10 years of the Citizen Science Award: researching, discovering and winning together.
To mark the 10th anniversary of the Citizen Science Award research competition, Austria's education agency OeAD, on behalf of the Federal Ministry for Women, Science and Research (BMFWF), is once again inviting citizen scientists of all ages throughout Austria to get involved in seven selected projects for science and research in the period from 1 April to 31 July. There are cash prizes (for school classes/youth groups) or non-cash prizes (for adults and families) to be won.
Bringing science to life with Citizen Science
Making research understandable and accessible and communicating to society how scientific knowledge is gained is more important than ever in our increasingly complex world. Citizen science is an ideal way to bring citizens into contact with researchers - i.e. the direct participation of the public in scientific projects. This makes research tangible and tangible, which in turn strengthens the public's trust in science and democracy.
In Austria, this has been practised since 2007. The ‘Sparkling Science 2.0’ research programme funded by the BMFWF allows schoolchildren to participate in research projects. Another ideal way of integrating citizen science into lessons is the annual ‘Citizen Science Award’ research competition
Since 2015, more than 25,400 citizen scientists from all over Austria have already taken part in 66 projects.
‘The 10th anniversary of the Citizen Science Award is a significant milestone. In recent years, we have succeeded in getting people of all ages interested in science and actively involving them in research processes. From schoolchildren and youth groups to families and senior citizens. To date, more than 25,400 Citizen Scientists from all over Austria have been inspired by this form of collaboration. In our anniversary year, we will continue this success story with seven new projects to inspire and invite people to become part of research,’ says Federal Minister for Women, Science and Research Eva-Maria Holzleitner.
Utilising the potential of the general population
In addition to school classes, individuals, families and youth groups are once again invited to participate in the Citizen Science Award in 2025. Whether scouts, youth clubs or rural youth - anyone who wants to get involved in science will find an exciting opportunity in the projects. OeAD Managing Director Jakob Calice emphasises: ‘Citizen Science offers all interested parties the opportunity to actively participate in research projects and contribute their knowledge. At the same time, science gains new data and diverse perspectives from the population - a win-win situation for both sides. I invite people of all ages to take part in this research competition.’
Diverse topics
This year's projects range from the natural sciences, humanities and social sciences to teaching and learning research and computer science. For example, Citizen Scientists can document amphibian calls, research invasive mosquito species, evaluate urban spaces and mobility, analyse dialects, link mathematics with topics relevant to everyday life, explore the multilingualism of their own environment and carry out tests on soil health.
Award ceremony on 23 October at the 4th Young Science Congress
The prizes will be awarded at a ceremony as part of the OeAD's 4th Young Science Congress. This will take place on 23 October in cooperation with the Johannes Kepler University Linz and the Ars Electronica Center. In the morning, school pupils and youth groups will be able to immerse themselves in science and research in workshops, lectures and guided tours and engage in dialogue with researchers. The winners will be honoured in the afternoon.
Further information on the Citizen Science Award and the projects can be found on the OeAD's Young Science website: www.youngscience.at/citizenscienceaward/projekte.
