Citizen Science Award 2022: Do research and win
With numerous programmes the OeAD pursues the goal of strengthening the public’s trust in science and research and increasing knowledge about how science and research actually work. In this way the OeAD also wants to contribute to reducing scepticism about science.
Citizen Science Award: Take part in research between 1 April and 8 July and win a prize
Thus, on behalf of the Federal Ministry of Education, Science and Research (BMBWF) the OeAD has invited interested people of all ages – especially schoolchildren – to participate in the Citizen Science Award, which has taken place every year since 2015. Citizen scientists can take part in seven current research projects in the natural and social sciences – some of which linked to artistic and creative research methods – all over Austria between 1 April to 8 July 2022. The projects offer a variety of digital and analogue possibilities for participation that can be easily integrated into classroom teaching. All projects are designed in such a way that they can run even if classes or schools are closed due to Covid-19. The most committed school classes can look forward to prize money of up to 1,000 euros. Individuals can win non-cash prizes provided by the research institutions. Detailed information about the participating projects and the possibilities to take part in research is available at https://youngscience.at/citizen-science-award.
There is still far too little knowledge about how science works, how to deal with results and findings and what this means. The OeAD‘s managing director Jakob Calice therefore also wants to address more intensively those schools that have had no or hardly any contact with researchers up to now: “One thing we therefore have to do in order to counter the ongoing scepticism about science is to open up science and research to all age groups, especially to the youngest in our society; to point out even more intensively the possibilities that already exist in many research and science institutions and to invite people to take part in them.”
OeAD Young-Science Congress on 13 October 2022
As a highlight and at the same time conclusion of the Citizen Science Award the OeAD Young Science Congress will take place on 13 October 2022 at the University College of Teacher Education Vienna; it will start at 9 a.m. On that day school classes and all those interested will be able to immerse themselves once again in the Citizen Science Award projects by means of guided tours, workshops, science circuits and hands-on stations. In workshops teachers will have the possibility to take a closer look at how they can incorporate science and research into their lessons. Within the framework of this congress all winners of the Citizen Science Awards will be awarded prizes in a festive ceremony in the afternoon.
Detailed information will be available in a timely manner on the OeAD’s Young Science website: www.youngscience.at.