2nd Newsletter of ScienceUs

Open call - 3-Phase Support Program

The ScienceUs project is launching an open call to scale up and connect outstanding Citizen Science projects in different research and technological areas relevant to the EU mission “Adaptation to climate change”.

ScienceUs proposes a three-phase support program (Seed – Flourish – Harvest phases) with direct funding and support services to a group of outstanding Citizen Science initiatives that have the potential to be upscaled to other EU regions.

Throughout these phases, ScienceUs will assist the citizen science projects by:

1) Defining a transnational citizen science campaign and upscaling plan,

2) Implementing the transnational campaign plan by facilitating the matchmaking between EU citizen science initiatives and the involvement of quadruple helix actors in the projects,

3) Facilitating that these supported Citizen Science projects transfer the best practices and lessons learned to other initiatives and projects and quadruple helix actors (mainly policymakers), generating a knowledge spillover effect.

25 projects to participate in the program’s first phase (Seed phase)

This Open Call will select 25 projects to participate in the program’s first phase (Seed phase). Subsequently, five projects will be selected from the initial 25 to progress to the subsequent two phases of the programme (Flourish and Harvest phases).

All ongoing citizen science initiatives related to climate change adaptation run by an EU legal entity are eligible to apply.

Submission and evaluation process

  • Submission process:

Applications will be made in English, online via the following platform: https://scienceus-project.eu/open-call-original-page-new/

Applications for the first phase (SEED) will consist of a proposal including a description of the applicant’s ongoing citizen science project, with details about the quality and relevance of existing results for climate change adaptation, demand for the project in other regions, potential for scalability and replicability, the applicant’s resources, and expected impact on European, national, regional, or local policies.

  • Evaluation process:

The evaluation will be divided into the following stages:

Eligibility check: The funding is available for ongoing citizen science projects relevant to the EU mission “Adaptation to climate change”. All legal entities established in the EU Member States and countries associated with the Horizon Europe Framework Programme for Research and Innovation are eligible to apply. Every entity is allowed to participate in one application, either on its own or as part of a consortium (please check all eligibility criteria in the ScienceUs ‘guide for applicants’).

Proposal evaluation

  • For the first phase (SEED), each proposal will be assessed against five criteria: (1) quality and relevance of existing results for climate change adaptation, (2) demand for the project in other regions, (3) potential for scalability and replicability, (4) applicant’s resources and (5) expected impact on European, national, regional, or local policies.
  • For the second phase (FLOURISH), the projects selected in the first stage will be evaluated based on the deliverable D1 «CS transnational campaign and upscaling plan», considering the following criteria: (1) deliverable quality, (2) deadline compliance, and (3) short pitch of the upscaling strategy in the context of an online event.
  • For the third phase (HARVEST), the projects selected in the second stage will be evaluated considering D2 “Concrete list of projects to cooperate with and implementation plan of joint activities”, D3 “Citizen Science campaigns implemented” and D4 “Policy assessment and recommendations” considering criteria: (1) the results in scaling up to generate networks and communities with other initiatives in Europe’s regions, (2) the impact on solving key strategic topics, (3) the feasibility, (4) the engagement of all actors from the quadruple helix (university-industry-government-public), (5) the results by proposed data management plan, and (6) other issues such as their plan for inclusion, gender balance, equity, and diversity.

Who can apply?

Legal entities (including consortia), from EU Member States or third European countries associated with Horizon Europe, with an ongoing citizen science initiative related to adaptation to climate change. For consortia, all applicants must be eligible. They must choose a lead who will submit the application and engage with ScienceUs on their behalf. A list of eligible countries can be found here.

Open call - Important Dates

Opening date: 31st October, 2024

First Phase (SEED PHASE) proposal deadline: January 6th, 2025.

Second Phase (FLOURISH PHASE) proposal deadline: April 30th, 2025.

Third Phase (HARVEST PHASE) proposals deadline: November 30th, 2025.

Expected duration of participation

Winners of the First Phase (SEED PHASE) – February 1st, 2025 to April 30th, 2025.

Winners of the Second Phase (FLOURISH PHASE) – May, 31st, 2025 to November 30th, 2025.

Winners of the Third Phase (HARVESTING PHASE) – 31st December 2025 – 15th October 2026.

2nd Meeting of ScienceUs in Rome, Italy

In Rome, the 2nd in-person meeting of ScienceUs was hosted. This gathering was a significant milestone for all partners involved, marking a pivotal moment in our collaborative journey towards advancing Citizen Science initiatives. The meeting brought together the consortium members, each committed to pushing the boundaries of Citizen Science. The discussions were vibrant and focused, revolving around critical aspects of benchmarking Citizen Science initiatives.

Citizen Science projects benchmarking

ScienceUs implemented a benchmarking on citizen projects to identify the barriers, needs and challenges of the new ERA and EU missions to implement best practices on citizen science. Βenchmarking of a relevant group of citizen science initiatives carried out to identify those metrics and variables related to good citizen science practices that also facilitate replicability and upscaling.

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“Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or European Research Executive Agency. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.”