Research Infrastructures
Research infrastructures (RIs) are an essential part of any science and research system and include scientific equipment, research materials, resources, information and communication technology-based infrastructures and any other exceptional facilities essential for carrying out research and experimental development and innovation activities at the highest level. Using these infrastructures enhances the international competitiveness of research, improves the opportunities for cooperation between research teams and social partners, and has a significant social, cultural and economic impact. The development of such infrastructures consolidates and optimises research capacities and promotes synergies between funding instruments for RIs. Find out more here.
The development of RIs is considered to be one of the strategic aims of science policy and is addressed in documents of national importance. One of them is the Research Infrastructure Roadmap. The Roadmap is a strategic document for long-term RI policy based on an analysis of Lithuanian and international RIs and Lithuanian and European research priorities. In 2011, the Research Council of Lithuania published the first Lithuanian RI Roadmap. The fourth RI Roadmap, published in 2024, includes the Monitoring Electoral Democracy (MEDem LT) and the Lithuanian Longitudinal Social Survey (LIST) RIs, whose members include the IIRPS VU researchers. You can download the latest Research Infrastructure Roadmap (in Lithuanian) here.
MEDem LT is designed to coordinate and integrate activities related to electoral democracy research in Lithuania and internationally.
The activities of MEDem LT include research on voter behaviour and attitudes, parties, candidates, the parliamentary process, public spaces, and political campaigns, as well as informing the public and strengthening democratic practices. Several large-scale studies are foreseen between 2025 and 2030, including post-election surveys, interviews with voters, analysis of political campaigns, monitoring the implementation of electoral promises, analysis of the votes of MPs, etc. Researchers taking part in the infrastructure will have the opportunity to improve their methodological skills and consult with colleagues from abroad. The MEDem LT team will also develop the voter assistance tool manobalsas.lt, provide expert commentary to the media, develop open datasets, and make recommendations to policymakers.
MEDem LT aims to increase the internationality of electoral democracy research by participating in the European Monitoring Electoral Democracy (MEDem) RI. Membership in this infrastructure will allow Lithuania to pool and link international sources of data on the functioning of democracy, conduct higher-quality comparative research on electoral democracy, develop standards and tools for data collection and analysis, and contribute to a better understanding of the challenges facing contemporary liberal democracies. Lithuanian electoral democracy researchers will also have the opportunity to collaborate with foreign scholars, strengthen their skills through specific training, and receive the necessary professional advice.
Representing institution: Vilnius University (IIRPS VU).
Participating institutions: Kaunas University of Technology, Vytautas Magnus University.
Find out more information about MEDem LT research here.
LIST is Lithuania’s first continuous population survey designed to collect long-term data on public attitudes, values and behaviour.
LIST will conduct repeated panel surveys with the same respondents at regular intervals. Data will be collected on a quarterly basis, covering topics such as trust in institutions, civic engagement, climate change and evaluation of public policy. Each wave of the survey may have irregularly added question modules to meet the evolving needs of the government, academia and the public. The collected data will be made publicly available in the Lithuanian Data Archive for Social Sciences and Humanities (LiDA), enabling national and international researchers to conduct in-depth analyses of public attitudes and behaviours.
LIST aims to be actively involved in the international research community. In the development of the infrastructure methodology, LIST has actively collaborated with renowned international partners, such as the GESIS Panel in Germany and LISS in the Netherlands, to ensure the highest standards of research performance. LIST will also seek to create new opportunities for Lithuania to participate in international research consortia, with a focus on comparative research addressing social, economic, cultural and technological challenges in Europe. The personalised data collected by LIST will be made available to all interested users, thus contributing to international cooperation, a deeper understanding of social trends, and Lithuania’s involvement in the European Research Area.
Representing institution: Vilnius University (IIRPS VU).
Participating institutions: Kaunas University of Technology, Vytautas Magnus University, the Government Strategic Analysis Centre, the State Data Agency.
