Health for a better world is the Faculty’s vision and our contribution to realizing NTNU’s vision Knowledge for a better world. We aim to develop knowledge, skills and solutions that contribute to good health from a regional, national and global perspective. The vision also expresses our aim to enable a fairer distribution of knowledge and resources.

Values 

NTNU’s values serve as a guide for all staff and students.

These values should characterise our thinking and behaviour:

• Creative
• Critical
• Constructive
• Respectful

See more about the values in NTNU's strategy. 

Social mission

The Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences is responsible for research, innovation, education and dissemination and outreach in the field of medicine and health sciences. The Faculty has a particular responsibility for basic research and the education of PhD canditates.

We will develop knowledge, competence and value for society, in medicine and health sciences, in accordance with the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

Challenges

The health and care services sector is the Faculty’s most important arena for education and research. Changes in demography, technology and economy have a major impact on the sector. To face the challenges of the future, teaching methods, professional training and research must be adapted to enable students and researchers to meet patients in new arenas and across the range of health services.

Active and informed users and their families will place increasing demands on the health and care services. Prevention, empowerment and health promotion must be emphasised in education and research to help curb growth in the need for health services. Development of knowledge will provide the basis for setting priorities and choosing solutions.

Unreliable sources of information and fake news challenge the factual basis and understanding of knowledge. The Faculty must educate graduates with critical thinking skills, and students and staff must participate actively in the social debate.

Competition for research funds, students and staff is increasing. This calls for continuous quality improvement and greater international collaboration.

To meet the challenges of global health, teamwork across traditional disciplinary boundaries is needed.

Main objectives 2025

• The quality of our activities is consistently high, and at least one group in each department has an internationally leading position.
• We are an attractive partner for internationally recognised research and educational institutions.
• The knowledge that we create in cooperation with users, health services, the business community and other
  stakeholders influences the development of society.
• Our academic activities provide an evidence base for coherent and sustainable priorities in health policy.
• We educate outstanding graduates who are attractive in their respective fields on the national and international labour market.
• We have established a culture of innovation in health.
• We have strengthened our commitment to research, innovation and education for better global health.
• Our students and staff contribute to positive social development in the cities and regions in which we are active.

We educate competent and respectful graduates with critical thinking skills and a capacity for innovation and lifelong learning. Our programmes of study create students who are confident in their professional skills and facilitate teamwork skills across professions. Our programmes of study reflect NTNU’s main profile in science and technology.

Our goals

We recruit competent, motivated students to an inclusive learning environment of high quality. 

Students contribute to the Faculty’s academic activity and development.

Student active and innovative teaching methods characterise our programmes of study.

All our programmes of study are research-based and socially relevant.

Graduates are skilled in using digital solutions for better health and care services.

Our PhD-training is at a high international level.

Structures and professional communities have been established for continuous development of our teaching competence and our education management.

We have increased the number of teaching staff members with recognised teaching merit. 

Our research activity ranges from basic and translational to clinical and applied research. Our research is of high quality and promotes health and prevents disease locally and globally. There is close collaboration between clinical practice and basic research. NTNU’s main profile in science and technology characterises our research.

Our goals

We have strengthened our collaboration with the health services – especially in the integrated university hospital which makes us outstanding in clinical research with great benefits in practice and fast integration of new knowledge.

The volume and quality of our basic and translational research have increased.

We stimulate bold research aimed at groundbreaking discoveries.

We provide up-to-date research infrastructure of high quality.

We exploit the advantages of our closeness to the technological disciplines, the Nord-Trøndelag Health Study (HUNT), biobanks and Helseplattformen.

We have strengthened our user involvement and teamwork with user organisations.

Interdisciplinarity and cooperation with international leading environments have increased, through several EU projects among other initiatives.

In cooperation with business and industry, the public sector and health services, we develop new services, products and new ways of working. Innovation and inventive activities contribute to value creation and better health from a global perspective.

Our goals 

We pave the way for active partnership with the business community. 

Students and staff have strong innovation skills. 

Students from different programmes of study participate actively in innovation and entrepreneurship. 

Our student-driven Centre for Innovation is at the forefront in Norway.

Commercialisation projects and our start-up companies from staff and students have increased.

We realise more of the potential in the close collaboration between NTNU and SINTEF to develop solutions in health technology and digitalisation. 

We communicate new knowledge to relevant audiences in a way that provides insight and sparks debate.

Our goals

We make our knowledge visible and accessible through scientific and popular communication channels.

We use innovative measures, arenas and media to strengthen our reputation and recruit talented staff and students. 

Employees and students contribute actively to a knowledge-based public debate.  

We inspire interest in health education and research among children and young people. 

Interdiscipinary collaboration

Our goals

By developing common goals for research, innovation and education, we strengthen our collaboration at the integrated university hospital, St. Olav’s Hospital. 

Collaboration with the Central Norway Regional Health Authority and local health authorities is developed further.

Collaboration in the Trondheim University Municipality is strengthened and used as a basis for similar collaboration in Gjøvik, Ålesund and Levanger. 

HUNT provides a basis for research and innovation projects across NTNU’s academic community and together with external partners. 

Internationalisation

Our goals

We have strengthened our collaboration with internationally recognised and relevant communities in research and education. 

We contribute to knowledge and build research and education competence in low- and middle-income countries. 

We offer several internationally oriented programmes of study. 

International exchange among our students and staff has increased. 

Organisation

Our goals

Our leadership at all levels is open and transparent, facilitating an effective flow of information, dialogue and involvement.

International employees are integrated in practical, social and academic contexts. 

We have increased the number of academic staff members with doctoral degrees.

We are an attractive employer and recruit the most qualified applicants to our positions. 

We have relevant skills and effective systems for technical and administrative support, adapted to our academic activity. 

We have improved gender balance, equality of opportunity and diversity among students and staff.

We place a major focus on health, safety and environment, to develop an attractive environment for work and learning. 

Organisational and academic cooperation between campuses in Trondheim, Ålesund, Gjøvik and Levanger is strengthened.

Staff and students contribute to the development of the campus.