Participation, Power and Perspective: Opening Research through Citizen Science

What does it mean to open science to public participation? How does Citizen Science enable us to practice diversity in knowledge production? How can it challenge our notions of expert knowledge? How can Citizen Science contribute to solving societal challenges? And how can it transform the scientific landscape?

Citizen Science refers to scientific research processes in which the public ("citizens") is engaged at various levels and for different reasons. From linguistics to public health, it is a form of public participation found in many disciplines, including inter- and transdisciplinary settings. Maybe you have heard of Community Based Research, PPI(E), Action Research, Civic Science? Citizen Science is an umbrella term encompassing a wide range of approaches and methodologies. Some projects work closely with the community whose concerns are being researched, fostering empowerment in the process. Others leverage participatory methods to obtain or analyze large or hard-to-access information. Activities range from small-scale local projects with defined target groups to large-scale international projects where everyone can participate.

Still unsure about what Citizen Science is? Read more here

In this Winter School of the University of Zurich and ETH Zurich, Switzerland, you will identify and develop crucial skills and competencies needed to plan and conduct a Citizen Science project, whether you are an academic researcher, practitioner or a citizen scientist. In doing so, you will:

• immerse yourself in debates around Citizen Science
• get to know different Citizen Science approaches, their methods and tools, their possibilities and limits
• be able to decide how participatory approaches can be useful for your own research project
• gain insights into local Citizen Science projects
• get to know criteria for planning and conducting high-quality Citizen Science projects
• work on your own project plan and engage in extensive peer learning

Dates: Sunday afternoon, January 19 to Friday evening, January 24, 2025.
The Citizen Science Schools take place every one and a half years.

Place and format: The Citizen Science Schools take place in Zurich, Switzerland. Depending on the pandemic situation, we may switch to an online format.

ECTS: The workload of the Wummer School is equivalent to 2 ECTS points.

How to apply: Applicants are requested to provide a motivation letter which outlines their interest in the Winter School and the experience and skills they can contribute (max. 1 page); their current CV; a short abstract indicating the current status of their doctoral thesis (max. 350 words). Please make sure that the abstract is presented in a language that is accessible to people from other disciplines. For practitioners, please hand in a short description of your project or work and how it relates to Citizen Science (max. 350 words).

Applications are closed