RIECS-Concept

📢 RIECS-Concept x Ars Electronica Festival 2025: Join the Citizen Science Townhall in Linz    📌 From September 3–7, the city of Linz will once again pulse with creativity, innovation, and bold ideas as it hosts the world-renowned Ars Electronica Festival. This year’s theme, “PANIC – yes/no”, explores one of the most pressing questions of our time: in a world filled with crisis signals, is panic the right response—or is there a more productive path forward?    ✳️ In the midst of this provocative theme, the RIECS-Concept project will take centre stage with a dedicated Citizen Science Townhall Meeting, co-organised with IMPETUS for citizen science!   🧩 What to Expect:    ✅ Live discussion on citizen science’s role in addressing societal challenges;  ✅Voices from European Research Infrastructures, education systems, and global institutions;  ✅Networking opportunities with members of the RIECS-Concept and IMPETUS for citizen science! communities;  ✅ A chance to shape the future of pan-European citizen science collaboration.   ✨ Whether you’re a researcher, a curious citizen, or part of the growing network of citizen science initiatives, this is your invitation to be part of a bigger conversation!    🔗 READ MORE: https://lnkd.in/em_QuBdE   #riecsconcept #citizenscience #arselectronica25 #innovation

📢 Building the Future of Citizen Science: An Engagement Methodology Protocol ✅ How can we ensure that citizens, researchers, policy-makers, educators, and technologists all have a voice in shaping the future of science? That’s the question at the heart of the RIECS-Concept project, which is working to co-design a pan-European Research Infrastructure for Excellence in Citizen Science. The newly released Deliverable 4.1: Engagement Methodology Protocol offers a roadmap for doing just that. ✳️ What is Deliverable 4.1? 📌 Deliverable 4.1 outlines a detailed engagement strategy for the ten key stakeholder groups involved in citizen science. The document is a central milestone in the RIECS-Concept initiative and guides how partners across eight countries will coordinate efforts to involve diverse voices in co-creating the infrastructure. 📌 Three Key Takeaways: ✅ Collaborative Coordination Across Europe With 13 project partners working together, engagement activities are designed to be inclusive, flexible, and responsive. From workshops and surveys to interviews and public events, the protocol maps out how input will be gathered, shared, and integrated into project outcomes. ✅ A Tailored Framework for Stakeholders The protocol introduces an engagement framework based on maturity levels, principles, and best practices tailored to different audiences, including citizens, researchers, education systems, technology providers, and policy-makers. For each group, the document identifies their needs, challenges, and how to effectively communicate and collaborate with them. ✅ Two Phases of Engagement The methodology unfolds in two phases. The first focuses on initial engagement through structured activities. The second will refine the strategy based on feedback from a major stakeholder summit. ✨ What’s Next? Following the T5.1 Citizen Science Stakeholder Summit at the Ars Electronica Festival 2026, the engagement strategy will be updated and turned into a practical guide. This shorter version will encapsulate lessons learned and offer a clear path forward for others working to integrate citizen science into European research infrastructures. 📢 Why It Matters At a time when trust in science and public engagement is more critical than ever, this initiative is a major step toward more democratic, inclusive, and effective research practices. By involving a wide range of stakeholders from the start, RIECS-Concept aims to build a truly shared infrastructure for citizen science, one that reflects Europe’s diversity and potential.

Part 3 of 3:  Why CAPS2025 Was a Turning Point for RIECS-Concept ✳️ At RIECS-Concept, we believe that science works best when it’s shared. That belief took centre stage at #CAPS2025, where we held our first in-person global co-design symposium — “Shaping Tomorrow’s Citizen Science Research Infrastructure.” 📌 The event drew participation from global citizen science leaders and infrastructure experts. The two-part format included lightning talks by five platform leaders and World Café discussions on: ✅ Technology & interoperability  ✅ Governance & ethics  ✅ Engagement & inclusion  ✅ Policy integration & sustainability ✨ Why It Mattered  ✳️For RIECS-Concept, this event marked the beginning of something bigger: 📌 A commitment to listen first to those who’ve built, maintained, and relied on citizen science infrastructures  📌 A recognition that future systems must be inclusive, adaptive, and interoperable  📌 A demonstration of global solidarity, even as RIECS-Concept builds a distinctly European infrastructure ✳️ Everything we learned at #CAPS2025 will feed directly into our ongoing assessments, technical plans, and community engagement work. And this was just the first of many collaborative moments, with future events planned across Europe and through partner networks.✨ 📢 We thank all the speakers, participants, and facilitators who helped bring this moment to life ❗ 📌 READ MORE:   🔗 The full report on the outcomes of the symposium: https://lnkd.in/dqvSnCRh    🔗 RIECS-Concept website: https://lnkd.in/eRtsP_xq #riecsconcept #citizenscience #CAPS2025 #futureofscience #innovation 

