Widening and diversifying citizen engagement in science

ended

Despite the efforts done to engage societal actors in scientific developments, many citizens still do not see why they should understand science or participate in it. Nevertheless, they potentially engage in science through dialogues and actions (live and digital) that are related to research results. Moreover, they are willing to participate in science when they become aware of the social impacts generated by research outcomes. Therefore, the general goal of this project is twofold: on the one hand, to create new knowledge about how to transform potential citizen participation in science into actual engagement in scientific research. On the other hand, to unveil new ways to engage societal actors, including young citizens and groups that have traditionally been excluded from science. This will be done in the framework of two Sustainable Development Goals –Quality Education and Gender Equality – and with a mixed method approach, by using digital technology (social media analytics), a survey and an intervention study, including communicative focus groups. By exploring the transformation of potential engagement into actual engagement through fostering awareness of the social impact of research, this project will contribute to understand how societal actors react to and interact with scientific developments. The aim is to improve the cooperation between science and society, with diverse citizens and societal actors involved in it. The potential pair between scientific excellence and social awareness of social impact of research will be addressed alongside. This proposal has been developed by an interdisciplinary consortium in close dialogue with diverse stakeholders and societal actors. The inclusion of their voices will raise critical dimensions to successfully engage diverse citizens in science. Overall, engaging in a transformative and productive dialogue with citizens throughout the research will be key process in order to achieve the envisioned goal.