UC3M researchers introduce Laboratory of Discrimination and Inequality

Researchers from the Universidad Carlos III de Madrid (UC3M) have introduced the Laboratory of Discrimination and Inequality (D-Lab), which aims to advance the scientific study of discrimination and social inequality by promoting research and methodological innovation.

This laboratory provides the necessary infrastructure to carry out experimental field research in the area of social sciences concerning discrimination in the labour market. Its directors hope that the D-Lab will become a centre of reference in the study of discrimination in Europe.

At present, the D-Lab is engaged in several projects. One of these focuses on discrimination in the employment of second-generation immigrants and is being carried out simultaneously in five countries in Europe, including Spain. The project is called the Growth Equal Opportunities Migration and Markets (GEMM) project and it is conducting a comparative study on ethnic discrimination in employment in Germany, Spain, Norway, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom. "This is a unique and very innovative project with a huge potential for scientific impact," says the director of the D-Lab, Javier Polavieja, a lecturer in the Department of Social Sciences and Banco Santander professor at the UC3M.

Another of the ongoing projects, the NewAIR (New Approaches to Integration Research), which is funded by Spain's Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness, focuses on the analysis of the integration of international migrants in European societies.

"The Laboratory provides training within the framework of these projects for undergraduate and graduate students and can be a springboard for the development of the early career of young researchers," says Javier Polavieja. Furthermore, the D-Lab's advisory board includes internationally renowned experts in the areas of migration, social inequality and experimental research.