MCAA & Citizen Science: Empowering Researchers - MCAA Magazine March 2025

European Citizen Science empowers researchers and the public to collaborate, making citizen science more inclusive and impactful. Through the Network of Researchers for Citizen Science and targeted workshops, the MCAA equips researchers with training, open resources and a dynamic network to integrate Citizen Science (CS) into their work.

The European Citizen Science (ECS) Project bridges professional researchers and the public, fostering inclusivity, interdisciplinary collaboration and open science with real-world policy impact. By democratising science, ECS enhances large-scale data collection, reproducibility and cross-disciplinary insights. As a consortium partner, the MCAA aligns with these goals, equipping its research community with citizen science (CS) knowledge and skills.

Survey on Researchers’ CS-Training Needs

In 2023, in collaboration with Université Paris Cité/Learning Planet Institute (UPCité/LPI), the MCAA conducted an online survey assessing researchers’ interest in CS training. With 171 responses, the survey revealed strong engagement from MCAA members (43.37%) and MSCA fellows (20.48%). While many had experience in public engagement, key training needs emerged: understanding impact, ensuring data quality and integrating engagement into research. Challenges included institutional skepticism, lack of support and unclear methodologies, emphasising the need for structured training.

Launching NR4CS

To address these gaps, the Network of Researchers for Citizen Science (NR4CS) - a collaborative initiative between the MCAA and UPCité/LPI, was established. Since its launch in December 2023, NR4CS has facilitated training, knowledge exchange and researcher engagement. The NR4CS 2024 Training Series featured expert-led sessions on public engagement, participatory mapping, ethics, publishing, data quality and impact assessment. Sessions integrated member-led presentations, interactive discussions and open-access resources.

Open Access CS Training

Recognising the importance of open knowledge, NR4CS offers free membership to researchers across disciplines and career stages. Members gain access to key resources, including community-led discussion points, training summaries and videos (on Zenodo and on the MCAA YouTube Channel), and a mailing list for ongoing community engagement (nr4cs-subscribe@eu- citizen.science). An open feedback platform allows members to share experiences, improving future training sessions. By advancing accessibility, NR4CS reinforces inclusivity and collaboration in CS.

MCAA’s Key Contributions to ECS

The MCAA has led critical initiatives within ECS to train researchers in CS. The project launched with a Satellite Event on Science Communication at the 2023 MCAA Annual Conference (AC) in Córdoba, Spain, organised by Ruben Riosa and Mostafa Moonir Shawrav. This hands-on session provided researchers with practical skills for engaging the public and journalists.

In January 2024, Cléa Montanari and Muki Haklay (UPCité/LPI) co-led a virtual event where they explored “In what ways does citizen science transform education?”. At this event, Pooja Khurana presented her volunteer project, “Menstrual Health is Public Health: Engaging Citizens to Break Social Taboos”, highlighting how CS principles can address societal challenges.

During the MCAA’s 10th anniversary celebration in Milan, Italy (2024 AC), two significant events reinforced our commitment to participatory research - a satellite event on “Public Engagement and Participatory Research: The Whys and Hows of Implementing Citizen Science in Your Research” and a panel discussion on “Stakeholders within Citizen Science: Don’t Forget the Citizens”. Both events received positive feedback for their informative content, inspiring speakers, and diverse perspectives. More details are available in our blog “Empowering Citizen Science: Discover insider tips and techniques.”

In September 2024, at the training workshop for Researchers participating in the Mediterranean Researchers’ Night (MEDNIGHT), co-organised by the MCAA and MEDNIGHT, Pooja Khurana led a session on “Engaging Our Youth: Bridging Academia and Schools through Citizen Science,” discussing how CS can enhance school curricula, promote scientific literacy and encourage student involvement in real-world research.

Through NR4CS, the MCAA champions inclusivity, sustainability and impact, advocating for data privacy, CS integration in research assessments, and stronger academic recognition in collaboration with CoARA and ECS

Expanding CS Support in 2025

Early-career researchers often face barriers such as limited funding, field-specific guidance and minimal grant-writing knowledge. To address these challenges, NR4CS is expanding its support in 2025 with two key initiatives. From May to July, a three-part MSCA Fellowship Workshop Series will help researchers integrate CS into their grant proposals through expert insights, proposal development and mentorship. Additionally, the NR4CS Training Series 2025 will run bi- monthly from February to December, covering interdisciplinary CS topics such as social sciences, health data, big datasets in astronomy, and networking across CS communities.

Enhancing CS Integration in Research

Effectively integrating CS into research requires structured capacity building, greater awareness among funding bodies and tailored training for researchers. Strengthening collaboration between researchers, institutions and citizen volunteers is crucial, alongside targeted funding and recognition systems. Through NR4CS, the MCAA champions inclusivity, sustainability and impact, advocating for data privacy, CS integration in research assessments, and stronger academic recognition in collaboration with the Coalition for Advancing Research Assessment (CoARA) and ECS. Research must be fair, ethical, diverse and sustainable, driving innovation and societal progress. Moving forward, centralised training, stronger interdisciplinary networks, and structured recognition will help bridge research and society, ensuring CS becomes a transformative force in shaping science and public engagement.

Pooja Khurana

MCAA Community Manager
ECS Project Officer
pooja.khurana@mariecuriealumni.eu
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