A new fund, the Ingibjörg R. Magnúsdóttir Research Fund, was founded June 29 at the University of Iceland as the first fund in Iceland to sponsor Masters and PhD students enrolled in nursing and midwifery programs.
The Midwife Association of Iceland, the Ministry of Health, Glitnir Bank and the Institute of Research in Nursing have donated money to the fund, in addition to the contributions of Magnúsdóttir and her brother’s grandson, Magnús F. Gudrúnarson. Many private parties have made donations through Sigrún Gunnarsdóttir, a doctor in nursing.
Magnúsdóttir, who founded the fund, is a nurse and a former director of the nursing department at the University of Iceland and office director at the Ministry of Health. She has campaigned for the strengthening of nursing studies in Iceland for many years and took part in founding the nursing department at the University of Iceland.
Nursing was moved to a university level in Iceland in 1973, which marked the beginning of research in that field. In 1998 a Masters program in nursing was first offered in Iceland and in 2005 the first students enrolled to the PhD program in nursing and midwifery at the University of Iceland.
First row from the left:
Erla Kolbrún Svavarsdóttir, President of the department of nursing, Ingibjörg R. Magnúsdóttir, Kristín Ingólfsdóttir, Rector of the University of Iceland, Sóley Bender, representative of the board of the Institute of Research in Nursing.
Second row from the left:
Magnús F. Gudrúnarson, Ragnheidur Halldórsdóttir from the Ministry of Health, Pétur Th. Óskarsson from Glitnir, Stefán Bragi Bjarnason, Magnúsdóttir’s nephew, Hildur Fridriksdóttir, head of the Institute of Research in Nursing.
