ILIND promotes training on 'Citizen Science in Research and Innovation

As part of the internal training series promoted by the university, the session “Citizen Science in Research and Innovation” took place on 14 May 2025.

The training, delivered by Cristina Luís (Global Change and Sustainability Institute), introduced the foundations of citizen science — an emerging concept that fosters collaboration between researchers and citizens across various stages of scientific research.

During the session, several forms of public engagement in scientific projects were discussed, ranging from contributory models, in which citizens collect data, to co-created approaches where they actively participate in every step of the process. The researcher also highlighted successful international case studies.

In addition, the session explored the social, educational, and scientific motivations underpinning this more open research model, emphasising its impact on the democratisation of science, the enhancement of scientific literacy, and the promotion of public trust in research institutions.

The session also included a critical reflection on the ethical and methodological challenges of citizen science, particularly regarding the quality of collected data and the representativeness of participants.

This training reinforces ULusófona’s commitment to a more open, inclusive, and collaborative science, aligned with the values of the European Research Area and the principles of Open Science.