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About networks

Network of educators and trainers

  • About the citizen science trainers and educators network
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The Citizen Science Trainers and Educators Network was established in 2022 to support the development of the European Citizen Science Academy (ECS Academy). The network brings together citizen science educators and trainers who assessed existing training opportunities and resources to identify gaps and needs in current offerings. This was fundamental in informing the design of the ECS Academy and ensuring it effectively serves citizen science practitioners across Europe.

Together with the network of educators and trainers, the Blueprint to the ECS Academy was created and made available in the ECS Academy Zenodo page: Blueprint to the ECS Academy.

“A citizen science trainer and educator is defined as an individual that provides both formal and/or informal education to participants in the area of citizen science and Community Science (Definition created with the network of educators and trainers on 13th of July 2023.)”

The network is made up of citizen science trainers and educators that come from a variety of fields and educational settings (i.e universities, primary & secondary schools). The following slide deck provides some of the profiles of members as a showcase of the network: Slide Deck of Network Members.

  • Network activities
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  1. A meeting every 6 weeks. Network members are invited to share the training material and approaches that they are using. This is done to facilitate an exchange of experience, receive feedback and know about other citizen science training/education going on.
  2. A mailing list that is used by the ECS Academy coordinator to share news, and also by network members to share and discuss relevant information to citizen science training and education.
  3. The network has been regularly engaged in co-design workshops to build certain aspects of the ECS Academy and its own moderation (i.e. Blueprint of the ECS Academy, and a guide on how to share resources).
  4. Sharing training resources between network members. This is to facilitate and limit the reinvention of existing training. To facilitate this, we created a guide: What and how to share_ECS network of educators and trainers.
  5. Sharing news about citizen science training.
  6. Developing new trainings together with the ECS Academy.
  7. Offer a platform on which you can offer your training.
  8. Offer paid opportunities to provide trainings.

  • How to sign up
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To join the network of citizen science educators and trainers we ask you to fill in this form: Join the network.

Note: You will be added to the network at the end of the month.

This form will allow us to sign you up to the network of citizen science educators and trainers mailing list. In addition, information that you will provide in this form will contribute to the following endeavours of the ECS Academy:

  • Map and showcase citizen science trainings
  • Identify training gaps relevant to citizen science
  • Create a profile of citizen science educators and trainers
  • For reporting and evaluation purposes of the European Citizen Science project

Note that for the 4 above points, the information you provide will not be affiliated with any personal information.

Network meetings are currently in English. Training resources are not only in English - we welcome all languages.

FAQ document about the network: Click here to read the FAQ.

  • Resources that talk about the network
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Blog post written by Cléa Montanari that highlights network members’ activities: Read the blog post.

Interim report on network engagement activities: Read the interim report.

Initial mapping of citizen science training: Read the mapping.

Outcomes of a training at The Rome Technopole School in citizen science: challenge accepted: Read the outcomes.

Network early career researchers

  • About the network of researchers for citizen science (NR4CS)
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The Network of Researchers for Citizen Science (NR4CS) is committed to advancing open, inclusive, and participatory research practices. Launched in December 2023 as a collaborative initiative between Université Paris Cité / Learning Planet Institute and the Marie Curie Alumni Association (MCAA), NR4CS emerged from a clear need: to bridge training gaps, support researchers, and promote the meaningful integration of Citizen Science (CS) into mainstream research.

Through free training opportunities, open-access resources, and a thriving international community, NR4CS fosters collaboration among researchers, whether they are curious about CS, just beginning their journey, or seasoned practitioners. All researchers interested in participatory approaches are warmly welcomed.

We aim to:

  • Strengthen research capacity and engagement with citizens
  • Advance inclusivity in knowledge production
  • Advocate for CS recognition within research assessment reforms

By aligning our efforts with initiatives like CoARA (Coalition for Advancing Research Assessment) and the broader ECS project, NR4CS prioritises ethics, sustainability, and impact, placing data privacy, interdisciplinary collaboration, and career-stage relevance at the heart of its mission.

  • Our Vision and Core Objectives
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To effectively integrate CS into the research ecosystem, we believe in:

  • Coordinated capacity building for researchers at all career stages
  • Greater awareness of CS’s societal value among funders and institutions
  • Targeted, practical training aligned with real-world research needs

The NR4CS community includes researchers from across disciplines who either use or are exploring CS in their work. Together, we form a supportive environment for sharing expertise, building skills, and amplifying impact.

