Horizon Europe - Pillar II - Cluster 2 - Culture, Creativity and Inclusive Society - Call 2026 - DEMOCRACY

Cluster 2, ‘Culture, Creativity and Inclusive Society’ aims to meet EU goals and priorities on enhancing democratic governance and citizens participation, on the safeguarding and promotion of cultural heritage, and to respond to and shape multifaceted social, economic, technological and cultural transformations. Cluster 2 mobilises multidisciplinary expertise of European social sciences and humanities (SSH) for understanding fundamental contemporary transformations of society, economy, politics and culture. It aims to provide evidence-based policy options for a socially just and inclusive European green and digital transition and recovery.

The EU is strongly committed to the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), many of which have an important impact on culture, creativity, and inclusive society, notably: SDG 1 (No poverty), SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being), SDG 4 (Quality Education), SDG 5 (Gender Equality), SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth), SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities), SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities), SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production), and SDG 16 (Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions), with their specific targets to achieve a better and more sustainable future for all.

Proposals are invited against the following three (3) destinations:

Activities contributing to the destination "Innovative Research on Democracy and Governance", will provide knowledge, data and scientifically robust recommendations to reinvigorate and strengthen democratic governance, improve critical thinking and trust in democratic institutions. In the long-term, this will contribute to help safeguard fundamental rights to empower active and inclusive citizenship. Research will contribute to understanding current challenges and threats and mapping future pathways for innovative solutions to issues such as addressing the impact of AI and the digital transformation of democracy, reinforcing democratic resilience and civic preparedness and preserving the role of free and plural media as key tenets of democracy. Projects will develop a robust evidence base on which to build effective, relevant and sensible policies that bolster the resilience of democratic systems and protect them from threats, while contributing at the same time to rebuilding citizens’ trust in democracy, its institutions, and the sense of political participation in its widest possible sense.