Part 2 of 3: Building Together — RIECS-Concept’s First Global Co-Design Exchange 🧩 How do we co-create a citizen science infrastructure that meets real needs, across disciplines, regions, and communities?    ✳️ That was the focus of RIECS-Concept’s first in-person co-design event, during #CAPS2025 in Portland, Oregon.     ✳️ Through a World Café format, participants rotated across four collaborative tables to explore the pillars of participatory science infrastructure: Technology & Interoperability   ✅ Participants explored how citizen science platforms could work together. Ideas included:  📌 Unified login tools across platforms  📌 Natural language interfaces to broaden access  📌 Open, well-documented algorithms to ensure ethical AI integration  📌 Data provenance that honours both technical and cultural context Governance & Ethics  ✅ Discussions highlighted the need for:  📌 Adaptive ethics frameworks that evolve with technology  📌 Tiered data access for safety and sovereignty  📌 Diverse governance bodies that outlast geopolitical shifts  📌 Community-owned data platforms Engagement & Inclusion  ✅ Access must be intentional. Participants envisioned:  📌 Compensation models for under-resourced communities  📌 Intergenerational mentoring  📌 Paper-based and multilingual interfaces  📌 Peer-to-peer spaces instead of top-down communication Policy & Sustainability  ✅ Making citizen science matter to policymakers requires:  📌 Visualisation tools that translate complex data  📌 Personal relationships and bridge roles  📌 Legal frameworks for long-term funding  📌 Standardised datasets aligned with SDGs and local priorities ✳️ This exchange wasn’t just about knowledge — it was about values.    📢 Stay tuned — more updates are coming soon❗ 🔗 The full report on the outcomes of the symposium: https://lnkd.in/dqvSnCRh 🔗 RIECS-Concept website: https://lnkd.in/eRtsP_xq #riecsconcept #citizenscience #CAPS2025 #futureofscience #innovation

A new paper by researchers from the EMBIMOS Research Group (ICM-CSIC) at the Institut de Ciències del Mar - CSIC has been published in Citizen Science: Theory and Practice.    ✨ "This publication establishes a shared language and clearer terminology for citizen science platforms, which is essential for improving recognition, interoperability and sustainability. By analysing over 450 studies, the authors propose a purpose-based taxonomy that helps make sense of a fragmented landscape and supports the development of more effective and connected citizen science infrastructures"  📌 Read more: https://lnkd.in/ghTHNT8b

📢 Part 1 of 3: Trust, Tools, and Time — What Global Leaders Taught Us at #CAPS2025     ✳️ At RIECS-Concept, we know that citizen science infrastructure must be built not just with systems, but with stories and at the #CAPS2025 symposium, we heard some powerful ones.     ✳️ Session “Shaping Tomorrow’s Citizen Science Research Infrastructure”, brought together five experienced leaders from global platforms like iNaturalist, Zooniverse, CitSci.org, the United Nations Statistics Division, and the Aguas Amazónicas. Their lightning talks highlighted lessons from years of building citizen science at scale.    📌 Global Vision Works: ✨ “Biodiversity knows no political boundaries.” — Carrie Seltzer, Ph.D., iNaturalist    By aiming globally rather than locally, iNaturalist has shown that scale and audacity can be powerful tools.    📌 Trust is a Prerequisite: ✨ “Citizen data is co-created — but trust between state and non-state actors remains fragile.” — Francesca Perucci, United Nations Statistics Division. Trust, particularly around data sovereignty and ethical use, emerged as the essential (and often missing) foundation.    📌 Sustainability is Long-Term: ✨ “The real value lies in longitudinal data. Infrastructure must be in it for the long game.” — Greg Newman, CitSci.org Good data requires time. Good infrastructure requires long-term support, not one-off projects. 📌 Ethical AI is Non-Negotiable: ✨ “Efficiency and engagement goals can clash. How do we navigate AI ethically?” — Laura Trouille, Zooniverse     Integrating AI can help, but not at the cost of transparency or participation.    📌  Community is the Core: ✨ “Our most reliable stakeholders are the local communities. If everything else fails, they cannot fail.” — Mariana Varese, Aguas Amazónicas Participants aren’t just data points — they are partners. And infrastructure must reflect that.  ✳️ As we design the future of RIECS-Concept, these lessons form a north star: design boldly, engage ethically, and think long-term ✨    📢 READ MORE:  🔗 The full report on the outcomes of the symposium: https://lnkd.in/dqvSnCRh    🔗 RIECS-Concept website: https://lnkd.in/eRtsP_xq   #riecsconcept #citizenscience #caps2025 #futureofscience #innovation 

