Institute for Applied Research in Health and Social Care

Social change calls for solutions to current issues in health and social policy which are grounded in the social sciences. These issues include demographic change, quality assurance in the provision of health and social care, unemployment, immigration processes and social security for at-risk groups.

By founding the Institute for Applied Research (IAR,) the Faculty intends to intensify the search for solutions with the help of practice-related research within the framework of its educational mission. It aims to develop forward-looking projects together with regional public, non-profit and private sector agencies and service providers.

In general, the projects carried out by academic staff are not financed by the Faculty but by external research funds.

The varied professional orientations within the Faculty make a major contribution to ensuring that problems and fields of work are not exclusively seen against the background of one single scientific discipline. Instead, the deliberate involvement of different academic perspectives allows for comprehensive analysis. Cooperative support and teamwork foster the interdisciplinary creation of innovative concepts for action. The complexity of social and health-related problems can thus be taken into account.

The combination of different professional and methodological perspectives serves to highlight the connections between social problems and issues related to health, healthy lifestyle and health-related circumstances. Solutions can thus be looked at from the viewpoint of both fields.

Further aspects that are expressly included are:

- gender issues
- intercultural development and
- economic perspectives.

According to the University statute, the Institute of Applied Research is a separate academic institution of the Faculty. It is administered by the Faculty Dean.

The Institute is managed cooperatively by the members of academic staff who are also members of the institute. They are appointed by the senate for a period of two years. One of the academic staff members takes over the administrative responsibilites.

The Institute of Applied Research is financed primarily through external funding for research projects.

The Institute supports acadmic staff in drafting applications for funding and in raising funding for their research projects; it also gives advice on organisational and financial matters.

The Institute arranges contacts between parties interested in research and development projects and academic members of staff who can then decide whether a joint research and development project can be carried out.

Director:
Prof. Dr. Angelika Diezinger
Tel.: (0711) 3 97-45 71

Deputy:
Prof. Dr. Thomas Heidenreich
Tel.: (0711) 3 9-45 69

Scientific Officer:
Dr. Heidi Reinl
Tel. (0711) 3 97-45 92