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Researchers, scientists, and citizen science innovators — this call is for you!

Every two years, Europe hosts a professional conference for the global citizen science community. It serves as a platform for sharing new ideas, practice, and progress in the field, as well as an opportunity to build connections, partnerships, and strengthen the community as a whole. The conference is organized by the European Citizen Science Association (ECSA), which brings together hundreds of people and organizations with the aim of democratizing knowledge production and making science and research open, accessible, and valuable for all.

Representatives of the Israel Center for Citizen Science have participated in past conferences, including ECSA 2024.

The sixth ECSA conference will take place in Oulu, Finland, on 3–6 March 2026.

Six main themes have been chosen:

  1. Challenges and opportunities between centers and peripheries: Citizen science in peripheral contexts (social, geographic, scientific, etc.) faces barriers of access, resources, and power gaps. At the same time, it can amplify new voices and foster innovation and social change.
  2. Citizen science and inclusion of marginalized communities: Involving disadvantaged communities requires conditions of equality, respect, and reciprocity. Participation can empower and have positive impacts, but may also deepen divides if not managed responsibly. Citizen science models must align with local knowledge and authentic community representation.
  3. Citizen science across borders: Citizen science can act as a bridge between communities, countries, and fields of knowledge, enabling equitable collaborations across geographic, cultural, and disciplinary boundaries.
  4. Citizen science in extreme conditions and crises: In contexts of conflict, environmental disaster, or pandemics, citizen science can help fill gaps left by institutions. It enables flexible data collection, community knowledge sharing, and rapid response, but requires safeguards for participants and data reliability.
  5. Citizen science and Indigenous knowledge: Integrating Indigenous knowledge requires respectful, ethical, and equitable partnerships. Citizen science can foster mutual learning, preserve traditional knowledge, and empower communities — but must avoid appropriation and respect cultural sovereignty.
  6. Other compelling dimensions of citizen science: The field can expand into novel, unconventional domains and methods, challenging existing assumptions and developing diverse models. Broadening boundaries creates new opportunities to connect communities, science, and technology.

Organizations interested in preparing a joint proposal with the Israel Center for Citizen Science are invited to contact us by 20 September 2025.

The first round of submissions was held in April and received dozens of proposals for conference sessions. The second call is now open, with sessions of various formats: workshops, roundtables, lecture and discussion panels, short case study presentations, and poster sessions. Submission is open until 7 October 2025. Submission instructions and information here.

Example session topics:

Timeline

22 April – 3 June 2025: Call for session themes (panels, roundtables, workshops)
4 July – 7 October 2025: Call for papers, short talks, and posters (decisions published 22 October 2025)
27 October – 28 November 2025: Transfer of accepted presentations between sessions (if needed)
27 October 2025 – 27 January 2026: Early bird registration period
3 March 2026: Conference opens

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