Research title: Enhancing medication safety for home-living older adults through family caregiver support

Research Background and Scope: As the number of older adults living with complex health conditions and treatment regimens continues to grow, ensuring medication safety in home care settings becomes increasingly complex. In addition to physical frailty and functional impairments, dementia and cognitive decline further complicate medication management. Memory loss, difficulty following medication schedules, and reduced ability to cooperate and communicate significantly increase the risk of medication-related incidents. Family caregivers play a crucial role in managing medications, yet they often lack sufficient training and support. They represent a diverse group with varying life circumstances, resources, and preferences. Collaboration between family caregivers and home healthcare professionals is essential for improving medication safety. While caregivers provide daily insights into the patient’s routines and responses to treatment, healthcare professionals bring clinical expertise. Strengthening this partnership can lead to more proactive medication management, reducing risks and enhancing patient outcomes. 

Research Challenge: We invite applicants to develop an innovative research project exploring how family caregivers, in collaboration with the health and care services, can be empowered to enhance medication safety for older patients living at home.

Main research field: Medication safety

Keywords: Medication safety; home healthcare; family caregivers 

Supervisor: Prof.Rose Mari Olsen (rose.m.olsen@nord.no)

Research group: Centre for Care Research

Faculty: Faculty of Nursing and Health Sciences

About supervisor: Rose Mari Olsen, PhD and Professor in Health Sciences, is the Head of The Centre for Care Research (CCR), Mid-Norway, hosted by Nord University. She has extensive experience in supervision at all academic levels, having successfully supervised three PhD candidates to completion. She is currently supervising four PhD candidates and mentoring a postdoctoral fellow. Olsen's research expertise focuses on health and care services, with a particular focus on patient safety, medication management, documentation, and information exchange in municipal health services. She also has significant experience in project management and securing external funding. She is currently the project manager for ‘MedSafe-Old: Ensuring Medication Safety for Older Recipients of Municipal Home Care Services’, a project funded by the Research Council of Norway with a grant of 16 million NOK.

Research infrastructure and facilities: The Postdoctoral Fellow will be part of a project team that includes Siri Andreassen Devik, PhD, Associate Professor in Nursing; Marianne Kollerøs Nilsen, PhD, Associate Professor in Pharmacy; and Hege Rasmussen Eid, PhD, Associate Professor in Mental Health. The Postdoctoral Fellow will be affiliated with the Centre for Care Research (CCR), Mid-Norway, hosted by Nord University and part of a nationwide network established by the Norwegian Ministry of Health and Care in 2008. The CCRs aim to strengthen practice-based research, disseminate findings to municipalities and educational institutions, and contribute to the development and implementation of knowledge and expertise in municipal health and care services. Additionally, the Postdoctoral Fellow will be part of the Drugs and Drug Management research group, an interdisciplinary team with expertise in pharmacology, social pharmacy, pharmacoepidemiology, geriatric nursing, psychiatric nursing, pharmaceutical sciences, medicinal chemistry, microbiology, and immunology. Being part of both CCR Mid-Norway and the Drugs and Drug Management research group will provide the Postdoctoral Fellow with access to a strong research community. This environment offers opportunities for critical reflection on research, study designs, and methodologies while also serving as a platform for presenting and discussing the project.

Who Can Apply? Eligibility Criteria: MSCA European Postdoctoral Fellowships are awarded for a duration of 12-30 months (12-24 months of Research + 6 months of additional placement in non-academic sector) to researchers of any nationality who:

• Are in possession of a doctoral degree.
• Have a maximum of 8 years full-time equivalent (FTE) experience in research after their doctoral degree.
• Comply with the MSCA mobility rule, i.e., have not resided or carried out their main activity (work, studies, etc.) in Norway for more than 12 months in the 36 months immediately prior to the call deadline.
• Have identified a supervisor at Nord University willing to host and supervise them.

If awarded, the Postdoctoral Fellowship grant covers salary, mobility allowance, family allowance (if eligible), and other allowances (if eligible) for the research fellow. The grant also covers research costs and overheads for Nord University.

How To Apply: If you are interested in this Expression of Interest (EoI), please first carefully review the eligibility criteria outlined above. If you meet these requirements, kindly submit the following documents to, rose.m.olsen@nord.no, bent.m.strandas@nord.no, and umair.n.mughal@nord.no:

• Eligibility Information:
  • Date of PhD degree award
  • Full-time research equivalent experience after PhD
  • Period of residence in Norway (if any)
• Research CV:
  • Comprehensive CV including a complete list of publications, projects, and relevant research expertise.
• Motivation Letter:
  • Describe your interest in collaborating with the relevant professor and research group.
  • Clearly outline your research and career goals.
  • Demonstrate how your research complements with the proposed EoI and those of the targeted research group.

How the MSCA PF Process Works: After reviewing your submitted documents, we will contact shortlisted candidates for an interview. Selected candidates will collaborate with us to prepare a full MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowship (PF) application for submission under the Horizon Europe Programme, with a deadline in September.

We will provide comprehensive support throughout this process, including:

• Assistance in refining and focusing your research topic
• Participation in the MSCA MasterClass
• Professional reviews and feedback on your application
• Other necessary guidance to ensure submission of a high-quality application

Please note that MSCA PF is highly competitive, bringing together some of the best research talent globally. While funding success is not guaranteed, participating in the application process provides valuable experience and insights into your own research and proposal writing skills, as well as fostering close collaboration with your supervisor and research group.