Project acronym 4C
Project 4C technology: uncovering the multi-dimensional structure of the genome
Researcher (PI) Wouter Leonard De Laat
Host Institution (HI) KONINKLIJKE NEDERLANDSE AKADEMIE VAN WETENSCHAPPEN - KNAW
Call Details Starting Grant (StG), LS2, ERC-2007-StG
Summary The architecture of DNA in the cell nucleus is an emerging epigenetic key contributor to genome function. We recently developed 4C technology, a high-throughput technique that combines state-of-the-art 3C technology with tailored micro-arrays to uniquely allow for an unbiased genome-wide search for DNA loci that interact in the nuclear space. Based on 4C technology, we were the first to provide a comprehensive overview of long-range DNA contacts of selected loci. The data showed that active and inactive chromatin domains contact many distinct regions within and between chromosomes and genes switch long-range DNA contacts in relation to their expression status. 4C technology not only allows investigating the three-dimensional structure of DNA in the nucleus, it also accurately reconstructs at least 10 megabases of the one-dimensional chromosome sequence map around the target sequence. Changes in this physical map as a result of genomic rearrangements are therefore identified by 4C technology. We recently demonstrated that 4C detects deletions, balanced inversions and translocations in patient samples at a resolution (~7kb) that allowed immediate sequencing of the breakpoints. Excitingly, 4C technology therefore offers the first high-resolution genomic approach that can identify both balanced and unbalanced genomic rearrangements. 4C is expected to become an important tool in clinical diagnosis and prognosis. Key objectives of this proposal are: 1. Explore the functional significance of DNA folding in the nucleus by systematically applying 4C technology to differentially expressed gene loci. 2. Adapt 4C technology such that it allows for massive parallel analysis of DNA interactions between regulatory elements and gene promoters. This method would greatly facilitate the identification of functionally relevant DNA elements in the genome. 3. Develop 4C technology into a clinical diagnostic tool for the accurate detection of balanced and unbalanced rearrangements.
Summary
The architecture of DNA in the cell nucleus is an emerging epigenetic key contributor to genome function. We recently developed 4C technology, a high-throughput technique that combines state-of-the-art 3C technology with tailored micro-arrays to uniquely allow for an unbiased genome-wide search for DNA loci that interact in the nuclear space. Based on 4C technology, we were the first to provide a comprehensive overview of long-range DNA contacts of selected loci. The data showed that active and inactive chromatin domains contact many distinct regions within and between chromosomes and genes switch long-range DNA contacts in relation to their expression status. 4C technology not only allows investigating the three-dimensional structure of DNA in the nucleus, it also accurately reconstructs at least 10 megabases of the one-dimensional chromosome sequence map around the target sequence. Changes in this physical map as a result of genomic rearrangements are therefore identified by 4C technology. We recently demonstrated that 4C detects deletions, balanced inversions and translocations in patient samples at a resolution (~7kb) that allowed immediate sequencing of the breakpoints. Excitingly, 4C technology therefore offers the first high-resolution genomic approach that can identify both balanced and unbalanced genomic rearrangements. 4C is expected to become an important tool in clinical diagnosis and prognosis. Key objectives of this proposal are: 1. Explore the functional significance of DNA folding in the nucleus by systematically applying 4C technology to differentially expressed gene loci. 2. Adapt 4C technology such that it allows for massive parallel analysis of DNA interactions between regulatory elements and gene promoters. This method would greatly facilitate the identification of functionally relevant DNA elements in the genome. 3. Develop 4C technology into a clinical diagnostic tool for the accurate detection of balanced and unbalanced rearrangements.
Max ERC Funding
1 225 000 €
Duration
Start date: 2008-09-01, End date: 2013-08-31
Project acronym CONSERVREGCIRCUITRY
Project Conservation and Divergence of Tissue-Specific Transcriptional Regulation
Researcher (PI) Duncan Odom
Host Institution (HI) THE CHANCELLOR MASTERS AND SCHOLARS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CAMBRIDGE
Call Details Starting Grant (StG), LS2, ERC-2007-StG
Summary Vertebrates contain hundreds of different cell types which maintain phenotypic identity by a combination of epigenetic programming and genomic regulation. Systems biology approaches are now used in a number of laboratories to determine how transcription factors and chromatin marks pattern the human genome. Despite high conservation of the cellular and molecular function of many mammalian transcription factors, our recent experiments in matched mouse and human tissues indicates that most transcription factor binding events to DNA are very poorly conserved. A hypothesis that could account for this apparent divergence is that the larger regional pattern of transcription factor binding may be conserved. To test this, (1) we are characterizing the global transcriptional profile, chromatin state, and complete genomic occupancy of a set of tissue-specific transcription factors in hepatocytes of strategically chosen mammals; (2) to further identify the precise mechanistic contribution of cis and trans effects, we are comparing transcription factor binding at homologous regions of human and mouse DNA in a mouse line that carries human chromosome 21. Together, these projects will provide insight into the general principles of how transcriptional networks are evolutionarily conserved to regulate cell fate specification and function using a clinically important cell type as a model.
