This research proposal is among the first to focus on migrants? attitudes towards the welfare state. In Europe, the field of research on welfare state attitudes has ignored the perspective of migrants almost completely. Due to migrants? socialization in different welfare regimes, and their often disadvantaged socio-economic positions, the migrant perspective provides a unique opportunity to test the central theories in the field on the role of self-interest, group-loyalty and of socialization in different welfare regimes. We aim to study migrants? welfare state attitudes, and to explain differences across migrant groups, as well as differences compared to the overall public opinion in the country of origin and the host country. With this innovative focus we answer questions that cut across the call?s themes of ?People and the welfare state?, ?Inequalities and diversity? and ?Future politics?. We rely on existing cross-national datasets such as the ISSP. However, we also propose a harmonized and unique data collection among migrants in the destination countries Denmark, Germany and the Netherlands. We composed a team with expertise on data collection among migrants, on public opinion research, and expertise on welfare state attitudes in particular. The project offers five young researchers (3 postdocs and 2 PhDs) the opportunity to continue or start their academic career including the opportunity to spend some time in another country involved in the project. The investment in this project will result in two dissertations, five research articles by each of the postdocs and a book compiled by the seniors involved. The unique focus on migrants provides both the academic community and policy makers with insights on new groups in society.

The main focus of the project concerns fragmentation of the welfare states and its consequences on solidarities. This will be researched comparatively by analyzing diversification of populations and fracturing of structures of participation in different European countries, focusing on empirical cases on labor market participation and its linkages to other forms of participation. The research questions are: 1) Can fragmented forms of community building, social divisions and participation be successful in creating solidarities among diversified groups of people? 2) How could we imagine equality and redistribution of welfare in conditions of fragmentation? 3) What can then be the new forms of solidarity which are not based on states, citizenship formations or labor market position which now are central means of excluding people from welfare? The project touches directly upon the issues on the themes 1 and 2, 3 and 4. The project does not directly deal with theme 3) rethinking the economics of the welfare state, although it does so indirectly by investigating willingness and capacities of people for economic redistribution and solidarity. While the core of the project is located in Finland, the main counties of contrast and comparison are Germany and the UK. Furthermore, the case studies will include comparisons to France. Transnational connections are researched with regard to immigration (from Estonia and Somalia) and transnational governance. The will produce several (6-8) articles to be published in peer-reviewed academic journals based on seminar papers in scientific conferences, and an edited volume with a comparative perspective based on the case studies. It will organise cooperation events in England, Finland and Germany. (1494 signs)

Climate change is affecting our lives and will continue to do so if we do not take drastic measures to reduce our carbon footprint. This calls for transformations of energy systems worldwide. Such transformations are hard to achieve since these are not only a technical issue, but also a social and economic issue. Despite attempts to manage transformations, change is occurring tediously slow and incremental. This can be attributed to the difficulties in finding technically and economically viable alternatives, as well as the entrenchment of vested interests. On the other hand, small scale initiatives turning to renewable energy sources are mushrooming everywhere in Europe and provide various sets of social and technical possibilities. These grassroots innovations (GIs) are diverse and vary from cooperatives, citizen groups, businesses to local governments. As bottom up initiatives, they have an important potential, yet much of it remains untapped due to regulatory, economic and political constraints. To overcome this, GIs connect among each other to exchange knowledge, marshal public support and forge political alliances. This project studies these connections using different methods: mapping techniques and digital methods, content analysis of media items and policy statements, and in-depth case studies. The project also provides hands-on knowledge for fostering networking and enhancing critical mass. Three countries are explored manifesting different kinds of barriers: Denmark, with a traditional strong grassroots impact which are increasingly absorbed by large business interests, Sweden, in which GIs are marginalised by the dominance of local authorities, and The Netherlands, where despite the strong wish to benefit from GIs, more radical forms of change remain countered by vested interests. Research and stakeholder engagement will focus, in particular, on the potential capacity of GIs to provoke radical change in the search for sustainable energy transitions.

Innovation in planning practice through processes of co-creation has become a priority, not only for urban agencies in practice but also for scientific research. Planning practice is puzzled by upcoming concepts of adaptability, resilience, and self-organization which present idealized visions of governance. Urban development often still takes place through traditional forms of teleocratic approaches of research and practice, characterized by its instrumental focus on goal-specific tasks, means, and outcomes rather than searching for context based adaptability under the guidance of generic principles. APRILab entails research into fundamental political dilemmas that constrain effective innovation. It focuses on three major dilemmas to conceptualize the different trade-offs for governance innovation between the extremes of self-organization and control: a) planning, between control of spatial processes and accommodation of emergent urban change; b) regulation, between instrumentalism and generic normative guidance of self-regulation; c) investment, between supply and demand driven investments. The major objectives are theoretical, practical and methodological. First, the development of a paradigmatic shift for planning practice and research (achieved through specific sensitizing concepts); second, the development of a participative methodology for dilemma exploration and innovation through the urban living lab. Third, the achievement of trans-national learning communities to systematize best practices

This research proposal is among the first to focus on migrants? attitudes towards the welfare state. In Europe, the field of research on welfare state attitudes has ignored the perspective of migrants almost completely. Due to migrants? socialization in different welfare regimes, and their often disadvantaged socio-economic positions, the migrant perspective provides a unique opportunity to test the central theories in the field on the role of self-interest, group-loyalty and of socialization in different welfare regimes. We aim to study migrants? welfare state attitudes, and to explain differences across migrant groups, as well as differences compared to the overall public opinion in the country of origin and the host country. With this innovative focus we answer questions that cut across the call?s themes of ?People and the welfare state?, ?Inequalities and diversity? and ?Future politics?. We rely on existing cross-national datasets such as the ISSP. However, we also propose a harmonized and unique data collection among migrants in the destination countries Denmark, Germany and the Netherlands. We composed a team with expertise on data collection among migrants, on public opinion research, and expertise on welfare state attitudes in particular. The project offers five young researchers (3 postdocs and 2 PhDs) the opportunity to continue or start their academic career including the opportunity to spend some time in another country involved in the project. The investment in this project will result in two dissertations, five research articles by each of the postdocs and a book compiled by the seniors involved. The unique focus on migrants provides both the academic community and policy makers with insights on new groups in society.