VID Researcher Leads Norwegian Effort in Global LGBTIQ+ Project

Associate Professor Esra Ummak at the Faculty of Social Sciences at VID will lead the Norwegian part of the project.

Published: November 25th 2025.

A multinational project will investigate how to understand and address health disparities in LGBTIQ+ communities worldwide.

The global LGBTIQ+ health project has been funded by the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF)

The grant application to the SNSF Careers Division / Starting Grants lead by the University of Zurich with the collaboration of Esra Ummak (from Norway) has secured approximately 23,2 million NOK. The application is for a multinational project titled “Understanding and Tackling Health Disparities in LGBTIQ+Communities Across the Globe".

Unite scholars

The project aims to unite scholars from Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America, North America, and Oceania. The project will combine survey and global indices to systematically investigate the dynamic interplay of protective and detrimental factors at the individual (e.g., coping strategies), group (e.g., group norms, experiences of discrimination and support), and structural levels (e.g., laws, country-level acceptance) that shape health and social disparities among LGBTIQ+ individuals worldwide.

Responsible from Norwegian context

Esra Ummak (they/them) from Department of Social Work, Faculty of Social Studies at VID, will be responsible from Norwegian context. Their role will include: Providing feedback on the collaborative questionnaire; translating the survey; recruiting LGBTIQ+ individuals in Norway; contributing to several scientific manuscripts, leading sub-projects; and participating in outreach activities.

– This funding is an important signal, especially in times of global backlash, that global LGBTIQ+ research is valued, Ummak says.