MSCA-PF-2022_ Research Institute of Education - LIBERI research group

Brief Description of UdG and interested Research Group

University of Girona (UdG) is located in Girona city and is part of the Catalan public university system since 1992. UdG, deeply rooted in Catalonia and the Catalan culture, is one of the primary economic and cultural motors of the region. At the same time, it pursues a vocation of universality and openness to all traditions and cultures

UdG is a public institution devoted to excellence in teaching and research and to participating in the progress and development of society through the creation, transmission, dissemination and criticism of knowledge related to the sciences, technology, the humanities, the social sciences and the arts.

During the last 10 years, UdG has participated into more than 190 European Projects, including 5 ERC projects.

Research Group:

The LIBERI team was created in 2019 as a result of the confluence of researchers from two consolidated research teams (2017 SGR-162 and 2017 SGR-1176). The team Coordinators are Dra. Carme Montserrat and Dr. Pere Soler. The interest and the experience of the team members encouraged the creation of a new interdisciplinary team with a psychosocial and socio-educational theoretical and practical perspective. Therefore, the group continued a research process with the aim of contributing from the research and knowledge transfer to the promotion of children and young people’s rights, focusing in the three main research lines in which the group develops its research work and scientific production: 1) Children and young people in vulnerable situation, 2) Community development in childhood and youth, and 3) Childhood and youth policies. Liberi is part of the Institut de Recerca Educativa (IRE), which includes 13 research teams and 112 professors who develop high impact research: 22 European projects, 35 competitive research projects and 158 JCR indexed publications have been produced from 2015.

The team works from a methodological plural approach, with mixed methods including the gathering of quantitative data with representative and large samples and qualitative data using diverse methodologies and instruments such as interviews and focus groups. It has also a good command of triangulation and methanalysis techniques and is strongly committed to the transfer of knowledge and the participatory research, giving voice to children and youth as well as professionals in the social and educational fields.

Liberi is formed by an interdisciplinary team with 17 researchers from different backgrounds: Psychology, Pedagogy, Social Education, Social Work, Economics, Sociology, Philosophy, and Teaching; and from different universities. Nine out of the seventeen researchers have a PhD, and five of them have a full time job at the University. The rest of them have a partial dedication as associate professors and/or researchers in the team, balancing the academic and professional career developed at a childhood or youth department in a public administration or in a NGO. There are also pre-doc and postdoc researchers.

The members of the Liberi have been involved totally or partially in 58 research projects and contracts since 2015 up to now. Among those, 32 research projects from competitive calls (10 international and 22 national research projects) and 26 under agreements or contracts with public administrations (10) or private organizations (16), proving the capacity of the team members to develop research in both national and international level. Out of 32 competitive projects, members of Liberi are PI in 13, and among contracts, 19 projects as PI.

The members of the Liberi have published:

• 59 JCR indexed papers: 18 in Q1 / 22 in Q2 / 7 in Q3 / 12 in Q4

• 7 books (4 as coordinators/editors) and 34 book chapters published in editorials of international prestige.

Since 2015, the members of the team have supervised 9 doctoral thesis that have been finished and defended. Nowadays there are 9 thesis in course still under supervision, with 4 international PhD students. The members of the team are teaching in different Bachelor’s and Master’ degrees (also as a Coordinators).

Main research lines of interest

There are three main research lines. We highlight the current research in each area, and there are the links to go further:

1. Children and young people in vulnerable situation:
   • Well-being, rights and education
   • Family foster care and residential care
     • CR: Domus Ludens. Effective promotion of the right of young people in residential care to play
   • Young people leaving care and transition to adulthood:
     • CR: Education for an inclusive future with opportunities focusing on care leavers
     • CR: The situation of unaccompanied migrant young people
   • Childhood: risk and maltreatment:
     • CR: WeAreHere, detecting gender-based violence from children’s perspective

1. Community development in childhood and youth:
   • Community engagement and development, and sociocultural animation:
     • CR: RetSaso. Réseau Transfrontalier Sanitaire et Social / Cross-border Health and Social
   • Youth, education and society:
     • CR: Resilient communities: identification and analysis of social and educational actions to deal with the pandemic from a multidimensional and intersectional perspective.
     • CR: HEBE PROJECT. Empowerment of youth in the community. Case studies from three communities (HEBE-III)
     • CR: The summer camps: an opportunity 360. Towards an inclusive education policy in summer time.
   • Intercultural education
   • Connection between agents and learning for educational success

1. Childhood and youth policies.
   • Evaluation of policies and programs

Suggested Panel / Suggested Panels

• Social Sciences and Humanities (SOC)

Eligibility criteria

At the deadline for the submission of the proposals (01/06/2022), the candidate should have:

• Have obtained a PhD title
• Have no more than 8 years of postdoctoral experience
• Comply with the Mobility rule

How to apply

Expressions of interest should be sent to scientific in charge (liberi@udg.edu); Dr Carme Montserrat (carme.montserrat@udg.edu); Dr. Pere Soler (pere.soler@udg.edu) no later than 1st June 2022. Candidates please submit:

• CV
• Letter of interest