TRAINING in German: CAS Citizen Science and Public Engagement

Hast Du eine Idee für ein partizipatives (Forschungs-)Projekt und fragst Dich, wie Du diese am besten umsetzen kannst? Steckst Du mitten in der Projektarbeit und merkst, dass die Dinge nicht ganz so laufen, wie Du es Dir vorgestellt hast? Oder bringst Du schon einiges an Erfahrung mit in partizipativen Projekten und möchtest über Deinen Tellerrand schauen? Dann bist Du hier richtig - egal ob ganz am Anfang einer vagen Idee oder schon mittendrin. Denn: Gemeinsam wissen wir mehr. Vielschichtige Perspektiven & Erfahrungen Neben Inputs zu zentralen Themen rund um partizipative Projektarbeit lebt der CAS von den vielschichtigen Perspektiven und Erfahrungen der Teilnehmenden. Diese kommen aus ganz unterschiedlichen Bereichen: zum Beispiel aus der Forschung, Museen, Bibliotheken, Archiven, NGOs, der Verwaltung oder dem Gesundheitsbereich. So vielfältig diese Zielgruppe auf den ersten Blick sein mag, sie eint das Interesse an der Umsetzung partizipativer Projekte, an gemeinsamer Wissensproduktion und dem Einbezug der Bevölkerung. Genau in dieser Kombination aus Unterschieden und Gemeinsamkeiten der CAS-Teilnehmenden sehen wir eine grosse Chance für das Von- und Miteinander-Lernen und für die Vernetzung mit Gleichgesinnten, die sich in ganz anderen institutionellen Umgebungen bewegen und zu den verschiedensten Themen arbeiten.

OneAquaHealth IEEE Global Hackathon

Join the OneAquaHealth IEEE Global Hackathon 2026 ! A worldwide call to innovators, creators, and problem‑solvers - the IEEE and OneAquaHealth project invite participants from across the globe to co‑create breakthrough solutions for healthier urban freshwater ecosystems. This global hackathon unites AI enthusiasts, environmental thinkers, designers, developers, researchers, and citizen‑science champions to transform real environmental and community data into tools that protect biodiversity, strengthen resilience, and improve human wellbeing. Whether you’re passionate about AI for good, urban water health, biodiversity, climate resilience, or digital innovation, this is your moment to make an impact on a global stage. Build. Collaborate. Innovate - with the world watching. Be part of a global movement shaping smarter, healthier, more sustainable cities. To register for the hackathon, visit: https://oneaquahealth-ieee-hackathon.devpost.com/rules ***Coming Up Next on June 12, 2026: Session 1 - Introducing the OneAquaHealth Project*** Explore the mission, technical tracks, and innovation opportunities behind the IEEE OneAquaHealth Global Hackathon. To register for the webinar, visit: https://www.oneaquahealth.eu/introducing-oneaquahealth-project/

