Cluster event: Advancing Public Engagement and Citizen Science in the ERA

The event will celebrate citizen science and showcase the value of public engagement, highlighting best practices, guiding future policy, sharing knowledge and building collaboration. The 2025 EU Citizen Science Prize winners will also be announced! REA is proud to co-host a cluster event which will gather researchers and policymakers to discuss the impact of public engagement on evidence-based policymaking. In addition, - The event will provide a platform to showcase successful and innovative citizen engagement strategies, while reinforcing the value of “Bringing science closer to citizens” within the European Research Area. - EU-funded research projects will present their citizen science and public engagement experience and share best practices. - The winners of the EU Prize for Citizen Science will be announced. The Prize rewards outstanding citizen science initiatives that address social, political, cultural, and environmental challenges through the involvement of citizens. The full event will take place in Brussels. Those connected online will be able to follow the plenary session (in the morning) and the winners' announcement (in the afternoon). The event is co-organised by REA and EU-funded projects IMPETUS and ECS.

Citizen science meets potatoes

Join the very first PataFEST Webinar! 📅 Date: Thursday, March 27, 2025 ⏰ Time: 16:00 CET We will explore the intersection of citizen science and the Agri-Food sector! 🔹 Christian Ghidelli (Funditec) will introduce the PataFEST project and its key goals. 🔹 Leo Mensel (European Citizen Science Association) will showcase a variety of engaging activities, including workshops and hands-on molecular biology experiments. 🔹 Anna Verones (European Citizen Science Association) will present the concept of citizen science, sharing inspiring best practices from the Open Soil Atlas and its potential applications in Agri-Food research. Don't miss this opportunity to connect, learn, and get involved! You can register now and be part of the conversation

Community of Practice: Citizen Science & Public Libraries

Public libraries interested in citizen science are invited to join this exciting new series of online events 'Community of Practice: Public Libraries & Citizen Science' happening throughout 2025. Hosted by SciStarter, ECS Academy, and PL2030 as part of the ECS project, these regular gatherings will connect libraries to share experiences, best practices, and guidance on developing their citizen science activities. Whether you're just starting out or looking to develop your citizen science programme, this is your opportunity to collaborate and grow.

Best practices in citizen engagement and knowledge transfer in support of Mission Ocean objectives in BlueMission

Are you interested in citizen engagement in biodiversity restoration and blue economy? Join a virtual panel discussion on October 17th (2024) which may interest you 😊 We will be discussing best practices in citizen engagement and knowledge transfer in Citizens Assemblies and workshops. Looking at the example of the 2022 Irish Children and Young People's Assembly on Biodiversity Loss, and the BlueMissionBANOS local arena workshops, this panel will discuss innovative methods and best practices for citizen engagement in pursuit of Mission Ocean objectives, particularly restoration and blue economy. 📅 Date: October 17th 13:00-14:30 UTC 🎤 Online, register here: https://lnkd.in/ecvEy_EX 🔴 Stream on YouTube: https://lnkd.in/e9cZJcSw More information: https://lnkd.in/e2P7bqDB

Collaborations Workshop 2024

Collaborations Workshop 2024 (CW24) will bring together researchers, developers, innovators, managers, funders, publishers, policy makers, leaders and educators to explore best practices and the future of research software. CW24 will take place as a hybrid event from Tuesday 30 April to Thursday 2 May 2024, at the University of Warwick, UK. Registration is open via Eventbrite until Friday 5 April 2024. The full agenda can be found here. The themes of CW24 will be: Environmental Sustainability AI/ML tools for science Citizen science Each topic will be the subject of a keynote talk: Keynote 1: AI/ML Tools | Arfon Smith is a product manager at GitHub and works on integrating AI into the core GitHub experience. He also works on bringing open source to academia by improving support for scholarly work on the platform. Keynote 2: Citizen Science | Lucy Robinson leads the Community Science Programme at the Natural History Museum, London, and is an internationally recognised citizen science specialist with 15 years of experience. Keynote 3: Environmental Sustainability | Dr Kelly Widdicks is a Software Systems Architect at the UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology and leads research on the responsible co-design of digital research infrastructure for environmental science. Further information about the keynote speakers can be found here.

Citizen Science in the North

This event addresses the emerging form of co-creation between researchers and communities known as citizen science. As a compelling form of engagement and inclusivity for societal change, citizen science has emerged as a powerful tool for engaging communities in scientific research, yet its potential in the Arctic region has yet to be fully explored. This one-day workshop will showcase existing work within Northern communities, bringing together several speakers to explore the opportunities and challenges of citizen science in Northern contexts. This will serve as a basis for deepening connections between the work of different colleagues doing citizen science research across the Nordic countries and Europe. Topics include local perspectives on citizen science; best practices from ongoing projects; the use of new technologies in data collection and analysis; and the role of citizen science in addressing the particular environmental challenges of the Arctic region. The workshop will provide a unique opportunity for researchers, students, practitioners, and community members to share their experiences and insights and to network with others working in this exciting field. The event is funded by the ENVIROCEN project (Nordic Council of Ministers) and the Biodiverse Anthropocenes research programme (Academy of Finland).

Innovative INOS: Bringing Open Knowledge and Innovation to Higher Education

Since 2019, the INOS project (Integrating open and citizen science into active learning approaches in higher education) has developed activities, experiences and tools to encourage HEIs to be part of this growing movement through teaching, learning, training and taking part in open innovation and knowledge activities. On the 3rd and the 4th of May the INOS project will hold a two-day online event to present the results and outputs of the project. The event will be split into three areas of discussion: - A general introduction to illustrate the ways that HEIs integrate open and citizen science into their practices. (3rd May AM); - A practical approach with workshops on pedagogical tools and best practices developed through the INOS project; - An inspiring discussion on the social role of universities through talks, a Knowledge Café to discuss the social and innovative impact that results from the practising of open and citizen science within HEIs. (4th May AM)

Webinar: Unlocking the Potential of Citizen Science Collaborations

This webinar is designed to discuss different approaches to citizen science by LIBER and ECSA Citizen Science Working Groups together with Leiden University, with the purpose of discovering synergies and potential opportunities for collaboration. During the webinar, speakers will cover: (1) achievements in advancing citizen science at libraries and universities; (2) the organisation of citizen science activities in universities, including a citizen science ‘engine room’ at the University of Southern Denmark; (3) how to embed citizen science activities for research and education purposes through sharing best practices, policies, and ‘sharing’ programmes; (4) finding the ‘sweet spot’ for citizen science in the matrix of faculty silos, top-down research, and bottom-up collaboration. We will hear the insights of four amazing speakers: Tiberius Ignat, Director of Scientific Knowledge Services (SKS); Anne Kathrine Overgaard, Head of External Projects at the Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Southern Denmark; Thomas Kaarsted, Deputy Library Director at the University of Southern Denmark; and Margaret Gold, Coordinator of the Citizen Science Lab at Leiden University.

WeObserve MOOC: 'Citizen Science Projects: How to Make a Difference'

Learn to capture and analyse data and use the findings to take action Would you like to understand the environment and other global challenges to help create change? Citizen science projects and citizen observatories are the ideal way to explore big issues, take action and become a change-maker. On this course, you’ll discover many different types of projects and how to get involved. You’ll find out how to lead a project, including the best practices for community building, question forming and data collecting. You’ll also learn how to interpret the information you collect and use your findings to educate others about important universal concerns.