Summary
Vertebrates contain hundreds of different cell types which maintain phenotypic identity by a combination of epigenetic programming and genomic regulation. Systems biology approaches are now used in a number of laboratories to determine how transcription factors and chromatin marks pattern the human genome. Despite high conservation of the cellular and molecular function of many mammalian transcription factors, our recent experiments in matched mouse and human tissues indicates that most transcription factor binding events to DNA are very poorly conserved. A hypothesis that could account for this apparent divergence is that the larger regional pattern of transcription factor binding may be conserved. To test this, (1) we are characterizing the global transcriptional profile, chromatin state, and complete genomic occupancy of a set of tissue-specific transcription factors in hepatocytes of strategically chosen mammals; (2) to further identify the precise mechanistic contribution of cis and trans effects, we are comparing transcription factor binding at homologous regions of human and mouse DNA in a mouse line that carries human chromosome 21. Together, these projects will provide insight into the general principles of how transcriptional networks are evolutionarily conserved to regulate cell fate specification and function using a clinically important cell type as a model.
Max ERC Funding
960 000 €
Duration
Start date: 2008-10-01, End date: 2013-09-30
Project acronym DESTABLE
Project Destabilisation of sociotechnical regimes as the key to transitions towards sustainability
Researcher (PI) Frank Geels
Host Institution (HI) THE UNIVERSITY OF SUSSEX
Call Details Starting Grant (StG), SH2, ERC-2007-StG
Summary Sociotechnical transitions are important to address environmental problems. The present literature focuses on green options that break through and replace existing sociotechnical regimes. The project turns the analytical focus upside down, seeing the destabilisation and decline of existing regimes as the key to transitions. Regimes refer to the rules (knowledge base, belief system, mission, strategic orientation) shared by incumbent actors in an industry. Destabilisation results from increasing external pressures (economic, normative, regulatory) and eroding commitment of actors to regime rules. Research questions are: 1 To what degree have regimes in transport, energy and agriculture destabilised in the last 30 years, as a result of environmental pressures? 2 What kind of process is regime destabilisation and how should it be conceptualised for environmental problems? Which mechanisms are important and how do they interact? The project develops a theoretical perspective, combining insights from neo-institutional theory, STS, evolutionary economics. A phase-based pattern and three propositions are advanced. To investigate destabilisation, the project uses case studies as research strategy, which is appropriate for tracing complex processes such as changing beliefs and identities, fuzzy network boundaries, and many interacting (external) factors. Two PhD projects do four longitudinal case studies about destabilisation. Cases are selected with regard to the phase-based pattern and propositions. One case (decline of domestic coal) went though all phases. Another case (destabilisation of pig farming) has progressed far into the last phase. Coal in electricity and the car regime are less far in the phase-pattern, and probably less destabilised. The PI integrates findings from PhD projects, providing general answers to research questions. He also elaborates the inter-disciplinary perspective, and addresses the possibilities for sustainability transitions.
Summary
Sociotechnical transitions are important to address environmental problems. The present literature focuses on green options that break through and replace existing sociotechnical regimes. The project turns the analytical focus upside down, seeing the destabilisation and decline of existing regimes as the key to transitions. Regimes refer to the rules (knowledge base, belief system, mission, strategic orientation) shared by incumbent actors in an industry. Destabilisation results from increasing external pressures (economic, normative, regulatory) and eroding commitment of actors to regime rules. Research questions are: 1 To what degree have regimes in transport, energy and agriculture destabilised in the last 30 years, as a result of environmental pressures? 2 What kind of process is regime destabilisation and how should it be conceptualised for environmental problems? Which mechanisms are important and how do they interact? The project develops a theoretical perspective, combining insights from neo-institutional theory, STS, evolutionary economics. A phase-based pattern and three propositions are advanced. To investigate destabilisation, the project uses case studies as research strategy, which is appropriate for tracing complex processes such as changing beliefs and identities, fuzzy network boundaries, and many interacting (external) factors. Two PhD projects do four longitudinal case studies about destabilisation. Cases are selected with regard to the phase-based pattern and propositions. One case (decline of domestic coal) went though all phases. Another case (destabilisation of pig farming) has progressed far into the last phase. Coal in electricity and the car regime are less far in the phase-pattern, and probably less destabilised. The PI integrates findings from PhD projects, providing general answers to research questions. He also elaborates the inter-disciplinary perspective, and addresses the possibilities for sustainability transitions.
