| Research Projects | Simón Peña-Fernández |
Projects
His research leadership focuses on artificial intelligence, journalism, digital media, disinformation, social media, political communication and algorithmic polarisation.
Principal Investigator
Gureiker
IT1936-26/05
Principal Investigator: Simón Peña-Fernández & Ainara Larrondo-Ureta
Gureiker. Digital Communication and Media Research Group
Basque Government
2026–2029
Funding: €133,500
Research areas: Artificial Intelligence · Social Media · Disinformation · Online Media · Innovation
Social Media, Disinformation and Artificial Intelligence
EHU-G25/05
Principal Investigator: Simón Peña-Fernández & Ainhoa Novo-Arbona
Social Media, Disinformation and AI: Strategies and tools to prevent polarisation and foster democratic values
University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU)
2026–2027
Funding: €30,000
Research areas: Artificial Intelligence · Social Media · Disinformation · Polarisation · Democratic Values
Artificial Intelligence, Algorithms and Digital Media
PID2022-138391OB-I00
Principal Investigator: Simón Peña-Fernández & Koldobika Meso-Ayerdi
Impacto de la inteligencia artificial y los algoritmos en los cibermedios, los profesionales y las audiencias
Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities
2023–2026
Funding: €100,000
Research areas: Artificial Intelligence · Algorithms · Digital Journalism · Journalists · Media Audiences
Communication, Emotions, Disinformation and Polarisation
COLAB22/11
Principal Investigator: Simón Peña-Fernández & Ainhoa Novo-Arbona
Communication, emotions and political action. Strategies to combat disinformation and polarization in the digital public sphere
University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU)
2023–2025
Funding: €25,287
Research areas: Political Communication · Disinformation · Polarisation · Emotions · Digital Public Sphere
CIBERCOM Research Network
RED2022-134211-T
Coordinator / Principal Investigator: Simón Peña-Fernández
Los cibermedios y la comunicación digital en un ecosistema informativo en transformación
Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities
2023–2024
Funding: €18,000
Research network focused on online media and digital communication.
Research areas: Digital Journalism · Online Media · Digital Communication · Research Networks
Automated Counter-Narratives against Disinformation and Hate Speech
TED2021-130810B-C22
Principal Investigator: Simón Peña-Fernández & Jaume Suau-Martínez
Research project on automated counter-narratives against disinformation and hate speech for journalists and social media.
Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities
2022–2024
Funding: €168,245
Research areas: Artificial Intelligence · Disinformation · Hate Speech · Journalism · Social Media
News, Networks and Users in the Hybrid Media System
RTI2018-095775-B-C41
Principal Investigator: Simón Peña-Fernández & Koldobika Meso-Ayerdi
Noticias, redes y usuarios en el sistema híbrido de medios
Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities
2019–2022
Funding: €38,115
Research areas: Digital Journalism · Social Media · Media Audiences · Hybrid Media Systems
Parliamentary Discourse, Polarisation and Post-Truth
COLAB19/19
Principal Investigator: Simón Peña-Fernández & Rodrigo Agerri-Gascón
Tools for the analysis of parliamentary discourses: polarization, subjectivity and affectivity in the post-truth era
University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU)
2020–2021
Funding: €24,600
Research areas: Political Communication · Polarisation · Parliamentary Discourse · Post-Truth
Gureiker Research Group
IT1112
Principal Investigator: Simón Peña-Fernández & Ainara Larrondo-Ureta
Basque Government
2016–2021
Funding: €89,498
Research areas: Journalism · Digital Communication · Media Studies
Participation in European Research Projects
BEYOND — Inclusive Futures for Europe Beyond the Impacts of Industries 4.0 and Digital Disruption
Horizon 2020 — 822296
Researcher
European Commission
2019–2022
Total funding: €3 million
UPV/EHU funding: €239,261
Research areas: Digital Transformation · Industry 4.0 · Social Innovation
Social Innovation Community
Horizon 2020 — 693883
Researcher
European Commission
2016–2018
Total funding: €3 million
UPV/EHU funding: €204,575
Research areas: Social Innovation · European Research · Digital Transformation
Additional Research Projects
Simón Peña-Fernández has also participated in competitive projects on artificial intelligence in Basque media, active audiences, viralisation, user-generated content and the regulation of digital journalism.
These include:
- US23/10 — The impact of artificial intelligence on Basque media and media professionals
- IT1496-22 — Gureiker Research Group
- CSO2015-64955-C4-4-R — Active audiences, viralisation and transformation of journalistic messages
- CSO2012-39518-C04-03 — Active audiences and journalism: quality and regulation of user-generated content