Our core objectives are:

  • Training Needs: Identifying and addressing researchers’ training requirements through tailored programmes.
  • Knowledge Exchange: Bringing together researchers, practitioners, and citizen scientists to foster mutual learning and interdisciplinary collaboration.
  • Engagement: Encouraging citizen involvement in all phases of research - from design and data collection to analysis and dissemination.

  • Network activities
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1. NR4CS Training Series 2024

The NR4CS Training Series 2024 (March–October) was designed following a training needs assessment survey, leading to a series of high-impact sessions:

  • The Building Blocks of Public Engagement — Dr. Jana Wendler
  • Participatory Mapping — Prof. Muki Haklay
  • When is Citizen Science Relevant for Different Steps of the Research Process? — Dr. Maya Fedeli
  • The Ethics of Public Engagement — Dr. Stefanie Schuerz
  • Publishing in Citizen Science — Dr. James Sprinks, Dr. Joseph Roche, and Dr. Jean Schensul
  • Better Data Quality in Citizen Science (I): Structured vs. Unstructured Data Collection and Potential Biases — Dr. Jaume Piera
  • Impact Assessment in Citizen Science — Dr. Barbara Kieslinger

Each training began with a 5-minute presentation by an NR4CS member to share their work or perspective, followed by an expert-led session. This participatory model fostered visibility, understanding, and peer collaboration across the network.

To support ongoing learning and open access, all sessions were recorded, summarised, and made publicly available on Zenodo and the MCAA YouTube Channel.

2. Expanding Support for Early-Career Researchers (2025)

Despite growing momentum, many early-career researchers (ECRs) still face barriers like limited awareness, mentorship, or funding for implementing CS approaches. In response, NR4CS expanded its 2025 programming to include:

  • Mentorship for MSCA Grant Applicants

    The workshop series “Public Participation in Research: A Workshop Series for 2025 MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowship Applicants” received over 80 applications globally, with 29 researchers selected for mentorship focused on integrating CS into grant proposals.

  • Training on SSH Ethics in CS

    A dedicated session titled “Drawing a Line Between Subject vs. Participant in Participatory Sciences” (March 2025) explored ethical challenges and collaborative approaches specific to Social Sciences and Humanities research.

  • How to Join and Engage
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NR4CS is free and open to all. Here's how you can get involved:

  • Become a Member
    Join our diverse and international community of researchers across all disciplines and career stages. Register here.
  • Join the Mailing List
    Stay connected and contribute to ongoing discussions and collaborations. Subscribe: nr4cs-subscribe@eu-citizen.science.
  • Access Community Questions
    Soon to be published on Zenodo, this open resource compiles key questions raised by members during training registration. It serves as a reference for educators, facilitators, and anyone interested in CS.

Network of citizen science practitioners - The ECS collaboration group

  • Who is it for?
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The ECS collaboration group is a network aimed at all those who are broadly involved in citizen science from a more practical side. It is a place for researchers, students, civil society actors, humanitarian professionals, educators, environmental advocates, and anyone interested in the role of participatory sciences across a wide range of contexts. This is an activity of the ECS project to support people in any European project - working beyond the consortium of ECS.

  • Network activities
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The ECS collaboration group has two main components:

  1. ECS collaboration mailing group - Through the mailing group, you are connected to a wide range of citizen science professionals and researchers throughout Europe. It is a channel for sharing updates, news, and upcoming activities from the citizen science ecosystem. All mailing group members are allowed to send emails to the group, as long as they are related to CS initiatives they are representing or other CS initiatives they are a part of or have knowledge of. The mailing group also serves to keep you up to date on upcoming ECS Collaboration Sessions.
  2. ECS collaboration sessions - The ECS Collaboration Sessions provide a platform to explore diverse citizen science projects, exchange insights on key topics, enhance skills in citizen science, and share updates from the work of citizen science practitioners across Europe. Every two months, the ECS project organises these sessions where citizen science practitioners have the opportunity to lead online presentations, engage in activities, and create valuable learning moments to strengthen collaboration.

  • How to join
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Through this form, you can sign up for the collaboration mailing group. This means you will be able to share relevant updates with other members of the mailing group, and be up to date with upcoming collaboration sessions.

Interested in hosting your own collaboration session on a topic of relevance to you? Reach out to alex@stickydot.eu for a chat!

Networks

 

The ECS Academy has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 and Horizon Europe Framework Programmes for Research and Innovation under grant agreements No. 824580 (EU-Citizen.Science project) and No. 101058509 (ECS project) 

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

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