Funded Research

Research Projects on Volunteering, Vaccine Hesitancy and Political Participation

I have led and participated in national, bilateral, and international research projects covering political participation and affective polarization, health sociology, vaccine hesitancy and health literacy, civic engagement and volunteering, youth studies, environmental behaviour and climate literacy, cultural participation, and comparative survey research in Slovenia and Central and Eastern Europe. Topic pages connect these projects to vaccine hesitancy and health literacy, political participation and polarization, climate literacy and environmental behaviour, and volunteering and civil society.

Active

Current Projects

Nationwide Slovenian Study on the Impact of Volunteering on Society: Determinants, Barriers, Consequences, and Policy Recommendations

I lead this national project examining the prevalence, determinants, barriers, and societal consequences of volunteering in Slovenia, including its role in social capital and civic engagement. The project combines a multi-wave national panel study, comparative international analyses, and qualitative research and aims to develop evidence-based recommendations for policy and practice.

Current Volunteering Civil Society Social Capital Civic Engagement Slovenia

Related topic page: volunteering, cultural participation and civil society.

Code V5-2519
Period 1 Sep 2025 – 31 Aug 2027
Role Principal Investigator
Funders ARIS & Ministry of Public Administration
Value €100,000

Health and Political Participation: A Panel Study of Slovenian Youth and Adults

I lead this bilateral project examining relationships between health and political participation using longitudinal Slovenian panel data, with particular attention to age, health inequalities, and political engagement.

Current Political Participation Health Bilateral
Code BI-FIN/25-27-009
Period 1 Jan 2025 – 31 Dec 2026
Role Principal Investigator
Funder ARIS
Partner Faculty of Social Sciences, Univ. of Helsinki
Value Small project

Beyond One-Size-Fits-All: A Person-Oriented, Longitudinal, and Cross-National Approach to Vaccine Hesitancy

I participate in this project investigating heterogeneity and change in vaccine hesitancy through person-oriented, longitudinal, and cross-national approaches, with attention to health literacy and trust in science as key determinants. Principal Investigator: Monika Lamot.

Current Vaccine Hesitancy Health Literacy Health Sociology Longitudinal

Related topic page: vaccine hesitancy, health literacy and trust in science.

Code J5-70183
Period 1 Mar 2026 – 28 Feb 2029
Role Research Team Member
PI Monika Lamot
Funder ARIS
Value €450,009.90
Completed

Recently Completed Projects

Political Participation in the Age of Polarization: Austria, Poland, and Slovenia in Comparative Perspective

I led the Slovenian part of this comparative project examining political participation, democratic engagement, and civic engagement in Central and Eastern Europe — Austria, Poland, and Slovenia. The project investigated relationships between political participation, affective and ideological polarization, political trust, and democratic engagement.

Political Participation Affective Polarization Ideological Polarization Democratic Engagement Comparative

Related topic page: political participation and polarization.

Code N5-0293
Period 1 Jul 2023 – 30 Jun 2026
Role PI at Univ. of Maribor
Programme Weave / ARIS
Total €894,040
UM share €286,798

Climate Literacy and Environmentally Friendly Behaviour among Young People in Slovenia and Europe

I led this project examining climate literacy, environmental attitudes, and environmentally friendly behaviour among young people in Slovenia and Europe, including their determinants, consequences, and implications for policy. View related publications on climate literacy.

Related topic page: climate literacy and environmental behaviour.

Climate Literacy Environmental Behaviour Youth
Code V5-2374
Period 1 Oct 2023 – 31 Mar 2026
Role Principal Investigator
Funders ARIS & Ministry of the Environment, Climate and Energy
Value €250,000

COVID-19 Aftermath in Slovenia: Vaccine Hesitancy, Democratic Engagement and Trust in Public Health Institutions

I led this project examining vaccine hesitancy, health literacy, trust in science, democratic and political participation, institutional trust, and related post-pandemic social and health processes in Slovenia. See the vaccine hesitancy, health literacy and trust in science topic page.

Vaccine Hesitancy Political Participation Institutional Trust
Code J5-4579
Period 1 Oct 2022 – 31 Dec 2025
Role Principal Investigator
Funder ARIS
Value €299,952.90

Comparative Analysis of Health Literacy and Other Determinants of Trust in Vaccination in Slovenia and Europe

I led this project examining health literacy and other determinants of vaccination attitudes in Slovenia and Europe and developing evidence-based recommendations.

Health Literacy Vaccine Hesitancy Comparative

Related topic page: vaccine hesitancy, health literacy and trust in science.

Code V5-2242
Period 1 Oct 2022 – 30 Sep 2024
Role Principal Investigator
Funders ARIS & Ministry of Health
Value €40,000

Cultural Participation of Young People in Slovenia and Europe: Analysis of the Situation, Trends, Determinants, Consequences, and Proposed Solutions

I led this project examining patterns, trends, determinants, and consequences of cultural participation among young people in Slovenia and Europe.

Cultural Participation Youth Comparative
Code V5-1726
Period 1 Apr 2018 – 31 Jul 2020
Role Principal Investigator
Funder ARRS
Value €44,000

Determinants of Alcohol Use: Analysis of Slovenian and U.S. Youth

I led this bilateral Slovenian-U.S. project examining determinants of alcohol use among young people.

Youth Studies Health Bilateral
Code BI-US/24-26-030
Period 1 Jul 2024 – 30 Jun 2026
Role Principal Investigator
Funder ARIS
Value Small project