BEYOND BARRIERS. Transmedia Catalonia participates in the kick-off meeting of the Beyond Barriers project in Oslo.
Transmedia Catalonia participates in the kick-off meeting of the Beyond Barriers project in Oslo. The project aims to promote inclusive and equitable research careers across Europe.
The Beyond Barriers project officially commenced on 1 September 2026, with funding from the European Commission under the Horizon Europe Research and Innovation Actions programme.
The project’s kick-off meeting took place on 7–8 September 2026 in Oslo, Norway, bringing together project partners to launch the collaboration and establish the foundations for the work ahead.
Beyond Barriers will investigate the structural and institutional barriers affecting researchers who experience exclusion and disadvantage, including racialised individuals, LGBTQI+ persons, persons with disabilities, and refugees. Through an intersectional approach, the project will examine how different forms of inequality interact and shape researchers’ opportunities, career pathways and experiences within the European Research Area (ERA).
The project will generate new evidence through mixed-methods research across 10 European countries, combining large-scale surveys, qualitative interviews and citizen science storytelling. These activities will help identify systemic barriers and provide a stronger evidence base for institutional and policy change.
Beyond Barriers will develop practical tools and recommendations to support change across the ERA. Key outputs will include an ERA Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Framework, policy recommendations, and Guidelines for Inclusive Institutional Practices. The project will also provide training, toolkits and resources to equip research institutions and individuals with practical approaches to fostering more inclusive research environments.
The project will run for three years and includes ten partners, in addition to the University of Oslo, from nine different countries: Norway, Hungary, Germany, Spain, Ukraine, the Czech Republic, Belgium. the Netherlands, and the Philippines. TransMedia Catalonia research group, from the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, will bring their expertise in accessibility to the project.