Deadline: 20-Apr-22
The European Commission is calling for proposals for Politics and the Impact of Online Social Networks and New Media.
Scope
Social media and other internet-based platforms are intertwined with political life. They play an important role in allowing people to design, consume and share political news, seek political information and discuss, make decisions, donate money, or engage with political parties and other organisations. Furthermore, these platforms and media are supposed to open new avenues to political engagement and democratic participation. However, developments in the recent past have created anxieties about their capacity to protect citizens from disinformation and to serve as balanced and open public fora for democratic debates. Social platforms and new media are increasingly perceived as conducive to the creation of ideological “echo-chambers” eroding the space for public dialogue. They are seen as fostering polarisation, radicalisation, depoliticisation, spreading misinformation and subject to manipulation. At the same time, they have been used in attempts to covertly influence the political choices of citizens, thus sapping their democratic credentials.
Funding Information
The check will normally be done for the coordinator if the requested grant amount is equal to or greater than EUR 500 000, except for:
- public bodies (entities established as a public body under national law, including local, regional or national authorities) or international organisations; and
- cases where the individual requested grant amount is not more than EUR 60 000 (lowvalue grant).
Expected Outcomes
Projects should contribute to all of the following expected outcomes:
- Understand the changes wrought on democratic processes by new technologies.
- Produce evidence-based recommendations to address the opportunities and challenges for political behaviour and democratic engagement presented by social platforms and new media.
- Enhance capacities for digital citizenship.
Eligibility Criteria
To be eligible for funding, applicants must be established in one of the eligible countries, i.e.:
- the Member States of the European Union, including their outermost regions;
- the Overseas Countries and Territories (OCTs) linked to the Member States;
-
eligible non-EU countries:
- countries associated to Horizon Europe
- low- and middle-income countries.
For more information, visit European Commission.
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