ARIS Projects

Project duration: 1 January 2022 – 31 December 2027

Project leader: Assoc. Prof. Dr Matej Mertik

Funder: ARIS (Slovenian Research and Innovation Agency)  

Short project description:

Since 2022, Alma Mater Europaea has had the approved Infrastructure Programme “Science for Youth” as support for research activity in the fields of social sciences, health sciences and information sciences, and for the promotion of science among young people as well as the wider public.

The goals and activities of the Infrastructure Programme “Science for Youth” are aimed at developing innovative, technologically advanced information and communication solutions and systems for the promotion of science in complementary fields, which Alma Mater Europaea in Maribor (hereinafter AMEU) develops within its operations and network of partners. These will enable the creation of new research potential in complementary fields of study that AMEU develops through its branches both in Slovenia and more broadly in the regional and international environment.

Project duration: 1 November 2022 – 31 October 2025

Project leader: Prof. Dr Voyko Kavčič

Funder: ARIS (Slovenian Research and Innovation Agency)

Short project description:

The project will describe the effect of the acceleration of ICT use associated with COVID-19 on the heterogeneous group of older adults. We will assess the degree and scale of changes in their digital literacy and skills and try to determine the medium- and long-term impact of these changes or lack of changes on the quality of life and social inclusion of older adults. To achieve this goal, we will, among other things, conduct a secondary analysis of available data and also obtain primary data through our own quantitative survey and qualitative data from in-depth interviews. We will use a comparative and collaborative approach to identify innovative ways of assessing social impacts at the macro level brought about by pronounced social change and distinguish them from some previously known meso- and micro-factors that influenced older adults’ affinity for using and adapting to modern technologies later in life. The results will be very useful in achieving some key social goals set at the national, European and global levels. The results will support the tasks set out in the Strategy of a Long-Lived Society in Slovenia and the Czech Republic, and will also serve as a basis for action plans for inclusive digitalisation in both countries.

Project duration: 1 May 2025 – 30 April 2028

Project leader: Prof. Dr David Bogataj

Funder: ARIS (Slovenian Research and Innovation Agency)

Short project description:

Optimising social care networks alongside the appropriate development of social infrastructure in long-term care (LTC) is an important area of social policy, planning, and the operation of facilities and providers, primarily due to population ageing and the growing share of older people who need help with basic and supportive activities of daily living.

To ensure quality, affordable care services throughout the European Union and improve conditions both for care recipients and for the people who care for them, professionally or informally, the European Commission presents the European Care Strategy in the document (https :// ec.europa.eu/commission/pressco rner/detail/ en/ ip_2 2_5169). Following this strategy, the project will contribute (a) to European care policy and to the development of research on territorial inequalities and logistical needs in care, and (b) to research on the necessary development of social infrastructure networks for integrated care solutions, including human resource development, as well as (c) to the importance of digital tools and remote care. Above all, the project will present in detail a model and the implementation of projections of LTC needs and the necessary responses to them: what kinds of networks should be built over the next 40 years and what the structure of training programmes for providers should be. The project will primarily support the projection of needs and the optimisation of care provider services at the national and regional levels in Slovenia, and as a model also in member states in implementing evidence on care provision needs in urban and rural areas through plans derived from the geo-gerontological observatory established within the Rural Action Plan, which must be updated and upgraded, with an emphasis on the development of social infrastructure and care networks that reduce the need for expensive logistical services and a larger number of required long-term care providers (human resources) in LTC.

Project duration: 1 January 2025 – 31 December 2027

Project leader: Prof. Dr Matej Mertik

Funder: ARIS (Slovenian Research and Innovation Agency)

Short project description:

Scientist and inventor Nikola Tesla (1856–1943) was not only a creative pioneer in the fields of electrical engineering and mechanical engineering, but also in sustainable energy efficiency and energy justice. He combined his reflections on these topics, with the help of scientifically grounded, technical-futuristic and environmental perspectives, into a unified philosophical vision that includes ethics, political philosophy, philosophy of technology, philosophy of religion, philosophy of nature, and more. In his writings, and especially in The Problem of Increasing Human Energy (1900), he offered holistic solutions to the challenges of energy efficiency, production, transmission, sustainability and storage of energy, as well as energy justice; today, these very issues are the subject of intense debates closely linked to the green transition.

Contemporary pop culture has once again elevated Tesla into a scientific Prometheus, which, with the help of the internet, is growing into nothing less than a global ‘cult’ that fuels numerous conspiracy theories and historical distortions. Although Tesla’s actual ideas and philosophical system have only been partially explained and understood, partly also because his many writings are scattered across various sources, a considerable part of them has still not been the subject of critical editions or systematic interdisciplinary research.