📅 Six Months Strong: How RIECS-Concept is Laying the Groundwork for a Citizen Science Infrastructure in Europe 📢 Towards a pan-European Research Infrastructure for Excellent Citizen Science ✅ As we mark the first six months of RIECS-Concept, we look back with pride and forward with purpose. This preparatory phase has been all about building a strong foundation — a strategic start to what we envision as a lasting and impactful European Research Infrastructure for Excellent Citizen Science 🌱. ✅ This has not been a quiet beginning. It has been dynamic, collaborative, and grounded in the conviction that citizen science deserves not just recognition but robust support, coordination, and sustainability. 📌 Gaining Visibility & Building Momentum ✨ Over the six months, RIECS-Concept has actively engaged with key communities, showcasing our vision and learning from others across Europe. ✳️ The International Conference for Advancing Participatory Sciences (#CAPS2025) ✳️ Swiss citizen science conference - “CitSciHelvetia” ✳️ 53rd international scientific conference “NORDTEK” ✳️ The EC Cluster Event “Advancing Public Engagement and Citizen Science in the European Research Area ✳️ International Conference Dedicated to Citizen Science “Citizen Science: Bridging Theory and Practice” ✅ Contribution to "Citizen Science for the Future of the EU" position paper ✅ Academic paper on conceptual frameworks for research infrastructures in citizen science 📌 Ready to Engage: 100+ Workshops Ahead ✅ The most exciting is what lies ahead. RIECS-Concept is preparing more than 100 workshops across Europe in the coming months. 📌 What’s Next? ⏳ The first half of the year was about vision and structure. ⏳ The next phase is all about activation and co-creation. As we move forward, we invite citizen science practitioners, institutions, and communities to be part of the conversation. ✨ Together, we can design an infrastructure that reflects the diversity, creativity, and democratic spirit of citizen science in Europe ✨   🔗 Read more: https://lnkd.in/eUGiDaNw #riecsconcept #citizenscience #researchinfrastructure #partners

📢 Meet our partner: Università degli Studi di Milano-Bicocca (UNIMIB)❗ 📌 UNIMIB is a young, dynamic public university in Milan, Italy. Established in 1998, it is committed to cutting-edge research, inclusive education, and strong links with society, industry, and the environment 🌱. 📌Today, the university is recognised as a hub for scientific excellence and sustainability, with a clear focus on addressing contemporary global challenges through interdisciplinary collaboration and innovation. 🧩 UNIMIB has a prominent role in what concerns European Research Infrastructures, being part of and collaborating with a total of 10 RIs, having also coordinated and still coordinating the national nodes for two of them (respectively Infraestructura de Servicios Blockchain de España (ISBE) and BBMRI-ERIC). 📌Università degli Studi di Milano-Bicocca is an institutional and proactive partner in RIs, offering services at a European level – in the ESFRI - European Strategy Forum on Research Infrastructures areas of:  ✳️Health & Food (BBMRI-ERIC: Biobanking and BioMolecular resources Research Infrastructure - ERIC; ELIXIR: for interoperability of public resources of biological and biomedical data; IBISBA: Industrial Biotechnology Innovation and Synthetic Biology accelerator; Infraestructura de Servicios Blockchain de España (ISBE): Infrastructure for System Biology Europe; Euro-BioImaging-ERIC: for access to biological and biomedical imaging technologies and facilities; ECRIN (European Clinical Research Infrastructure Network); ✳️Environment (LifeWatch ERIC: distributed e-infrastructure to support biodiversity and ecosystems research and sustainability);  ✳️Social & Cultural Innovation (CESSDA ERIC: Consortium of European Social Science Data Archives);   ✳️Physical sciences & Engineering (European Spallation Source ERIC). 📌Among the highlights of the RI related activities, UNIMIB has run, since 2017, the Executive Master in Management of Research Infrastructures (EMMRI) training 250+ RI leaders across Europe. 📌 Within RIECS-Concept, Università degli Studi di Milano-Bicocca contributes expertise in management education as well as participatory research, science-society relations, and sustainability education. Building on initiatives like the Bicocca Sustainability Project and student-led participatory science campaigns, and will support the development of a sustainable business model for the infrastructure. ✨ As part of its mission to “grow knowledge together,” UNIMIB integrates research, teaching, and civic engagement through co-creation and hands-on learning. Its approach reflects a belief that science must be collaborative, inclusive, and driven by the needs of society ✨ ‼️ Follow Università degli Studi di Milano-Bicocca and explore how its community of students, researchers, and citizens is shaping a more sustainable and participatory research future❗ #riecsconcept #citizenscience #MeetThePartners #consortiumspotlight

