Research and Innovation Network for a Union of Equality

The rule of law, respect for human rights and democracy are foundational values of the EU laid down in Article 2 of the Treaty on European Union. These values provide the Union with principled orientations to meet the inevitable geopolitical economic, social and demographic changes that could not be foreseen at the time the Treaties were drafted. This includes how the digital transformation would affect how the debate and political processes would be shaped.

Democracy is cultural practice as much as it is a political system. It is a key strength of European societies, helping ensure respect for equality, the rule of law, fundamental rights and liberty. Actors with anti-democratic tendencies attack democracies and their institutions because democracy is a safeguard against them[[The 2025 report of the V-Dem Institute (“25 years of Autocratization-Democracy Trumped?”) confirms the appalling signs, indicators and tendencies captured over previous years of measurement: “The trend of the ‘third wave of autocratization’ is deepening and spreading. That includes weakening of democracy in some established liberal democracies, breakdown of democracy in countries that were democratic for most of the 21st century, as well as deepening of autocracy in already autocratic states […] The global democratic decline deepens, regardless of how we slice the data and whichever measure we use” (pp. 9 and 10)]]. Even traditionally well-functioning democracies face many challenges, which means that they also continuously need to adapt as conditions change. Social sciences and humanities (SSH) research plays a crucial role in understanding current challenges and threats and mapping future pathways for innovative solutions. Building on historical, cultural, social, legal and philosophical perspectives, research will foster the further development of democracy with a view to enhancing citizen participation and inclusive policymaking, promoting equality and inclusiveness, addressing the impact of AI and the digital transformation of democracy. It will also reinforce democratic resilience and civic preparedness, and preserve the role of free, independent and plural media as key tenets of democracy, among other objectives.

Expected impact:

Proposals for topics under this destination should set out a credible pathway to contributing to the following expected impact of the Horizon Europe Strategic Plan:

• Reinvigorating democratic governance by improving the independence, accountability, transparency, effectiveness and trustworthiness of institutions and policies based on rule of law, and through the expansion of active and inclusive citizens’ participation and engagement empowered by the safeguarding of fundamental rights.

The aim of the research investment supporting this impact is to develop a robust evidence base that can inform the establishment of effective, relevant and sensible policies, which bolster the resilience of democratic systems and protect them from threats. At the same time, it seeks to foster critical thinking while also reinforcing citizens’ trust in democracy, its institutions, and the sense of political participation in its widest possible sense.

The destination seeks synergies with other relevant EU programmes, in particular for the uptake of research results and innovative solutions developed under Horizon Europe. Interaction – among others – with the following programmes is encouraged: Digital Europe (DIGITAL), Technical Support Instrument, CERV (Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values), Erasmus+, ESF+ and Global Europe: Neighbourhood, Development and International Cooperation Instrument.

Applicants are encouraged to consider, where relevant, the services offered by the current and future EU-funded European Research Infrastructures, particularly those in the social sciences and humanities domain^[1]. Where applicable, proposals should leverage the data and services available through European Research Infrastructures federated under the European Open Science Cloud, as well as data from relevant Data Spaces.

As the destination aims directly at citizen engagement and at producing lasting change, it is of particular importance that the research and innovation actions promote the highest standards of transparency and openness. Particular efforts should be made to ensure that the data produced in the context of this destination is FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable and Re-usable). When applicable, it is encouraged to open up the process, criteria, methodologies and data to civil society in the course of the research.

To maximise the impacts of R&I under this Destination in line with EU priorities, international cooperation is encouraged whenever relevant in the proposed topics.

[1] For a full list see https://ri-portfolio.esfri.eu/ri-portfolio/table. In the social sciences domain, see for example: CESSDA - Consortium of European Social Science Data Archives (https://www.cessda.eu/), ESS – European Social Survey (https://www.europeansocialsurvey.org/), SHARE - Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (https://www.share-eric.eu/) or the European Holocaust Research Infrastructure (https://ehri-project.eu/)

Expected Outcome:

Projects should contribute to all of the following expected outcomes:

• Policymakers are made aware and are equipped with the knowledge and tools to integrate inclusive and intersectional perspectives into their policymaking, which strengthens their capacity to promote and protect democracy, fundamental rights, and EU values.
• Researchers gain insights on how to translate their findings on intersectional inequalities and democracy into actionable, evidence-based recommendations, enabling them to effectively inform policy and practice at local, regional, national, and EU levels.
• Innovative solutions developed under Horizon Europe and other EU-funding programmes empower equally all citizens, to participate in democratic processes and decision-making.