Project duration: 1 March 2026 - 28 February 2029

Project leader: Prof. Dr David Bogataj

Funder: ARIS (Slovenian Research and Innovation Agency)

Short project description:

This research project proposes a regional model for linking healthcare and care infrastructure that is aligned with the newly adopted long-term care legislation and other legal frameworks governing health and social services. This model addresses the interplay of evolving legal systems, the development and financing of healthcare and care infrastructure, and service delivery standards, while recognising that effective community care must be embedded in a supportive legislative environment. By incorporating gerontological insights and social geography, the project emphasises co-creation and participatory engagement with older adults, policymakers, and care providers to ensure that innovations in policy and practice are responsive at the local level while remaining compliant with legislation.

Using a mixed-methods approach, we will map and analyse existing infrastructure and legal provisions—such as licensing requirements, funding mechanisms, and data protection laws—in order to identify service gaps and opportunities for collaboration. Insights from this assessment will guide the co-design and pilot testing of a comprehensive care model that ensures continuity across healthcare, social, and support services. Outcomes—including fewer hospital readmissions, greater cost-effectiveness, and higher user satisfaction—will be measured alongside qualitative assessments of older adults’ experiences within these integrated systems. The ultimate goal of this project is to generate robust, policy-relevant evidence that can serve as a basis for scaling up integrated community care solutions, thereby reinforcing the person-centred focus of the new long-term care legislation while ensuring compliance with the broader legal and regulatory framework.

Project duration: 1 March 2026 - 28 February 2029

Project leader: Prof. Dr David Bogataj

Funder: ARIS (Slovenian Research and Innovation Agency)

Short project description:

Population ageing is dramatically transforming social and healthcare systems around the world, highlighting the need for innovative strategies to support older adults in their communities. This project, entitled ,,Social Innovations for Integrated Care of Older Adults Living in the Community", explores new approaches that align healthcare services, social support, and community resources to promote the well-being, independence, and inclusion of older residents. Based on frameworks of active ageing, social capital, and cross-sectoral collaboration, our multidisciplinary team will use a mixed-methods approach that will include systematic literature reviews, stakeholder engagement, and comparative case studies. We will collect quantitative and qualitative data, including surveys, interviews, and field observation, to examine how different programmes and policies foster or hinder the provision of integrated care.

A central element of our approach is collaboration with older adults, together with caregivers, service providers, and policymakers, ensuring that the study findings reflect actual needs and priorities. By identifying and evaluating the effectiveness of social innovations—such as intergenerational networks, community cooperatives, and technology-supported care models—we aim to highlight sustainable and scalable practices that can be adapted in different settings. The project results will form the basis for evidence-based recommendations for policymakers and professionals, contributing to the development of integrated care ecosystems that improve the quality of life of older adults. Ultimately, this research will expand theoretical and practical knowledge and offer pathways towards more cohesive, community-rooted support systems that can address the challenges and opportunities of global demographic change.

Programme duration: 1 January 2022 - 31 December 2027

Programme leader: Dr Franc Adam

Funder: ARIS (Slovenian Research and Innovation Agency)

Short programme description: 

The programme group will continue to deal with the sociocultural and organisational aspects of generating, utilising, and transferring knowledge in the broader social context of the COVID-19 pandemic, characterised by a high degree of unpredictability and risk. This requires new responses and the consolidation of different types of scientific and professional, as well as political and civic competence. Within the programme, we therefore examine in more detail the relationships between the government (including other governmental institutions and ministries) and the professional/expert bodies that individual countries in Europe established to help cope with the COVID-19 epidemic. We are interested in how decision-making and negotiation processes take place among actors who belong to different (sub)systemic imperatives and possess different types and levels of knowledge. Our thesis is that the success or failure of individual countries/regions in controlling and managing the epidemiological and social crisis depends on these bilateral and multilateral negotiating positions. The greatest emphasis will be on the case of Slovenia, but in an international comparative context. We are also interested in relationships within the profession and the expert group itself. Here, we focus both on aspects of the formal role and transfer of knowledge during the epidemic at the international level, and on informal forms in the shape of various interdisciplinary, voluntary citizen science groups, which played a very important role during the pandemic.

