What is UNDETERRED?
UNDETERRED — Unintentional Discrimination Detected and Racism Revealed and Deactivated is a research-action programme funded by the European Union under the Horizon Europe framework (Grant N° 101095020).
The project investigates the mechanisms of unintentional discrimination experienced by young people aged 18 to 35 in four key fields: housing, health, employment and education. Its hypothesis: that some of the discrimination suffered by these populations stems from norms, rules and institutional practices that are never questioned — even when they are legal.
The programme has three core objectives:
- Detect the rules, procedures, norms and practices that lead to discrimination
- Reveal the unintentional processes that produce inequalities of access and opportunity in institutions
- Deactivate these processes by co-designing and experimenting with concrete solutions alongside non-academic partners
The consortium
The project is coordinated by Fabien Sabatier (Professor, University of Bordeaux), assisted by Hachem Benissa (postdoctoral researcher, University of Bordeaux).
It brings together research teams from seven universities across six countries, alongside non-academic partners in Bordeaux:
- Academic partners: Universities of Amsterdam, Utrecht, Barcelona (UPF), Bordeaux, Bucharest, and Laval (Québec)
- Non-academic partners: Bordeaux Métropole, CCI Bordeaux Gironde, URHAJ Nouvelle-Aquitaine, and associations supporting immigrant populations
Project Timeline
| Period | Phase |
|---|---|
| June 2023 | Official project launch — Bordeaux |
| April – September 2023 | Online surveys — students and neighbourhood residents across 4 cities |
| September 2023 | Legal experts meeting — Bordeaux |
| April 2024 – April 2025 | In-depth interviews — young adults, employers, public services |
| September 2024 – April 2026 | Focus groups across 4 cities |
| December 2025 | Launch of “Combating Discrimination in Universities” — Bucharest |
| 2024 – 2026 | WP3 field experiments — co-designed pilots across 4 cities |
| 2023 – 2027 | Continuous dissemination (WP4) |
Duration: 2023 – 2027
Funding: European Union — Horizon Europe — Grant N° 101095020