BEYOND BARRIERS · Building Bridges for Equitable Opportunities for Underrepresented and Marginalized Researchers in the European Research Area

BEYOND BARRIERS will foster equitable and inclusive research career pathways by generating new knowledge and co-designing intersectional, institutional, and policy-level interventions that dismantle systemic barriers faced by underrepresented and marginalised researchers (racialised individuals, LGBTQI+ persons, persons with disabilities, and refugees). The project’s ambition is to transform the European Research Area (ERA) into an ecosystem where equity, inclusion, and belonging are structurally embedded.Utilizing an intersectional lens and complementary frameworks including complexity theory, human development approach, structural violence, intersectionality, and epistemic injustice framework, the project will EXPLORE systemic barriers across 10 European countries through mixed-methods research, including large-scale surveys, qualitative interviews, and citizen science storytelling. It will GUIDE system change via the ERA EDI Framework; policy recommendations; Guidelines for Inclusive Institutional Practices; checklist for Horizon Europe call drafters, evaluators, and reviewers; and the Inclusiveness Index. It will EQUIP institutions and individuals with training, toolkits, and resources. Lastly, it will EMBED inclusive practices in ERA policies and practices. By generating evidence, tools, and pathways for reform, BEYOND BARRIERS will contribute to a European Research Area where inclusiveness is a structural reality. The project’s outcomes are expected to reduce career inequalities, strengthen the diversity and resilience of research teams, and enhance the ERA’s global leadership in responsible and socially relevant research and innovation.