IMPETUS Open Call For Citizen Science Projects

Empowering Citizen Science: IMPETUS Launches its Final Open Call for Innovative Projects The IMPETUS project seeks innovative and impactful projects that harness the power of citizen science to address critical societal challenges. Two Exciting Opportunities in this Open Call: -European Union Prize for Citizen Science -IMPETUS Citizen Science Accelerator Programme This open call runs from January 7th to March 10th, 2025 (23:59 CET) for the European Union Prize for Citizen Science and until March 13th, 2025 (23:59 CET) for the IMPETUS Accelerator Programme. European Union Prize for Citizen Science: IMPETUS wants to put outstanding citizen science front and centre with the European Union Prize for Citizen Science. IMPETUS celebrates the success and diversity of Citizen Science across Europe and ensures that this fantastic work gets the recognition it deserves. The European Union Prize for Citizen Science consists of three main awards. A Grand Prize of 60,000€ and two additional prizes for projects that best demonstrate how citizen science can be used to promote Diversity and Collaboration, and Digital Communities, each will be awarded 20,000€. But we also know that there is so much excellent citizen science happening in Europe right now, so IMPETUS will give honorary mentions to 27 additional projects, who will have their work showcased alongside the winners of the three prizes at the 2025 Ars Electronica Science and Technology Festival, on September 3-7, 2025 Linz, Austria. IMPETUS Accelerator: do you have an idea for a citizen science project or are coordinating an initiative that focuses on: Citizen Science to Promote Circular Communities. -Resource Management. -Infrastructure and Housing. -Disaster Resilience. Citizen Science for a Fair and Just Society. -Democracy and Peace -Inclusion -Public Trust and Empowerment. If your project could benefit from funding, mentorship, and training to take your work to the next level. Then, the IMPETUS Accelerator programme could be for you. To learn more about the Open Call, head over to the IMPETUS website or join us at one of our explainer webinars on the 22nd of January (https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/impetus-open-call-2025-webinar-1-tickets-1145437537509?aff=oddtdtcreator) or the 19th of February at 10:00 CET to have all your questions answered. The IMPETUS project aims to promote citizen science at all levels and to help these projects achieve their impressive goals. Head over to the IMPETUS website to learn more- https://impetus4cs.eu/opencall/.

ECS Collaboration Session - Citizen Science and Ethics

Do we ever stop to consider the ethical issues and dilemmas that arise within citizen science and other participatory processes? And what are the causes of, and possible solutions to, such issues? Are our organisations even adequately equipped to navigate these issues? Join our Collaboration Session on ethics in citizen science to discuss and work through these key issues. For this session, we will welcome the contributions of Stefanie Schuerz and Matimba Swana, who will share some of their experiences working on this topic. The session will consist of a presentation from the speakers, as well as a participatory group activity related to the topic. Information about the speakers: Stefanie Schuerz is a sociologist who works as a researcher and project manager at the Centre for Social Innovation (ZSI). Her primary focus is on evaluation and impact assessment, multi-stakeholder engagement and citizen science, research ethics and integrity, as well as data ethics and open science. Stefanie has coordinated processes for the co-design of R&I policy recommendations and has collaborated with funding agencies in the development and evaluation of ethical participatory activities. Matimba Swana is a PhD student at the University of Bristol with experience working in the UK Government Office for Science, Stemcell Technologies, and the Medical Research Network. Her research centres on cancer nanomedicine, swarm robotics, and bioethics, particularly regarding regulatory frameworks for cancer trials using nanoswarm technology, with a focus on Patient and Public Involvement. She co-founded PROTEAS to promote sustainable practices in robotics and Black and Brown in Bioethics to advance racial equity in the UK bioethics community, and serves on various committees related to cancer research and the arts.

Bridging Sustainability and Accessibility in the Green Transition: Future Transformations in the Digital World

Now in its third edition, the Green Digital Accessibility conference focuses on the urgent challenge of building a sustainable and inclusive digital future for all, exploring innovative research and real-world practices across technology, communication, environmental science, and education. This conference serves as an important meeting point for researchers, industry leaders, policymakers, educators, activists, and anyone interested in accessibility and sustainability to discuss emerging trends and share insights to foster a sustainable and equitable future for all.

ACCTING Panel Towards a fair and inclusive Green Deal: Insights from European research

The European Green Deal sets out ambitious goals to achieve a fair and green transition without leaving anyone behind. However, emerging research indicates that existing policies and practices largely fail to incorporate gender and other complex inequalities. Hosting presentations focused on the policy areas of disaster management, mobility, and food security, the panel’s presenters illustrate – through comparative case studies – what changes in behaviours of individuals in different positions of intersectional vulnerability are underway, and what changes are hindered. In doing so, the presentations highlight various factors that enable and hinder individual behavioural changes and changes in social practices within and across policy areas, such as access to certain kinds of material resources and social bonds, ideology and values, and reliance on technological and political solutions. The insights give further valuable insights on the effects which the politically envisioned green transformation has and will further have on various kinds of marginalised and vulnerable communities. On this backdrop, the panel further discusses to what extent digitalisation can complement and contribute to achieving a just and socially inclusive green transition.

