(In)visible minorities in sports: promoting equality, inclusion, rights and equity

Project title: (In)visible minorities in sports: promoting equality, inclusion, rights and equity
Project acronym: NEMUS
Project number: uniri-mzi-25-113
Project financing: European Union – NextGenerationEU
Project duration: 1 October 2025 – 30 September 2029
Total value of the project (EUR): 46.021,31
Legal disclaimer: The project is funded by the European Union – NextGenerationEU. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Commission Neither the European Union nor European Commission can be held responsible for them.

Name and surname: Associate Professor Vanja Smokvina, PhD
E-mail: vanja.smokvina@uniri.hr

• Professor Prijić-Samaržija, PhD, prijic@uniri.hr
• Professor Marta Žuvić, PhD, marta.zuvic@uniri.hr
• Professor Sandra Laleta, PhD, sandra.laleta@pravri.uniri.hr 
• Professor Richard Parrish, PhD, parrishr@edgehill.ac.uk 
• Professor Carmen Perez Gonzalez, PhD, carmenpg@der-pu.uc3m.es 
• Professor Dražen Čular, PhD, drazen.cular@kifst.eu
• Associate Professor Sandra Winkler, PhD, sandra.winkler@pravri.uniri.hr
• Associate Professor Adrijana Martinović, PhD, adrijana.martinovic@pravri.uniri.hr 
• Associate Professor Robby Houben, PhD, robby.houben@uantwerpen.be 
• Assistant Professor Karla Kotulovski, PhD, kkotulovs@pravri.uniri.hr 
• Helena Majer, LLM, helena.majer@pravri.uniri.hr 
• Neven Protić mag. nov., neven.protic@uniri.hr

The project (In)visible Minorities in Sport: Promoting Equality, Inclusion, Rights and Equity deals with the issue of children, young people, pregnant women and mothers and fathers in sport, as well as athletes in the status of self-employed persons, as persons who represent vulnerable groups in sport. These are groups that at first glance are either not visible at all or one gets the impression that they are not in the status of vulnerable groups and groups that cannot enjoy basic human rights, not only as athletes, but also as human beings. The scientific research team, in addition to the principal investigator, consists of 12 other scientists from the Republic of Croatia and abroad.

The results of the research work on the project will be presented through scientific conferences, summer schools, published scientific papers, scientific book and presentations at international scientific conferences and summer schools. Publications in the media and on social media will achieve visibility of the project, the project call as well as the results of the research, and publications on social networks will aim to reach the widest possible circle of interested public in the Republic of Croatia, but of course also abroad.

Project goals:

• Propose guidelines as well as de lege ferenda legal solutions in the sports system regarding ensuring the protection of the rights of vulnerable groups in sports (children, minors, pregnant women and mothers, fathers and self-employed persons)
• Put in focus of the professional and public attention the issues of protecting vulnerable groups in sports (children, minors, pregnant women and mothers, fathers and self-employed persons)
• Involve famous athletes in promoting the results of scientific research within the project

Expected results:

• Organize two international scientific conferences
• Organize three summer schools
• Publish a scientific book
• Publish nine scientific papers
• Give ten presentations at international and national scientific conferences, including conferences within the project
• Undertake various measures to promote a culture of equality and equity
• Regularly publish project results 
• Update the library with relevant literature and databases

Key words:

• sport, vulnerable groups, equality, inclusion and equity