No project is an island|Bridges towards a joint legacy for the future of citizen science in Europe
Citizen science thrives on collaboration between researchers, policymakers, innovators, and the public. Yet within the citizen science community itself, a critical question remains: do we have the infrastructure to enable effective, lasting knowledge exchange across initiatives and projects? No project operates in isolation, and the collective learning generated across the field represents an underutilised asset for science and policymaking alike. At a time when public engagement is increasingly recognised as essential to rebuilding trust in institutions and tackling mis- and disinformation, the connections we build within the citizen science ecosystem matter more than ever. Sharing what works and what doesn't strengthens the community's capacity to deliver the scientific, environmental, and societal benefits that make citizen science a genuine return on investment for Europe. This summer, both the ECS and IMPETUS projects reach their conclusion. Before they do, we want to invite the citizen science community to come together to reflect on how these projects have supported citizen science across Europe and to celebrate the real-world impacts this work has made possible. The event will also provide an opportunity to hear from new and established citizen science projects, alongside stakeholders and decision-makers, ensuring that the momentum built can be sustained and that science continues to serve the society it represents. Building on the Citizen Science Archipelago series from the ECS project, this gathering reaffirms a founding principle of the citizen science community: no project is an island. Mutual exchange is not simply a nice-to-have; it is the foundation on which the continued growth and impact of citizen science depends.
Responsible, Trustworthy, and ethical AI in citizen science
The use of AI techniques (such as machine learning, natural language processing, and computer vision) is increasing rapidly across the participatory sciences. Such techniques are used throughout the research process, such as cleaning data before presenting it to volunteers, using volunteers to contribute to the training of machine learning models, in the field data collection aided by computer vision, and creating collaborations between humans and AI to make tasks more engaging and of higher quality. Whilst this can improve the scientific process, it is important to understand the limitations of the use of these techniques, as well as consider the impact on how volunteers understand their role in participatory science. How practitioners communicate the use of AI to volunteers and continue to emphasize the importance of their contributions is also extremely important. To be beneficial to all in the participatory science community, the use of AI must be responsible, ethical, and trustworthy. However, it is not always clear what this means and how it can be applied. This study asks: -What are the opportunities and drawbacks of using AI techniques in citizen science? -What does it mean to be responsible, ethical, and trustworthy in the use of AI? -How should the use of AI in citizen science be advanced? If you are (or have been) involved in planning, carrying out, or taking part in citizen science projects, you are invited to take part in an online survey about your perceptions of the use of AI in citizen science. The survey should take around 20 minutes and you will be asked about -Your experience with citizen science projects -Your experience of AI -Opinions on how/why AI should/should not be used in citizen science -The effects of AI use on volunteers -What the terms ‘responsible’, ‘trustworthy’, and ‘ethical’ mean in the context of using AI in citizen science -How citizen science and human-AI collaboration should develop in the future The results will be presented at the Conference for Advancing Participatory Science in Portland, Oregon, at the end of May 2025.
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/.
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/
Join us as we explore the transformative potential of Citizen Science in shaping the future of research and innovation in Europe and beyond. The webinar is organized within the scope of the PolSCA Horizon Webinars series, targeting research managers, project administrators, and researchers operating in Poland. Its goal is to enhance understanding of citizen engagement, the multi-actor approach, and social readiness concepts in the context of the second Strategic Plan for the Horizon Europe program, upcoming calls within the Work Programmes 2025, and the increasing importance of citizen science in R&D projects. Citizen Science, endorsed by the European Commission and encapsulated within the Horizon Europe programme, represents a paradigm shift in research and development. It champions a multi-actor approach, inviting citizens to actively participate in scientific endeavors, from data collection to analysis, thus democratizing the scientific process. Within the framework of Horizon Europe, Citizen Science serves as a catalyst for social readiness, fostering inclusivity, transparency, and trust in research and innovation.
Citizen engagement TRANSFORMing regional R&I policymaking
Citizen engagement can strengthen trust between institutions and citizens. In the TRANSFORM project (funded under Horizon 2020) citizen science, co-design and co-creation have been applied to regional R&I decision-making in Lombardy, Catalonia, and Brussels-Capital. Through sharing of experiences and promising outcomes of citizen engagement in regional R&I policies, this participatory lab will provide examples and suggestions on how to create more open, transparent and inclusive regional R&I governance processes. Join us in an interactive session and learn more about the benefits of citizen engagement, get your questions answered by experts, share your experiences and suggestions for further applications in regional decision making. Registration opens on 30 August!