The results of the 2024 call for Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions Staff Exchanges (MSCA SE) of Horizon Europe, the European Union's framework programme for research and innovation (R&I) for the 2021-2027 period, have been released.

There were five winning proposals coordinated by Portuguese institutions. Together with the University of Aveiro, Instituto Superior Técnico, Instituto de Geografia e Ordenamento do Território of the University of Lisbon and Instituto de Telecomunicações, CIIE/FPCEUP of the University of Porto is the leader of one of the five winning consortia.

This project, coordinated by Amélia Veiga, Associate Professor at the University of Porto and researcher at CIIE, is entitled ‘Democratic Roles of Universities (DRU): Practicing Democratic Values in Science, Education, Civic Engagement and Governance’. The process of drawing up the proposal benefited from the significant and dedicated involvement of Sofia Almeida Santos, a researcher from CIIE, and, through the financial support provided by CIIE, the collaboration of Mariana Fonseca.

The consortium obtained a total score of 89. 40 (out of 100), the international consortium also includes nine other academic organisations and six non-academic organisations from various countries in Europe, Australia and South Africa (with the person responsible for each team indicated in brackets): Aarhus University, Denmark (Susan Wright); Assumption Development Centre, South Africa (Masonwabe Nduna); Budapest University of Economics and Business, Hungary (Zsuzsanna Margit Géring); Centre for Anglophone Studies/Université Toulouse Jean Jaurès, France (Marie Agnes Détourbe); Deakin University, Australia (Jill Blackmore); Environmental Social Science Research Group, Hungary (Bálint Balázs); EURODOC- Le Conseil Europeen des Doctorants et Jeunes Docteurs, Belgium (Pil Saugmann); Erasmus Student Network AISBL, Belgium (Wim Gabriels); Globale Studerende Danmark, Denmark (Jacob Blasius); INCHER-Kassel, Germany (Tim Seidenschnur); Institut national des Sciences Appliquées, France (Daniela Chlang); Rhodes University, South Africa (Sioux MsKenna); Toulouse Capitole University, France (Charlotte Rault); Osservatorio Della Magna Charta Sui Valori e Diritti Fondamentali Dell Universita, Italy (David Lock); UPTEC, Portugal (Maria Oliveira).

DRU's main objective is to contribute to knowledge about how democratic values can be optimally instituted in the policies and practices associated with the role of universities, in order to strengthen the democratic fabric of society in the three regions of the world mentioned. Based on participatory and experiential research methodologies, which will enable the co-production of knowledge, a consortium representing academic and non-academic sectors will deepen an interdisciplinary, intersectoral and international perspective in the field of higher education.

Exchanges are planned in which people working in the academic and non-academic sectors, as well as being involved in the knowledge production process, will acquire skills relevant to the development and expansion of their career horizons, boosting more innovative and inclusive scientific advances, while host organisations enrich their research and innovation capacities through the exchange of knowledge and diverse perspectives.

Research, as a continuous process of reflection and transformation, emphasises the importance of integrating democratic values into institutional practices.

With an allocated budget of 1,593,180.00 euros, the project will run for 48 months.

MSCA Staff Exchanges are projects that promote innovative international, intersectoral and interdisciplinary collaboration in research and innovation through research, staff exchanges (secondments) and the sharing of knowledge and ideas at all stages of the development of a research project. The main objective is to cultivate sustainable collaborative projects between different organisations in the academic and non-academic world, in Europe and worldwide.

Congratulations to the team!