Max ERC Funding
907 114 €
Duration
Start date: 2008-09-01, End date: 2012-11-30
Project acronym DIGIDEAS
Project Social and ethical aspects of digital identities. Towards a value sensitive identity management
Researcher (PI) Irma Ploeg, Van Der
Host Institution (HI) STICHTING ZUYD HOGESCHOOL
Call Details Starting Grant (StG), SH2, ERC-2007-StG
Summary Digital identity management concerns the control of digitized information pertaining to a person. This type of information is usually referred to as `personal data’, or ‘personally identifiable information’. With digitisation and automation processes pervading virtually all aspects and domains of society, the routine registration of personal identifiable data is increasing exponentially. The implied risks and challenges to fundamental rights like privacy and non-discrimination are recognized on the highest policy levels, but as of today still poorly understood or analyzed. In view of the fact that ‘identity’ is also a key concept in contemporary social theory, and conceptualisations of the relation between technology and society, ethics and normativity, a field of enquiry emerges at the crossroads of contemporary theoretical, technological and societal developments representing opportunities for frontier research. The overall aims of the project are to increase understanding of the social and ethical aspects of digital identity management (IDM), to further theorising the concept of identity, and to contribute to the quality and social/ethical acceptability of technological developments. The project will achieve these goals by bringing recent insights gained from several disciplines (science and technology studies, surveillance studies, social and technology philosophy, computer ethics) to bear on actual developments in digital identity management, thus exploring novel ways to identify and articulate the issues concerned. With a series of interdisciplinary studies focussing on different application areas of IDM, we intend to produce more fine-grained knowledge of the ways IDM is implicated in contemporary transformations of identity. The programme will involve three complementary PhD projects, and one integrative postdoc project, thus achieving a strong concentration of groundbreaking knowledge on a set of fast emerging intellectual and societal problems.
Summary
Digital identity management concerns the control of digitized information pertaining to a person. This type of information is usually referred to as `personal data’, or ‘personally identifiable information’. With digitisation and automation processes pervading virtually all aspects and domains of society, the routine registration of personal identifiable data is increasing exponentially. The implied risks and challenges to fundamental rights like privacy and non-discrimination are recognized on the highest policy levels, but as of today still poorly understood or analyzed. In view of the fact that ‘identity’ is also a key concept in contemporary social theory, and conceptualisations of the relation between technology and society, ethics and normativity, a field of enquiry emerges at the crossroads of contemporary theoretical, technological and societal developments representing opportunities for frontier research. The overall aims of the project are to increase understanding of the social and ethical aspects of digital identity management (IDM), to further theorising the concept of identity, and to contribute to the quality and social/ethical acceptability of technological developments. The project will achieve these goals by bringing recent insights gained from several disciplines (science and technology studies, surveillance studies, social and technology philosophy, computer ethics) to bear on actual developments in digital identity management, thus exploring novel ways to identify and articulate the issues concerned. With a series of interdisciplinary studies focussing on different application areas of IDM, we intend to produce more fine-grained knowledge of the ways IDM is implicated in contemporary transformations of identity. The programme will involve three complementary PhD projects, and one integrative postdoc project, thus achieving a strong concentration of groundbreaking knowledge on a set of fast emerging intellectual and societal problems.
