What does Beyond Barriers do?
BEYOND BARRIERS works through five connected directions. Together they move from understanding the problem, to working with the people involved, to developing guidance and tools, and to supporting lasting change.
The Five Connected Directions
The project’s work is organised around five directions, explained here in plain language.
Understand barriers and enablers
Study the barriers researchers face and the conditions that help them succeed, by listening to researchers across 10 European countries.
See the related work package →Work with the people involved
Bring together researchers, organizations, and others involved — so the people affected help shape the answers, not just take part as subjects.
See the related work package →Develop frameworks and recommendations
Turn what we learn into clear frameworks, policy recommendations, and practical directions for institutional and policy change.
See the related work package →Develop tools and training
Create tools, training, and practical resources so institutions, reviewers, and researchers can act on what we find.
See the related work package →Support lasting change
Help fair practices take root in research organizations and policy, so the change lasts beyond the project.
See the related work package →The five directions are interdependent, not a fixed sequence. They influence one another and often happen at the same time. EXPLORE informs GUIDE; ENGAGE shapes EQUIP; EMBED depends on all of them. The project treats them as connected parts of one effort.
WP3 – ENGAGE + EQUIP: Working with Stakeholders
BEYOND BARRIERS involves researchers, institutions, policymakers, civil society organisations, and other stakeholders in discussions about barriers to inclusion in research and academic careers.
Led by the European Citizen Science Association (ECSA), with contributions from project partners, WP3 supports meaningful participation through the Multi-stakeholder Advisory Pool (MAP).
What is the Multi-stakeholder Advisory Pool (MAP)?
MAP brings together people with different experiences and perspectives to help make the project’s research and outcomes more relevant, inclusive, and useful.
Participants may contribute through four flexible roles:
Data Provider
Share experiences, perspectives, challenges, and possible solutions.
Advisor
Offer suggestions to improve the project’s approach and activities.
Reviewer
Provide feedback on developing project outputs, such as recommendations, policy briefs, and training resources.
Multiplier
Help share project findings and resources with relevant communities and networks.
Participation is flexible. Stakeholders may contribute in one or more roles depending on their interests, expertise, and availability.
Who May Be Involved?
Potential stakeholders include underrepresented researchers, including people who have left academia; equality and diversity professionals; university representatives; civil society organisations; minority networks; citizen science practitioners; research funders; and policymakers.
MAP aims to encourage dialogue, exchange knowledge, and incorporate different perspectives into the project’s activities and outputs.
For how this complements the research methodology, see How Researchers Help Shape the Work on the Methodology page.
How the Research is Carried Out
Behind these directions is a research approach designed to investigate barriers, understand how they overlap, and develop evidence for practical and policy change. See our Methodology for how the research works.
Methodology & research approach →
The Detailed Project Structure: Six Work Packages
Behind the five directions, the project is divided into six Work Packages — the detailed technical structure for visitors who want to go deeper. Each has a lead partner and a timeframe.
| Work package | Directions covered | Lead partner | Timing |
|---|---|---|---|
| WP1 | EXPLORE | CSS | Sep 2026 – Feb 2028 |
| WP2 | FRAMEWORK / GUIDE | UiO | Sep 2026 – Jul 2029 |
| WP3 | ENGAGE + EQUIP | ECSA | Sep 2026 – Aug 2029 |
| WP4 | GUIDE + EQUIP + EMBED | MU | Feb 2027 – Aug 2029 |
| WP5 | ENGAGE + EQUIP + EMBED | UiO | Sep 2026 – Aug 2029 |
| WP6 | GOVERN | UiO | Sep 2026 – Aug 2029 |
- WP1 — EXPLORE
- WP2 — FRAMEWORK / GUIDE
- WP3 — ENGAGE + EQUIP
- WP4 — GUIDE + EQUIP + EMBED
- WP5 — ENGAGE + EQUIP + EMBED
- WP6 — GOVERN
Explore the Project’s Results
Want to see what the project will produce? Visit Results & Resources for the planned deliverables, frameworks, tools, training, and policy recommendations — each labelled by status.