Abertay University secures funding for AI-powered research in social sciences and humanities

Abertay University has been awarded nearly £600K in Horizon Europe research grants to support three new projects aimed at enhancing the use of artificial intelligence (AI) and promoting ‘open science’ in the social sciences and humanities (SSH). 

A part of Abertay’s collaboration with OPERAS, a European initiative that facilitates open scholarly communication for SSH researchers, these projects aim to enhance collaboration across academic fields, develop a user-friendly online tool for exploring SSH data, and simplify research searches in multiple languages.

Through these projects Abertay will collaborate with several European partners, including CNRS, NET7, Fox-Cub, The Institute of Literary Research, University of Zadar, University of Bologna, KU Leuven among others. 

The three projects—LUMEN, GRAPHIA, and FASCA—are extensions of GoTriple, OPERAS’s multilingual discovery platform for SSH research. This platform centralises access to research artifacts, including publications, project descriptions, and researcher profiles, and promotes cross-disciplinary collaboration and data discovery. 

GoTriple was funded by the European Union (EU) through Horizon 2020 and was completed in 2023. Abertay played a crucial role in its development, leading user research & codesign by conducting interviews, workshops and testing with researchers to ensure the platform met their needs and promoted collaboration. 

Professor Stefano De Paoli, Abertay’s Professor of Digital Society, together with Dr Kathy-Ann Fletcher led the grant applications, which were finalised in late 2024. 

Dr Rwayda Al Hamd , Dr Donncha Marron and Professor Daniel Gilmour are further key contributors to these initiatives. Dr Diane Morrow, Dr Crystal Silver and Mr Alex Fawzi are the PhD researchers currently working on these projects.  

Professor De Paoli said:  

These projects represent a huge step forward for open science and interdisciplinary collaboration, both at Abertay and across Europe. By harnessing AI and open data principles, we can make research more accessible, connected, and impactful for the wider community. Abertay’s involvement in these projects highlights the university’s dedication to advancing open science and making knowledge more accessible to all. 

The three funded projects are: 

LUMEN: Transforming Interdisciplinary Discovery 
The LUMEN (Linked User-driven Multidisciplinary Exploration Network) project aims to improve collaboration across social sciences, humanities, maths, earth systems, and molecular dynamics. It will build on the GoTriple platform to make data sharing and interdisciplinary teamwork easier, creating a connected network of platforms.  

Abertay lecturers Professor Stefano De Paoli and Dr Kathy-Ann Fletcher are key members of the project, which aims to expand the European Open Science Cloud (EOSC) with new AI tools, custom data search features, and collaborative platforms to support open science. 

GRAPHIA: Comprehensive SSH Knowledge Graph
GRAPHIA aims to create a digital tool to bring together and visualise data from the social sciences and humanities (SSH). Using advanced AI and Knowledge-Graphs, it will help uncover new cultural and social insights. A highlight of the project is the development of an SSH Citation Index which will make it easier to access and analyse past research. The team will work with industry partners to increase the range and impact of the project. 

FASCA: Multilingual Data-Driven Research
The goal of FASCA is to enhance GoTriple’s multilingual search capabilities using advanced data science tools for better data retrieval, enrichment, and visualisation. It will focus on aligning research with the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and ensuring research outputs are easy to find, access, and reuse. 

Similarly to the development of GoTriple, Abertay’s role is leading user design efforts as these new projects will include a range of AI and visualisation features designed to enhance research and collaboration. Abertay researchers will focus on aligning these new services with the needs of end users, ensuring that all features are practical and easy to use.

Dr Kathy-Ann Fletcher said: 

These projects enable us to create an environment where researchers can work more seamlessly across disciplines and national borders. By providing new tools and platforms, we can empower researchers to explore innovative solutions and drive meaningful societal impact.

Find out more about these initiatives on the OPERAS website.