Max ERC Funding
1 833 000 €
Duration
Start date: 2008-10-01, End date: 2014-05-31
Project acronym DSBREPAIR
Project Developmental and Genetic Analysis of DNA Double-Strand Break Repair
Researcher (PI) Marcel Tijsterman
Host Institution (HI) ACADEMISCH ZIEKENHUIS LEIDEN
Call Details Starting Grant (StG), LS2, ERC-2007-StG
Summary The DNA within our cells is constantly being damaged by both environmental and endogenous agents; of the many forms of DNA damage, the DNA double-strand break (DSB) is considered to be most dangerous. Correct processing of DSBs is not only essential for maintaining genomic integrity but is also required in specific biological processes, such as meiotic recombination and V(D)J recombination, in which DNA breaks are deliberately generated. In animals, defects in the proper response to DSBs can thus have different outcomes: cancer predisposition, embryonic lethality, or compromised immunity. Many genes that play a role in the processing of DSBs have been identified over the past decades, mainly by cloning genes that are responsible for specific human genomic instability or immune deficiency syndromes, and by genetic approaches using unicellular eukaryotes and rodent cell lines. It is, however, evident that many components required in higher eukaryotes are not yet known and the identification of those will be a major challenge for future research. Here, we will for the first time systematically test all genes encoded by an animals genome directly for their involvement in the cellular response to DSB in both somatic and germline tissues: we will use our recently developed transgenic animal models (C. elegans) that visualizes repair of a single localized genomic DNA break in genome wide RNAi screenings to identify (and then characterize) the complement of genes that are required to keep our genome stable, and when mutated can predispose humans to cancer. In parallel, we will study the cellular response to single DNA breaks that are artificially generated during different stages of gametogenesis, as well as address the developmental consequences of DSB induction during the earliest stages of embryonic development – an almost completely unexplored area in the field of genome instability and DNA damage responses.
Summary
The DNA within our cells is constantly being damaged by both environmental and endogenous agents; of the many forms of DNA damage, the DNA double-strand break (DSB) is considered to be most dangerous. Correct processing of DSBs is not only essential for maintaining genomic integrity but is also required in specific biological processes, such as meiotic recombination and V(D)J recombination, in which DNA breaks are deliberately generated. In animals, defects in the proper response to DSBs can thus have different outcomes: cancer predisposition, embryonic lethality, or compromised immunity. Many genes that play a role in the processing of DSBs have been identified over the past decades, mainly by cloning genes that are responsible for specific human genomic instability or immune deficiency syndromes, and by genetic approaches using unicellular eukaryotes and rodent cell lines. It is, however, evident that many components required in higher eukaryotes are not yet known and the identification of those will be a major challenge for future research. Here, we will for the first time systematically test all genes encoded by an animals genome directly for their involvement in the cellular response to DSB in both somatic and germline tissues: we will use our recently developed transgenic animal models (C. elegans) that visualizes repair of a single localized genomic DNA break in genome wide RNAi screenings to identify (and then characterize) the complement of genes that are required to keep our genome stable, and when mutated can predispose humans to cancer. In parallel, we will study the cellular response to single DNA breaks that are artificially generated during different stages of gametogenesis, as well as address the developmental consequences of DSB induction during the earliest stages of embryonic development – an almost completely unexplored area in the field of genome instability and DNA damage responses.
Max ERC Funding
1 060 000 €
Duration
Start date: 2008-05-01, End date: 2014-04-30
Project acronym EUCONRES
Project A European Approach to Conflict Resolution? Institutional Learning and the ESDP
Researcher (PI) Michael Smith
Host Institution (HI) THE UNIVERSITY COURT OF THE UNIVERSITY OF ABERDEEN
Call Details Starting Grant (StG), SH2, ERC-2007-StG
Summary To what extent can international institutions learn? What factors determine whether such institutions develop capacities for self-awareness and endogenous institutional change? This project investigates these questions in the context of the European Union (EU). Specifically, it examines the dramatic expansion in security missions led by the EU since 2003, a capacity that many observers doubted was even possible for the EU. To explain this change in institutional behaviour, the project intends to develop a theory of institutional learning to analyze the EU’s instigation and implementation of 16 security operations in various regions under the auspices of the European Security and Defence Policy (ESDP). In addition, with these missions the EU has shown a growing capacity to innovate in security affairs, using a unique civilian crisis management (CCM) capacity linked to security sector reform and other EU policy tools, including the ESDP, the Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP), and the European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP). These changes demand further examination in light of not only the growing ambitions of the EU itself but also in terms of the increasing demands for security assistance placed on a variety of IOs, such as the UN, NATO, and the OSCE. The initial phase of the project will focus on four key ESDP operations as detailed case studies – Macedonia, the Palestinian Authority, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Bosnia-Hercegovina – to explain this innovation. Following the investigation of these representative cases, the later stages of the project will examine more recent EU security operations in hopes of developing a general theory of EU institutional learning in the area of foreign/security/defence policy. The project also hopes to generalize beyond this theory to other EU policy domains and, potentially, other IOs at the regional and global levels. In doing so the findings could have major implications for global governance.
