CFPs: Investigations into Disinformation Dynamics 2024

The present Call for Proposals establishes specific provisions regulating the process of applying for funding for the production of a range of multidisciplinary focus reports, covering both country specific and thematic analyses that can provide new insights into concrete cases of disinformation, the specific mechanics that enable its dissemination online, its effects on public opinion, and the impact of past and ongoing initiatives to counter disinformation.

Objectives

• It supports a variety of multidisciplinary investigations in the form of case reports or situational analyses, designed, inter alia, to monitor the mechanisms that enable the monetisation of disinformation, or expose the techniques, tactics and protocols (TTPs) used to create, disseminate and amplify disinformation narratives, or measure their impact on relevant European audiences.
• These investigations should combine best journalistic practices, outcomes from fact-checking activities, and analytical frameworks from leading research complementing the activities of the European Digital Media Observatory (hereafter EDMO), in cooperation with EDMO’s National Hubs. They should also aim at identifying best practices and appropriate methodologies, as well as original solutions for addressing disinformation threats.
• This call is specifically aimed at projects that can enlarge the current evidence base about the dynamics and characteristics of disinformation campaigns affecting European audiences, including foreign information manipulation and interference (FIMI), and designed to undermine European policies and values under the current geopolitical circumstances. These are considered particularly pertinent in light of the 2024 European Parliamentary elections, and by increasing efforts from state and non- states actors from outside the EU to disrupt democratic processes and public discourse in EU Member States in general.

Funding Information and Duration

• Maximum grant per project: € 150 000.
• Maximum duration per project: 9 months.

Eligible Projects

Examples of relevant projects under this call include:

• Anatomy of disinformation: These reports could investigate the tactics, techniques and protocols commonly used by purveyors of disinformation to manipulate information and artificially amplify its reach.
• Investigations into comparative contentious issues: Discussions spanning form Covid- 19 pandemic to climate or geopolitics often assume that who are leveraging these topics for financial or political gain, and the citizens who are influenced by such disinformation campaigns, are largely similar for all of these topics.
• Investigations into disinformation networks: Dedicated projects could investigate links between originators, vectors, intermediaries and proxies to establish evidence of inauthentic coordinated behavior through disinformation networks.
• Investigations into foreign information manipulation and interference: Projects in this category could identify and analyse specific cases of state sponsored disinformation campaigns, foreign interference in European political processes and the manipulation of European audience.
• Investigations of climate- related disinformation:  Efforts to take effective action against climate change are hampered by disinformation spread by a variety of actors, through various means, and with diverse motives.
• Investigation into the impact of disinformation: Taking specific disinformation campaigns as a basis, the proposed projects could develop new insights regarding their impact on European citizens.

Eligible Activities

The following types of activities are eligible:

• Investigations into one of the topics, including acquisition and analysis of existing research, fact-checking materials and datasets;
• Production, distribution and adaptation in different languages of reports and analyses resulting from relevant investigations;
• Awareness-raising actions, including conferences, seminars, and events, and dissemination of the material created by the project;
• Usage of innovative tools to improve the understanding of systemic risks of the digital media ecosystem;
• Promotion of social media campaigns and other relevant activities aimed at countering disinformation by using the outcomes of the proposed investigations.

Eligibility Criteria

• Eligible Applicants
  • To be eligible, any proposal must be submitted by a group of at least two legal entities (partnerships or consortia). The maximum number of partners in a partnership of a consortium applying for the grant has not been defined by EMIF and is to be decided by the Applicant.
  • The partners must be abiding by recognised ethical and professional standards such as the European Code of Conduct for Research Integrity or the specific standards applicable to their field of activities (e.g., Code of Principles of the International Fact-Checking Network, deontological Codes for the Journalistic Profession applicable in their country of establishment).
  • Should an applicant not be a signatory to any code, it should explain how it ensures de facto adherence to the ethical and professional standards applicable to the type of activities carried out by its organisation.
  • The following types of organisations may apply and be funded as Lead Applicants or members of the consortium:
    • Non-profit organisations, including public service media
    • Universities
    • Educational institutions
    • Research centres
    • Non-governmental organisations
    • Media literacy organisations
    • For-profit organisations of any status and size operating as fact-checkers, news media organisations, technology providers or research companies, on condition that the consortium integrates on or more entities.
  • Only applications submitted by legal entities established in the EU, EFTA or the UK are eligible. Organisations based in other countries may be part of a consortium, but their activities are not funded.
  • Specific tasks may be subcontracted out to entities or natural persons irrespective of their place of establishment.
  • Natural persons may be part of a consortium, but a natural person cannot lead the project. Activities and expenses pertaining to natural persons shall be allocated to the Lead Applicant.
  • State-controlled organisations – other than universities, research centres, educational institutions, and public media organisations with editorial independence – are not eligible to receive funding and cannot lead a consortium, but they may take part in the action/project at their own costs.
  • Consortia cannot be solely composed of entities affiliated with the Lead Applicant.

For more information, visit EMIF.