The IMPETUS Citizen Panel gathers citizen science practitioners and it is essential to the way IMPETUS wants to design, plan and execute its work plan. The panel will be growing over time, adding 10 members each year, until 2024. Its main roles are:

  1. Define challenges for the IMPETUS accelerator call​
  2. Nominate projects, and a jury member for the European Union Prize for Citizen Science​
  3. Be ambassadors for the project

Meet the members of our citizen panel here!

Maria Leão

She/her
Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciência, ITQB NOVA, Oeiras Valley
Oeiras, Portugal

Your involvement in citizen science

Coordinator of the Citizen Science Programme “Ciência + Cidadã”, in a close partnership between Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciência, ITQB NOVA and Oeiras Municipality. We aim to implement a Citizen Science strategy at an institutional level in a multidisciplinary approach with the support of partners from different sectors of society. We also collaborate with the Portuguese Network for Citizen Science. 

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What motivates you the most about citizen science?

I believe that Citizen Science is an excellent opportunity for both researchers and citizens to engage and to learn with each other and can improve scientific research  in an impactful way for society in general. 

I think the opportunity to be part of the IMPETUS Citizen Panel will be excellent to network and to establish collaborations at the European level. 

Katarzyna Pydzińska Azevedo

She/her
Porto, Portugal

Your involvement in citizen science

I am actively involved in the activities of the Portuguese Network for Citizen Science and in organisation of some local events for CS promotion. My current doctoral research at the University of Porto (Department of Sociology) is also related to CS, with my PhD thesis focused on the potential of citizen science for better local policy making and SDGs monitoring, especially in urban context. 

Over the years trough my professional work at INOVA+ I have been involved in numerous European projects, often in the related areas (citizen engagement, co-creation, open innovation & open science, science communication and promotion) and my interest in citizen science grew stronger. On the other hand, long-term participation in the CIVITAS initiative and similar urban-focused projects increased dedication to the theme of sustainable and liveable cities, hence leading to my current priority area of CS and active citizenship.

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What motivates you the most about citizen science?

I am an advocate of citizen engagement and active participation, not only in science. But I believe that especially citizen science offers so many benefits to all stakeholders involved that it is deserves broader promotion and wider uptake in our societies. CS may not only democratize further research and knowledge production, but also help address real community needs and make public data more representative, leading to a more informed decision-making. 

The fact that CS actively involves citizens, as well as its open, collaborative and transdisciplinary character motivate me most about this concept. I trust that overall CS has a lot of potential to improve science-society-policy interactions and help address various challenges that we face today.

Zuzana Stožická

She/her
Slovak Centre of Scientific and Technical Information, Bratislava, Slovakia

Your involvement in citizen science

I promote citizen science in Slovakia. With my colleagues from Department of open science support in SCSTI we created first Slovak introductory course on citizen science and the list of CS (or participatory research) projects in Slovakia. We translate educational materials, write articles about CS in Slovak, lecture and invite people from the participatory projects to have webinars and talks to public. Our aim is to establish citizen science platform in Slovakia.

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What motivates you the most about citizen science?

I love the idea of strengthening the connection between the science and public – with academic scientists gaining or processing more data (and contact with citizens, getting to know their point of view and in the same time getting chance to show public what they feel is most important to understand), citizen scientists gaining knowledge and empowerment in solving problems they consider most important/pressing. In Slovak society there is quite strong social mistrust in science and I feel participatory projects with personal experience could help.

Monika Maciuliene

She/her
Vilnius, Lithuania

Your involvement in citizen science

Head of Lithuanian Citizen Science Association (www.pilieciumokslas.lt). I’m also a researcher at Vilnius Tech and together with our team, we are involved in several projects focused on Citizen Science (e.g. INCENTIVE). In both of these roles, my job is to raise awareness about Citizen Science in Lithuania through the preparation of training materials, support resources and organization of events.

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What motivates you the most about citizen science?

The openness part. Science seems exotic and hard to understand from the outside. By inviting citizens and other stakeholders in, we can show the good and fun side of science. 

Anna Verones

She/her
Berlin

Your involvement in citizen science

I heard about citizen science for the first time in the context of marine protection, as an emerging approach to raise awareness around climate topics and inspire collective actions.

In 2021, I led the development of the citizen science project Open Soil Atlas, an open source co-learning center, where participants are trained on how to test soil and make results available to the scientific community in the form of a high-resolution soil quality map. Based on the correlation between healthy soil and healthy communities, we wanted to increase soil literacy and promote soil conservation practices at the local scale.

I’m interested in citizen science as a tool for promoting and legitimating civic engagement and public participation in the definition of common strategies to face the crisis of our times and collectively design solutions. I work at the Federal Network for Civic Engagement in Germany (in German, Bundesnetzwerk Bürgerschaftliches Engagement) and I believe in collective action as the way to pursue fair and sustainable socio-ecological transformations.

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What motivates you the most about citizen science?

I like to learn and share my knowledge with others, to inspire and be inspired, to co-create and feel involved in collective actions. In citizen science I find the best framework for that. Community and bottom-up research approaches empower citizens to get a voice in the public debate and shape the future of our societies. Citizen science is also fun and gives me hope for a better future.

Dr. Rhoda Schuling

Groningen, the Netherlands
Hanze University of Applied Sciences / Centre of Expertise Healthy Ageing

Your involvement in citizen science

Our Applied Sciences University is practice-oriented in both research and education. Therefore, it is ideally positioned in local and regional settings to work with Citizen Science: this is where our networks are. In recent years, it has become clear that to bring about necessary transitions in (thinking about) health care in particular, much more bottom-up innovation, i.e. innovation co-created with citizens, is needed.