Scope:

This call topic aims to establish a Research and Innovation Network for a Union of Equality. The proposed network should bring together academic institutions, public bodies and civil society organisations to collaborate and promote the advancement of inclusive, equal, and resilient democratic societies.

The proposed network should contribute to the development of a comprehensive approach to democracy, fostering a culture of participation and inclusivity, and promoting the EU values of equality, justice, and human rights. It should also address how equality and intersectionality are defined across the EU’s diverse socio-political landscapes to ensure inclusive policies that account for varying cultural and social contexts. It could also reflect on how to foster the implementation of EU strategies under the Union of Equality.^[1]

The network should support the implementation of gender-inclusive and intersectional strategies to counter disinformation, reduce societal polarisation, and re-engage citizens in democratic practices. These efforts could also aim at promoting critical thinking, media literacy, and active civic participation across diverse groups including youth and underrepresented groups. The network could also leverage foresight to anticipate emerging challenges to democracy and inform effective policy responses. Its work should be informed by close contact with elected representatives at local, regional, national and EU levels.

As soon as possible in the network’s lifecycle, a dedicated online platform should be established to share evidence-based recommendations and innovative solutions to strengthen democratic practices based on Horizon Europe projects’ results and other relevant sources. This platform should be backed by a comprehensive repository that gathers information on existing tools, trainings, data, including disaggregated data, and methodologies for gender mainstreaming and addressing intersectional inequalities. It could also include a collaborative webpage for stakeholders to share information on events, calls for papers, and funding opportunities related to inclusive democracy, gender equality, and intersectionality.

The network should ensure and support the translation of research findings (including from SSH disciplines) into actionable, evidence-based proposals, and to enable the development of practical and effective recommendations that drive positive change at different level of actions (local, national, supranational). Living labs and innovation hubs could be used to provide a collaborative environment for stakeholders to co-create and test solutions.

To foster collaboration and drive progress, the network should host an annual thematic forum, providing a platform for stakeholders and policymakers to meet in person and share innovative ideas, receive feedback, and learn from one another.

As a research and innovation area where freedom of science is enshrined and protected, the European Union offers an ideal environment to advance a career. Therefore, the network should also explore how to ensure a safe and enabling research environment, protecting researchers from backlash, hate speech and harassment, and promoting academic freedom and integrity when researching on democracy, inclusive societies, and intersectionality.

The network’s actions should contribute to ensuring that the results and innovations generated by Horizon Europe projects related to inclusiveness in the public space, democracy, and governance are taken up and made available to relevant stakeholders. It could particularly build on past and on-going EU-funded projects, such as those under the topics HORIZON-CL2-2021-DEMOCRACY-01-03, HORIZON-CL2-2022-TRANSFORMATIONS-01-05; HORIZON-CL2-2022-TRANSFORMATIONS-01-08 and HORIZON-CL2-2024-DEMOCRACY-01-05. Proposals are encouraged to identify other relevant EU-funded projects, and to explore potential collaboration opportunities with them.

The action to be funded should have a minimum duration of 4 years.

[1] In 2020 and 2021, the Commission adopted five strategies to create the conditions for everyone to live, thrive and lead regardless of differences based on gender, racial or ethnic origin, religion or belief, disability, age or sexual orientation: the LGBTIQ equality strategy 2020-2025, the gender equality strategy 2020-2025, the strategy for the rights of persons with disabilities 2021-2030, the EU anti-racism action plan 2020-2025, the EU Roma strategic framework for equality, inclusion, and participation 2020-2030. Under the 2024-2029 political cycle, the Commission has committed to renew the strategies on Gender Equality, LGBTIQ and anti-racism.