Projects should contribute to all of the following expected outcomes:

• EU and national policymakers and development aid agencies are better equipped to deal with the complexities and challenges of the relations between the EU and low- and middle-income countries and increase their intelligence to develop EU strategies and policies that promote a more inclusive and equitable multilateralism.
• Organisations for development cooperation have enhanced capacity and solutions to support democratic institutions and address key global challenges, such as climate action, democracy and rule of law, human rights and gender equality.
• Strengthened multilateral partnerships between the EU as a donor of development aid and low- and middle-income countries in the field of development cooperation.

Scope:

The European Union's development aid efforts face significant challenges in promoting democracy and stability in third countries, despite substantial investments in development assistance. Many countries continue to face challenges related to democratic governance, and the relationship between aid and its impact on inequality reduction, poverty alleviation, sustainable peace and security, as well as the strengthening of democratic institutions and processes, remains unclear. The resurgence of authoritarianism and the erosion of democratic values globally pose considerable challenges to EU foreign policy, underscoring the need for more effective diplomatic, security and development cooperation frameworks and strategies.

There is a pressing need for research (including by SSH disciplines) to elucidate the complex relationships between development aid, democratic governance, equality, security, and global challenges. This includes examining the effects of development aid on democratic institutions and processes, identifying gaps in funding for democratic governance, and exploring innovative approaches to supporting democratic governance and reducing inequality. In this context, the role of other non-EU aid donors, including public, private, and philanthropic actors, must be understood. This includes examining the influence of the EU's economic and geopolitical competitors, to see why their support may be more attractive to developing countries, and how they are filling vacuums left by cuts from traditional donors, creating new socio-economic dependencies and power relations.

The scope of this research topic is broad, encompassing the interplay between development aid, security, and democratic governance, with a focus on reducing socio-economic and gender inequalities, fostering democratic resilience, and promoting inclusive governance. By investigating these dynamics, researchers can uncover new insights and strategies to align development assistance with democratic strengthening, ultimately contributing to more effective and sustainable development outcomes.

Key areas of investigation include the impact of development aid on democratic institutions, the reduction of socio-economic and gender inequalities, and the identification of funding gaps for democratic governance initiatives, as well as the consequences of declining democratic trends on the effectiveness of global development strategies and the achievement of sustainable development goals.

Proposals should also seek to identify new opportunities to enhance the EU´s soft power and geopolitical influence across the Humanitarian-Development-Peace nexus, including through the development of dedicated diplomacies (e.g., climate diplomacy, water diplomacy, science diplomacy, etc.). The actions should strive to include development aid civil society organisations in the activities.

Proposals should use a gender-sensitive and intersectional approach in their research.

Proposals are encouraged to identify other relevant EU-funded projects related to EU democracy support, civil society engagement, and international cooperation on sustainable peace and democratic governance, and to explore potential collaboration opportunities with them.

Proposals may also incorporate participatory research approaches to enhance inclusivity and stakeholder engagement.

The geographical scope of this research includes the EU Enlargement, Neighbourhood^[1] and low- and lower middle-income countries^[2], with a focus on the relationship of these with the EU. Therefore, international cooperation is strongly encouraged.

[1] In the context of this call, the “EU Neighbourhood” is understood as the group of countries covered by the European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP), which includes countries to the East (Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova, and Ukraine) and to the South (Algeria, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Palestine, Syria, and Tunisia). For more information: https://enlargement.ec.europa.eu/european-neighbourhood-policy_en and https://north-africa-middle-east-gulf.ec.europa.eu/what-we-do/southern-neighbourhood_en

[2] In the context of this call “low-income and low-middle income countries” are understood as the low to middle income non-associated third countries in the list of participating countries according to the Horizon Europe rules for participation and proposal procedure. Source: European Commission, “List of Participating Countries in Horizon Europe,” Version 5.3 (24.01.2024), p. 3. Available at: https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders/opportunities/docs/2021-2027/common/guidance/list-3rd-country-participation_horizon-euratom_en.pdf