NO

Health and Welfare Studies

The Department for Health and Welfare Studies maintains a long-standing research tradition at NOVA on the topic of welfare state services and benefits, organisation and users.

Research group affiliated with: NOVA – Norwegian Social Research

The purpose of welfare policy is to ensure good living conditions for the population and an inclusive society. This objective requires continually updated knowledge of the design of social policy and the consequences of various services and benefits. 

A key question is how the welfare state works for users in general and for vulnerable groups in particular. This is particularly important for shedding light on the consequences of poverty and social exclusion. 

The Department for Health and Welfare Studies at Norwegian Social Research (NOVA) contributes to knowledge in these fields.

See the list of employees at the Department for Health and Welfare Studies at NOVA.

Welfare states face several major challenges, and the Department for Health and Welfare Studies pays particular attention to five main challenges that form its core areas: 

  1. welfare states and the green transition 
  2. democracy and public administration
  3. comprehensive welfare services
  4. equal opportunities in education and employment 
  5. social inequality in health

In the Department of Health and Welfare Studies, we work with interdisciplinary and comparative research throughout the life cycle, and migration and disability are central themes of our research.

In NOVA's strategy for the period from 2023 to 2026, we will anchor research activities within the above five core areas by continuing to:

  • maintain a high academic level of our scientific publication
  • disseminate our research to relevant user groups and the general public 
  • build on and expand existing international networks, and continue to focus on applications for international funding.

Our researchers cover a range of disciplines (sociology, political science, economics, human geography, psychology and social work).

We lead and are involved in national and international research projects, funded by, among others, the European Commission, the EEA NO Grants, the Research Council of Norway, Norwegian ministries, directorates and civil society organisations.

  • Bjørnshagen, V.; Rooth, D-O.; Ugreninov, E. (2025). Disability, gender and hiring discrimination – a field experiment. European Societies
  • Takle, M. (2025). Showing Social Solidarity with Future Generations. Routledge
  • Hansen, H.C. (2025). Bodies at Disposal in Home Care Settings. Sociology of Health & Illness
  • Heggebø, K. & Ljunggren, J.  (2025). Are there gender differences in mental healthcare utilisation preceding deaths of despair? A retrospective cohort study of Norwegian register data (2008–2017) BMJ Open
  • Johansen, S.M. & Falch-Eriksen, A. (2025). Parenting According to Human Rights. The International Journal of Children's Rights
  • Sefton, T., Haug A.V. (2025).  The Price of Safety: Assessing the Acceptance of COVID-19 Measures in Nordic Countries. Scandinavian Journal of Public Administration
  • Gugushvili, A.; Grue, J. & Finnvold, J.E. (2025). The effect of anti-discrimination legislation on individuals with disabilities in Nordic countries. Social Science & Medicine
  • Helland, H.; Strømme, T.B. & Thomsen, J-B. (2024). Social inequality in dropout rates in higher education: Denmark and Norway. Studies in Higher Education
  • Bjørnshagen, V.; Rooth, D-O.; Ugreninov, E. (2025). Disability, gender and hiring discrimination – a field experiment. European Societies

More publications are listed on the researcher's employee pages.

Find more research projects at NOVA