Seven smiling colleagues stand arm in arm in a row in front of a chalkboard wall, dressed in casual business attire.

EUPeace Label Call for initiatives to foster diversity and inclusion

In line with the Strategic Plan for Inclusive Campuses, EUPeace opens the call for initiatives to foster diversity and inclusive campuses. The objective is to fund projects and initiatives that promote diversity and inclusion across academic, social, and intercultural contexts. This call is open to students, academics, doctoral candidates, and university staff from EUPeace partner institutions.

All proposals should take into account the intersectional approach. Topics of interest may include (but are by no means limited to)

Inclusive teaching and curriculum innovation: accessibility in course design, inclusive digital and hybrid teaching methodologies, inclusive assessment practices.
Equity and diversity: intersectional approaches to inclusion, anti-discrimination and anti-racism strategies in universities, gender equality, inclusive leadership.
Student access, participation and success: widening participation for under-represented and first-generation students, support systems for refugee and migrant students, inclusive mobility programmes, peer-mentoring, mental health and well-being.
Intercultural dialogue and peace-building: intercultural competence development, conflict transformation and restorative practices, peace education.
Institutional transformation & policy innovation: inclusive models in higher education, staff training for inclusive leadership, inclusive internationalisation strategies, embedding inclusion in university strategic planning.

Schedule

30 June 2026: Opening of the Call

30 September 2026: Deadline for Submissions

30 September – 20 October 2026: Review by EDIB and SC (in-person meetings in Limoges)

21 October 2026: Notification of Acceptance

1 November 2026 – 1 July 2027: Project implementation period

15 July 2027: Reporting on the project

Submission Guidelines

Proposals should be submitted to michele.galluccio@unical.it and vanessa.marcella@unical.it.

Possible formats may be (but are by no means limited to):

Ongoing sustainable and transformative workshops or seminar series
Tools for laboratories, rooms, or facilities on campus
Videos or podcasts related to staff training and teaching methodologies (in English or with English captions) that are open-access
Awareness-raising campaigns

Project submission:

Applicants are invited to submit a 400–800-word project proposal outlining their project and its relevance to the call’s themes.
The full submission should include:

Name of the applicant(s)
Email
University affiliation
Department/Faculty
If student – level of studies (bachelor, master, doctoral candidate)
Target group(s)
Budget
Detailed activities
Expected outcomes
Information on transferability

Two-stage evaluation process

1) Eligibility screening (by Work Package on Campus and Student Life)

New initiatives are eligible for funding.
Existing initiatives may also be submitted, but funding can only be granted if the proposal includes a clearly defined extension, such as a new round of activities, scaling up or broadening of scope. This added value must be explicitly described in the application (e.g., teaching offer, administrative project, event, information material, etc.).
Only members of partner universities are eligible to submit proposals. Collaborative proposals involving multiple EUPeace universities will be prioritised.
Associated partners may contribute to an initiative using their own funding.
Funds cannot be transferred to a third-party organisation (e.g., independently organised student organisation).
Research activities are not eligible due to the Erasmus+ framework.

2) Ranking (by EDIB)

Applications will be evaluated against seven assessment criteria. Each criterion will be scored on a scale of 1 to 5, resulting in a maximum possible score of 35 points. To be considered for selection, applications must achieve a minimum score of 21 out of 35 points (60% of the total available score).

Applications scoring below this threshold will not be eligible for selection. In the event that the number of applications exceeding the threshold is greater than the available funding or places, applications will be ranked according to their total score.

Members of the EDIB shall not evaluate proposals submitted by members of their own university.

Assessment criteria

Clarity and coherence (clear objectives, well-defined target groups, and a coherent project design)
Relevance (alignment with the call objectives and contribution to diversity and inclusion within the Alliance)
Innovation and added value (degree of originality and the extent to which the initiative introduces new or improved approaches)
Feasibility (realistic planning, appropriate methodology, and alignment between objectives, activities, and resources)
Impact (expected benefits for target groups and the wider Alliance, including potential for meaningful change)
Transferability and replicability (potential for the initiative to be adapted, scaled, or implemented in other partner universities or contexts)
Potential for lasting impact (likelihood that the initiative’s outcomes will continue beyond the funding period)

Assessment scoring matrix

Each assessment criterion will be scored on a scale from 1 to 5 according to the following descriptors:

Score	Descriptor	Explanation
1	Very weak	Criterion is not addressed or is addressed inadequately. Significant weaknesses are evident.
2	Weak	Criterion is only partially addressed. Important aspects remain unclear or underdeveloped.
3	Satisfactory	Criterion is adequately addressed. The proposal demonstrates a reasonable level of quality and feasibility.
4	Good	Criterion is well addressed. The proposal demonstrates strong quality, coherence and relevance.
5	Excellent	Criterion is addressed exceptionally well. The proposal demonstrates outstanding quality, innovation and potential impact.

The evaluation will focus on the initiative’s contribution to enhancing diversity and/or inclusion within the Alliance, in line with the Strategic Action Plan

The evaluation will take place in two phases:
- Phase 1 – EDIB review: The EDIB assesses all proposals, considering their relevance to the call, their contribution to diversity and inclusion, and the overall balance and diversity of initiatives across the Alliance.
- Phase 2 – SC decision: Based on EDIB’s assessment and recommendations, the SC makes the final decision on the selection of proposals. To ensure a balanced distribution of activities across partner universities, the highest-ranked proposal from each university will be funded. Any remaining budget will then be allocated according to the overall ranking. Preference will be given to smaller, high-impact projects with strong transferability over larger projects with limited scalability.

The allocation of funds is decided by the SC, taking into account EDIB’s recommendations, the total budget available, and the amounts requested. Partial funding may be awarded where appropriate.
Feedback will be provided to all applicants upon request, reflecting both the EDIB assessment and the final SC decision.

Reporting

All supported initiatives must:

Provide a short summary of the project, along with contact details, for initial publication on the website within 2 weeks of selection.
Submit a financial report upon completion of the project to their local EUPeace coordinator, no later than 15 July 2027.
Produce an internal report detailing the implementation and outcomes of the initiative for evaluation purposes. This report must be submitted to EDIB and SC no later than 15 July 2027.
Provide a final summary of outcomes for publication on the website within two weeks of the initiative’s completion, and no later than 15 July 2027.

Funding

A maximum of €4,500 can be awarded per project.
The funds will be sent to the institution at the start of the project period.

Financial rules

Local contact is available to support applicants by providing clear financial rules and reporting guidelines, including details on eligible costs and payment procedures, in accordance with internal regulations (see application form).