Periodic Reporting for period 2 - STEP CHANGE (Science Transformation in EuroPe through Citizens involvement in HeAlth, coNservation and enerGy rEsearch)
Reporting period: 2022-09-01 to 2024-04-30
The world is becoming characterized by post-modern societies, where social structures are no longer capable of shaping behaviors, expectations and cultural orientations, and where individuals are subjected to new sources of influence, which are opaque and not subjected to public scrutiny. In post-modern societies, science is loosing its authority and social status, because laypersons are developing critical attitudes and alternative views of scientific facts, and because they demand more transparency and accountability, to maintain their trust in science and scientific institutions.
To counteract this detachment between society and the scientific process, citizen science (CS) has been proposed as a valuable approach to engage citizens, to make them interacting with the scientific community and to integrate them into the scientific process, with various levels of engagement. On the one hand, this is supposed to change their attitudes and boost their trust towards science. Moreover, by engaging citizens in the co-creation of science, citizen science has the potential re-design scientific questions, to make its process really inclusive for society and ultimately to improve the capacity of science to address complex problem and perform trans-epistemic changes.
The overall objective of STEP CHANGE was to explore and exploit the potential of citizen science in terms of knowledge and innovation advancement and science and society alignment, through the development and evaluation of 5 hands-on citizen science initiatives (CSIs) in three different areas (Energy, Health and Environment) in Europe and beyond (Africa), and- on this basis - to formulate recommendations and tools for better anchoring of citizen science in scientific institutions. Its specific objectives were: (i) to produce new knowledge and innovation in 5 fields of research where citizen’s knowledge and capacities are fundamental for advancement, (ii) to produce new knowledge on citizen science itself and its potential for a better alignment of science and society, (iii) to develop and disseminate recommendations and tools for supporting the diffusion of citizen science and its anchorage and (iv) to promote the social inclusion in the territories where citizen science initiatives will take place, by engaging multiple stakeholders on a dialogue about societal stakes of science.
To counteract this detachment between society and the scientific process, citizen science (CS) has been proposed as a valuable approach to engage citizens, to make them interacting with the scientific community and to integrate them into the scientific process, with various levels of engagement. On the one hand, this is supposed to change their attitudes and boost their trust towards science. Moreover, by engaging citizens in the co-creation of science, citizen science has the potential re-design scientific questions, to make its process really inclusive for society and ultimately to improve the capacity of science to address complex problem and perform trans-epistemic changes.
The overall objective of STEP CHANGE was to explore and exploit the potential of citizen science in terms of knowledge and innovation advancement and science and society alignment, through the development and evaluation of 5 hands-on citizen science initiatives (CSIs) in three different areas (Energy, Health and Environment) in Europe and beyond (Africa), and- on this basis - to formulate recommendations and tools for better anchoring of citizen science in scientific institutions. Its specific objectives were: (i) to produce new knowledge and innovation in 5 fields of research where citizen’s knowledge and capacities are fundamental for advancement, (ii) to produce new knowledge on citizen science itself and its potential for a better alignment of science and society, (iii) to develop and disseminate recommendations and tools for supporting the diffusion of citizen science and its anchorage and (iv) to promote the social inclusion in the territories where citizen science initiatives will take place, by engaging multiple stakeholders on a dialogue about societal stakes of science.
Through five hands-on citizen science initiatives (CSIs), all objectives were successfully achieved. Interdisciplinary core teams were established in all CSIs, comprising scientists from various backgrounds, local stakeholders, citizen scientists (CSs), and enthusiasts of the initiatives. Policymakers were also included in the dissemination and debate processes. Ultimately, between 1,000 and 2,000 people participated throughout the initiatives.
In the CSI on Wildlife Conservation in Slovenia, over 1,000 people collected data on wildlife and provided feedback on the citizen science tool, a mobile app called "SRNA" (meaning "deer" in Slovenian). The app was developed for CSs and updated based on their evaluation reports. The CSI on Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD) in the UK adopted a more individualized approach, resulting in fewer participants but yielding significant and unexpected results, particularly regarding approaches to sensitive health topics in citizen science. In Germany, the CSI on Energy Communities established critical relationships within the "energy community," demonstrating how connecting people with diverse backgrounds but common interests offers new perspectives on citizen science. The CSI on Infectious Disease Outbreak Preparedness in Italy highlighted the challenges of public recruitment for CSs when the research problem negatively affects the community. The CSI on Off-Grid Renewable Energy in rural Uganda generated new knowledge by engaging a large local community. A national debate with a bottom-up approach was initiated, based on results from over 1,000 interviews, workshops, and meetings with stakeholders and citizens. These efforts resulted in five public policy briefs on CSIs, 15-20 peer-reviewed publications, and two manuscripts. The new knowledge on CS was also disseminated through handouts, presentations, online tools, brochures, and search engines. One such tool is the Citizen Science Navigator, which compiles all these public outcomes and is accessible at https://cs-navigator.stepchangeproject.eu/(opens in new window). All interested can search for training and mutual learning materials produced in the STEP CHANGE project.
