The University of Berne wins bid for professorship in palliative care

The Swiss Academy of Medical Sciences (SAMS) put out a tender for a professorship in palliative care with a budget of CHF 3 million. A large portion of this funding comes from the Helsana Group's available funds. Through its commitment, Helsana wants to help ensure that the importance of palliative care is appropriately taken into account in the areas of research and teaching. All Swiss universities with a medical faculty were invited to apply for this professorship. Two applications for the professorship were submitted by the end of the deadline in the middle of August 2014. The Board of Directors of SAMS decided unanimously to award the professorship in palliative care to the University of Berne.

The aim of the funding programme and professorship in palliative care is to

• trigger a sustainable expansion in research expertise and infrastructure in the area of palliative care in Switzerland over the medium and long term;
  
• establish specialised and palliative medicine in the areas of medical practice, teaching and research in Swiss medical faculties;
  
• promote future clinical and scientific professionals in this area;
  
• give a decisive boost to this branch of research in terms of personnel to enable it to be competitive internationally in the future.