Citizen Science Support Resources & Infrastructure

Research Performing Organisations (RPOs) need to support researchers in recognizing and adopting citizen science (CS). Support systems and resources must be developed as actions for CS adaptation.

This workshop provides information about an institutional contact point for CS (CS-ICP) and the CS funding landscape. The aim of this workshop is to give participants an opportunity to reflect on the need for one or more CS-ICPs at the RPO. It also provides information about the funding landscape for CS at the organisational, national and international level. Participants should be able to see opportunities for targeted funding of CS projects and develop ideas for such projects. Finally, the workshop aims to introduce participants to specific ethical and legal requirements relating to CS and how to handle them.

Themes covered

• Identify an institutional contact point for CS
• Establish facilities to support CS activities
• Facilitate the set-up of pilots/tests for the methodology
• Make known and available open and free tools and/or existing tech solutions
• Foresee funds for CS activities
• Establish facilities to support CS activities
• Participate in national or international CS projects
• Provide ethical/legal protocols tailored to the institution/national requirements
• Develop protocols on implementation of CS activities

Intended audience(s)

• Researchers at all career stages, including researchers who are already running citizen science projects
• Research-support staff and other administrative staff groups in research performing organisations (RPOs) or non-governmental organisations (NGOs)

Workshop description

This is a free 2-hour workshop that provides participants with basic understanding of transformative change in support resources and infrastructures to support citizen science. The participant will learn about the need for institutional contact points, the funding landscape, and ethical and legal aspects of citizen science. The workshop is designed for researchers, including citizen science project leaders and initiators, and administrative staff and their managers employed in research performing organisations or NGOs. Participants are expected to have some degree of familiarity with the notion of citizen science.

Learning outcomes

By the end of this workshop, the participant will be able to:

• Objective 1: Identify support resources and infrastructures relevant for citizen science projects at research performing organisations
• Objective 2: Facilitate the development of support resources and infrastructures relevant for citizen science projects, such as institutional contact point
• Objective 3: Develop projects building ethical guidelines in citizen science