As part of the TIME4CS project, AU has developed a range of citizen science training materials and has run citizen science training workshops for researchers and research performing organisations' admin and management teams in four European countries. Building on this, we now offer four workshops at AU (Preben Hornung Stuen, Bldg. 1422 / 132, Fredrik Nielsens Vej 2-4, 8000 Aarhus C) this autumn, all 2-4pm: 

Participation is free (no refreshments or food will be provided) and all workshops will be conducted in English. 

Workshop facilitators: Kristian H. Nielsen and Gitte Kragh

About the TIME4CS project: The EU-funded TIME4CS project aims at supporting and facilitating the implementation of sustainable Institutional Changes in Research Performing Organisations (RPOs) to promote Citizen Science and public engagement (citizens and citizens associations) in science and technology. A key element of this is the awareness raising and training workshops needed within institutions to ensure a joint and collaborative understanding of public engagement and citizen science. 

----------------- Workshop descriptions --------------------

Citizen Science Research & Methodology

For research environments to adopt citizen science (CS), it is important that researchers, students, and administrative staff come to recognize CS as an evolving set of research methods that may have added value for their research. Researchers should feel prepared to develop new projects using CS methodology or incorporate CS into existing projects. Administrative staff should understand what CS entails to support the researchers in the best possible way. They should all also understand the potential social and environmental benefits of CS. There are opportunities involved in CS with extensive networks and funding opportunities that researchers should know about. The TIME4CS research GAs reflect the many opportunities for embedding CS in research activities and policies.

The aim of this workshop is to provide participants with a basic understanding of CS and CS as part of Open Science (OS) and enable them to develop and plan research projects that employ CS and OS methodologies. It will also allow participants to situate CS as part of the wider OS movement, enabling them to produce arguments for CS as a form of OS. And finally, it will introduce institutional changes needed to embed CS in research performing organisations (RPOs). Participants will get to realize the problems involved and have time to articulate possible solutions.

Themes covered

• Develop research projects using CS/OS methodology
• Expand running research projects using CS/OS methodology
• Plan or implement changes in organisational structures or functions
• Establish/belong to a CS network
• Establish or link with working groups on CS

Intended audience(s)

• Researchers at all career stages
• Graduate students
• Research-support staff in research performing organisations (RPOs), non-governmental organisations (NGOs), or government organisations

Workshop description

This is a free workshop of two hours that provides participants with basic understanding of citizen science, enabling them to develop and plan research projects that employ citizen science methodology. The course is designed for researchers, graduate students, and research-support staff employed in research performing organisations, and no prior knowledge of citizen science is needed for this workshop. Citizen science as a research methodology offers unique opportunities for researchers and RPOs, NGOs or others seeking to engage volunteers in data collection and analysis while also expanding their research portfolio in terms of public participation in research and open science.

Learning outcomes

By the end of this workshop, participants will be able to:

• Objective 1: Describe and implement citizen-science methodologies in new research projects
• Objective 2: Expand existing research projects to include citizen-science methodologies
• Objective 3: Plan and implement changes in organisational structures that will facilitate the adoption of citizen-science research in the organization

Citizen Science Education & Awareness-raising for Research Performing Organisations

The TIME4CS suggested activities related to education and awareness include actions that raise awareness of CS amongst researchers, students, managers and other RPO staff, and members of the public (incl. communities of citizen scientists). This includes general information about CS for members of the organisation but also activities – courses, seminars, workshops, master classes, open days, and much more – that involves larger and more diverse audiences.

The aim of this workshop is to inspire participants to develop their own CS training programs for graduate students and/or researchers and other staff as well as other activities aimed at raising CS awareness inside their organisations. It is also to introduce issues relating to volunteer (community) training and management. Attention will also be given to the introduction of CS into classrooms as part of STEM teaching. Finally, this workshop aims to provide information about public engagement with CS and how to use CS as a tool for public engagement.

Themes covered

• Set up training programs for researchers and citizen scientists
• Set up training programs for students
• Set up information sessions specifically for management
• Set up informal occasions of interactions with researchers
• Find and nurture CS champions
• Develop easily accessible materials
• Organise debates or public events to promote CS

Intended audience(s)

• Researchers at all career stages
• Research-support, educational and outreach staff at research performing organisations (RPOs)
• Training providers for RPOs

Workshop description

This is a free 2-hour workshop providing participants with basic understanding of teaching and awareness-raising activities to support citizen science within RPOs. The course is designed for researchers, lecturers, research-support and outreach staff and training providers, and no prior knowledge is needed for this workshop. RPOs wishing to further embed and use citizen science as a research method in their organisations could benefit from expanding awareness-raising activities and internal training on citizen science within their RPO as well as outreach programs. This workshop will introduce you to a variety of awareness-raising activities (inreach and outreach) and outline important aspects of conducting citizen science training for RPO staff and students.

