Donatella Alessandra Della Porta

Donatella Alessandra Della Porta is Full Professor of Political Science at Scuola Normale Superiore in Florence, where she serves as Director of the PhD program in Political Science and Sociology and leads the Center on Social Movement Studies (COSMOS). Formerly Dean of the Faculty of Political and Social Sciences, her research spans social movements, political violence, corruption, and democratic theory across Europe, the Middle East, Asia, and Latin America. She directs major international projects including the €2 million Horizon Europe initiative 'Feminist Movements Revitalizing Democracy in Europe'.

Her research program investigates contentious politics through methodological innovation including protest event analysis, life histories, and transnational comparisons. Current work examines climate activism's organizational dynamics, digital labor conflicts, pandemic-era mutual aid networks, and resistance to right-wing populism. She pioneered the 'Mobilizing for Democracy' ERC project analyzing civil society's role in democratization, and her theoretical contributions bridge social movement studies with democratic theory.

Recent publications reveal evolving focus on emergency contexts: political contention during pandemics, algorithmic management in platform labor, and transnational diffusion of protest tactics. These works demonstrate how movements adapt repertoires across digital and physical spaces while confronting democratic backsliding through innovative solidarity practices and institutional experimentation.

Her scientific recognition includes:

• Alexander von Humboldt Forschungspreis (2021)
• Mattei Dogan Prize (2011)
• John D. McCarthy Lifetime Achievement Award (2024)
• Membership in American Academy of Arts and Sciences (2022)
• Accademia Nazionale dei Lincei (2023)
• Seven honorary doctorates

Professor Della Porta has supervised 43 PhD students on topics including social movements, political violence, and democratic theory. Her research is funded by €15+ million in grants including ERC Advanced Grants (€1.8M), Horizon Europe projects (€2M), Volkswagen Stiftung (€500K), and national ministries. Current projects address climate politics, migrant solidarity, and corruption with teams across 15 European institutions.

As Director of COSMOS, she oversees research networks like AUTHLIB (authoritarianism and liberalism), TraPoCo (transnational political contention), and FIERCE (feminist movements). The center hosts annual Summer Schools on global conflicts, COSMOS Talks lecture series, and the 'Movimenti del Mondo' publication platform connecting academic research with activist knowledge.