Cyberbullying is a significant social, health and behavioural concern throughout the EU and worldwide, yet crucial areas in its prevention and intervention have largely been side-lined, namely the key role of parents, as well as the role of gender, disability, ethnicity and sexuality. PARTICIPATE will address this research and action gap, by delivering a world-class multi-sectoral, multi-disciplinary doctoral training program incorporating plans for substantial networking and exchange of information, expertise and action potential regarding the nature and extent of cyberbullying across Europe. By focusing on parents, as well as on gender, disability, ethnicity and sexuality, the project aims to empower both parents and young people, creating a safer space online for our youth, while placing Europe firmly at the forefront of cyberbullying research and practice. This DN brings together many of the foremost world leaders and cutting-edge researchers in the areas of cyberbullying prevention, and is grounded in scientific excellence provided by academic partners across Europe (N=6) with extensive previous experience of collaborating together. This partnership, in conjunction with a strong and diverse range of non-academic partners, including NGOs, youth foundations and internet safety organisations (N=8), will provide a robust multi-disciplinary and inter-sectoral approach to finding solutions to cyberbullying. The objectives will be achieved through a unique combination of individual and collaborative research work, non-academic secondments and workshops on scientific and applied skills facilitated by the academic/non-academic composition of the consortium. The findings generated will produce both practical, research-based programs, and European guidelines on cyberbullying in relation to gender, disability, ethnicity and sexuality. We will generate approximately 40 scientific publications and engage the public with our findings through a Marie Curie Ambassador program.

BioBeo is a 2 year, €2M project with 15 partners, bridging theory and practice. Its overall aim is to develop and deploy an education programme to enhance understanding and engagement across society regarding lifestyle, circularity and bioeconomy, using 5 bioeconomy themes: interconnectedness, outdoor learning, forestry, life below water and the food loop. A network committed to promoting the bioeconomy concept will co-create and co-deliver the programme. BioBeo will provide for better coordination between bio-science and education in schools by developing the Circular Economy Science-Society message with a particular focus on circular lifestyle/behaviours, and a governance framework on society-wide engagement in bioeconomy policy. BioBeo will address social issues such as gender bias, disadvantaged youth groups, migrants and members of society with additional needs. We shall 1. increase awareness of environmental, social and economic benefits of sustainable and circular bioeconomy among young people at pre-school, primary and secondary school level 2. identify institutional and cultural barriers 3. develop innovative approaches and digital toolkits for educational and information materials 4. pilot BioBeo education programme reaching 35 schools, 1,000 university students, 1,800 parents/guardians and 100 teachers across Ireland, Belgium, Netherlands and Germany 5. demonstrate a measured increase in engagement of young people and their intention to pursue education and careers in life science, technology and bioeconomy 6. enhance governance of bioeconomy related processes within society by engaging European citizens from young to old in active policy making 7. coordinate communication and dissemination to optimise the reach and visibility to students, teachers, policy makers and parents. BioBeo will contribute to the transition to a sustainable EU circular bioeconomy by enhancing society-wide awareness and inspiring Europe’s youth to pursue STEM related careers.

EU-society faces four major challenges: the Anthropocene crisis, digitalisation, the pandemic and the Ukraine war and its consequences. All these challenges put at risk the model of liberal democracy, which, of course, has faced similarly internal threats (e.g. political polarisation, right wing extremism, mistrust in scientific research and conspirational beliefs) and external critique (questioning whether plural democracy is the best model to affront societal challenges). Education, and especially Education for Democracy (EfD), shall contribute to the defence and enhancement of democracy. This includes the values and principles encompassed within the UN’s 2030 Agenda and its Sustainable Development Goals. Goal 4.7, in particular, defines that education should promote sustainable lifestyles, human rights, gender equality, promotion of a culture of peace and non-violence, global citizenship and appreciation of cultural diversity. To reinforce the resilience and sustainability of democracy, DEMOCRAT aims, through a participatory approach, to elaborate curricula for EfD based on a framework of responsible democratic competences (RDCs), to test them in open, local, innovative learning projects and to develop a toolbox to support the development of transformative EfD practices in the EU and beyond. DEMOCRAT’s ambitious research and innovation programme will provide insights into the points of comparison and contrast in EfD in the EU-member states, and will develop an innovative curriculum framework linking RDCs with digitalisation and sustainability. DEMOCRAT will test and analyse pedagogical practices and material considering its effectiveness for acquiring democratic competences and European identity. It will garner insights into the factors influencing the impact of EfD on public participation through the analysis of European data-sets, with a particular focus on the relation between socio-economic and educational inequalities and political and social participation.

Secure attachment relationships play an important protective role against the intergenerational transmission of social exclusion, not only at early stages, but at all school levels. LET´S CARE aims to comprehensively understand and improve the caring dimension of educational inclusion and school success. The project main objective is to identify determinants affecting student security as a root cause of underachievement, disengagement and school dropout, at 4 different ecological levels: individual, relational, community and political. LET´S CARE will create a theoretical and practical framework to foster Safe Learning, Safe Teaching, Safe Schools and Safe Education in each level as an approach to break the chain of transgenerational transmission of educational and social exclusion. This approach will generate lower rates of school failure, poor learning outcomes and early school leaving. The main proposal breakthrough is based on considering a relational response to educational exclusion and inequality, resulting in a model for understanding the importance of security to address underachievement and early drop out, and a relational approach to inclusive practices at school that will be translated into tools, recommendations and guidelines for action, from ECEC to secondary and Second Chance schools. A multilevel, multistage and intersectional research, exploring different European educational contexts, will be implemented, including120 schools, 18,000 students, and 2,400 teachers from 6 European countries in 4 schools stages, with special attention to multi-disadvantaged learners. LET´S CARE, supported by a expert consortium, will implement a holistic methodological approach, including cocreation mechanisms, and will translate research findings into political approach, through formulation of novel evidence-based policy recommendations, raising awareness on safe/caring schools, combating social exclusion of disadvantaged learners.

High-quality education is a key driver of economic growth and social progress. Despite large investments in education over the past few decades, the quality of education in some EU countries has stagnated or even deteriorated. Marginalized populations are particularly vulnerable to the negative consequences arising from inadequate educational policies. Understanding the efficiency and (cost-)effectiveness of investment in quality education is crucial for allocating resources to where they could have the largest economic and social impacts. The EFFEct research project has been established as an impact-driven initiative that aims to provide evidence-based policy recommendations to improve the quality of education. By investigating the effectiveness and efficiency of education systems and specific policies in EU countries by using (quasi-)experimental evidence, EFFEct advances knowledge in several critical areas, including diversity, equity and inclusion; teachers, trainers and digital transition; instruction and (adult-)learning. EFFEct has four interrelated objectives. Objective 1 offers novel insights on diversity, equity and inclusion by investigating targeted programs for disadvantaged students as well as religious and elite schools. Objective 2 investigates how teacher shortages can be mitigated and examines the role of digital environments. Objective 3 evaluates policies related to instruction, admission standards, and upskilling and reskilling of adults. Finally, objective 4 analyzes how the efficiency of EU educational systems has changed since the COVID-19 pandemic and establishes the main policy levers and qualitative insights that may explain efficiency changes. EFFEct brings together a multidisciplinary research team of economists, sociologists, (neuro-)psychologists, teacher trainers, education scientists, mathematicians, and sustainability and operational research experts from four European research universities, a research institute and a NGO.