The STEP CHANGE project outputs were presented and discussed at the project's final event, which was merged with the ECSA 2024 conference in Vienna, an annual gathering of the citizen science community.
In the CSI on Wildlife Conservation in Slovenia, over 1,000 people collected data on wildlife and provided feedback on the citizen science tool, a mobile app called "SRNA" (meaning "deer" in Slovenian). The app was developed for CSs and updated based on their evaluation reports. The CSI on Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD) in the UK adopted a more individualized approach, resulting in fewer participants but yielding significant and unexpected results, particularly regarding approaches to sensitive health topics in citizen science. In Germany, the CSI on Energy Communities established critical relationships within the "energy community," demonstrating how connecting people with diverse backgrounds but common interests offers new perspectives on citizen science. The CSI on Infectious Disease Outbreak Preparedness in Italy highlighted the challenges of public recruitment for CSs when the research problem negatively affects the community. The CSI on Off-Grid Renewable Energy in rural Uganda generated new knowledge by engaging a large local community. A national debate with a bottom-up approach was initiated, based on results from over 1,000 interviews, workshops, and meetings with stakeholders and citizens. These efforts resulted in five public policy briefs on CSIs, 15-20 peer-reviewed publications, and two manuscripts. The new knowledge on CS was also disseminated through handouts, presentations, online tools, brochures, and search engines. One such tool is the Citizen Science Navigator, which compiles all these public outcomes and is accessible at https://cs-navigator.stepchangeproject.eu/(opens in new window). All interested can search for training and mutual learning materials produced in the STEP CHANGE project.
The STEP CHANGE project outputs were presented and discussed at the project's final event, which was merged with the ECSA 2024 conference in Vienna, an annual gathering of the citizen science community.
The most significant impacts were observed at the local level and among researchers who gained new knowledge on citizen science (CS). Both CSs and stakeholders expressed their interest in continuing collaborations, indicating that the initiatives built strong, sustainable networks. These networks not only provide data but also participate in various levels of applied science. The project offered researchers an opportunity to address issues that had never been discussed within the university and in these specific territories, highlighting the importance of active citizen involvement in research projects.
Regarding contributions to the Sustainable Development Goals, each initiative had notable achievements: CSI1 received support from national policymakers to register the CS tool SRNA, developed in this project, as an official tool for monitoring wildlife; CSI2 introduced project results to students at Oxford University, aiming to enhance medical practice with new therapies focused on lifestyle and weight loss interventions; CSI3 contributed peer-reviewed scientific results to the national discussion on energy community regulations; CSI4 involved Cameroonian and Chadian students, researchers, and physicians in all activities related to preparedness for infectious disease outbreaks, facilitated by the UNITOV UNESCO Chair in Biotechnology and Bioethics; CSI5 took the first step towards scaling up off-grid renewable energy, engaging over 2,000 people in Uganda and sparking a national debate with a bottom-up approach.
In this way, STEP CHANGE contributed to evidence-based decision-making and fostered an open dialogue with policymakers. This dialogue integrated the results and methodologies into decision-making processes, ensuring the sustainability of the initiatives beyond the project's lifespan.
Regarding contributions to the Sustainable Development Goals, each initiative had notable achievements: CSI1 received support from national policymakers to register the CS tool SRNA, developed in this project, as an official tool for monitoring wildlife; CSI2 introduced project results to students at Oxford University, aiming to enhance medical practice with new therapies focused on lifestyle and weight loss interventions; CSI3 contributed peer-reviewed scientific results to the national discussion on energy community regulations; CSI4 involved Cameroonian and Chadian students, researchers, and physicians in all activities related to preparedness for infectious disease outbreaks, facilitated by the UNITOV UNESCO Chair in Biotechnology and Bioethics; CSI5 took the first step towards scaling up off-grid renewable energy, engaging over 2,000 people in Uganda and sparking a national debate with a bottom-up approach.
In this way, STEP CHANGE contributed to evidence-based decision-making and fostered an open dialogue with policymakers. This dialogue integrated the results and methodologies into decision-making processes, ensuring the sustainability of the initiatives beyond the project's lifespan.