The projects cover a broad spectrum of democratic challenges – from how young people are influenced by influencers, to how democracy functions during war, and how experts should be used in policymaking.
"It is truly inspiring to see how these projects demonstrate both the breadth and the interdisciplinary strength of A Durable Democracy," says Kristin Skare Orgeret, academic leader of this strategic research area.
"The projects address some of the most pressing challenges facing democracies today, while also exploring how we can strengthen democratic resilience through knowledge, trust, participation, education, and robust public institutions. I very much look forward to following them!"
The following projects have received funding:
Democracy under war and reconstruction: A theoretical framework for democratic resilience in Ukraine
Project leader: Aadne Aasland, NIBR
The project will develop a theoretical framework to understand how democratic functions are maintained, challenged, and transformed during and after war. Drawing on ongoing research on Ukrainian labour markets, local governance, journalism, and education, the project will identify common mechanisms across societal arenas, including how tensions are managed and decisions are legitimised.
ProTruSt 2026–2028: Professions, trust, status and democratic resilience
Project leader: Andreea Iona Alecu, SIFO
ProTruSt will examine how public trust in professions, knowledge, and institutions develops in a time marked by polarization and uncertainty, and how this relates to democratic resilience. Through a new nationally representative survey, researchers will study who people trust and how this influences democratic participation and satisfaction.
Documentary as democratic infrastructure: Countering the fungibility of Sámi representation in the age of AI
Project leader: Becky Beamer, Department of Journalism and Media Studies, Faculty of Social Sciences
This practice-based research project will develop new methods in documentary and visual journalism to produce more accurate and ethically grounded representations of Sámi society. In collaboration with the Sámediggi (Sámi Parliament), the project will explore how images and narratives can be communicated in ways that preserve context and counter simplification, particularly in an era where AI and digital platforms shape how visual media are created and understood.
Silenced airwaves: Media as democratic infrastructure
Project leader: Fenella Carpena, Oslo Business School, Faculty of Social Sciences
The project examines the consequences of the shutdown of the major independent TV network ABS-CBN in the Philippines in 2020, and how this affected access to critical information – especially during natural disasters. The aim is to understand the role of media as essential democratic infrastructure and the broader societal consequences when press freedom is lost.
IMPART – Impartial expertise in the design of school policy
Project leader: Andreas Eriksen, Centre for the Study of Professions (SPS)
IMPART will investigate how experts influence political decision-making, using education policy as a case. The project will analyse how the ideal of impartial expertise has developed over recent decades, and how research-based knowledge is used in policymaking. The goal is to develop a framework that strengthens trust in expertise and improves the balance between professional advice and political considerations.
Contested public service media: Criticism, response and authority
Project leader: Tine Ustad Figenschou, Department of Journalism and Media Studies, Faculty of Social Sciences
This project examines how NRK handles increasing criticism in a digital public sphere marked by polarization, misinformation, and hostile debate climates, and how this affects – and potentially weakens – the broadcaster’s democratic role.
A more open and pluralistic classroom climate
Project leader: Evy Jøsok, Department of Primary and Secondary Teacher Education, Faculty of Education and International Studies
The project investigates why young people increasingly hesitate to participate in classroom discussions, and how teaching can become more inclusive. In collaboration with partners such as Save the Children and the Nobel Peace Center, the researchers will develop and test new teaching methods to strengthen students’ ability to engage in disagreement and participate in discussions of complex societal issues.
Can participatory democracy work at scale? Analyzing cases of large-scale democratic innovations, and developing a FRIPRO application
Project leader: Sveinung Legard, NIBR
This project focuses on democratic innovations aimed at strengthening citizen participation in decision-making. It explores whether such approaches can also work in large-scale societies. Researchers will study international examples such as participatory budgeting and digital participation platforms. The goal is to develop knowledge about how broad public participation can be combined with effective decision-making processes.
Piloting emotion-informed interventions for strengthening digital democratic resilience
Project leader: Lewend Mayiwar, Oslo Business School, Faculty of Social Sciences
The project tests new interventions aimed at strengthening democratic resilience in digital media environments. Rather than focusing solely on facts, it examines how people’s emotional responses to political content can be influenced. Through laboratory and field studies using real-world social media exposure, the project investigates whether such interventions can reduce polarization and strengthen trust in institutions and democratic processes.
A profile-based political public sphere: profiles and their significance for young people's engagement, attitudes, and trust
Project leader: Vilde Schanke Sundet, Department of Journalism and Media Studies, Faculty of Social Sciences
The project analyses the role of influencers and social media profiles in shaping young people’s political engagement, attitudes, and trust. Researchers will conduct interviews with young people and analyse how influencers participate in political debates. The aim is to understand how an algorithm-driven and profile-based public sphere can affect democratic processes – both by increasing engagement and by contributing to polarization, particularly across gender and social groups. Read more about this project here.
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Strategic research areas
OsloMet's four strategic research areas aim to promote and strengthen the university's research and knowledge development in key areas. The strategic research areas will last for five years, from 2026 to 2030.
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A Durable Democracy
This strategic research area explores how democracy can be strengthened and further developed in the face of challenges like weakening democratic structures, increased disinformation, polarization, and declining trust.
