RESISTIRE: New Horizon 2020 project on co-creative sustainable inclusive equality strategies

The University of Deusto is a partner in the new Horizon 2020 project RESISTIRE (RespondIng to outbreaks through co-creative sustainable inclusive equality strategies). The project has been selected in the Horizon 2020 call dedicated to tackling coronavirus related challenges (Behavioural, social and economic impacts of the outbreak response).

The aim of the project is to understand and work towards individual and societal resilience to the unequal impacts of the COVID-19 outbreak and its policy responses on behavioral, social and economic inequalities in 30 countries. To achieve this objective, the project will design devising and piloting solutions for improved new policies and social innovations to be deployed by policymakers, stakeholders and actors in different policy domains.

Based on co-creative, solution and innovation driven design-thinking, and using a participatory approach, RESISTIRE will research on the impacts of the outbreak policies (including both quantitative and qualitative data). It will translate results into insights in order to develop operational tools. It will disseminate knowledge, develop policy recommendations and empower stakeholders to exploit project results.

The project brings together 10 institutions from 8 countries in a strongly multi-disciplinary and multi-sector consortium coordinated by the European Science Foundation (ESF). The consortium integrates public health, humanities, STEM and social sciences. It brings together experts in the areas of anthropology, design, economics, education, employment, environmental sciences, gender, health sciences, law, management science, political science, product development, psychology, social and health studies, sociology and statistics. In terms of geographic scope, the project is organised to cover 30 countries, of which 8 are addressed by the consortium members and the other 22 countries by a network of national researchers.

From the University of Deusto, the project will be led by María López Belloso, with María Silvestre, Felix Arrieta, Usue Beloki and Dolores Morondo in a interdisciplinary research team. The University will be researching the inequalities created or deepened as a result of the pandemic in Spain through a intersectional gender lens, examining the ways in which the most vulnerable groups in society have experienced this process, and working with all stakeholders in the field, towards developing creative strategies and effective policies.