Summary
To what extent can international institutions learn? What factors determine whether such institutions develop capacities for self-awareness and endogenous institutional change? This project investigates these questions in the context of the European Union (EU). Specifically, it examines the dramatic expansion in security missions led by the EU since 2003, a capacity that many observers doubted was even possible for the EU. To explain this change in institutional behaviour, the project intends to develop a theory of institutional learning to analyze the EU’s instigation and implementation of 16 security operations in various regions under the auspices of the European Security and Defence Policy (ESDP). In addition, with these missions the EU has shown a growing capacity to innovate in security affairs, using a unique civilian crisis management (CCM) capacity linked to security sector reform and other EU policy tools, including the ESDP, the Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP), and the European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP). These changes demand further examination in light of not only the growing ambitions of the EU itself but also in terms of the increasing demands for security assistance placed on a variety of IOs, such as the UN, NATO, and the OSCE. The initial phase of the project will focus on four key ESDP operations as detailed case studies – Macedonia, the Palestinian Authority, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Bosnia-Hercegovina – to explain this innovation. Following the investigation of these representative cases, the later stages of the project will examine more recent EU security operations in hopes of developing a general theory of EU institutional learning in the area of foreign/security/defence policy. The project also hopes to generalize beyond this theory to other EU policy domains and, potentially, other IOs at the regional and global levels. In doing so the findings could have major implications for global governance.
Max ERC Funding
1 019 264 €
Duration
Start date: 2008-05-01, End date: 2013-04-30
Project acronym EUNACON
Project The European and National Constitutional Law Project
Researcher (PI) Monica Claes
Host Institution (HI) UNIVERSITEIT MAASTRICHT
Call Details Starting Grant (StG), SH2, ERC-2007-StG
Summary Irrespective of whether the Treaty establishing a Constitution for Europe or a Reform Treaty enters into force, the EU already has a constitution by all but name. But what does it rest on? Both the current treaties and the European Court of Justice often make reference to the national constitutions, either of one Member State individually, or as common constitutional principles and traditions. Yet, whilst the influence of EU law on national constitutional law is well documented, no thorough comprehensive comparative legal research has ever been done into these common constitutional principles. The very foundations of the European constitution have thus remained uncharted. Trans-national comparative constitutional law has been neglected in the scientific research on the European Constitution, while it should be an essential component of the analysis. This project aims to contribute to the scientific debate by going back to the fundamentals of national constitutional law. Its purpose is to analyse and structure common legal constitutional principles across EU Member States and identify constitutional diversity. To that end a team of PI and four post-docs will conduct a comprehensive analysis of the „constitutional law in action” of selected Member States, as expounded in constitutional case law, practice and texts. The functional method of comparative law will be used, analysing constitutional law as it functions in practice. Also, these themes will be analysed in an interdisciplinary fashion, taking account of other disciplines. It is this method which makes this research innovative: the national lines will be crossed, and system-neutral themes be used as a starting point, in order to formulate common principles as well as identify national diversity. It will thus advance the scientific debate on constitutionalism in the EU, and contribute to embedding it in common constitutional traditions, leaving room, where necessary, for national constitutional diversity.
Summary
Irrespective of whether the Treaty establishing a Constitution for Europe or a Reform Treaty enters into force, the EU already has a constitution by all but name. But what does it rest on? Both the current treaties and the European Court of Justice often make reference to the national constitutions, either of one Member State individually, or as common constitutional principles and traditions. Yet, whilst the influence of EU law on national constitutional law is well documented, no thorough comprehensive comparative legal research has ever been done into these common constitutional principles. The very foundations of the European constitution have thus remained uncharted. Trans-national comparative constitutional law has been neglected in the scientific research on the European Constitution, while it should be an essential component of the analysis. This project aims to contribute to the scientific debate by going back to the fundamentals of national constitutional law. Its purpose is to analyse and structure common legal constitutional principles across EU Member States and identify constitutional diversity. To that end a team of PI and four post-docs will conduct a comprehensive analysis of the „constitutional law in action” of selected Member States, as expounded in constitutional case law, practice and texts. The functional method of comparative law will be used, analysing constitutional law as it functions in practice. Also, these themes will be analysed in an interdisciplinary fashion, taking account of other disciplines. It is this method which makes this research innovative: the national lines will be crossed, and system-neutral themes be used as a starting point, in order to formulate common principles as well as identify national diversity. It will thus advance the scientific debate on constitutionalism in the EU, and contribute to embedding it in common constitutional traditions, leaving room, where necessary, for national constitutional diversity.
