Institute for Research and Development “Utrip” (UTRIP) is a non-governmental and a non-profit research institute. UTRIP aims to conduct research, develop, implement, monitor and evaluate the projects and programmes in the field of youth risk behaviour, addiction prevention, health promotion and healthy lifestyle. UTRIP is a member of the European network of NGOs in the field of alcohol policy (Eurocare), the Civil Society Forum on Drugs (CSF), the European Society for Prevention Research (EU SPR), the Science for Prevention Academic Network (SPAN) and the European Alcohol Policy Network (APN).
It is involved in several European research and developmental projects, co-financed by the European Commission under the Health Programme, the Drug Prevention and Information Programme, the Daphne III Programme, the Lifelong Learning Programme and the 7th Framework Programme (FP7). It actively cooperates within the European research network in the field of youth risk behaviours (IREFREA), the international network for healthy and safer nightlife of youth (Club Health), the European Alcohol Policy Research Alliance (AMPHORA), the European research project in the field of addictions (ALICE RAP), the European network for improving addiction prevention by using the internet, telematics and other ICT-based products (Prevnet) and the European network in the field of personal and social skills among socially unprivileged people (ProSkills). UTRIP was the coordinator of the project “Club Health – Healthy and Safer Nightlife of Youth” which was co-financed by the European Commission (Health Programme). UTRIP is a national centre for school-based prevention programme EU-Dap (»Unplugged«) and family-based prevention programme »The Strengthening Families Program«. UTRIP leads a national network of NGOs in the field of prevention »Prevention platform«, which is funded by the European Social Fund.
UTRIP’s mission is to provide quality development and implementation of programmes and projects and research activities in the area of youth risk behaviour and other risk groups. At the same time UTRIP also provides education and training for professionals, researchers and volunteers who daily deal with issues of risk behaviour of children, adolescents, young adults and other high-risk population groups (e.g. training of health and social workers, teachers and other professionals in schools, educators, professionals and volunteers in NGOs, government officials, etc.). UTRIP is developing a partnership with the narrower and wider community, non-governmental sector, media and industry (especially the entertainment industry, which in addition to the media plays a key role in the lifestyle of young people), from local to international level. This increases the level of knowledge and education, and indirectly affects the development of local community and state. UTRIP is also an important factor contributing to the classification of Slovenia during the country’s notable work in this area, since it has many international contacts and is involved in many important projects and research and development networks.
UTRIP‘s objectives are to:
- be the most modern and most successful research and development institution in the field in Slovenia and wider, recognized at home and abroad, while continuing to work with the environment in which it exists and works;
- adapt to the needs and strategic priorities of Slovenia and the European Union as a whole, the needs of children, youth and other at risk populations and the needs of professionals and volunteers in developing education and prevention programmes;
- care for the personal growth of children, youth and other high-risk population groups and the qualitative relationships between experts and participants in education and training programmes;
- improve situation in the field on the basis of knowledge and mutual trust within the professional circles;
- engage modern technology and equipment in research and development processes;
- provide general, vocational, technical and other knowledge and skills to develop the quality and accountability, while also work with partners to implement and coordinate the common interests;
- build a market competitive capacity and better prospects in its immediate and wider environment – at local, national and European level.
Who we are
Matej Košir
Director ( matej@institut-utrip.si )
Matej Košir is the Director of UTRIP (www.institut-utrip.si). He has been working in the field of addiction prevention and public health advocacy for the last 20 years. He is an author, co-author and reviewer of scientific articles and papers. He has been a Postgraduate Research Assistant at Oxford Brookes University (UK) (2015-2016). He is a coordinator of the Prevention Platform network, which includes more than 40 supporting institutions and organisations in Slovenia. He was also a senior consultant of the World Bank in the field of alcohol policy and prevention between January 2017 and June 2019. He has been awarded by the European Society for Prevention Research (EUSPR) with “Leading European Prevention Science Practitioner Honour” in 2017. He has been awarded (together with his wife Sanela Talić) by the Society for Prevention Research (SPR) with “International Collaborative Prevention Research Award” in 2020. He is a PhD in Prevention Science student at the University of Zagreb (Croatia). He is a Deputy Chairperson of the Vienna NGO Committee on Drugs (VNGOC).
Sanela Talić
Secretary-General and Head of Prevention ( sanela@institut-utrip.si )
Sanela Talić is the Secretary-General of the Institute of Research and Development »Utrip« (UTRIP). She is also the Head of prevention programmes at UTRIP. She is a pedagogue and also a project manager for prevention, education and training programmes. She is involved in several EC-funded projects in the field of addiction prevention, health promotion and healthy lifestyles, lifelong learning, violence and injury prevention etc. She is also a researcher and is skilled in organisational and communication. She is a member of several professional, umbrella, research and project networks such as Club Health, Eurocare, IREFREA, European Society for Prevention Research (EU SPR), the Science for Prevention Academic Network (SPAN), AMPHORA, ALICE RAP and ProSkills. She is involved in many European projects, co-funded by the European Commission under the Health Programme, the 7th Framework Programme (FP7), the Daphne III Programme, the Lifelong Learning Programme, the Drug Prevention and Information Programme and the European Social Fund. She is a Master Trainer for EU-DAP / Unplugged school-based prevention programme and national coordinator and Master Trainer for the Strengthening Families Program (SFP). She is a member and elected secretary of the European Society for Prevention Research (EU SPR).
Institute Utrip is a member of the European umbrella network of NGOs in the field of alcohol policy (Eurocare), the Civil Society Forum on Drugs (CSF), the European Society for Prevention Research (EU SPR) and the European Alcohol Policy Network (APN).
