New EU Project EPiCS launches to create bridges between science and society   

Scritto da Anita Montagna

A Pan-European Initiative Blending Citizen Science with Research Service-Learning to Tackle Societal Challenges

A new three-year Erasmus+ project, EPiCS (ENGAGE PEOPLE in CITIZEN SCIENCE), has launched with the aim of fostering stronger connections between higher education and local communities. By bringing together Citizen Science and Research Service-Learning (RS-L), EPiCS supports collaborative, applied approaches to learning and research.The project brings together eight partners from seven countries in a social innovation experiment to explore how students, researchers, and community members can jointly design research projects to address real-world challenges. Through this partnership, EPiCS hopes to contribute to more engaged forms of academic practice and civic participation. 

Key Objectives of the project: 

  • Encourage community involvement in scientific research. 

  • Promote interdisciplinary and experiential learning within higher education. 

  • Develop an online academic deliberative arena for Citizen Science initiatives and research service learning projects. 

  • Launch six pilot citizen science projects across Europe. 

  • Share tools and guidance through an open-access toolkit and handbook. 

“Responding to challenges like climate change, inequality, and democratic disengagement, require new models of collaboration between science and society,” said Thorsten Kliewe, CEO of ACEEU.“EPiCS provides an opportunity for students, researchers, and citizens to collaborate in meaningful ways.” 

In addition to its pilot projects, EPiCS will offer training modules, co-design events, and open-access educational resources. While focused on academic settings, the project’s broader aim is to encourage more inclusive and informed participation in civic life across Europe. 

Project partners are: 

  1. Accreditation Council for Entrepreneurial and Engaged Universities (ACEEU), Germany 

  2. Bene Futuro, Italy 

  3. Chaperone, Portugal 

  4. Public & Science Sweden, Sweden 

  5. The Lucian Blaga University of Sibiu (ULBS), Romania 

  6. University of Camerino, Italy 

  7. University of Thessaly, Greece 

  8. University of Twente, The Netherlands 

 

Anita Montagna