Max ERC Funding
1 645 056 €
Duration
Start date: 2008-09-01, End date: 2013-02-28
Project acronym FINGOVEU
Project Financial Services Governance in the European Union
Researcher (PI) Lucia Quaglia
Host Institution (HI) THE UNIVERSITY OF SUSSEX
Call Details Starting Grant (StG), SH2, ERC-2007-StG
Summary This project examines the governance of financial services in the European Union (EU). This research is both academically interesting and policy relevant. Academic research has not kept pace with new developments in this field, and interdisciplinary research is very much needed, as financial services governance is at the cross road between politics, economics and law. At the practical level, the financial sector is a core part of national economies and one of the most active areas of EU policy making. Moreover, this research will contribute to informing the public discussion in a policy area that is often perceived as 'technical', which tends to limit the public scrutiny of it. For the purposes of this research, the governance of financial services in the EU includes: i) the institutional framework through which policies are made; ii) regulation, which is comprised of market-making and market-framing measures; and iii) supervision, that is: the monitoring and enforcement of regulation as well as the practical cooperation between supervisory authorities. First, the project will map the complex institutional framework underpinning financial services governance in the EU, explaining how such framework interplays with regulatory and supervisory arrangements in international arenas and in selected countries. Second, through competitive hypotheses testing, the project will analyse the EU policy-making processes in the financial sector: the main policy-makers and stakeholders involved; their resources, relationships and influence on the policy process; and the outcome. Besides contributing to the policy-oriented debate on financial services regulation and supervision in the EU, the ultimate theoretical goal of the research is to devise an integrated analytical framework that by combining various theoretical approaches and identifying their scope conditions could account for financial services governance in the EU, advancing theories of EU policy making.
Summary
This project examines the governance of financial services in the European Union (EU). This research is both academically interesting and policy relevant. Academic research has not kept pace with new developments in this field, and interdisciplinary research is very much needed, as financial services governance is at the cross road between politics, economics and law. At the practical level, the financial sector is a core part of national economies and one of the most active areas of EU policy making. Moreover, this research will contribute to informing the public discussion in a policy area that is often perceived as 'technical', which tends to limit the public scrutiny of it. For the purposes of this research, the governance of financial services in the EU includes: i) the institutional framework through which policies are made; ii) regulation, which is comprised of market-making and market-framing measures; and iii) supervision, that is: the monitoring and enforcement of regulation as well as the practical cooperation between supervisory authorities. First, the project will map the complex institutional framework underpinning financial services governance in the EU, explaining how such framework interplays with regulatory and supervisory arrangements in international arenas and in selected countries. Second, through competitive hypotheses testing, the project will analyse the EU policy-making processes in the financial sector: the main policy-makers and stakeholders involved; their resources, relationships and influence on the policy process; and the outcome. Besides contributing to the policy-oriented debate on financial services regulation and supervision in the EU, the ultimate theoretical goal of the research is to devise an integrated analytical framework that by combining various theoretical approaches and identifying their scope conditions could account for financial services governance in the EU, advancing theories of EU policy making.
Max ERC Funding
377 464 €
Duration
Start date: 2008-10-01, End date: 2012-03-31
Project acronym FORESIGHT
Project Do Forecasts Matter? Early Warnings and the Prevention of Armed Conflict
Researcher (PI) Christoph Meyer
Host Institution (HI) KING'S COLLEGE LONDON
Call Details Starting Grant (StG), SH2, ERC-2007-StG
Summary What impact do forecasts have on political action? How are they communicated, perceived and used in order to prevent harmful events in the future? There are few policy areas as dependent on good forecasts as efforts aimed at preventing intra-state violent conflicts. Both practitioners and scholars agree that early, appropriate and sustained action on the part of various international players can help to avoid or at least alleviate many of the harmful consequences. Preventing the outbreak of such conflicts has increasingly become a priority objective of the European Union and its most influential member states. But there is a curious gap in the literature with respect to the exact linkage between early warning and political response: under what conditions do forecasts of impending conflicts lead to political action? The first objective of the project is to better understand the interplay of communication and political perception of early warnings about impending intra-state armed conflict. In a second step, the project will compare the findings about early warnings regarding armed conflict to insights about the impact of forecasts in other policy-areas such as adjusting to impending environmental and economic crises. Thus, the project aims to contribute to improving public policy by analysing the interplay of forecasting, advocacy and preventive decision-making.
