Industrial Transformation Research Hubs 2027 (IH27)

Fostering cooperation and integration between SSH and STEM research and innovation in the EU is sponsored by European Commission — Horizon Europe. Expected Outcome: Projects should contribute to all of the following expected outcomes: Greater integration of SSH and STEM [1] research and innovation in R&I initiatives funded at EU level, national and/or regional level, as well as in R&I policies by promoting dialogue, mutual learning and strategic cooperation among research funders and policy makers in the EU. Developing and maintaining a new, common, comprehensive ‘Monitoring and Impact Evaluation Framework’ for SSH integration in current and future EU R&I initiatives. Enhanced facilitation of knowledge exploitation and support to the cooperation between projects and stakeholders, as well as R&I policies involved in projects and other types of cross-border networks dealing with SSH and STEM research and innovation. Scope: As mentioned in the Report ‘Align, Act, Accelerate: Research, Technology and Innovation to boost European Competitiveness’ [2] , European RD&I can provide a new understanding of and solutions to tackle societal challenges. Social sciences and humanities (SSH) and Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM) improve the research activities, outcomes and impacts of Horizon Europe, because they enable a greater understanding of societal and competitiveness benefits. The cooperation of SSH and STEM in through trans- and interdisciplinary science is part of a science that is excellent, as it not only delivers excellence in the technical aspects, but also in taking account different societal needs. Thus, there is need for a leading role at European level for this cooperation. Proposals are expected to create an SSH-STEM Action, that focusses on SSH-STEM monitoring, SSH-STEM facilitation and SSH-STEM promotion, at European level, which should also include all the following aspects: 1. Monitoring : Monitoring is a major aspect of the essential activities [3] . The action should create a new strategy in the first year of the project with the aim to develop and to monitor the SSH-STEM research cooperation (e.g. A.I. search tools). This monitoring strategy should meet the following requirements: Applicants should provide a clear justification of what significant steps forward they propose regarding methodology compared to previous reporting on SSH-STEM collaboration (see relevant reports), data management, analytical methods, data collection. Robust open data driven approaches are strongly encouraged. Applicants should describe what steps they will undertake to ensure the delivery of reporting on a yearly basis, which should include the data collection, data analysis, and interpretation of SSH-STEM related cooperation data (in EU-funded projects in Horizon Europe where there is SSH-STEM cooperation). 2. Facilitation and promotion : Applicants should develop guidelines for SSH-STEM cooperation and support stakeholders in their projects when SSH-STEM cooperation is possible within the project, with a focus on increasing the quality and depth of cooperation and applying cooperation where most relevant. Applicants are encouraged to propose approaches, such as training to researchers on how to best integrate either STEM or SSH into their research. In addition, applicants should take into account the collaboration within SSH sciences on their own, as well as attention for not only quantitative SSH disciplines, but also qualitative SSH. The action should organize an annual event showcasing SSH and STEM cooperation; with exchanges with / for policy makers, best practice examples and showcasing funded projects/ programs at EU, national and other levels. The action is also expected to provide a quantitative and qualitative R&D evidence base on how to ensure that policies (including funding) aimed at stimulating research & innovation are appropriate for the sectors which have the greatest potential to contribute to Europe’s competitiveness. Applicants should propose evaluation metrics for SSH-STEM cooperation within research projects. 3. SSH/ Programme areas: Horizon Europe (HORIZON), Global Challenges and European Industrial Competitiveness, Culture, creativity and inclusive society, Social and Economic Transformations Keywords: Innovation methodologies, Knowledge management, Project management and coordination, Types of innovation, SSH-Integration, STEM, concept construction, monitoring, social sciences and humanities

Understanding the forms of local democracy in low-income and low-middle income countries is sponsored by European Commission — Horizon Europe. Expected Outcome: Projects should contribute to all of the following expected outcomes: EU institutions and national decision-makers are equipped with science-based tools, toolkits, training models, monitoring frameworks, and recommendations to proactively promote inequality reduction, human rights and democracy, in order to lead to more resilient and inclusive democratic societies in low-income and low-middle income countries [1] EU institutions and national decision-makers are better able to proactively promote democratic values, principles and practices in low- and low-middle income countries grounded in a better understanding of the actors at local level including their capacity and needs when engaging in democratic practices. EU institutions, national decision-makers, and civil society organisations can access and use (evidence-based) good practices for working in fragile contexts [2] EU institutions and national decision-makers understand the role of decentralization processes in low-income and low-middle income countries, and its impact on the quality of public services and on acceptance of democratic processes among citizens. In addition, projects should contribute to at least one of the following expected outcomes: Policymakers, public authorities, and service delivery providers have a better understanding of the link between efficient delivery of public services and pro-democratic sentiment in low-income and low-middle income countries. Civil society organisations, and other relevant actors, working in the fields of development cooperation and promotion of human rights have better tools to promote democratic practices at local level in low-income and low-middle income countries. Scope: Democratic backsliding and human rights rollbacks are increasing globally, especially in low- and middle-income countries, driven by internal instability and external interference promoting non-democratic models. These trends also represent a risk to the security of European citizens and businesses, and a destabilisation factor in the countries and regions with which the EU maintains diplomatic and economic relations. To tackle this, the EU has developed and started to implement several strategies to promote and defend democracy and human rights in third countries [3] . Developing countries with strong local democratic practices, such as elections and representative democracy at levels below the national government, tend to be more resilient against democratic backsliding. Proposals should therefore gather evidence on how actors in economic, political, and social ecosystems at the local level could foster democratic practices, increase citizens' trust in governance and democratic institutions, improve transparency of decision making, and promote respect for human rights. Proposals are also encouraged to gather evidence on different forms of democratic participation and governance at local level, paying particular attention to the inclusion of women and marginalised and underrepresented groups. In countries where central governments face significant territorial challenges and lack effective control over certain areas, the EU and Member States are left to cooperate with administrations at sub-national levels. In these cases, the objectives of the research projects may be achieved through the consultation and engagement of local administrations and civil society partners. Proposals are encouraged to investigate how EU and national public authorities can operate in these fragile contexts, where central governments do not have sound control of areas of the country. In addition, proposals are encouraged to investigate the link between efficient public service delivery and pro-democratic sentiment, experiences, and outcomes (measured, for example, by civic participation or trust in institutions), deliver a critical analysis of the evidence collected and identify good practices, conditions and methods for their transferability to other context Programme areas: Horizon Europe (HORIZON), Global Challenges and European Industrial Competitiveness, Culture, creativity and inclusive society, Democracy and Governance Keywords: Developing countries, New participatory democracy models, Political systems and institutions, governance, Social structure, inequalities, social mobility, interethnic relations, Transformation of societies, democratization, social movements, ACP, ACP countries, Africa, Central Asia, Eastern Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean, South Asia, Southeast Asia, Sub-Saharan Africa, capacity building, civic participation, community engagement, decentralisation, democracy, democratisation, developing countries, electoral processes, forms of governance, governance, governance structures, grassroots movements, inclusive governance, institutional development, local democracy, local government, low-income countries, middle-income countries, political participation, public administration, socio-economic development