Citizen Science in Europe
Citizen science has gained momentum in Europe in recent years, with numerous projects, activities, institutions, and organizations engaging the public in scientific research. One such example is the European Citizen Science Association (ECSA), which brings together researchers, practitioners, and policy-makers to promote citizen science and facilitate collaboration across Europe. Another notable initiative is the "European Researchers' Night," which takes place annually in over 300 cities across Europe and encourages citizens to participate in science activities and engage with researchers. In addition, several research projects, such as "The Great Sunflower Project," "eBird," and "OPAL," have mobilized citizen scientists to collect data on topics ranging from biodiversity to climate change. Organizations such as "Planet Hunters" and "SETI@home" also involve citizens in analyzing data from space missions. Overall, citizen science is a growing movement in Europe, promoting scientific literacy, community engagement, and collaboration between researchers and the public. Below are some of the projects, activities, institutions, and organizations across Eupore that actively integrate citizen science.
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Responsible Open Science in Europe Project (ROSiE) -- A Horizon 2020 Project coordinated from the University of Oslo that will provide guidance on the ethical and integrity aspects of Open Science, including Citizen Science. https://rosie-project.eu/
CoCoRaHS (Community Collaborative Rain, Hail & Snow Network) - A Europe-wide network of volunteers that report precipitation amounts and types in their local area. Website: https://www.cocorahs.org/
COSMO-SkyMed - A project based in Italy that uses satellite images to monitor natural disasters, such as earthquakes and landslides. Website: http://www.cosmo-skymed.it/en/
eBird - A Europe-wide platform for birdwatchers to record and share their observations. Website: https://ebird.org/europe/home
iNaturalist - A Europe-wide citizen science platform for identifying and sharing observations of biodiversity. Website: https://www.inaturalist.org/
MyNoise - A platform based in France for creating personalized noise-cancelling soundscapes. Website: https://mynoise.net/
NOOA - A project based in Spain to monitor and analyze oceanic biodiversity and behavior. Website: https://nooa.es/
OpenStreetMap - A Europe-wide collaborative project to create a free, editable map of the world. Website: https://www.openstreetmap.org/
Planet Hunters - A Europe-wide project that asks volunteers to search for exoplanets in data from NASA's Kepler mission. Website: https://www.zooniverse.org/projects/nora-dot-eisner/planet-hunters-tess
SETI@home - A Europe-wide project that uses volunteers' computers to analyze radio telescope data for evidence of extraterrestrial intelligence. Website: https://setiathome.berkeley.edu/
Zooniverse - A Europe-wide platform for various citizen science projects, ranging from astronomy to biology. Website: https://www.zooniverse.org/
Air Quality Egg - A Europe-wide project that uses open-source hardware to monitor air quality. Website: https://airqualityegg.com/
BeeWatch - A Europe-wide project that asks volunteers to monitor and report on bee populations and behavior. Website: https://www.bee-watch.org/
BirdTrack - A Europe-wide project that asks birdwatchers to report their sightings. Website: https://www.bto.org/our-science/projects/birdtrack/about
Butterfly Conservation - A project based in the United Kingdom that aims to monitor and conserve butterfly populations. Website: https://butterfly-conservation.org/
Citizen Weather Observer Program - A project based in Ireland that uses volunteers' weather stations to collect and share weather data. Website: https://cwop.net/
COBWEB (Citizen Observatory Web) - A Europe-wide project that aims to develop and implement citizen science in environmental monitoring. Website: http://cobwebproject.eu/
DigiTranScope - A Europe-wide project that uses digital technologies to monitor and analyze cultural heritage sites. Website: https://digitranscope.eu/
Foldit - A Europe-wide project that asks volunteers to solve protein folding puzzles to aid scientific research. Website: https://fold.it/
Galaxy Zoo - A Europe-wide project that asks volunteers to classify galaxies in astronomical images. Website: https://www.zooniverse.org/projects/zookeeper/galaxy-zoo/
Hubble@home - A Europe-wide project that asks volunteers to analyze data from the Hubble Space Telescope. Website: https://www.zooniverse.org/projects/zookeeper/hubble-at-home/
iSpex - A project based in the Netherlands that uses a smartphone attachment to measure air pollution. Website: https://ispex.nl/en/
LTER Europe (Long-Term Ecosystem Research) - A network of sites for long-term ecological research across Europe - https://lter-europe.net/
Mosquito Alert - A citizen science project in Spain that monitors and prevents the spread of mosquito-borne diseases - https://www.mosquitoalert.com/en/
MUKU - A German citizen science project that monitors urban climate and air quality - https://muku.sensor.community/en/
Natusfera - A Spanish citizen science platform for identifying and sharing observations of biodiversity - https://natusfera.gbif.es/
