Announcements on funding opportunities.
Search
- Deadline: 23 September 2027 General informationProgrammeHorizon Europe (HORIZON)CallCulture, Creativity and Inclusive Society - 2027 (HORIZON-CL2-2027-01)Type of actionHORIZON-RIA HORIZON Research and Innovation ActionsType of MGAHORIZON Lump Sum Grant [HORIZON-AG-LS]Deadline modelSingle-stagePlanned opening date13 May 2027Deadline date23 September 2027 17:00:00 Brussels timeTopic descriptionExpected Outcome:Projects should contribute to all of the following expected outcomes:Policymakers, public administrations, human rights organisations, and civil society actors have strengthened mechanisms to protect groups in a vulnerable situation (such as women, LGBTIQ people, persons with disabilities and minorities) in contexts of autocracy, conflict, and geopolitical instability.Researchers and data collection bodies benefit from robust methodologies to systematically document and analyse the impact of democratic backsliding, conflict, and geopolitical shifts on the rights of these specific groups in a vulnerable situation.Civil society organisations and grassroots movements have enhanced their resilience and advocacy strategies, thanks to the identification of best practices and innovative approaches to counter repression, expand civic space, and promote inclusive governance, including in authoritarian or conflict settings.Scope:Autocratic regimes, armed conflicts, and global geopolitical shifts pose significant threats to fundamental rights. These challenges manifest in the rollback of legal protections, increased political violence, shrinking civic space, and targeted discrimination, both offline and online. In this context, a deeper understanding of the disproportionate impact of these crises on different groups is key to developing more targeted and effective policies.The proposed research should examine the intersection of age, gender, sex, sexual orientation, minority status, or migratory background, in contexts of democratic erosion, authoritarian governance, and geopolitical crises. It can focus on one or multiple groups in a vulnerable situation, such as women, LGBTIQ people, ethnic and/or religious minorities, people with disabilities, children or the elderly. Case studies could be selected to reflect a wide range of geopolitical contexts, including regions undergoing democratic erosion, post-conflict reconstruction, or consolidation of authoritarian rule.The proposed research should analyse how legal and institutional frameworks are weaponised and leveraged by authoritarian actors to restrict rights, the role of civil society in resisting repression, and the impact of digital surveillance, algorithmic discrimination and online disinformation in targeting specific groups in a vulnerable situation.Particular attention should be given to the restricted access to sexual and reproductive health rights during crises, armed conflicts, and geopolitical shifts, as well as the prevalence of gender-based violence (GBV). In such contexts, GBV can be frequently used as a coercive tactic, reinforcing discrimination and reversing progress on gender equality. Hate-motivated violence can become even more complex when directed at women and groups in a vulnerable situation, further limiting their access to humanitarian assistance and undermining their fundamental rights. Therefore, the proposed research should develop prevention and response strategies for public administration, law enforcement, and military bodies to combat GBV effectively in crisis situations.Proposals should take an interdisciplinary approach, combining SSH disciplines with insights from computer science and data analytics. They should integrate a strong data-driven approach and could explore aspects such as:Mapping and measuring the compounded effects of conflict, forced displacement, and democratic backsliding on access to rights, services, and political participation.Developing new methodologies and indicators to assess the impact of shrinking civic space and legal rollbacks on gender and minority rights.Creating data-driven tools or policy dashboards to monitor the evolving risks faced by women, LGBTIQ people, and/or various minority groups in authoritarian and post-conflict settings.Proposals should adopt a multi-scalar approach that connects grassroots-level experiences of discrimination and exclusion with macro-level geopolitical, legal and policy frameworks. Proposals could assess how international and European actors can effectively counter these trends through diplomatic efforts, development cooperation, and targeted support for civil society. Engaging with policymakers, human rights organisations, and affected communities is essential.Proposals are encouraged to identify other relevant EU-funded projects, notably in cluster 2 and 3, and to explore potential collaboration opportunities with them. In order to achieve the topic’s expected outcomes, international cooperation is encouraged.Where applicable, proposals should leverage the data and services available through European Research Infrastructures federated under the European Open Science Cloud (EOSC), as well as data from relevant Data Spaces. Particular efforts should be made to ensure that the data produced in the context of this topic is FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable and Re-usable).