OpenLab Conference

From November 12 to 15, OpenLab.brussels* is organizing a CONFERENCE that aims to bring together contributions from researchers and practitioners interested in participatory research projects. We welcome people willing to contribute by presenting a paper, sharing experiences and ideas through a clear presentation (with or without a paper), discussion tables, or on-site visits. Selected contributions will be reviewed and published in a special journal issue. Practical details will be shared in due course. For now, our CALL FOR CONTRIBUTIONS IS OPEN!! INTERESTED? Find all information and the submission form HERE: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1M3dpCMliv5bOAYP2ArUSHaxMSvfiUK9Z/view Deadline is July 7th. * The OpenLab.brussels is a joint venture of ULB-VUB dedicated to participatory research. It aims to mobilize our academic community and public or private stakeholders willing to collaborate on participatory research projects in Brussels.

Sparkling-Science-Spotlight with "Breathing Air" und "MEMMIG"

In the Sparkling Science Spotlights, two funded Sparkling Science projects present themselves each month in a one-hour online session and share their experiences and lessons learnt. In the 11th Spotlight on 17 October 2024, 12:00 to 13:00 Uhr we are welcoming: -Breathing Air: Analysis of typical exposure to the chemical mix of respirable ultrafine particles in rural and urban valley locations -MEMMIG: Multilingual Memories of Migration. Students conduct intergenerational interviews

Wetland Watchers workshop - Empowering Citizen Science for Climate Action

The Wetland Watchers workshop is an opportunity to bring together various researchers and stakeholders with a shared interest in wetlands. Invited speakers: Barbara Sowinska-Swierkosz (PL), Milena Holmgren & Juul Limpens (NL), Rosa Arias (ES), Gitte Kragh (DK) Objectives: * Explore the integration of citizen science into wetland and climate research * Share recent findings and technological advancements * Promote collaboration, innovation and public engagement in climate change mitigation efforts. Program 08:30 - 09:00 | Registration and Welcome Coffee Participants arrival and registration Informal networking over coffee 09:00 - 09:15 | Opening Remarks Welcome by the Workshop Organizer – Lorenzo Pugliese and Shubiao Wu Introduction to the Workshop Objectives 09:15 - 10:30 | Citizen Science Research & Methodology (Gitte Kragh) Introduction to citizen science research design and methodologies/interactive session 10:30 - 10:45 | Coffee Break 10:45 - 11:15 | Communication & public engagement (Rosa Arias/online) Effective communication and engagement 11:15 - 12:00 | Education and Awareness (Gitte Kragh) Raising awareness among researchers, volunteers and stakeholders/interactive session 12:00 - 13:00 | Lunch Break 13:00 - 13:30 | Citizen Science in restored wetlands (Barbara Sowińska-Świerkosz) Citizen science task and toolkit in relation to wetland 13:30 - 14:00 | Citizen Science in the WaterLAND project (Milena Holmgren & Juul Limpens) The WaterLand co-creation method Action sites 14:00 - 14:15 | Coffee Break 14:15 - 15:15 | Citizen science in wetland restoration: overcoming barriers and enhancing methodologies (World café led by Gitte Kragh) Identifying and overcoming barriers Enhancing data collection methodologies Collaborative frameworks: building partnerships between researchers, local communities, and policymakers 15:15 - 15:30 | Closing Remarks and Future Directions (Shubiao Wu/Lorenzo Pugliese) Organiser: Wet Horizons / Aarhus University

Bridging the Gap: Inclusive Criteria in Research Funding

This webinar aims to explore the current landscape of inclusivity in research funding and identify strategies for addressing the needs of vulnerable groups to increase the likelihood of securing funding. During the webinar, our expert speakers, Dr. Sotiris Petropoulos (from the University of the Peloponnese) and Prof. Andrei Holman (from the Alexandru Ioan Cuza University of Lași) will examine various aspects of inclusive criteria in research funding, discuss challenges, and share practical solutions to promote fairness and diversity in grant applications.

