Price ceremony for researchers 

Three researchers and one research group received awards for their contributions during OsloMet's research day. The prizes are awarded to employees and research groups at OsloMet who have excelled in research, innovation, and communication over the past year. 

This year's winners are: 

• Even Haug Larsen of the Oslo School of Business, Faculty of Social Sciences, who received the Innovation Prize 

• Sezer Kisa of the Department of Nursing and Health Promotion, Faculty of Health Sciences, who received the Research and Development Prize 

• The Ukraine research community at Norwegian Institute for Urban and Regional Research NIBR received the Communication Prize

• Lars Emil Fagernes Johannessen of the Center for Professional Research, who received the Prize for Promising Researcher of the Year  

This year, for the first time, awards were also presented for outstanding master's theses. Read about the winners here (student.oslomet.no).

"I congratulate the well-deserved winners who make an outstanding contribution to their research groups, the university, and to making society better," said Rector Christen Krogh.

In addition to the awards ceremony, there was also a diverse program during the research day which provided an overview of the university's research and development work through insights into various initiatives and projects.

"I want to thank all OsloMet researchers for their work in bringing important knowledge and innovation to benefit both individuals and society as a whole," said the rector.

Reasons for the prizes

Innovation Prize 

(Photo: Benjamin A. Ward/OsloMet)

Winner: Even Haug Larsen from the Oslo School of Business, Faculty of Social Sciences.

The winner is the primary initiator and driving force behind OsloMet's new Master's program in Entrepreneurship. It is impressive to see how he has worked to create this innovative flagship program for OsloMet, how he engages students, staff, and the business community, and how he has managed to build the program in a way that elegantly reflects OsloMet's profile and strategy.

Haug Larsen has deep knowledge of teaching entrepreneurship and has succeeded in establishing this educational program based on his innovative pedagogical model. The results after only one year speak for themselves. The student company, Oslo Analytic, from the program was the first project from Oslo ever to win the Norwegian Championships in Student Enterprise and also achieved second place in the European Championships. Additionally, other companies from the program have already won several other awards.

The impact extends far beyond the Master's in Entrepreneurship and the School of Business at OsloMet. Entrepreneurship Master's students are now mentors for innovation courses in other faculties, contribute with case studies in collaboration with Ocean Lab, work on projects with students from other faculties and engage them further, and collaborate with the business sector on interdisciplinary projects. The winner has also collaborated with the AI Lab and Gründergarasjen in establishing the bootcamp program.

Furthermore, the winner has initiated SEFIO, the students' own entrepreneurship fund in Oslo, where the first funds were distributed this autumn to student enterprises from across Oslo. The student association Novus has also been established, along with several other student-led initiatives that he has pushed forward.

The winner is a visionary with great implementation skills and has helped students create a vibrant environment for innovation and entrepreneurship at OsloMet. There is no doubt that he is a great role model for students and essential to the program's success. The winner also succeeds in inspiring and engaging staff throughout OsloMet. He constantly thinks cross-disciplinary and holistically, and his commitment is noticeable to others. It is clear that his good ideas and drive help others to succeed, and the list of small and large contributions across OsloMet is already long. 

Research and Development Prize 

(Photo: Benjamin A. Ward/OsloMet)

Winner: Sezer Kisa from the Department of Nursing and Health Promotion, Faculty of Health Sciences.

The winner is an outstanding researcher who has made significant contributions to the development of research activity at OsloMet. She has published over 159 articles in peer-reviewed journals throughout her career. The winner's research has had a significant impact in her field, as she is listed among the world's most influential researchers on Stanford University's list of the top 2% of researchers and on the list of career-long impact.

Kisa has made significant contributions to the development of research activity at OsloMet as a professor at the Department of Nursing and Health Promotion in the Faculty of Health Sciences. She contributed to the establishment of the research group titled "Migration and Minority Health," which she also leads. The winner has participated in several research projects and has helped colleagues secure more research grants, including the OsloMet MOVES (Mobility Organized by their own Nursing Education) project grant from DIKU.

The winner's research focuses on topics of high social relevance, including women's and children's health, social inequalities, intimate partner violence, poverty, and global health. Her research sheds light on various groups, including the poor, minorities, and marginalized communities. She communicates the results of her research in both English and Norwegian and shares her insights and understanding in relevant academic contexts.