Project duration: 1 March 2026 - 28 February 2029

Project leader: Dr Maruša Gorišek

Funder: ARIS (Slovenian Research and Innovation Agency)

Short project description:

The main research question is: How do people form and justify their views on science, and how does this affect their decision-making on science-related issues?  The scientisation of society (engl. scientisation) is a process in which expert knowledge and understanding of information are becoming increasingly important for an individual’s life and for their orientation in society. On the one hand, the socialisation of science promotes the development of applied scientific knowledge and the active role of a society that “responds to science” (see also Weingart, 2008). However, it can be observed that some parts of society resist science and scientific opinions and focus on seeking data and explanations that confirm their pre-existing views. This was particularly evident during the COVID-19 pandemic, when conspiracy theories spread rapidly. This sparked debates about the importance of public trust in science and encouraged the measurement of public attitudes towards science in public opinion surveys, for example in the Eurobarometer.

However, this way of measuring currently treats science and scientists in an overly simplified manner. Questions in public opinion surveys often assume that science produces information and knowledge that have the status of final truth; that science always manifests itself in results that are positive or should be accepted as positive; that science can replace political decision-making; and that all scientific fields use the same scientific method (Au et al. 2024; Pardo and Calvo 2002). With this research project, we want to broaden this perspective, address the multilayered nature of the public’s relationship to science and its role in contemporary societies, and shed light on the heterogeneity within the scientific community.

We have set the following goals:

1. To deepen understanding of the public’s relationship to science and of the ways in which this relationship is formed, and to determine which actors play an important role in shaping public opinion about science and its role in contemporary societies.
2. To examine how conflicting opinions within the scientific community influence the public’s relationship to science, people’s behaviour, and decision-making on science-related issues. We further wish to deepen this understanding by studying how scientists and researchers perceive conflicts within science and the possibilities for resolving them.
3. To determine how successful the currently proposed approaches can be in addressing the public’s relationship to science and in resolving conflicts within science, and to propose alternative solutions.
4. To determine how the public’s relationship to science and scientists’ relationship to the scientific community can be observed in a broader social context, and for this purpose to develop new ways of measuring public opinion about science and trust in science.

To achieve the goals, the project is based on an approach that foregrounds the collection of qualitative data, as this allows a more in-depth understanding of the selected phenomena. In this way, we aim to develop new ways of measuring public opinion towards science, which will also enable us to formulate recommendations for improving current measurement instruments. Instead of a survey, during the project we will conduct several focus groups with diverse groups of participants, while in studying the scientific community we will carry out semi-structured interviews and use the Delphi method to achieve consensus among experts (see also Poplas Susič 2012). The combination of different research methods, data, and approaches emphasises the need for interdisciplinary cooperation and greater reflexivity.

Project duration: 1 September 2026 - 31 August 2027

Project leader: Dr David Bogataj

Funder: ARIS (Slovenian Research and Innovation Agency)

Short project description:

The project “Co-Creation of Social Infrastructure for the Integration of Healthcare Services and Long-Term Care Services” is focused on the development and pilot implementation of a regional model that connects healthcare services, long-term care (LTC), and support services in the community. The model will be aligned with the new LTC legislation and other relevant legal and systemic frameworks in the fields of healthcare and social care. The project responds to demographic ageing, growing care needs, and pressure on staff and finances, while addressing the need for more coordinated, accessible, and cost-effective services.

The central goal is to design an integrated model that ensures continuity of care across healthcare, social, and support services and reduces system fragmentation and disruptions at key transition points (e.g. after hospital discharge, in the event of deterioration in functional status, or in cases of cognitive difficulties). The project analyses the interplay of legislation, financing, organisational arrangements, and service delivery standards, as effective community care requires a supportive legal and institutional environment. The research approach is based on mixed methods: mapping existing infrastructure and practices, reviewing regulatory requirements (e.g. licensing, data protection), analysing financing and contractual mechanisms, and assessing organisational workflows to identify gaps and feasible pathways to integration. On this basis, a comprehensive model of integrated care with defined protocols, roles, and an implementation plan will be developed, operationalised, and pilot tested. A key added value is the participatory approach (citizen science), which combines co-creation and structured training to strengthen implementation capacities. The process will involve university students, healthcare workers, social care workers, informal caregivers, community-based LTC users, and LTC users in residential care homes through training sessions, workshops, focus groups, and iterative evaluation cycles. In this way, the project ensures greater relevance, feasibility, and acceptance of solutions in practice. The pilot environment will be the Bresternica Dementia Centre (coordinated by the Municipality of Maribor), while Alma Mater Europaea University will contribute research and implementation support as a partner. Expected results include better service coordination, greater continuity of care, fewer preventable hospitalisations, higher user satisfaction, and improved system efficiency. The project will prepare professional recommendations for decision-makers and a transferable model for expansion to other regions, thereby contributing to sustainable, legally compliant, and user-centred long-term care and creating conditions for further innovation in the field of digital solutions and the silver economy.