Towards a Shared Infrastructure for Citizen Science: Insights from the Zurich “Make a Wish” Workshop
📌 How can we better support the growing ecosystem of Citizen Science (CS) projects across Europe? What tools, resources, and infrastructure do researchers need to collaborate effectively with citizens?
✅ These were the guiding questions at the recent workshop “Make a Wish: What Would You Need for Your Citizen Science Project? Conceptualising a Shared Infrastructure for Citizen Science”, hosted by Citizen Science Zurich (CS Zurich) as part of the broader effort to co-design the emerging Research Infrastructure for Excellent Citizen Science (RIECS-Concept).
A Collaborative Workshop Built on Real Experience
✳️ The workshop brought together a select group of University of Zurich researchers who have received CS Zurich grants over the past three years. As active project leaders, they represent a uniquely valuable group: individuals currently navigating the practical challenges, opportunities, and decision points that define modern Citizen Science.
📌 Their lived experience offered the ideal foundation for generating authentic and actionable user stories for RIECS-Concept.
Format and Flow
✅ This online 90-minute session welcomed nine registered participants and followed a structured yet interactive agenda designed to spark reflection, individual ideation, and collective exchange.
Setting the Stage
📌 Participants were introduced to the vision behind RIECS-Concept and the role that user stories will play in shaping a sustainable, pan-European infrastructure for Citizen Science.
Individual Ideation
Researchers were invited to reflect on their own experiences and begin articulating the needs, tools, and forms of support that would meaningfully advance their work.
Discussion and Consolidation
📌 The group reconvened to share perspectives, identify common challenges, and explore collaborative opportunities across their projects.
Facilitators
✅ The session was led by Rosy Mondardini and a colleague, who guided participants through both the conceptual framing of RIECS-Concept and the practical exercises designed to generate useful material for the ongoing development process.
Looking Ahead: From Researchers to Citizens
✳️ This workshop marks the first step in a two-tiered approach. The next planned activity will engage the citizens themselves who participate in the projects represented in the workshop.
📌 Their perspectives will complement those of researchers, ensuring that the evolving infrastructure responds to the needs of all actors in the Citizen Science ecosystem.
Next Steps
✨ The insights collected in Zurich will feed directly into RIECS-Concept development work and future communication activities. A follow-up workshop, additional materials, and further stakeholder engagement initiatives are already in preparation.✨
Published 2025-12-17