Project Partners

Project Partners

Drug and Alcohol Research Centre, Middlesex University (UK)


Middlesex is a thriving global university with an outstanding teaching, research and knowledge transfer reputation. Located in the Department of Mental Health, Social Work and Integrative Medicine, the project will be supported by the Drug and Alcohol Research Centre, led by Professor Thom. This Centre works across university Schools with staff in health, social care, education, criminology, business and humanities. It is actively engaged in local, national and international research, teaching and knowledge exchange and incorporates a group of associated members active outside academia in policy, prevention and service delivery positions. The Research and Knowledge Transfer Office provides administrative, financial and legal expertise. Key project staff will include: Professor Betsy Thom; Associate Professor Karen Duke; and an early career post-doctoral research fellow.

Webpage: http://drugandalcoholresearchcentre.org

Center for Alcohol and Drug Research, Aarhus University (Denmark)


1928 the university has rapidly developed into a leading public research university with nationwide and international clout across the entire research spectrum. Over the last decade, the university has consolidated its position in the top 100 of the most influential university rankings. The university takes pride in its engagement in the development of the society to which it belongs. Located at the social science faculty, Aarhus BSS, the project will be supported by Center for Alcohol and Drug Research, led by Professor Vibeke Asmussen Frank. This Centre is actively engaged in local, national and international interdisciplinary research. Key project staff: Professor Vibeke Asmussen Frank; Dr. Maria Herold, a social psychologist with a particular interest in young people, gender and substance use.

Webpage: Center for Alcohol and Drug Research, Aarhus University

Eclectica (Italy)


Founded in 1998, Eclectica focuses on health-related research, training and initiatives together with other public and private organizations. Eclectica brings together sociologists, trainers and professional educators with extensive expertise. The research group has been engaged in international, national and local scientific studies that combine traditional and innovative methods. The team is organized in two units: the research unit and the training and communication unit. Eclectica is a primary point of reference for research on alcohol and drugs and NPS (consumption, market changes, effectiveness of service responses, effectiveness of drug control policies, prevention programs). The training unit develops and manages educational programs for health promotion and prevention health professionals. It has coordinated many national training programmes on topics related to psychoactive substances and risk behaviours. Key project staff: Dr. Franca Beccaria, Head of Eclectica; Dr Sara Rolando, whose doctoral thesis was on youth drinking cultures in different geographies; Dr. Alice Scavarda, with research interests in health, disability and dependency.

Webpage: http://www.eclectica.it/

European Centre for Social Welfare Policy and Research (Austria)

The European Centre provides expertise in the fields of welfare and social policy development in a broad sense – in particular using multi- and interdisciplinary approaches to analyse integrated policies and inter-sectoral action. Research activities within the European Centre are organized into two units: (1) Work, Wealth and Welfare, and (2) Health and Care. Within the European Centre’s “Health and Care” unit, we design, coordinate and implement projects in the fields of long-term care for older people, health services and system analysis, and public health. Our unit is composed of researchers and policy analysts from several backgrounds (e.g. economics, health economics, health and social policy, political science, sociology) with experience in a wide range of social scientific methods. One main field of expertise among the various research areas is the problem of alcohol- and drug-addiction in connection with the criminal justice system. Key staff: Günter Stummvoll PhD, sociologist and criminologist; Cees (Cornelius) Goos PhD, honorary consultant in public health in various international agencies; Rahel Kahlert PhD, evaluation and public policy expert; Willem Stamatiou MA, sociologist, political scientist and publications officer.

Webpage: http://www.euro.centre.org/

Frankfurt University of Applied Sciences (Germany)


Frankfurt University of Applied Sciences (Frankfurt UAS) is one of the major Universities of Applied Sciences in Germany. The degree programmes have a strong focus on application and transfer of acquired knowledge into professional practice. Research also has a strong orientation towards the application and transfer of technology/knowledge into industrial and societal practice. Research at Frankfurt UAS is funded by the State of Hessen, the federal level, the European Union, foundations as well as profit/non-profit organisations. Though not exclusively, an emphasis of third party funded projects is placed on collaborations with small and medium enterprises (SME). Objectives of the Institute of Addiction Research Frankfurt (ISFF) are establishing addictions research, establishing collaboration with other national and international research institutes and networks, dissemination of research findings into teaching at Frankfurt UAS as well as to a wider public. Main research areas are drug consumption patterns, drug problems and social consequences, gender and drug users, harm reduction measures in prisons and in the CJS, treatment and rehabilitation. Key project staff: Professor Heino Stöver; Niels Graf, Social Scientist; Christina Padberg, Social Worker; Daniela Schulz, Social Worker

Webpage: https://www.frankfurt-university.de/fachbereiche/fb4/forschung/forschungsinstitute/isff.html

