Roberto Falanga holds a master degree in dinamic and clinical psychology (University La Sapienza of Rome, 2009), and a PhD in Democracy in the XXI Century (Sociology, University of Coimbra, 2013).

He is currently postdoc researcher at the Institute of Social Sciences, University of Lisbon. His research is interlocked between the critical analysis of participatory policies in Southern Europe, and their role in urban contexts undergoing (post-)austerity processes. He is co-Principal Investigator at the Institute of Social Sciences of the H2020-funded project "ROCK - Regeneration and Optimisation of Cultural heritage in creative and Knowledge cities", and is research member of the EU-funded projects "CONCISE - Communication role on perception and beliefs of EU Citizens about Science", "PERSIST_EU - Knowledge, beliefs, Perceptions about Science of European Students", and "CONEXUS - CO-producing Nature-based solutions and restored Ecosystems: transdisciplinary neXus for Urban Sustainability".

At the Institute of Social Sciences, he is member of the research group Environment, Territory and Society and the observatory OBSERVA, and is one of the two conveners of the Urban Transitions Hub. He is also appointed representative of the collaboration agreement signed by the Institute of Social Sciences and the Urban Informative Centre of Lisbon of the Lisbon city council. He is member of the scientific board of the PhD in Development Studies at the University of Lisbon, and is invited lecturer of the PhDs in Comparative Politics, Architecture of Contemporary Metropolitan Territories, and Architecture. He is supervisor of five PhD Theses - two of them funded by the Foundation for Science and Technology - about citizen participation and urban regeneration at the Institute of Social Sciences and ISCTE-IUL. Since 2020, he is member of the Organising Committee of the Seminar Series "Responsible Research and Innovation", and member of the evaluation board of The Erasmus mobility scholarships at the Institute of Social Sciences.

In his academic and profissional career, he was postdoc researcher in the FP7-funded project "MOPACT Mobilising the Potential of Active Ageing in Europe" (2014-2015); assistant professor of social sciences in the master programme of Architecture at the Catholic University of Viseu (2014-2015); policy evaluator of the EEA-funded project "Portugal Participa - Caminhos para a Inovação Societal" (2015-2016); collaborator of Congress of Local and Regional Authorities, Council of Europe (2017). Since 2014, he has collaborated with the local council of Lisbon on the urban regeneration and local development programme BipZip; and since 2018 he has collaborated with the Friedrich Ebert Foundation on the organisation of national and international actions sponsored by the project "Reclaim Europe!". Since 2020, he collaborates with the Urban Planning and Participation department at the Lisbon city council on the design and monitoring of participatory strategies.