifth edition of Legislation on biotechnology in the Nordic countries. The report provides an up-to-date overview of legislation in a variety of areas, including assisted reproduction, human biobanks, cloning and embryo research.
In connection with the Session of the Nordic Council 2018, NordForsk organised the lunch seminar “Opportunities and challenges for Nordic health data research for Nordic members of parliament. The purpose of the seminar was to demonstrate the untapped potential for Nordic use of cooperation on health data, and to highlight existing barriers and bottlenecks that pose obstacles to Nordic research based on registry data. The 2018 session was held at the Storting in Oslo.
The theme of this year’s magazine is Nordic registries and the exciting collaborative work Nordic researchers are able to perform when granted joint registry access.
Professor Allan Krasnik fears enormous economic and social problems for the Nordic society if the integration of refugees and migrants is not successful. “The Nordic welfare model is based on equality and solidarity, and there is an impending risk of rising inequality and conflict in society if refugees receive inferior services,” claims Professor Krasnik.
In June 2016, NordForsk issued a call for Nordic register-based research projects. A total of 48 eligible proposals were received and were peer reviewed by international experts. The NordForsk Board has now decided to award NOK 67 million to fund seven of the projects. This was the fourth call for proposals under NordForsk’s Nordic Initiative on Health and Welfare.
This call constitutes a second part of the sub-project entitled Nutrition, Learning and Health. The main objective of the sub-project is to generate better research-based knowledge about the connection between nutrition, learning and health among children and young people in the Nordic countries.
NordForsk in collaboration with the Academy of Finland; the Swedish Research Council; the Research Council of Norway; the Ministry of Education, Science and Culture of Iceland; and the Danish Council for Strategic Research is issuing a call for proposals for research projects in a newly established initiative entitled "Education for Tomorrow".