Kisa has participated in project collaborations with international partners and national research networks. She serves as a scientific collaborator and is a member of the Global Burden of Disease Collaborator at the Institute of Health Metrics, Washington University-Seattle, USA. Additionally, she was invited to be a member of the organizing committee for the conference "Health-21 Goals for Everyone in the 21st Century," funded by the German Ministry of Health and the World Health Organization's European Regional Office.

The winner teaches students at various levels at OsloMet and other universities in Norway, including the University of Oslo and VID Specialized University. She contributes to peer reviewing for prestigious journals, including the European Journal of Environment and Public Health, Turkish Nursing Science, Archives of Psychiatric Nursing, PlosOne, Journal of Advanced Nursing, The Lancet Global Health, and others. Her contributions have significantly increased the visibility of OsloMet both nationally and internationally. 

The Communication Award 

(Photo: Benjamin A. Ward/OsloMet)

Winner: Ukraine research community at NIBR

The winner of the Communication Award is a research community that has been studying Ukraine and Ukrainians since 2008. The community has extensive expertise in areas such as political reforms, ethnic groups, language, and identity at both the local and national levels. Since Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022, the research community has been studying and disseminating information about the situation in the country and the development of Ukrainian refugees coming to Norway and other European countries.

The research community includes Norwegian researchers who speak Ukrainian (in addition to Russian) and a Ukrainian researcher. This provides a unique opportunity to understand and communicate the experiences of Ukrainians, as well as news from Ukrainian media and authorities.

The research community initiated and leads Ukrainett. Ukrainett is a network of Ukraine researchers in Norway and Ukrainian researchers in the country.

Over the past year and a half, they have disseminated research on Ukraine and relations between Ukraine and Russia, providing valuable insight for Norwegian authorities and the Norwegian population. At the Arendal Week in 2022 and 2023, the research community held dedicated sessions on Ukrainian refugee flows, the treatment of Ukrainian refugees compared to other refugees, and Norwegian collaboration with Russia given the developments in Ukraine and the Barents region. The researchers have conducted a research project on the reception, settlement, and integration of Ukrainian refugees, with recommendations that have contributed to policy changes.

The war in Ukraine is one of the great social challenges of our time. Through research-based and insightful communication, the research community contributes to a better understanding of the situation in Ukraine, the region, and the refugee situation. 

Promising Researcher of the Year 

(Photo: Benjamin A. Ward/OsloMet)

Winner: Lars Emil Fagernes Johannessen at the Centre for the Study of Professions (SPS)

The winner completed his doctoral degree in professional studies at SPS in 2018. The title of his dissertation was "Between standardization and discretion: the priority setting of triage nurses." After completing his doctoral degree, he worked as a postdoctoral fellow and later as a senior researcher at the Department of Social Work at SAM before assuming the position of associate professor at SPS. During his relatively short career, the winner has published 29 scientific publications, including one monograph and several articles in prestigious international journals.

Fagernes Johannessen has been involved in several major research projects, including "Virtual presence: a cultural analysis of the emergence of telepresence technologies as a solution to loneliness," which received 12 million in funding from NFR, and the Welfare Access Through Technology project, which received three million from Gjensidigestiftelsen. He was also an active participant in the process of developing CRE'en CEDIC and the DIGIT research school. He has also applied for Young Research Talent at NFR and an ERC Starting Grant in Horizon Europe.

The winner's research has been characterized by a combination of high ambitions, reflected in an unusually high number of publications and citations, and a strong connection to relevance and the local and national context. This is evident, for example, in his research that alternates between theory development and the application of theoretical insights in empirical work. He has made important theoretical innovations in research on the role of ground bureaucrats, for example. His research (in collaboration with Dag Album and Erik Børve Rasmussen) on prestige hierarchies in the healthcare sector plays a central role in the Women's Health Committee's report, and he also provided input to the committee.

The winner's subsequent research has focused on digital collaboration, and he is a member of and has contributed to the Erasmus+-funded "Telepresence Experience Network," where technologists, researchers, teachers, and others come together to discuss how to develop and use new technology for individuals who have difficulty physically attending school. The network develops materials that can be used by anyone interested in getting started with this type of technology: Materials - Telepresence Experience Network.