Call for Authors: Research Articles “Where is Palantir?”

rosalux
Call for Tenders

Location: Remote

Application Deadline: 25 September 2026, 9:00 hours CEST

Submission Deadline: 2 November 2026, 9:00 hours CEST (full draft article)

Background

In June 2026, the Progressive International, transform! Europe, and the Rosa-Luxemburg-Stiftung Brussels Office convened the inaugural Working Conference of the Reactionary International Research Consortium. Among all the corporate actors driving the advance of authoritarian and anti-democratic forces, delegates identified one offering the sharpest point of entry: Palantir Technologies.

Palantir is embedding itself into the nervous systems of states across the world – services and welfare systems, police forces and border agencies, armies and intelligence networks. It conquers by contract, locking governments into its proprietary architecture until the cost of exit becomes prohibitive and democratic accountability appears anachronistic. From the UK’s £330 million NHS contract to Ecuador’s plans to grant a foreign corporation access to citizens’ medical histories and biometric data, Palantir represents a fundamental challenge to digital sovereignty and self-determination.

The project

This project will commission a series of original research articles examining Palantir’s expanding role in public institutions, critical infrastructure, and systems of governance across different national and regional contexts. The contributions will combine rigorous research with a clear public-interest focus, helping to deepen understanding of Palantir’s corporate footprint, the political and financial networks enabling its growth, and the forms of resistance emerging in response.

Selected articles will be published online and made freely accessible through the websites of the Progressive International (PI) and, subject to confirmation, the Rosa Luxemburg Stiftung Brussels Office. Together, the contributions will form part of a broader shared knowledge infrastructure designed not only to document Palantir’s activities, but also to support journalists, researchers, civil society organisations, trade unions, policymakers, and campaigners working on surveillance, corporate accountability, digital rights, and democratic sovereignty.

Contributions

Selected contributors will be commissioned to produce an original research article of approximately 5,000 words. Articles should be accessible to a broad public audience while maintaining a high standard of research, documentation, and analysis. We particularly encourage contributions that generate findings, evidence, or strategic lessons that can be used by journalists, campaigners, civil society organisations, trade unions, and policymakers.

Research Themes

Proposals should address one or more of the following themes:

1. Mapping Palantir’s Corporate Footprint

We seek research that documents Palantir’s government contracts across military, police, health, and immigration sectors globally. Priority areas include:

  • No-bid contracts and the lack of transparency in procurement processes
  • Palantir’s role in conflict zones, including Gaza and Ukraine
  • Mass surveillance programmes enabled by Palantir’s technology
  • The erosion of data sovereignty through transfer of citizen data to foreign jurisdictions

2. The Political and Financial Ecosystem Enabling Palantir

Research that maps the network of power facilitating Palantir’s expansion:

  • Ministers, procurement officials, and politicians who sign and enable contracts
  • Consultants, lobbyists, and think tanks that provide legitimacy and access
  • Institutional investors – including pension funds and asset managers – whose capital sustains Palantir’s growth
  • Universities where Palantir recruits and consulting firms that implement its software

3. Resistance and Counter-Strategies

Documentation and analysis of existing resistance to Palantir:

  • Campaigns by NGOs, academics, journalists, and trade unions
  • Legal challenges and constitutional rulings against Palantir’s technology
  • Victories such as Switzerland’s rejection of Palantir and the German constitutional court’s findings
  • Strategies for building international solidarity and coordinated action

Selected proposals will contribute to a shared knowledge infrastructure comprising:

  • A living, public-facing map of Palantir’s global contracts and activity
  • A database of political enablers, investors, and implementation partners
  • A legislative toolkit for advancing digital sovereignty across jurisdictions
  • Case studies of successful resistance and strategies for replication

Timeline

w/b 28 September 2026: Short interviews with shortlisted candidates, selection of authors, and project briefing for selected authors

October 2026: Article drafting, with bi-weekly check-ins with the editorial team

2 November 2026: Submission of full draft article of approximately 5,000 words

November 2026: Editorial review, revisions, and finalisation of articles

By early December 2026: Final acceptance of articles and processing of honoraria

December 2026: Optional translation, publication, and distribution

Remuneration

The standard honorarium for a contribution of approximately 5,000 words is €2,150. The final fee may be adjusted for substantially shorter or longer contributions, where justified and agreed in advance.

Payment will be made upon delivery and acceptance of the final article in accordance with the funding guidelines of Rosa-Luxemburg-Stiftung Brussels Office.

Eligibility and Application

We invite proposals from researchers, journalists, civil society organisations, and scholar-activists working on surveillance, digital rights, corporate accountability, democratic governance, and related fields. We particularly welcome applications from the Global South and from individuals and organisations working in contexts directly affected by Palantir’s expansion.

Proposals should include:

  • a research question and short rationale (maximum 500 words);
  • a brief description of the proposed methodology and research approach;
  • the intended contribution of the research, including how it may support advocacy, organising, or resistance efforts; and
  • a CV or short organisational profile of the applicant(s).

 

Submission deadline: 25 September 2026, 8:00 hours CEST.

Please send proposals and any questions to: Nqn.Ertryznaa@ebfnyhk.bet and N.Trenfvzpvxbin@ebfnyhk.bet.

Only complete applications received by the deadline will be considered.

Applicants are requested to be available for interview/project briefing in the week beginning 28 September 2026.

Selection Criteria

Proposals will be assessed on the basis of:

  • relevance to the research themes and overall aims of the project;
  • clarity and strength of the proposed research question;
  • quality and feasibility of the proposed research approach;
  • potential to generate original evidence, analysis, or strategic insights;
  • relevance of the findings for advocacy, organising, public debate, or policy; and
  • the applicant’s relevant experience, expertise, or connection to the context being researched.

In making the final selection, we will also seek a balance of geographic perspectives, research themes, and approaches across the commissioned articles, with particular attention to contributions from the Global South and from contexts directly affected by Palantir’s expansion.

About the Rosa-Luxemburg-Stiftung

The Rosa-Luxemburg-Stiftung (RLS) is one of the six major political foundations in the Federal Republic of Germany, tasked primarily with conducting political education both at home and abroad. The foundation is affiliated with Die Linke, a democratic socialist party in the German parliament.

Since its founding in 1990, the foundation’s work has adhered to the legacy of its namesake, German socialist leader Rosa Luxemburg, and stands for democratic socialism with an unwavering internationalist focus. The foundation is committed to a radical perspective emphasizing public awareness, education, and social critique. It stands in the tradition of the workers’ and women’s movements, as well as anti-fascism and anti-racism.

Based on the firm belief that social change requires a reflective confrontation with today’s capitalist society as a whole, the foundation strives to develop alternative concepts and approaches for a comprehensive process of social transformation enabling the creation of a more united and just society. Education and training in democratic socialist politics, analysis, information, and policy advice are therefore the foundation’s basic tasks, which we pursue and implement at the regional, national, and international levels.

About the Progressive International

Progressive International (PI) is a left-wing political international with over 70 member groups, including trade unions, political parties, peasant organisations, and social movements. PI aims to unite, organize and mobilize the world’s progressive forces.