Pillar III: Fostering citizen engagement for more responsible and democratic R&I

This topic aims to connect R&I with citizens and other stakeholders by fostering greater citizen engagement, participation, and science communication. Proposals will contribute to the impact of “Increasing trust in science and alignment of R&I with society’s needs, expectations and values”, thereby enhancing the democratic character and impact of science in the ERA.

Applicants should select and clearly identify one area being addressed, choosing from the two areas outlined below, both supporting the implementation of the ERA Structural Policy “Enhancing Trust in Science through Citizen Participation, Engagement and Science Communication”. Proposals should develop the activities outlined for the selected area and propose additional activities that contribute to achieving the expected outcomes.

Project activities should reach large communities of stakeholders ensuring a wide geographical coverage, inclusivity, broad participation, and accessibility over the course of the project. Proposals should describe their target group in terms of its scope and size. In project activities, particular attention should be paid to promoting gender equality and addressing gender-specific challenges, where relevant.

Expected project duration is up to 3 years without prejudice to a longer duration if justified.

Area 1: Citizen science for enhancing democratic governance

Expected outcome: Project results are expected to contribute to all of the following outcomes:

• Improved framework conditions for integrating citizen science in democratic governance, considering issues of institutional feasibility and preparedness, including protocols and working modalities that foster the use of citizen science data in policies;
• Improved data practices employed by researchers and experts in citizen science initiatives;
• Increased awareness about the valuable scientific knowledge generated by citizen science and its contributions to tackling societal challenges.

Scope: Area 1 aims to improve framework conditions and provide adequate standards and working modalities with a view to improving the links between citizen science and democratic governance.

Proposals should build on the findings of the Mutual Learning Exercise on Citizen Science and on any past or ongoing relevant initiatives and projects at European or national level. Project activities should include actors such as research performing and funding organisations, universities, researchers and innovators, research infrastructures, civil society organisations, and policymakers. To achieve the expected outcomes, proposals should address the activities outlined below and propose any additional, complementary activities:

• Provide evidence-based recommendations on how to set up protocols supporting data quality (including validation mechanisms), comparability, and inter-operability in citizen science for policies;
• Demonstrate how citizen science can be introduced in institutions through greater preparedness and coherence across different levels of governance, while also addressing issues of equity in public participation;
• Provide evidence of the impact of citizen science on policy change;
• Raise awareness among relevant stakeholders on incentives for the research community to engage in citizen science.

Area 2: Guiding principles for inclusive engagement in R&I

Expected outcome: Project results are expected to contribute to all of the following outcomes:

• Enhanced institutional and organisational capacities in relation to public engagement and science-society links;
• Common ERA approaches for researchers, policymakers, public engagement professionals, and communication experts to boost public engagement in R&I and science communication;
• Actionable pathways for strengthening the co-creation of R&I by society, and evidence of the impacts of public engagement.

Scope: Area 2 aims to develop common ERA approaches for public engagement in R&I and science communication to make the R&I ecosystem more participatory, trustworthy, democratic, open and responsible and improving its capacity to tackle societal challenges.

Proposals should build on the findings of the Mutual Learning Exercise on Public Engagement in R&I, the code of practice on citizen engagement for knowledge valorisation, and any past or ongoing relevant initiatives, experiments and projects at European or national level[[ Including projects funded under HORIZON-WIDERA-2022-ERA-01-40 and HORIZON-WIDERA-2022-ERA-01-60.]]. The target groups for this action are research performing organisations and funding organisations, universities, researchers and innovators, policymakers, science communicators, public engagement professionals, and members of the media. To achieve the expected outcomes, proposals should address the activities outlined below and propose any additional, complementary activities:

• Provide actionable recommendations for mechanisms (e.g. guidelines, funding schemes, co-creation methodologies) for sustainable citizen participation and engagement in R&I of diverse groups of citizens, including those not habitually involved in science;
• Provide recommendations to support institutional capacity building, organisational structures and careers (in research performing organisations) in relation to facilitating interaction with society through innovative science communication, engagement, and participation of diverse groups of citizens;
• Establish an evidence base on the effectiveness and impact of public engagement in R&I and science communication; identify evaluation indicators for different policy settings;
• Offer guidance for developing ethical guidelines for citizen engagement, participation, and science communication, ensuring their inclusion in institutional ethics and integrity committees and frameworks;
• Propose pathways to tackle issues of equity and inclusion in public engagement in R&I also considering beliefs, awareness and misperceptions by citizens.