About us
The Laerdal Foundation was established in 1980 in collaboration with the University of Oslo to provide financial support to practically oriented research projects that can help prevent needless deaths from sudden cardiac arrest, trauma, and during birth.
The Board prioritizes applications in the focus areas defined in its strategy, that are considered to have a high potential to improve patient outcomes. The Board further believes there is particular opportunity for helping save lives at birth in low-resource settings and have therefore earmarked 50% of the grants to the category Saving Lives at Birth in Low-Resource Settings.
The Foundation shares the mission with the Laerdal company of helping save lives but operates independently from the Laerdal companies under the regulation of the Norwegian Foundation’s Act.
About the Founder
The Laerdal Foundation was founded by Aasmund S. Laerdal, driven by his deep passion for advancing research in resuscitation and acute care. His vision was to improve the quality of care and help save more lives.
Board Members
- Geir Sverre Braut, MD
Chairman
Senior Advisor at Stavanger University Hospital. Professor in Health Sciences at Western Norway University of Applied Sciences. Former Deputy Director General, Norwegian Board of Health Supervision. Specialist in Community Medicine. - Ole F. Norheim, MD, PhD
Professor of Medical Ethics, Department of Global Public Health and Primary Care, University of Bergen and Director of Bergen Center for Ethics and Priority Setting (BCEPS) at UiB. Adjunct Professor of Global Health at the Department of Global Health and Population, Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health (2015-2025) and Head of the Norwegian Biotechnology Advisory Board (2019-2023). - Doris Østergaard, MD, PhD, DHPE
Professor at the Copenhagen Academy of Medical Education and Simulation (CAMES) and Copenhagen University. Chair of the Simulation Committee at ESAIC, Member of the Educational Committee in WFSA. Specialist in anaesthesiology. - Theresa Mariero Olasveengen MD, PhD
Professor of Anesthesiology at the University of Oslo and Consultant Anesthetist at Oslo University Hospital. Member of the Science Advisory Committee for the International Liaison Committee on Resuscitation (ILCOR), the Advanced Life Support Science and Education Committee for the European Resuscitation Council (ERC) and board member of the Norwegian Cardiac Arrest Registry. - Astrid Lærdal Frøseth, ML, BSW
Donor
Judge emerita, retired from Stavanger District Court, Master of Law and Bachelor of Social Work. - Åge Lærdal, MD
Scientific secretary and donor
Former Consultant , Stavanger University Hospital. Founder and Chair Stiftelsen Signe Marie. Specialist in Pediatrics. - Tore Lærdal, M.Sc
Executive Director and donor
Executive Chairman of Laerdal Medical, Board Member of Laerdal Global Health, Chairman of SAFER (Stavanger Acute Medicine Foundation for Education and Research), Chairman of a cancer research foundation at the University hospital in Stavanger. Hon Doc Science, University of Hertfordshire.
Governance
The Foundation operates under the regulations of the Norwegian Foundation’s Act (Stiftelsesloven), strictly independently from the Laerdal companies. Annual audited accounts and board reports are available at Stiftelsesregisteret in Brønnøysund.
The Board is the Foundation’s highest authority. As regulated by the bylaws the Board is composed of one member nominated by each of the three families of the children of the founder Åsmund S. Laerdal, and four members elected by the Board to represent relevant research in acute medicine, research and education.
The current board members have declared the following general conflict of interest:
Geir Sverre Braut: one
Ole F. Nordheim: None
Theresa Olasveengen: None
Doris Østergaard: None
Astrid L. Frøseth: None
Åge Lærdal: None
Tore Lærdal: Chairman and shareholder in Laerdal Medical, which has a commercial interest in the field of acute medicine. Shareholder also in the not-for-profit company Laerdal Global Health, which is supporting the Foundation’s commitment to reduction of maternal and newborn mortality. Chairman of SAFER (Stavanger Acute Medicine Foundation for Education and Research).