Better understanding the influence of organisational cultures and human interactions in the forensic context as well as a common lexicon
Programme Category
Programme Name
Programme Description
Horizon Europe is the European Union (EU) funding programme for the period 2021 – 2027, which targets the sectors of research and innovation. The programme’s budget is around € 95.5 billion, of which € 5.4 billion is from NextGenerationEU to stimulate recovery and strengthen the EU’s resilience in the future, and € 4.5 billion is additional aid.
Identifier Code
Call
Summary
Projects’ results are expected to contribute to all of the following outcomes:
- Increased European common forensic investigation capabilities and cross-border exchanges thanks to a better understanding of main organisational cultures and of human interactions in the forensic context, and of the main causes of biases in interpretation and reasoning;
- Strengthened bridges between different actors in an investigative process through an improved non-ambiguous communication and enhanced communication mechanisms at all levels;
- Improved European common forensics investigation capabilities and cross-border exchanges thanks to a common, modern lexicon that is used by forensic institutes and Police Authorities, validated against practitioners’ needs and requirements, to facilitate their (specialised) daily work on investigating terrorism and other forms of serious crime;
- Development of safer justice outcomes through an increased understanding of how human interactions impacts on decisions at all levels of an investigative process;
Detailed Call Description
Security research projects related to forensics typically focus only on technologies and data, while the process by which forensic experts evaluate and interpret the evidence is often put aside. However, cognitive methods and human judgement play a significant role as forensic experts observe and interpret the data. By doing this, forensic experts are almost inevitably exposed to irrelevant contextual information (such as suspect’s criminal record or ethnicity, a type of the information that can be obtained due to a liaison between a forensic expert and investigators, police and the prosecution), which can potentially cause bias. In contexts where digital technologies are involved in creating forensic outcomes, biases and loss of transparency can also arise from different roles and disciplinary backgrounds of the different actors working on and with the digital tools.
Understanding how human interaction, both internally and in the European context, impacts on decisions at all levels of an investigative process is critical for the development of safe justice outcomes. In forensic practice, it is crucial to understand the impacts of various types of biases on interpretation and reasoning, and to develop methods to increase the robustness of reasoning and of experts’ decision making. Research is needed to evaluate, develop and enhance methods and cognitive techniques to communicate non-ambiguously in the forensic and legal context, as well as to develop, improve and enhance communication mechanisms between the actors of the criminal justice chain.
Call Total Budget
Financing percentage by EU or other bodies / Level of Subsidy or Loan
100%
Expected EU contribution: €3 million
Thematic Categories
- Justice - Security
- Research, Technological Development and Innovation
- Social Affairs & Human Rights
Eligibility for Participation
- Central Government
- Local Authorities
- Researchers/Research Centers/Institutions
- State-owned Enterprises
Eligibility For Participation Notes
This topic requires the active involvement, as beneficiaries, of at least 2 Police Authorities and at least 2 forensic institutes from at least 3 different EU Member States or Associated countries. For these participants, applicants must fill in the table “Eligibility information about practitioners” in the application form with all the requested information, following the template provided in the submission IT tool.
Some activities, resulting from this topic, may involve using classified background and/or producing of security sensitive results (EUCI and SEN).
Call Opening Date
Call Closing Date
National Contact Point(s)
Research and Innovation Foundation
29a Andrea Michalakopoulou, 1075 Nicosia
P.O.Box 23422, 1683 Nicosia
Phone Number: +357 22205000
Email Address: support@research.org.cy
Website: https://www.research.org.cy/en/
Contact Persons:
Dr. Ioannis Theodorou
Scientific Officer
Contact Phone: +357 22 20 50 38
Contact Email: itheodorou@research.org.cy
Christakis Theocharous
Scientific Officer A’
Contact Phone: +357 22 20 50 29
Contact Email: ctheocharous@research.org.cy
EU Contact Point
European Commission, Directorate-General for Research and Innovation
https://ec.europa.eu/info/departments/research-and-innovation_en#contact