Mer av det samme? En studie av tildelings­praksiser i Program for psykisk helse, Norges forsknings­råd i perioden 1995–2015

Abstract

More of the same? A study of the funding practices of The Research Council of Norway’s Programs for Mental Health in the period 1995 to 2015 The objective of this paper is to examine the funding practices of The Research Council of Norway’s Programs for Mental Health during the time period from 1995 to 2015. The paper’s foci are on funded research groups and professions, main topics, and research questions. The empirical data consists of 138 project abstracts. The findings reveal a discrepancy between the national policies and funding practices during the program periods, where narrow knowledge development like biological, genetic, and neurological is given priority. Research focusing on community mental health and living conditions is rarely funded. The paper discusses decision-making practices, revealing that new research groups and projects that attend to more comprehensive mental health issues are rarely funded. This is a paradox in our modern days with innovation, originality, and service user involvement on the agenda.