Called NERO (Network for European Research on Jewish Life and Antisemitism) the new project, with a grant of €3.4 million,  is part of Horizon Europe, the EU’s flagship research and innovation framework program.

Ekaterina Zaharieva, European Commissioner for Startups, Research and Innovation, said: “To effectively combat antisemitism, we need a modern, shared scientific foundation. Right now, European research in this field is fragmented. By investing €3.4 million through Horizon Europe, we are bridging these gaps and equipping researchers with advanced data tools and digital methodologies to uncover real-world truths.”

The European Commission officially launched last week the first European research network to address contemporary antisemitism and foster Jewish life.

Called NERO (Network for European Research on Jewish Life and Antisemitism) the new project, with a grant of €3.4 million,  is part of Horizon Europe, the EU’s flagship research and innovation framework program.

Ekaterina Zaharieva, European Commissioner for Startups, Research and Innovation, said: “To effectively combat antisemitism, we need a modern, shared scientific foundation. Right now, European research in this field is fragmented. By investing €3.4 million through Horizon Europe, we are bridging these gaps and equipping researchers with advanced data tools and digital methodologies to uncover real-world truths.”

Magnus Brunner, European Commissioner for Internal Affairs and Migration, said:

“The launch of NERON marks another important milestone in delivering the EU Strategy on Combating Antisemitism and Fostering Jewish Life;44

He added, ‘’to combat antisemitism effectively, we must understand how it evolves and manifests itself. By investing in excellent research and fostering closer cooperation between academics, policymakers and Jewish communities, we are strengthening our ability to identify emerging trends, respond to new forms of antisemitism, and develop policies that make a real difference—both at European and national level. We are committed to ensuring that Jewish life can flourish across Europe.”

The NERON project is built on six key pillars:

• Mapping and analysing the research landscape by upgrading the European Jewish Research Archive to identify gaps, strengths, and key institutions in antisemitism and Jewish life research, ensuring a comprehensive understanding of Europe’s existing scholarly infrastructure
• Fostering collaboration and knowledge-sharing by building a pan-European network through workshops, seminars, and pilot programmes, such as a Summer Academy and internships, to bring together researchers, policymakers, and Jewish communities for co-creation and shared learning
• Developing standardised methodologies and research tools, creating best-practice guidelines for surveys, AI and big data analysis, and demographic studies, while piloting initiatives like a European Jewish Panel Survey in selected EU countries to enhance research quality and comparability
• Strengthening policy-research links by delivering targeted training programmes, co-creative workshops, and a handbook on funding mechanisms to align research outputs with policymaking needs and ensure evidence-based decision-making
• Promoting dissemination and public engagement by launching a dedicated website, newsletter, and visual identity to share findings with academics, policymakers, media, and the public, alongside training to improve researchers’ communication and outreach skills.
• Ensuring long-term sustainability by assessing centralised, decentralised, and hybrid organisational models, conducting risk analyses, and designing a strategic framework for governance, funding, and the future expansion of the research hub

The NERON project is a flagship initiative of the EU Strategy on Combating Antisemitism and Fostering Jewish Life (2021–2030). The European Commission launched the strategy in October 2021, under the leadership of Ursula von der Leyen as the EU’s first comprehensive framework specifically dedicated to combating antisemitism and fostering Jewish life across Europe.

The Strategy commits the European Commission to supporting research on antisemitism and contemporary Jewish life and creating a European research hub in this field. At present, research efforts on antisemitism and Jewish life remain loosely connected and fragmented across Europe. In 2023, the Commission published a report mapping the existing landscape of research on antisemitism and contemporary European Jewish life. It assessed how a future research hub could better support, coordinate, and strengthen research in these areas, in line with the Strategy’s objective to reinforce the overall research ecosystem.

Building on this analysis, Horizon Europe Cluster 2 “Culture, Creativity and Inclusive Society”, who has a mission to strengthen democratic governance, and foster a more resilient, inclusive, and democratic European society, launched a topic call to support the establishment of the hub through a Coordination and Support Action.

Research on all aspects of antisemitism and Jewish life in Europe will complement and further enrich Holocaust research, while benefiting from stronger coordination and improved integration across disciplines, institutions and countries.

Horizon Europe is a seven-year European Union scientific research initiative to help develop a sustainable and livable society in Europe.