Institute of Psychiatry and Neurology (Poland)


The aims of the Institute of Psychiatry and Neurology are to improve health care in the field of psychiatry and neurology and to conduct research in these and allied fields. Research methods range from molecular level to psychological and epidemiological approaches. The Department of Studies on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence (DSADD), in particular, has long experience in alcohol and drug research, including international comparative studies while the Department of Public Health specializes in substance use among adolescents, including epidemiological studies as well as implementation and evaluation of preventive initiatives. The Institute carried out a number of studies focused on drug consumers in prison setting as well as on NPS such as EU-funded ReDNet project. The Institute is a leading Polish centre for alcohol and drug policy, its scientists are often invited as experts to advice Parliamentary commissions and governmental agencies on alcohol and drugs as well as international bodies such as WHO, EMCDDA, European Commission, Council of Europe. The Institute has a fully-fledged infrastructure to carry on the proposed work, including advanced computer network and statistical packages such as IBM/SPSS and ATLAS. The Institute have already collaborated with Middlesex University on a number of occasions including EU funded SMART, AMPHORA and ALICE RAP projects. Key project staff: Dr. Jacek Moskalewicz, Head of the Department of Studies on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence; Dr. Katarzyna Dabrowska, Assistant Professor; Agnieszka Pisarska, Assistant Professor in Public Health.

Webpage: http://www.ipin.edu.pl/

Change Grow Live (UK)


Change Grow Live (CGL) delivers services to over 50,000 people per day across England.  It has over 3,000 staff and 1,000 volunteers at any one point. It is a social care and health charity that works with individuals who want to change their lives for the better and achieve positive and life-affirming goals. Their service users are people, whose lives have been held back by a range of social issues and concerns, including substance misuse and other forms of addiction, homelessness, poverty, unemployment, domestic abuse, mental health issues and offending. All services are designed to encourage individuals to find the strength and resources within themselves to bring about the life and behavioural changes they wish to achieve. Their goal is to help our service users regain control, change their lives, grow as a person and live life to its full potential. CGL provides: substance misuse services; therapeutic and treatment services within prisons and the community; accommodation assistance; clinical services in partnership with GPs in community settings; intensive support for families with complex needs around parenting and antisocial behaviour and services for families affected by domestic abuse. Key staff: Mr. David Bamford, Director of People; Mr. Raj Ubhi, National Young Person Manager; staff delivering services.

Webpage: https://www.changegrowlive.org/

Advisory Group

Marica Ferri

European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA)

The European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA) was established in 1993. Inaugurated in Lisbon in 1995, it is one of the EU’s decentralised agencies. The EMCDDA exists to provide the EU and its Member States with a factual overview of European drug problems and a solid evidence base to support the drugs debate. Today it offers policymakers the data they need for drawing up informed drug laws and strategies. It also helps professionals and practitioners working in the field pinpoint best practice and new areas of research.

http://www.emcdda.europa.eu/

Jean-Paul Grund

Addiction Research Centre, Utrecht, Netherlands

CVO is an independent non-profit organisation for research, training and consultancy, emanated from the Faculty of Social Sciences of Utrecht University. CVO’s mission statement is to collect and disseminate scientific knowledge about people on the margins of society, aiming to contribute to improvement of their social position and health. CVO’s research, education, training and consultancy activities are founded on two important assumptions.

  • The importance of the interaction between drug, set and setting: Problematic drug use is not exclusively the result of the drug, but of the interaction.
  • A reflection of the first assumption in both our qualitative and quantitative research projects we prioritise an environmental approach to data collection. Where possible we sample, interview or observe people in their natural environment, often literally by standing between them. This approach results in a better understanding of the respondents, their drug taking within the context of their day to day life. Our hope is that such a comprehensive understanding contributes to a more effective treatment and prevention.

Alessandra Liquori O’Neill

United Nations Interregional Crime and Justice Research Institute (UNICRI)

UNICRI is a United Nations entity established in 1965 to support countries worldwide in preventing crime and facilitating criminal justice.

UNICRI is mandated to assist intergovernmental, governmental and non-governmental organizations in formulating and implementing improved policies in the field of crime prevention and criminal justice. UNICRI’ s goals are:

  • to advance understanding of crime-related problems;
  • to foster just and efficient criminal justice systems;
  • to support the respect of international instruments and other standards;
  • to facilitate international law enforcement cooperation and judicial assistance.

UNICRI is governed by a Board of Trustees composed of eminent experts. The staff cover a wide range of expertise in the management of research, training, technical cooperation and documentation, and are supported by highly qualified consultants selected according to project requirements.

Michael O’Toole

Chief executive of MENTOR

Organisation involved in prevention and responses to people with mental health problems, experience of initiatives aimed at young people, in touch with young people representatives

EU Representatives

International organisations