- Deadline: 23 September 2027 General informationProgrammeHorizon Europe (HORIZON)CallCulture, Creativity and Inclusive Society - 2027 (HORIZON-CL2-2027-01)Type of actionHORIZON-RIA HORIZON Research and Innovation ActionsType of MGAHORIZON Lump Sum Grant [HORIZON-AG-LS]Deadline modelSingle-stagePlanned opening date13 May 2027Deadline date23 September 2027 17:00:00 Brussels timeTopic descriptionExpected Outcome:Projects should contribute to all of the following expected outcomes:Enhanced understanding of the impact of AI-driven technologies, including AI-generated deepfakes and automated content generation on equality, political participation, democratic processes, public trust, and social cohesion, with evidence-based insights into their role in mitigating or exacerbating disparities.Uptake of evidence-based policy frameworks for responsible, trustworthy, and transparent AI governance, integrating ethical, legal, and societal considerations to safeguard fundamental rights, mitigate risks of disinformation, and ensure fair and safe AI deployment, in line with the obligations set out in the EU Regulation on artificial intelligence.Increased public awareness and media literacy to empower citizens to identify and critically assess disinformation, use of deepfakes for malicious purpose, and online harm, alongside the uptake of evidence-based tools for preventing, detecting, and mitigating these harms.Strengthened capacity of academic institutions to conduct societally relevant AI research and drive the development of trustworthy, ethical AI models, enabled by increased academia-industry collaboration and better access to e.g., computing infrastructure, high-quality datasets, collaborative tools, and funding.Scope:The rapid development and deployment of AI technologies, along with their malicious use such as the creation of artificially generated and manipulated content,, profoundly impacts democracy, equality, social inclusion, and knowledge production, and contributes to the rise of cyberviolence. Although AI can offer many opportunities, its misuse can facilitate/amplify inequalities and power imbalances, spread misinformation and cyberviolence against women, children and minorities, concentrate data control, and undermine democratic processes. Hence, this topic addresses both the malicious use of AI (e.g. AI-generated disinformation, deepfakes, cyberviolence) and its unintentional societal consequences (e.g. algorithmic opacity, amplification of bias).AI’s role in media influence and public trust demands urgent attention, as the rise of AI-generated or manipulated content, including deepfakes, threatens democratic processes and epistemic rights. A key area of concern is how AI and artificially generated content is impacting cyberviolence, and the effect it has on individuals or groups who distrust democracy, particularly where this distrust intersects with far-left and far-right populism and foreign interference.Proposals should explore how AI-driven technologies and their use may either exacerbate or mitigate inequalities and discriminations based on sex, gender, sexual orientation, racial or ethnic background, religion or belief, age, and disability, particularly in access to information, decision-making, and representation. A critical analysis is needed of how data - often reflecting existing social biases - can reinforce or challenge dominant social structures and safety, and how such technologies shape public perceptions and knowledge production.The research should also explore the risks these technologies pose to democratic integrity, particularly through the manipulation of public opinion, electoral processes, and governance systems. Deepfakes and AI-generated misinformation and disinformation can distort facts, spread false narratives, and undermine public trust. Addressing these concerns requires a comprehensive understanding of how AI may be (mis)used to shape political campaigns, media narratives, public engagement, and the spread and dissemination of (gendered) disinformation. Proposals are encouraged to examine how AI-generated content across media, including entertainment media, influence public opinion, social narratives, gender stereotypes and norms, and civic engagement.Furthermore, proposals should look into how cyberviolence, including online harassment, cyberbullying, threats, and gender-based violence, is exacerbated by sharing manipulated content like deepfakes, deep nudes and AI-driven sextortion on online platforms through manipulated content like deepfakes, deep nudes and AI-driven sextortion. Research should identify how AI may be used to amplify and upscale harm, what the nature of the AI-powered output is, and which groups are disproportionately affected by it, looking particularly at women and minorities, and explore interventions to prevent and mitigate these risks. This includes analysing not only the unintended reproduction of cyberviolence through biased outputs, but also the ways in which AI-powered platforms may be misused by users to generate and/or spread harmful, discriminatory or violent content. A comprehensive assessment of unregulated AI-induced risks of sexual exploitation, violence, and gender-based harm is largely missing for effective regulation, oversight, and prosecution. A multidisciplinary review is needed to evaluate AI-driven risks exposing children, young people, women, older persons and LGBTIQ people to such violence online and offline.Proposals should research on policy and concrete practices that can effectively address the challenges posed by AI technologies, taking into consideration the EU Regulation on artificial intelligence and subsequent guidance being developed to support its implementation. Proposals should identify best practices and regulatory measures to ensure the ethical deployment of AI and AI literacy while safeguarding equality and democratic integrity. A key aspect of this research is recognising AI’s growing role in shaping policy and judicial decisions. While its integration can improve efficiencies, concerns about bias and fairness persist. Proposals are encouraged to explore AI’s influence on legal and policy outcomes, including unintended consequences.Additionally, proposals should consider AI’s use and impact on young people. Although AI is not specifically designed for minors, youth are among its most active users. Biases within AI-generated or manipulated content, particularly related to sex gender, sexual orientation, ethnic and racial