UK and US programme funds misinformation research

BARI is a joint programme of the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC), part of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), and the US Department of Defense (DoD).

The first funded project is called ‘Influence, Manipulation and Information Threats as Adversarial Techniques: Events, Evolution and Effects (IMITATE3 )’ and is led by Professor Jacob Shapiro at Princeton University for the US and Professor Martin Innes at Cardiff University for the UK.

The three-year programme will receive $3m from the DoD and £2.87m from ESRC.

The IMITATE3 project will focus on the construction, communication and consequences of foreign influence operations, and their capacity to induce political, cultural and socio-economic instability and uncertainty.

The project will aim to provide insights and evidence about how foreign state information operations seek to shape public perceptions and political decision-making in a range of international settings.

Stian Westlake, executive chair at the ESRC, said: “Now, as much as at any time in history, we need to understand and counter the misinformation and manipulation spread by hostile states to destabilise the world’s democracies.

“The BARI social science programme represents the joining of forces between two of the world’s social science superpowers to the mutual benefit of both nations and to the benefit of people everywhere.”

Dr David Montgomery, director of social science in the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering, said: “The BARI social science programme showcases the remarkable potential of international collaboration.

“By bringing together leading scientists from the US and UK, this initiative is set to achieve advancements in areas of shared interest, highlighting the strength of combining diverse perspectives and expertise.”