Summary
What impact do forecasts have on political action? How are they communicated, perceived and used in order to prevent harmful events in the future? There are few policy areas as dependent on good forecasts as efforts aimed at preventing intra-state violent conflicts. Both practitioners and scholars agree that early, appropriate and sustained action on the part of various international players can help to avoid or at least alleviate many of the harmful consequences. Preventing the outbreak of such conflicts has increasingly become a priority objective of the European Union and its most influential member states. But there is a curious gap in the literature with respect to the exact linkage between early warning and political response: under what conditions do forecasts of impending conflicts lead to political action? The first objective of the project is to better understand the interplay of communication and political perception of early warnings about impending intra-state armed conflict. In a second step, the project will compare the findings about early warnings regarding armed conflict to insights about the impact of forecasts in other policy-areas such as adjusting to impending environmental and economic crises. Thus, the project aims to contribute to improving public policy by analysing the interplay of forecasting, advocacy and preventive decision-making.
Max ERC Funding
754 077 €
Duration
Start date: 2008-09-01, End date: 2011-10-31
Project acronym PARTYDEMOCRACY
Project Re-conceptualizing party democracy
Researcher (PI) Ingrid Van Biezen
Host Institution (HI) UNIVERSITEIT LEIDEN
Call Details Starting Grant (StG), SH2, ERC-2007-StG
Summary The aim of this project is to provide an empirical and theoretical re-conceptualization of political parties and party democracy. The challenge of democratic legitimacy faced by political parties in modern democracies derives principally from their deteriorating relationship with society, which has been accentuated by a growing disengagement of citizens from conventional party politics. However, whereas parties are conventionally being understood in terms of their linkages with society, this project proposes to rethink parties in terms of their linkages with the state and party democracy as based on a conception of parties as public utilities rather than private associations. More specifically, it intends to investigate the contours of such a new conception of political parties and party democracy through a particular focus on the management of parties by the state through public law and regulation. The project will thereby bridge the existing gap between the empirical study of parties and normative democratic theory and integrate the disciplines of political science and constitutional and public law through a systematic and comprehensive longitudinal and comparative analysis of party regulation in post-war European democracies. In doing so, it will push the boundaries of conventional empirical research on political parties as well as the normative paradigms of modern democracy and will contribute to a better, and more meaningful, understanding of the future of representative democracy and the role of political parties within it. In doing so, moreover, it will go significantly going beyond conventional – and ultimately unproductive – approaches which, by proposing the revitalization of historically dated organizational linkages between parties and society as the way forward, implausibly suggest that the irreversible process of party transformation can be put to a halt or turned round.
Summary
The aim of this project is to provide an empirical and theoretical re-conceptualization of political parties and party democracy. The challenge of democratic legitimacy faced by political parties in modern democracies derives principally from their deteriorating relationship with society, which has been accentuated by a growing disengagement of citizens from conventional party politics. However, whereas parties are conventionally being understood in terms of their linkages with society, this project proposes to rethink parties in terms of their linkages with the state and party democracy as based on a conception of parties as public utilities rather than private associations. More specifically, it intends to investigate the contours of such a new conception of political parties and party democracy through a particular focus on the management of parties by the state through public law and regulation. The project will thereby bridge the existing gap between the empirical study of parties and normative democratic theory and integrate the disciplines of political science and constitutional and public law through a systematic and comprehensive longitudinal and comparative analysis of party regulation in post-war European democracies. In doing so, it will push the boundaries of conventional empirical research on political parties as well as the normative paradigms of modern democracy and will contribute to a better, and more meaningful, understanding of the future of representative democracy and the role of political parties within it. In doing so, moreover, it will go significantly going beyond conventional – and ultimately unproductive – approaches which, by proposing the revitalization of historically dated organizational linkages between parties and society as the way forward, implausibly suggest that the irreversible process of party transformation can be put to a halt or turned round.
Max ERC Funding
1 619 522 €
Duration
Start date: 2008-10-01, End date: 2013-09-30
