INSTITUTO SUPERIOR DE CIENCIAS SOCIAIS E POLITICAS

Their core work

ISCSP-ULisboa is a leading Portuguese school of social and political sciences within the University of Lisbon, specializing in policy research, human rights, and the social dimensions of science and innovation. They contribute expertise in disability rights advocacy, citizen engagement in research, and the governance of European university alliances. Their work bridges academic social science with real-world policy impact, particularly around inclusion, gender, and vulnerable groups across Europe.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

Their early H2020 work (2017–2019) centered on human rights, disability law, and inter-disciplinary social policy — classic political science territory. From 2020 onward, their focus shifted toward science-society interfaces: citizen engagement, social media, gender in research, and European university governance. This evolution signals a move from traditional social science research toward shaping how science itself connects with society and institutions.

ISCSP is repositioning from a traditional social sciences contributor toward a partner that helps research institutions engage broader publics and align with European policy agendas like open science and SDGs.

How they like to work

ISCSP has never coordinated an H2020 project — they join consortia as a specialist partner or third party, contributing social science expertise to larger teams. With 52 unique partners across 22 countries from just 4 projects, they operate in large, diverse consortia rather than tight bilateral arrangements. This makes them a low-risk, flexible addition to any consortium needing social impact, policy, or public engagement expertise.

Despite only 4 projects, ISCSP has built a broad network of 52 partners across 22 countries, indicating involvement in large pan-European consortia. Their reach extends beyond Europe into Southeast Asian studies, reflecting the university's international relations strengths.

What sets them apart

ISCSP brings a rare combination: deep expertise in social and political sciences housed within a major research university (University of Lisbon), with specific experience in disability rights, citizen engagement, and science governance. For any consortium needing the "societal impact" or "responsible research" work package — increasingly required in Horizon Europe — ISCSP offers a credible, experienced Portuguese partner. Their UNITE! involvement also positions them within a growing European university alliance network.

Highlights from their portfolio

• DARE
  Their largest project by far (EUR 475K), focused on disability advocacy across Europe — a strong signal of their core strength in rights-based policy research.
• ALLINTERACT
  Directly addresses the EU's Science with and for Society (SwafS) agenda, positioning ISCSP at the intersection of research policy and public engagement.
• UNITE.H2020
  Participation in a European University Alliance planning project connects ISCSP to a strategic, long-term institutional network with future collaboration potential.