Learning outcomes

By the end of this workshop, the participant should be able to:

• Objective 1: Describe learning goals, develop activities and create meaningful learning experiences for CS training programs for students, researchers, and other RPO staff
• Objective 2: Describe organisational objectives for CS awareness-raising activities inside and outside the RPO
• Objective 3: Develop meaningful interactions with (prospective) volunteers or groups of volunteers, including communities, schools, and NGOs
   

Citizen Science Support Resources & Infrastructure

Research Performing Organisations (RPOs) need to support researchers in recognizing and adopting citizen science (CS). Support systems and resources must be developed as actions for CS adaptation.

This workshop provides information about an institutional contact point for CS (CS-ICP) and the CS funding landscape. The aim of this workshop is to give participants an opportunity to reflect on the need for one or more CS-ICPs at the RPO. It also provides information about the funding landscape for CS at the organisational, national and international level. Participants should be able to see opportunities for targeted funding of CS projects and develop ideas for such projects. Finally, the workshop aims to introduce participants to specific ethical and legal requirements relating to CS and how to handle them.

Themes covered

• Identify an institutional contact point for CS
• Establish facilities to support CS activities
• Facilitate the set-up of pilots/tests for the methodology
• Make known and available open and free tools and/or existing tech solutions
• Foresee funds for CS activities
• Establish facilities to support CS activities
• Participate in national or international CS projects
• Provide ethical/legal protocols tailored to the institution/national requirements
• Develop protocols on implementation of CS activities

Intended audience(s)

• Researchers at all career stages, including researchers who are already running citizen science projects
• Research-support staff and other administrative staff groups in research performing organisations (RPOs) or non-governmental organisations (NGOs)

Workshop description

This is a free 2-hour workshop that provides participants with basic understanding of transformative change in support resources and infrastructures to support citizen science. The participant will learn about the need for institutional contact points, the funding landscape, and ethical and legal aspects of citizen science. The workshop is designed for researchers, including citizen science project leaders and initiators, and administrative staff and their managers employed in research performing organisations or NGOs. Participants are expected to have some degree of familiarity with the notion of citizen science.

Learning outcomes
By the end of this workshop, the participant will be able to:

• Objective 1: Identify support resources and infrastructures relevant for citizen science projects at research performing organisations
• Objective 2: Facilitate the development of support resources and infrastructures relevant for citizen science projects, such as institutional contact point
• Objective 3: Develop projects building ethical guidelines in citizen science

Citizen Science Policy & Assessment

Research Performing Organisations (RPOs) need to support researchers in recognizing and adopting CS. Strategies, policies, and assessments incorporating CS must be developed as actions for CS implementation.

The aim of this workshop is to embed CS in existing strategies and policies of the RPO and to envisage new ones. By the completion of the workshop, the participants will have a better understanding of strategy- and policymaking processes. The workshop will specifically address new institutional norms, regulations, policies or agreements, including reward mechanisms for CS implementation. It will provide an overview of the reward system of science, including the diversity of reward mechanisms and assessment criteria for researchers and RPOs. Based on analysis of existing reward mechanisms in their own RPO, the participants will develop a portfolio of assessment criteria relevant to CS. The final aim of this workshop is to connect CS to the wider aims of Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI) which draws on more established agendas and processes. Several Horizon2020 projects such as RRI Tools and Res-AGorA have already built resources and tools for incorporating RRI in policy and institutions.

Themes covered

• Develop new institutional norms, regulations, policies or agreements
• Install reward mechanisms for doing CS
• Adopt evaluation criteria for researchers’ evaluation that take into account CS
• Adopt explicit mission statements and strategies

Intended audience(s)

• Researchers at all career stages, including researchers who are already running citizen science projects
• Research-support staff and other administrative staff groups in research performing organisations (RPOs) or non-governmental organisations (NGOs)
• Managers in RPOs or NGOs

Workshop description

This is a free 2-hour workshop that provides participants with basic understanding of policy and assessment strategies in support of citizen science. The participants will learn about strategic planning, strategies particularly adopted for citizen science, quality and success criteria for citizen science, and tools for connecting citizen science to the wider aims of responsible research and innovation. The workshop is designed for researchers, including citizen science project leaders and initiators, and administrative staff and their managers employed in research performing organisations. Participants are expected to have some degree of familiarity with the notion of citizen science.

Learning outcomes
By the end of this workshop, the participant will be able to:

• Objective 1: Describe existing strategies and reward systems for citizen science
• Objective 2: Facilitate strategic processes within RPOs that are particularly relevant for citizen science
• Objective 3: Adopt assessment criteria for evaluation of researchers and research projects that specifically target citizen science objectives
• Objective 4: Develop strategies and/or policies specifically targeting citizen science