The Young Scholar grant of the LIVES Centre is a support for young researchers - doctoral or post-doctoral researchers - who plan to do innovative research on the life course. The funding can be used either to write a paper (for PhD students and post-docs) or to develop a new project (for post-docs). Among the applications, LIVES awarded a grant to 6 researchers from the University of Lausanne.
Milena Greve Marginalized and underprivileged youth are particularly exposed to the risk of longterm exclusion from decent working conditions and secured employment. To facilitate their success in school-to-work transition and their access to decent educational and vocational opportunities, Critical Consciousness (CC) has been proposed as a protective factor against the effects of structural inequality, through awareness and engagement in action. This project, part of a participatory action research, aims to investigate CC as perceived and experienced by marginalized youth themselves through qualitative approach in three countries with contrasting contexts in terms of labor market conditions and existing social policies, Switzerland, Brazil and Mozambique. |  |
Alicia Garcia-Sierra Individuals are born with innate abilities, some of which develop into skills that are highly valued in education and associated with better life outcomes, such as higher income and improved job prospects. Researchers use polygenic indices (PGIs) to quantify genetic predispositions toward traits like educational attainment. While studies have consistently demonstrated a connection between PGIs and long-term educational achievements, most of this research has focused on outcomes in adulthood. Consequently, the critical childhood developmental stages, during which foundational skills are established, remain understudied. To address this gap, this study adopts a life-course perspective, exploring the relationship between genetic predispositions for education and developmental milestones from infancy (9 months old) through young adulthood. |  |
Tiffany Kreutschy Polarization challenges democratic stability, undermining trust and cooperation across political divides. This study aims at exploring whether charismatic leadership can bridge these divides by enhancing coordination and trust between polarized groups. Using an experimental design, participants are exposed to charismatic and non-charismatic speeches before engaging in trust and coordination tasks. The findings aim to illuminate charisma's potential as a unifying force, offering actionable insights for leadership development and strategies to foster collaboration, reduce polarization, and strengthen democratic cohesion. This research contributes to understanding how leadership can inspire unity amidst societal divisions. |  |
Clément Meier This project examines cultural differences in end-of-life care by comparing Argentina’s family-centered approach with Switzerland’s emphasis on individual autonomy. By studying the experiences and preferences of patients and families in both countries, it aims to uncover insights that could enhance care practices globally. The findings will contribute to developing more compassionate and culturally sensitive approaches to end-of-life care, addressing the unique needs of aging populations in diverse contexts. |  |
Rodrigo Sanchez The integration of immigrant children and the inclusion of those with disadvantaged backgrounds are pressing challenges for Western societies. While effective policy solutions for these educational issues are well-documented, their implementation is often hindered by opposition from interest groups with vested stakes—direct or indirect—in the education system. Although voters across the political spectrum broadly agree on the importance of education reform, this study delves into how key interest groups—teachers, parents, non-parents, and older adults—perceive equal-opportunity policies, providing a nuanced understanding of the forces shaping education policy in Switzerland’s compulsory education system |  |
Giulia Spagnulo Giulia Spagnulo’s project aims to address issues of vulnerability within different family structures, investigating how parental and interparental factors shape children's adjustment. Specifically, her research explores the impact of mental load in parents and interparental relationship on child outcomes (i.e., psychological, behavioral, physical, educational, and social outcomes), across diverse family structures in Switzerland. She will obtain her sample from the SNF Sinergia FamyCH daily diary study. By focusing on both relational and individual predictors, this research advances our understanding of how life events, such as separation or divorce, influence the daily adjustment and developmental trajectories of children. |  |
The LIVES Centre offers three types of grants to support innovation in life course research: the "Seed money", the "Young scholar grant" and the "Visitor grant". These funds are addressed to the members of the LIVES Centre as well as to the extended network of researchers studying the life course and vulnerability.