As the European Union is currently facing many complex challenges, the role of social sciences and humanities (SSH) is crucial to understand rapid and structural transformations of the European societies and to prepare evidence-based policy responses.
To foster the role of SSH, the EU issued several programs and grant schemes supporting researchers, innovators and civil organizations engaged in social sciences and humanities, including a special place for SSH in Horizon Europe, the biggest research and innovation program of the EU.
Social Sciences and Humanities in Horizon Europe
The role of SSH is reflected in the foundations of Horizon Europe and derives from the general structure of the Framework Programme, stipulated in the art 4. of the Regulation (EU) 2021/695 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 28 April 2021 establishing Horizon Europe, stating that “Social sciences and humanities (SSH) shall play an important role across all clusters”. The document defines the general structure of Horizon Europe Framework Programme and was agreed jointly by the Commission, Member States and Parliament in September 2020.
One of Horizon Europe program line – Pilar 2. Global Challenges and European Industrial Competitiveness – is devoted to applied research. The social sciences and humanities were given a special place within Horizon Europe. Firstly, under Pilar 2. of HE Cluster 2. Culture, Creativity and Inclusive society was established, focusing on three areas at the very heart of SSH research: democracy, cultural heritage, and social transformation. Secondly, a strong emphasis on integrating social sciences and humanities across the entire program was implemented.
Are you intrested in the integration of the SSH in the EU Framework Programmes? The French presidency of the EU would like to invite you to answer an open questionnaire about some major challenges and trends of SSH research.
Clustere 2: Cluture, Creativity and Inclusive Society
Under the Pillar 2 of Horizon Europe, Cluster 2 “Culture, Creativity and Inclusive Society“ focusses on challenges to democratic governance, cultural heritage and the creative economy, as well as social and economic transformations. The cluster aims to strengthen European democratic values, including rule of law and fundamental rights, safeguarding our cultural heritage, and promoting socio-economic transformations that contribute to inclusion and growth.
The expected impacts of this cluster are contained in the Horizon Europe strategic plan.
Destinations (areas of intervention):
- democracy
- cultural heritage
- social and economic transformations
Why the EU supports social sciences and humanities (SSH) research? Take a look at policy information: Research area: Social Sciences and Humanities
Work Programme 2021-2022 Cluster 2 “Culture, Creativity and Inclusive Society”
All funding information and details on how to apply are on the Funding and Tenders portal
Want to know more?
Take a look at presentations from the EC Cluster 2 Information Day held on December 2021 or go directly to the recordings:
Horizon Europe info-days – Cluster 2: Welcome and Destination 1
Horizon Europe info-days – Cluster 2: Destination 2
Horizon Europe info-days – Cluster 2: Destination 3
Would you like to know who is interested in Cluster 2? Check out the Brokerage Event Call 2022
Check also information on PolSCA webinar series on Horizon Europe: Cluster 2. Culture, Creativity and Inclusive society
SSH Flgged topics
The integration of SSH in all clusters, including all Missions and European partnerships, is a principle throughout Horizon Europe.
“The effective integration of social sciences and humanities (SSH) in all clusters, including all missions and partnerships, is a principle through the programme cycle. SSH are a key constituent of research and innovation, especially regarding the twin green and digital transitions. This will be reflected by flagging specific topics and/or requesting an assessment of their societal impact. For these topics, SSH should be integrated from the drafting of the topic to the selection and evaluation of projects by evaluators with demonstrable SSH expertise. In addition, the expected societal impact must be explicitly set out in the topics, projects, deliverables and outputs.”
Horizon Europe Strategic plan 2021-2024
Where relevant, contributions from SSH disciplines should ber included in research and innovation chains. Hence, many topics such as natural and physical sciences, health sciences or technology invite contributions from the SSH. These topics have been flagged and can be found on the Funding & Tenders Portal.
Proposals under flagged topics are expected to integrate the SSH perspective, e.g. social, economic, behavioural, institutional, historical, cultural dimensions etc.
Flagged topics can be found in the document Opportunities for Researchers from the Social Sciences and Humanities in Horizon Europe, prepared by the network of National Contact Points (NCPs)
Democracy in times of societal transformation
Societal transformations typically refer to profound and long-lasting changes, involving social, cultural, technological, political or economic processes. Our societies evolve constantly and changes as such are both challenges and drivers of our societies.
To bring together the expert scientific community working on issues related to the impact of digital technologies on society, the online event Societal Transformations in the Digital Age: Opportunities for Interdisciplinary Research in Horizon Europe is organized by four liason offices on 12th of May 2022.
To know more, chcek the event website.
To watch the transmision from the webinar please click below:
For examples of EU funded projects focused on democracy, check CORDIS Results Packs – multilingual collections of up-to-date articles that focus on a specific theme, bringing you results that you can apply in your domain, especially CORDIS Results Pack on challenges to democracy in Europe A thematic collection of innovative EU-funded research results
Opportunities for the culture and creative sectors
To ease access to the funding opportunities available for the cultural and creative sectors across all the funding sources of the European Union available in 2021-2027, the European Commission has prepared CulturEU Funding Guide – in form of a booklet and also an interavtive online tool.
Current funding opportunities can be found here.
Check also the funding opportunities by using The CulturEU funding guide EU Funding Opportunities for the Cultural and Creative Sectors 2021-2027
Creative Europe
Creative Europe Programme brings together actions supporting the European cultural and creative sectors. The new Programme builds on and continues the structure of the previous one, with the budget of EUR 2.4 billion for the period 2021-2027.
The general goals of the Programme are:
- to safeguard, develop and promote European cultural and linguistic diversity and heritage;
- to increase the competitiveness and the economic potential of the cultural and creative sectors, in particular the audiovisual sector.
These goals are pursued through the following specific objectives:
- enhancing artistic and cultural cooperation at the European level, in order to support the creation of European works and strengthen the economic, social and external dimensions of and innovation and mobility in Europe’s cultural and creative sectors (CULTURE strand);
- promoting the competitiveness, scalability, cooperation, innovation, and sustainability, including through mobility in the European audiovisual sector (MEDIA strand);
- promoting policy cooperation and innovative actions supporting all strands of the Programme, promoting a diverse, independent and pluralistic media environment, and media literacy, thereby fostering freedom of artistic expression, intercultural dialogue and social inclusion (CROSS SECTORAL strand).
The national website can be found here: https://kreatywna-europa.eu/
EIT Knowledge and Innovation Community (KIC)
An EIT Knowledge and Innovation Community is a partnership bringing together partners from business, research centres and higher education institutions to foster innovation. The EIT has set up eight KICs, each devoted to specific global challenge, from climate change to sustainable energy and urban mobility to digitisation of our societies.
To know more check the Factsheet on the new EIT KIC on Cultural and Creative Sectors and Industries (CCSI).
In 2021 the EIT launched a Call for Proposals for a new Knowledge and Innovation Community (KIC) for Europe’s vibrant Culture and Creative Sectors and Industries (CCSI).
Contact: Magdalena Dobrzyńska, magdalena.dobrzynska@polsca.pan.pl
