English translation below

Om stiftelsen Impact

Stiftelsen IMPACT Norway ble stiftet i 1995 og arbeider med å forebygge og behandle unødvendig funksjonsnedsettelse blant mennesker i lavinntektsland, med særlig søkelys på vanskelig tilgjengelige områder i bl.a. Nepal, India, Bangladesh og Kambodsja. Gjennom innovative og kostnadseffektive løsninger, tilbyr IMPACT helsetjenester på både klinikker og landbaserte eller flytende sykehus, for å kunne foreta nødvendig medisinsk behandling. Hvis folk ikke kan komme til sykehuset, bringer IMPACT helsetilbudet til der de bor. Ett av hovedområdene er enkel kirurgi som gir folk tilbake syn, hørsel eller bevegelighet.

Om prosjektet

IMPACT skal starte et pilotprosjekt i Bangladesh der anslagsvis 1200 personer vil bli operert i løpet av ett år. IMPACT Norway ønsker å utvikle pilotstudien til et 5-årig prosjekt i Bangladesh. I tillegg er siktemålet å skalere antall som opereres og gjennomføre tilsvarende studier i Nepal, India, Bangladesh og Kambodsja. Utover det å dokumentere antall opererte, har IMPACT Norway startet et arbeid som også skal analysere og konkretisere sosiale aspekter knyttet til operasjonene, ringvirkninger og sosial verdiskaping.

IMPACT ønsker å knytte til seg masterstudenter fra Institutt for sosialfag, OsloMet (spesielt sosialt arbeid og NORPOL). Disse inviteres til å skrive sine masteroppgaver på temaer innenfor arbeidet som IMPACT utfører i disse landene. Studentenes arbeider skal inngå i en evaluering av det forebyggende og behandlende arbeidet til IMPACT. Det er aktuelt med både kvalitative og kvantitative dataanalyser. Masteroppgavene skal bidra til bedre forståelse av kvaliteten på IMPACTs prosjekter og konkretisere sosiale ringvirkninger av arbeidet, samt gi konkrete læringspunkter for IMPACT. OsloMet bidrar med veiledning.

IMPACT Norway utlyser stipend til 2 mastergradsstudenter på NOK 30.000 pr. student. Stipendet skal dekke reise og oppholdsutgifter og datainnsamling i Bangladesh i 2026-2027.

Kontaktperson

Professor May-Britt Solem og Professor Rune Halvorsen (OsloMet) vil velge ut stipendmottakerne.

Henvendelser om prosjektet kan rettes til May Britt Solem maybr@oslomet.no.

Impact Project in Bangladesh

About the Impact Organization

IMPACT is a global project-based organization originating from the United Nations in 1983. A number of local, politically and religiously neutral foundations are united in a network—the International Federation of IMPACT Organizations (IFIO)—which today consists of 11 autonomous, non-profit foundations. The Norwegian foundation is led by a board with broad experience and a strong passion for helping people in need. Our approach is based on respect for local needs and culture, and we work closely with local communities to finance and support projects that generate significant social value.

IMPACT Norway was established in 1995 and works to prevent and treat unnecessary disability among people in low-income countries, with particular focus on hard-to-reach areas in, among others, Nepal, India, Bangladesh, and Cambodia. Through innovative and cost-effective solutions, IMPACT provides healthcare services at clinics as well as land-based or floating hospitals in order to deliver necessary medical treatment. “If people cannot come to the hospital, IMPACT brings healthcare to where they live.” One of the main focus areas is basic surgery that restores sight, hearing, or mobility.

About this Project

IMPACT will launch a pilot project in Bangladesh in which approximately 1,200 people will undergo surgery over the course of one year. IMPACT Norway aims to develop the pilot study into a five-year project in Bangladesh. In addition, the objective is to scale up the number of surgeries and conduct similar studies in Nepal, India, Bangladesh, and Cambodia. Beyond documenting the number of surgeries performed, IMPACT Norway has initiated work to analyze and concretize the social aspects related to the operations, including ripple effects and social value creation.

IMPACT seeks to engage master’s students from the Institute of Social Work, OsloMet (study options NORPOL and Social Work) These students are invited to write their master’s theses on topics related to the work carried out by IMPACT in these countries. The students’ work will form part of an evaluation of IMPACT’s preventive and therapeutic activities. Both qualitative and quantitative data analyses are relevant.

The master’s theses are intended to contribute to a better understanding of the quality of IMPACT’s projects, to concretize the social impacts of the work, and to provide concrete learning points for IMPACT.

Specifically, the collaboration will include the following:

1. IMPACT Norway will announce scholarships for two master’s students in the amount of NOK 30,000 per student. The scholarship will cover travel, accommodation, and data collection in Bangladesh in 2026–2027.
2. The Department of Social Work, OsloMet, will seek to recruit two master’s students for the scholarships.
3. May-Britt Solem and Rune Halvorsen (OsloMet) will select the scholarship recipients.
4. The Department of Social Work will appoint supervisors.

IMPACT Norway and the Department of Social Work, OsloMet, intend to continue the collaboration after completion of the pilot project in 2026–27. Professor Emerita May-Britt Solem, Faculty Resource Center, OsloMet, will serve as the project’s academic advisor.

Contact Person

Professor May Britt Solem maybr@oslomet.no

Professor May-Britt Solem and Professor Rune Halvorsen (OsloMet) will select the scholarship recipients.

• Category: mastertorg 2026, Research Market 2026