AISSR researchers secure two major European research grants
10 July 2026
About the DIViNE Doctoral Network
Abbey Steele, Jessica Soedirgo, and Ursula Daxecker have been awarded funding for the DIViNE Doctoral Network (Democratic Institutions and Violence Network in Europe), funded through the prestigious Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) Doctoral Networks programme.
DIViNE brings together five leading universities in Amsterdam, Essex, Milan, Madrid, and Uppsala to train a new generation of researchers studying political violence in democratic societies. While democracies are often regarded as peaceful and resilient, they continue to face challenges such as social unrest, extremist mobilisation, and political violence. The network will examine how democratic institutions both respond to and shape these dynamics.
As one of the five partner institutions, the AISSR will welcome two PhD candidates in 2027. Doctoral researchers will receive interdisciplinary training combining computational methods and large-scale data analysis with qualitative fieldwork, historical research, and political theory.
ERC Proof of Concept for REPAIR
We also congratulate the REPAIR team, led by Felix Stein, on receiving the AISSR's first European Research Council (ERC) Proof of Concept Grant.
Building on the ERC-funded REPAIR project, this grant will support the launch of the Centre for Reparative Finance (CRF). The new centre will translate frontier research into practical tools and expertise on reparations and compensation finance, providing accessible knowledge and guidance for policymakers, governments, organisations, companies, and the wider public.
The ERC Proof of Concept Grant supports researchers in transforming excellent frontier research into innovations with tangible societal impact, helping bridge the gap between academic discoveries and real-world applications.