NoiseCapture - A French project that uses smartphones to monitor and map noise pollution - https://www.noisecapture.com/
Old Weather - A Europe-wide project that digitizes historical weather observations from ship logs - https://www.oldweather.org/
OpenBees - A Belgian citizen science project that monitors bee populations and behavior - https://openbees.org/en/
OpenBioMaps - A Europe-wide project that aims to create a comprehensive, open-source database of European biodiversity - https://openbiomaps.github.io/
OpenFoodFacts - A Europe-wide project that collects information on food products and their ingredients - https://world.openfoodfacts.org/
Pl@ntNet - A French citizen science project that allows users to contribute plant observations and photos to a database for research and conservation - https://identify.plantnet.org/
City Nature Challenge - An annual competition in multiple cities across Europe to document the most biodiversity using citizen science - https://citynaturechallenge.org/
World Water Monitoring Challenge - A project that encourages citizens to test the quality of their local water bodies and report the results in multiple locations across Europe - https://www.worldwatermonitoringday.org
European Pond Survey - A UK-based project that involves citizen scientists collecting data on the health of ponds and wetlands in Europe - https://freshwaterhabitats.org.uk/projects/european-ponds-project/
Seasearch - A UK-based citizen science project that trains divers to collect data on the marine environment, including species identification and habitat assessment - https://www.seasearch.org.uk/
CosmoQuest - A project based in Germany that enables citizens to contribute to scientific research by analyzing data from NASA's spacecraft missions. Website: https://cosmoquest.org/
The Big Butterfly Count - This UK-based project encourages citizens to count butterflies and moths in their local area and report the results. Website: https://www.bigbutterflycount.org/
iSpot - A UK-based project that allows users to identify and report sightings of plants and animals. Website: https://www.ispotnature.org/
OPAL - A UK-based project that involves citizens in environmental monitoring, including air and water quality, biodiversity, and soil health. Website: https://www.opalexplorenature.org/
HOOP - A project based in the Netherlands that trains citizens to collect data on invasive species in their local area. Website: https://www.hoopvoorburg.nl/
Treezilla - A UK-based project that involves citizens in mapping and measuring trees. Website: https://treezilla.org/
BioBlitz - A project that involves citizens in a rapid survey of biodiversity in a specific location. Takes place in multiple locations across Europe. Website: https://www.bioblitzuk.org.uk/
The Great Sunflower Project - A project based in the USA but with a significant presence in Europe that involves citizens in collecting data on bee populations. Website: https://www.greatsunflower.org/
Projects & Activities
Institutions & Organizations
UCL Extreme Citizen Science (ExCiteS): a research group at University College London that engages communities in co-creating and using science and technology for social and environmental problem-solving. Website: https://www.ucl.ac.uk/extreme-citizen-science/
Open University Citizen Science: a platform for citizen science projects hosted by the Open University in the UK, offering a wide range of opportunities for public participation in scientific research. Website: https://citizenscienceprojects.open.ac.uk/
Zooniverse: a large online platform for citizen science projects, providing opportunities for people to contribute to research in a wide range of fields, from astronomy to zoology. Website: https://www.zooniverse.org/
Imperial College London Citizen Science Hub: a hub for citizen science projects and initiatives at Imperial College London, supporting collaborative research with members of the public. Website: https://www.imperial.ac.uk/be-inspired/citizen-science/
European Citizen Science Association (ECSA): a network of individuals and organizations dedicated to promoting citizen science and its role in society, providing resources and support for the development of citizen science projects across Europe. Website: https://ecsa.citizen-science.net/
The University of Geneva Citizen Science Center: a center for citizen science at the University of Geneva, providing training and support for researchers and citizen scientists alike, with a focus on participatory research and co-creation of knowledge. Website: https://www.unige.ch/citizenscience/
Natural History Museum London: offers opportunities for people to participate in scientific research and contribute to the understanding of the natural world, with projects ranging from wildlife surveys to the digitization of museum collections. Website: https://www.nhm.ac.uk/take-part/citizen-science.html
University of Copenhagen Center for Citizen Science: a center for citizen science at the University of Copenhagen, facilitating collaboration between researchers and citizens in a range of fields, from environmental monitoring to social sciences. Website: https://www.citizen-science.dk/