background, can shape young users’ perceptions, perpetuate stereotypes, affect engagement and mental and physical well-being. Research should investigate how AI systems influence these aspects, and the opportunities and risks associated, including the potential psychological effects of exposure to biased or harmful content.A key focus should be interdisciplinary research on AI’s role in societal resilience, countering misinformation and disinformation, enhancing civic engagement, and supporting marginalised communities. Proposals should explore inclusive and innovative tools and methodologies for detecting and mitigating deepfakes, disinformation, and cyberviolence facilitated through AI, designed for broad adoption by policymakers, technology developers, media organisations, and the general public.Effectively addressing these multifaceted challenges demands to combine data-driven analysis, drawing on expertise from a wide range of fields, including both academic disciplines (e.g., computer science, and SSH disciplines such as communication and media sciences, ethics, law, political science, sociology, psychology, and gender studies) and the applied perspectives of those involved in shaping and steering AI technologies in practice.This research should contribute to the EU’s broader AI strategy, supporting the implementation of the Artificial Intelligence Act and aligning with the EU’s Political Guidelines for 2024-2029. This research should also contribute to the implementation of other EU legislative frameworks, such as the Directive on combating violence against women and domestic violence, that criminalises various cyberviolence offences, including malicious deepfakes, and the Digital Services Act, which addresses illegal content online, including false or manipulated information inciting hate or discrimination. It should also inform global discussions on ethical AI governance and responsible innovation.Proposals are encouraged to identify other relevant EU-funded projects, and to explore potential collaboration opportunities with them.The projects selected for funding are encouraged to collaborate with the JRC to seek synergies with its work on innovations in public governance.
- Deadline: 23 September 2027 General informationProgrammeHorizon Europe (HORIZON)CallCulture, Creativity and Inclusive Society - 2027 (HORIZON-CL2-2027-01)Type of actionHORIZON-RIA HORIZON Research and Innovation ActionsType of MGAHORIZON Lump Sum Grant [HORIZON-AG-LS]Deadline modelSingle-stagePlanned opening date13 May 2027Deadline date23 September 2027 17:00:00 Brussels timeTopic descriptionExpected Outcome:Projects should contribute to all of the following expected outcomes:EU and national policymakers promote and protect human rights and gender equality globally by developing and implementing effective mechanisms for investigating and prosecuting international crimes, and cooperation frameworks with third countries to ensure humanitarian assistance, security, and respect for international law.Organisations in the EU Enlargement, Neighbourhood and low- and lower middle-income countries empower groups in a vulnerable situation and excluded or marginalized individuals, including, by promoting and protecting human rights and gender equality, providing essential services, and advocating for policy changes that advance equality and social justice, through enhanced capacity, awareness, strengthened partnerships, and effective reporting of human rights abuses.EU and national policymakers integrate human rights considerations into trade policies and practices, ensuring that trade agreements, supply chains, and labour standards promote human dignity, equality, fairness and well-being, and prevent human rights abuses.Scope:The promotion of human rights and gender and age equality is a pressing concern for the European Union in today's multipolar world, where vulnerable groups in a vulnerable situation and excluded or marginalized individuals, including ethnic and religious minorities, people with disabilities, migrants, as well as women, and LGBTIQ people, face persecution, discrimination, and violence. The EU's response to these issues is influenced also by the complexities of global governance, trade, human rights and rule of law, and geopolitical interests.The EU's values and human rights are being tested in a global context, where trade policies, supply chains, and labour rights are increasingly intertwined. The impact of sanctions and trade, conditionality, and other measures on human rights is unclear, and the role of national and international courts and international organisations in promoting accountability is uncertain and increasingly contested.Moreover, the EU's external actions and Member States’ foreign policies have internal consequences, for instance undermining their democratic reputation and values if they are perceived as inconsistent or hypocritical, or producing negative impacts on European enterprises in terms of access to markets or to critical raw materials. For groups, such as refugees, women, LGBTIQ people, elderly persons, and indigenous peoples, who are already subject to various types of exclusion and discrimination and who might be further disenfranchised by the EU's foreign policy, this is particularly problematic.There is a need for research (including by SSH disciplines) to better understand these complex relationships and to identify innovative approaches to promoting and protecting human rights and gender equality. This includes examining the impact of trade policies and investments policies on human rights (including Global Gateway infrastructure investment strategy), and on the perception of the EU as a values-based actor, developing effective diplomatic strategies and cooperation frameworks, and investigating the role of national courts and international organisations in promoting accountability.Proposals may also incorporate participatory research approaches to enhance inclusivity and stakeholder engagement.Proposals are encouraged to identify other relevant EU-funded projects related to EU democracy support, civil society engagement, and international cooperation on sustainable peace and democratic governance, and to explore potential collaboration opportunities with them.The geographical scope of this research should include the EU Neighbourhood and low- and lower middle-income countries, with a focus on the Western Balkan and the accession countries. International cooperation is strongly encouraged.