The research aims to be practice and profession oriented with a focus on interdisciplinarity and to support the faculty's academic profile: Learning in exploratory communities through closeness to nature and culture, as well as Nord University's vision Global Challenges – Regional Solutions.
The faculty offers programmes at the bachelor's, master's, and PhD levels. The faculty has a holistic approach to the educational and formation process, where the point of departure is the environment for upbringing children and young people, including opportunities for culture and other activities. The University has a special, national responsibility for the Lule and Southern Sami languages and cultures, which, among other measures, are areas of research at FLU.
Overall objective
The research activity at the Faculty is to have a particular emphasis on professions and also to include discipline-oriented research with relevance to the Faculty's educational areas. Its purpose is to develop the field of professional studies, the educational programmes we offer, and the research-based knowledge related to these. Innovation, sustainability, and creativity based on professional practice in schools and kindergartens, and the formation and training of children and young people in a holistic upbringing environment are key aspects of the research. The research activity encompasses basic research, applied research, and developmental work at a high international level.
Research and dissemination is carried out in collaboration with local, national, and international collaborators. Network collaborations are to be developed and maintained. The collaboration is to lead to the development of interdisciplinary and cross-faculty environments and projects where the experience perspective and development of practical knowledge in working life, occupational knowledge, and educational research are key elements.
Means
The academic staff at FLU are to be research active, and preferably affiliated with research groups with partners both in Norway and abroad. An objective for this research is to trigger publication activity. The Faculty's research is to support the various educational programmes at the bachelor's, master's, and PhD levels. In line with the Faculty's action plan, further competence development and research training for FLU's academic staff, when needed, shall be focused on competence development and research education. FLU will in particular prioritise research in those areas where there is high research expertise and where the need for research-based knowledge is great.
To enhance the quality and scope of action for research and internationalisation, another objective of FLU's research is to encourage academic staff (with administrative support) to apply for funding from programmes at regional and Nordic institutions, the Research Council of Norway, and the EU-based programmes. The Faculty has established a Research Committee, with representatives from all of the academic groups at the faculty. The Research Committee provides advice on the development of, among other things, the Faculty's research strategy, research profile, and strategic use of Faculty research funding.
PhD degree in Science of Professions
Together with the Faculty of Nursing and Health Sciences (FSH), the faculty is responsible for the university's doctoral programme in Science of Professions. The doctoral programme qualifies the candidate for research activity at a high scientific level and for other work that demands scientific insight and knowledge about the application of scientific methods.
The PhD programme is strategically important to the faculty. The various doctoral projects are to be high-level academic contributions to both the professions and to society in general. The doctoral projects are to place new topics on the agenda, and they shall help to generate knowledge that leads to the development of the different fields of practice and further generates academic understanding.
The topic areas of sustainable development, democracy and fellow citizenship, as well as public health and life mastery
FLU places emphasis on research on the three interdisciplinary topics in the national curriculum plan and the local curricula: Sustainable Development, Democracy and Citizenship, and Health and Life Skills. The United Nation's Sustainable Development Goals are fundamental principles supporting this work. In particular, but not exclusively, the faculty wishes to focus on the following areas:
- Innovation and digitisation in learning
- Sami language, indigenous cultures and diversity
- Practical and aesthetic learning processes