University of Zurich Citizen Science Center: a center for citizen science at the University of Zurich, providing resources and support for citizen science projects across Switzerland and beyond, with a focus on open science and data sharing. Website: https://citizenscience.uzh.ch/en.html
University of Bristol Cabot Institute Citizen Science: a program of citizen science initiatives at the University of Bristol's Cabot Institute for the Environment, engaging the public in research on topics ranging from air pollution to biodiversity. Website: https://www.bristol.ac.uk/cabot/get-involved/citizen-science/
University of Amsterdam Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics (IBED): a research institute at the University of Amsterdam with a strong focus on citizen science, providing opportunities for public participation in research on biodiversity and ecosystems. Website: https://ibed.uva.nl/research/research-groups/research-groups/research-groups/content/folder/citizen-science/citizen-science.html
The University of Sheffield Institute for Sustainable Food: a research institute at the University of Sheffield focused on sustainable food systems, engaging the public in research on topics such as urban agriculture and food waste reduction. Website: https://www.sheffield.ac.uk/sustainable-food/citizen-science
University of Exeter Penryn Campus Citizen Science: a program of citizen science projects at the University of Exeter's Penryn campus, providing opportunities for public participation in research on topics such as marine ecology and climate change. Website: https://www.exeter.ac.uk/citizen-science/
Trinity College Dublin Environmental Science Research Centre: This research center focuses on environmental science, with particular emphasis on water and air quality, climate change, and sustainability. They have a strong commitment to citizen science, which involves engaging members of the public in scientific research. Their website provides information about their research projects and how people can get involved in citizen science initiatives. https://www.tcd.ie/Environmental_Sciences/research/citizen-science.php
University of Helsinki Finnish Museum of Natural History: Offers citizen science projects focused on biodiversity and environmental research in Finland. https://www.luomus.fi/en/citizen-science
European Commission Joint Research Centre (JRC) Citizen Science: Conducts citizen science projects on various environmental and social issues across Europe. https://ec.europa.eu/jrc/en/science-area/citizen-science
University of Groningen Citizen Science Lab: Conducts research on citizen science methodologies and coordinates citizen science projects in various fields, including health, environment, and education. https://www.rug.nl/research/research-portal/research-centres-and-institutes/citizen-science-lab/?lang=en
ETH Zurich Citizen Science Center: Offers training and support for researchers, citizens, and organizations to design, conduct and evaluate citizen science projects. https://citizenscience.ethz.ch/en.html
University of Bern Citizen Science Center: Conducts research on citizen science practices and offers support for the development and implementation of citizen science projects in various fields. https://www.citizensciencecenter.ch/en/
University of Oslo Center for Ecological and Evolutionary Synthesis (CEES): Conducts research on citizen science in ecology and evolution and offers opportunities for citizens to participate in various research projects. https://www.mn.uio.no/cees/research/groups/citizenscience/
Leibniz Institute for Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries (IGB) Citizen Science: Conducts research on citizen science methodologies and coordinates citizen science projects related to freshwater ecology and fisheries. https://www.igb-berlin.de/en/projects/citizen-science
University of Turin Citizen Science: Conducts research on citizen science practices and offers support for the development and implementation of citizen science projects in various fields. https://www.unito.it/en/research/research-innovative-projects/citizen-science
University of Liverpool Citizen Science: Offers citizen science projects related to health, environment, and social issues in Liverpool and the UK. https://www.liverpool.ac.uk/citizen-science/
The University of Edinburgh Citizen Science and Community Engagement: Offers support for researchers and citizens to develop and implement citizen science projects in various fields. https://www.ed.ac.uk/local/community-development/citizen-science
University of Manchester Citizen Science: Conducts research on citizen science methodologies and coordinates citizen science projects in various fields, including health, environment, and education. https://www.manchester.ac.uk/research/beacons/citizen-science/
University of Cambridge Citizen Science: Offers support for researchers and citizens to develop and implement citizen science projects in various fields, including health, environment, and education. https://www.citizenscience.cam.ac.uk/
The University of Leeds Citizen Science: Conducts research on citizen science methodologies and coordinates citizen science projects in various fields, including health, environment, and social issues. https://www.leeds.ac.uk/citizen-science/