Closing the knowledge gap
Despite the fact that menopause affects a large proportion of women, the topic has for many years been underrepresented in Norwegian research. Today, there are very few Norwegian studies in this field, and no Nordic studies from the past decade examining how menopause affects women’s working lives. NOVEL was established specifically to address this knowledge gap and to strengthen national research efforts.
The network brings together researchers from across Norway, including physicians, nurses, biologists, social anthropologists, philosophers, social scientists, psychologists, manual therapists, and others. At the first network meeting, 22 researchers participated—approximately half of all researchers in Norway working on menopause-related topics. The goal is to build bridges between disciplines, develop new research projects, and strengthen the dissemination of knowledge to society.
Support from the Grieg Foundation has made it possible to engage leading experts and to ensure that the research maintains high quality and international relevance. The network places strong emphasis on collaboration rather than competition, and on creating an inclusive environment where researchers share expertise and jointly develop new knowledge.
NOVEL aims to ensure that menopause becomes a visible, recognized, and research-based topic within Norwegian health and social science research—for the benefit of women, working life, and the healthcare system.