📢 Advancing Public Engagement and Citizen Science in the European Research Area: RIECS-Concept at the Brussels Cluster Event❗ ✨ On 19 June 2025, RIECS-Concept took part in a major policy and networking event hosted by the European Research Executive Agency (REA) in Brussels and online “Advancing Public Engagement and Citizen Science in the European Research Area.” ✳️ This European Research Executive Agency (REA) cluster event brought together European Commission representatives, researchers, citizen science networks, and research infrastructures to explore how public engagement and citizen science can be better embedded into the future of European research and policymaking. 🔑 From keynote speeches to collaborative sessions, the event emphasised how citizen science is not only a tool for research but also for democratic participation, societal trust, and policy relevance. ✳️ As Jean-David Malo (Acting Director, DG Research and Innovation) put it: “People expect science to be reliable, transparent, equitable, and responsive to their needs — and we must also act to respond to the social distrust in science.” ✨ 🧩 RIECS-Concept was featured in the Fishbowl Session, which gathered leading EU-funded projects to reflect on how public engagement is evolving and what support structures are needed going forward. ✳️ RIECS-Concept representatives, including Fundación Ibercivis, ECSA - European Citizen Science Association, CSIC, Ars Electronica, and Citizen Science Global Partnership, highlighted the project’s mission: to design a sustainable, inclusive research infrastructure for citizen science that can serve Europe for the long term. ✅ The session served as both a presentation and a call to action, inviting attendees to engage in RIECS-Concept’s co-design process and contribute to shaping its future. ✨Participants were also encouraged to read and support the joint position paper “Citizen Science for the Future of Europe” by ECSA - European Citizen Science Association and ECS, which was discussed during the event. ✨ ✅ The announcement of the 2025 EU Citizen Science Prize winners, celebrating innovation and impact across citizen science initiatives. ✅ Pitches from leading citizen science projects such as INCREASE, COALESCE, DITOs, Cos4Cloud- Project , YouCount, ACTION, and many others, demonstrating the depth and diversity of the field. ✅A strong emphasis on the societal and institutional impact of citizen science, highlighting its value in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals and reshaping science-society relations. 🧩 The full agenda featured over 20 projects, dynamic panel discussions, and keynotes from high-level EU officials, reinforcing the growing momentum behind public engagement in research.  ✨ RIECS-Concept is proud to be building the backbone that can support this vision. #riecsconcept #citizenscience #openscience #publicengagement #publicengagementinscience

📢 Meet our partner: Citizen Science Global Partnership (CSGP)❗ 📌 Citizen Science Global Partnership (CSGP) is a network of networks advancing citizen science 🌱 for sustainable development. By connecting 🔗 communities of practice built over three decades, CSGP fosters collaboration between citizen scientists across the Global North and South – sharing resources, methods, and experiences to strengthen global participation in science 🧬 📌 Within RIECS-Concept, Citizen Science Global Partnership (CSGP) contributes knowledge from its global network 🌍 of associations, thematic working groups, and active communities 👥. Their expertise in open science, data harmonisation, and inclusive engagement supports the co-development of interoperable and ethical frameworks for integrating diverse citizen science contributions. ✨ The Citizen Science Global Partnership (CSGP) team also strengthens stakeholder engagement, building strategic relationships with policymakers, UN agencies, and international organisations. They promote citizen science's visibility in global policy and support its integration into decision-making at multiple governance levels ✨ ‼️ Follow Citizen Science Global Partnership’s (CSGP) work and explore how Global collaboration can advance citizen science and contribute to a more connected, equitable research future ❗ #riecsconcept #citizenscience #MeetThePartners #consortiumspotlight