Cassandra Engeman. Photo: Magnus Dahl

Dr. Cassandra Engeman from the Swedish Institute for Social Research (SOFI) at Stockholm University has received a European Research Council (ERC) Starting Grant. The grant aims to support early-career researchers with innovative ideas that push the boundaries of knowledge.

“It's really amazing, and I'm excited to be able to lead a project this ambitious”, says Dr. Engeman.

Investigating the Role of Trade Unions

Dr. Engeman's research project focuses on understanding how trade unions influence social policies across various countries, with a focus on care leave policies that grant time-off from work.

"We often think of trade unions targeting employers for change, but they also target the state, advocating social policies that cover all workers regardless of membership. My project examines union relationships to the state, emphasizes the social movement side of trade unions, and recognizes that women now make up a majority or near-majority of union members in many countries," says Dr. Engeman. 

This project represents her "dream project," and she is eager to begin the work that could reshape our understanding of unions' roles in policy development.

SOFI's Strong Research Environment

Awarding this ERC Starting Grant to Dr. Engeman shows SOFI's position as a leading research institute. She attributes her success to SOFI's supportive and intellectually stimulating environment.

"SOFI is a great place to develop ideas. We have so many experienced researchers, and we help each other to perform the best we can," remarks Dr. Engeman.

SOFI’s Director Marie Evertsson says that she is proud and happy that SOFI, and the Social Policy unit, will host this prestigious grant. “Engeman’s project will add to and enrich the research conducted at SOFI and we look forward to welcome the young scholars she will recruit to her team.” 

Support from the European Commission

Iliana Ivanova, Commissioner for Innovation, Research, Culture, Education, and Youth, emphasized the importance of supporting early-career researchers: 

"The European Commission is proud to support the curiosity and passion of our early-career talent under our Horizon Europe programme. The new ERC Starting Grant winners aim to deepen our understanding of the world. Their creativity is vital to finding solutions to some of the most pressing societal challenges. In this call, I am happy to see one of the highest shares of female grantees to date, a trend that I hope will continue. Congratulations to all!"

Read more

Dr. Cassandra Engeman's profile page

The Social Policy (SOCPOL) Research Group

The European Research Council