Journée de Sensibilisation à la Science Ouverte de Circle U.

Au cours de cet événement, les participants découvriront de façon ludique les grands piliers de la Science Ouverte : un mouvement qui vise à rendre accessible au plus grand nombre la recherche scientifique. Au sein de la Science Ouverte, on retrouve les sciences participatives qui sont définies comme des formes de production de connaissances scientifiques auxquelles des acteurs non-scientifiques-professionnels participent de façon active et délibérée. Accompagnés de mentors ayant développés des projets de recherche impliquant les sciences participatives, vous pourrez poser toutes vos questions pour appréhender ce pan de la science encore quelque peu méconnu du grand public.

The SOCIO-BEE Final Event. Empowering Communities with SOCIO-BEE: A Journey to Sustainable Engagement battleling Air Pollution

The SOCIO-BEE journey comes to and end and we want to share with you all the experiences learned together with our findings and results. Three years of work to develop a technology that empowers citizens by monitoring the air around them while assembling communities of informed citizens to change their behavioural habits and influence mobility planning in towns and cities with evidence. We want to share with you the technological development we have carried out during this time, as well as the countless engagement strategies we have deployed to facilitate these communities (our ‘hives’), to favour an effective change in their way of understanding and dealing with air pollution. We will also share, as a final reflection, the lessons learned during these 36 months of work and recommendations for working with citizen science methodologies to foster the assembly of these communities. If you work or have worked on similar projects, are interested in air monitoring or plan to work with communities using citizen science methodologies to bring about behavioural change, join us and participate in this event.

Enhancing Air Quality Sensor Networks for citizen science. Clustering approaches by COMPAIR, FunSNM and SOCIOBEE

Citizen science (CS) involves public participation and collaboration in scientific research to increase scientific knowledge. Despite its potential, producing CS collected data that is perceived as trustworthy enough to be published in peer-reviewed scientific journals and influence policy-making remains a challenge, in part due to issues involving data accuracy and standardisation. For example, the use of mobile field sensors in CS provides us with the opportunity to monitor air quality at a higher spatial resolution, but requires more thorough data analysis. Join us for a webinar featuring three short talks on the lessons learnt and recommendations from leading EU Horizon projects, COMPAIR, FUNsnm and SOCIO-BEE, to improve the reliability of air quality CS sensor networks. The session will conclude with a discussion among the speakers and the audience. This webinar is open to anyone interested in air quality sensor networks and CS. Talks & Speakers: - Local source detection using mobile “low-cost” particle matter (PM) sensors. Bram Verbeek (COMPAIR & VMM) - Metrology, the science of measurement, how does it relate to citizen science? Gertjan Kok (FunSNM & VSL) - Addressing the challenges of citizen science air quality measurements in the SOCIO-BEE project. Sergi Udina (SOCIO-BEE & Bettair Cities) Register here: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZUpduygrTIoHtb8lISfAYqI48jsvvDCSDqF The event is part of the SOCIO-BEE project. More info here: https://socio-bee.eu/

ECS project and ECSA at the Living Knowledge conference

The Living Knowledge Network – the formal international network of Science Shops and Community Based Research. The 10th conference of the network “Building and sustaining next generation engagement” will take place from 26-28 June, 2024 at the Universitat de Girona (Girona, Spain). ECSA and the ECS project will engage the public with a Playdecide (playdecide.eu) discussion game to explore the challenges of citizen science as an more democratic approach to research. Discussion games are participative formats designed to promote discussion between visitors, in a process of comparison of ideas and, at the same time, of learning facts, data and concepts. This Playdecide game is the first dedicated to citizen science, and it will be tested at the Living Knowledge conference.