Cooperation project to build a transdisciplinary research and competence network on the topic of the ‘End of Life’ in Austria.

The cooperative project Transdisciplinary Research and Competence Network End of Life (short title: Network End of Life) was launched as part of the Knowledge Transfer Centre South in October 2014. The goal of the project is to establish a transdisciplinary research and competence network on the subject of the ‘end of life’ in Austria. In this way, the existing knowledge and competencies with respect to this topic will be identified, and the network formed will support research initiatives to investigate common issues.

In particular, the complex questions about the end of life cannot be adequately addressed using a monodisciplinary approach. These questions are not only posed in the medical fields, but also in a number of other disciplines such as the legal and social sciences, psychology, and theological and philosophical ethics. Therefore, transdisciplinary cooperation and knowledge transfer are needed to cope with the complexity of the situations that occur at the end of life. The transfer of knowledge from applied to theoretical research is also of great importance.

A long-term goal of the project is the establishment of an Austrian research focus on the subject of the end of life along the lines of the Swiss National Research Programme NRP 67 End of Life  (www.nfp67.ch). Key aspects of a future research focus could include: dying processes and provisions; decisions met, motives and attitudes held during the dying process and underlying reasons; concepts of a ‘dignified’ death; cultural models and social ideals.

The Research and Competence Network End of Life is being created by academic staff members from the Medical University of Graz (Institute of Social Medicine and Epidemiology) and the University of Graz (Institute for Moral Theology) with the participation of the Ludwig Boltzmann Institute (LBI Health Technology Assessment, Vienna). The coordination is carried out by the Institute of Social Medicine and Epidemiology in Graz with Willibald J. Stronegger as a project head in cooperation with Walter Schaupp (Institute for Moral Theology).

All persons or institutions in Austria that are involved in research on the end of life are invited to participate. If you are interested in joining the network or receiving more information about the ‘Network End of Life’, please contact one the responsible people listed below.

Project report:
As part of the ‘Network End of Life’, an expert survey was carried out. A summary of the project report can be found here:
Summary Project Report Expert Survey

Event outlook:
Dialogue Board Human and Finiteness 2018 (available only in German)

Contact:

Univ. Prof. Dr. Willibald J. Stronegger, Institute of Social Medicine and Epidemiology, Medical University of Graz, E-Mail: willibald.stronegger@medunigraz.at

Univ. Prof. DDr. Walter Schaupp, Institute for Moral Theology, University of Graz, E-Mail: walter.schaupp@uni-graz.at

Mag.a Kristin Attems, Institute of Social Medicine and Epidemiology, Medical University of Graz, E-Mail: kristin.attems@medunigraz.at

Mag. Dr. Johann Platzer, Institute for Moral Theology, University of Graz, E-Mail: j.platzer@uni-graz.at

Pictures: Achim Bieniek

Written by: Medical University of Graz, MS
on: 10/04/2015