To facilitate our teachers, researchers, students and external partners in the region, a small task force has been formed within the University. As postdoc researcher Citizen Science, I head this taskforce. I am responsible for research and educational strategy in Citizen Science, and number of individual Citizen Science research projects. I’m also involved in CS networks maintained with other Universities and health related RPOs, as well as the Citizen Science in Health workgroup from the European Citizen Science Association.

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What motivates you the most about citizen science?

I come from fundamental research in the Health Sciences. Though I loved doing efficacy research, I was puzzled that a very basic question seemed to be irrelevant: “should medicine/intervention X prove to be effective, how will we make sure that it reaches the people we developed it for?” Perhaps for medication, this implementation question isn’t too hard: we have very efficient channels in our health care system. However, when it comes to interventions that are geared to prevention and/or lifestyle, i.e. the interventions that have become much more salient now that our health care system is proving to be untenable, it is obvious we should put our target group’s needs and individual context in the foreground. In fact, to truly have impact on wellbeing in terms of health as well as health literacy/agency, we should be developing intervention with the target group. Therefore, at our Centre of Expertise, we are advocates of the more co-creative level of Citizen Science in health. 

Alicia Moreno

She/her
Fundación Ibercivis, Spain

Your involvement in citizen science

It all started when I became a student assistant at ECSA, where I supported the EU-Citizen.Science project. This experience exposed me to a diverse range of citizen science projects and resources, sparking my interest in the field. After my time at ECSA, I joined Ibercivis, where I now focus on designing citizen science projects at both national and European levels.

Additionally, as part of the Ibercivis team, I coordinate the Spanish pilot activities that take place under the frame of the AGORA project. These activities include, among others, the design of participatory workshops for the co-creation of innovative solutions to improve climate adaptation.

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What motivates you the most about citizen science?

What motivates me most about citizen science is its capacity to empower individuals and communities and amplify voices that often go unheard. By involving citizens in scientific research and decision-making processes, we can address society’s pressing needs and co-create more effective policies, ultimately fostering a more equitable and informed society. Personally, I really enjoy creating citizen science activities. It’s so rewarding to see people getting interested, learning about scientific issues, and having a great time while taking part in our projects. It brings me a lot of joy.

Irene Lapuente

She/her
La Mandarina de Newton S.L., Barcelona, Spain
Co-creation and science communication

Your involvement in citizen science

Currently, I am participating in a Citizen Science initiative called Obstetric coevolution (OBCOE) within the IMPETUS program. Obstetric coevolution works on the research question of how obstetric practices affect women’s mental health, including postpartum depression. Part of the research consists of organizing co-creation workshops in Barcelona, with women and other stakeholders. I have been facilitating co-creation workshops since 2009.

During the past 14 years, I have been involved in co-creation processes related to health, well-being, food, environmental issues, education, economy and culture.

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What motivates you the most about citizen science?

I have been dancing since I was three years old. I was very impressed when I moved from classical ballet to contemporary dance and contact. There I got in contact with the surprising experience of mixing experts and non-experts dancers. At that moment, I was working on science communication and I started wondering if I could do something similar in my professional life: getting together experts and no-experts to foster news science dialogues to improve problem framing, collecting data and implementing results. Looking for a way to work with citizens, I got in contact with user-centered design, design thinking, and co-creation… and I loved it! That was the moment that I realized that I wanted to work on participatory process, that I cared about citizen sciences and that I would try to make some contributions toward responsible research and innovation. 

On the other hand, during all these years of working on participatory processes, I have realized that there are topics like health (personal and planetary), education, urbanism or culture, among others, that need the complicity of the users. Therefore, we must include citizens in these research projects to create real social impact. I would love to contribute to producing this impact.

Patricia Martínez Galisteo

She/her
Open Science Unit. Foundation for the Promotion of Health and Biomedical Research in the Valencian Region (FISABIO), Valencia, Spain.

Your involvement in citizen science

I have been recently funded by the Citizen Science Accelerator to initiate the MENINA project. This is a CSI to generate new knowledge regarding mental health status and well-being during pregnancy. We count on our pregnant women to act as citizen scientists.

In addition, I am coordinating the citizen science strategy to involve the public in biomedical and health research and innovation processes.

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What motivates you the most about citizen science?

I am convinced that the participation of the citizens in science enables an incredible added value to the research and innovation produced. 

I love the idea of producing science based on citizen needs and the possibility of co-creation among all stakeholders affected by the same topic.

I am very happy to be part of the IMPETUS Citizen Panel to collaborate in boosting citizen science initiatives across Europe.

Agostino Letardi

He/Him
Italian National Agency for New Technologies, Energy and Sustainable Economic Development, Italy

Your involvement in citizen science

I am a member of CSI (Citizen Science Italia). I have been involved in Citizen Science initiatives (mainly through Bioblitz) since 2013, participating in activities in various Italian geographical areas. As coordinator, I am the promoter of various citizen science initiatives with virtual platforms in the zoological field.

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What motivates you the most about citizen science?

I believe it is fundamental in this social phase to commit ourselves to overcoming a binary vision that sees us separated between citizens and scientists: for this reason, I promote initiatives that in an intersectional way involve people in their different dimensions as citizens, scientists, artists and so on.

I also think the opportunity to be part of the IMPETUS Citizen Panel will be excellent to network and establish collaborations at the European level.

Ana Macedo

She/her
Faculdade de Medicina e Ciências Biomédicas,
Algarve University, Portugal
Algarve Biomedical Center, Portugal
WGSC, Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Consulting

Your involvement in citizen science

I participate in Citizen Science initiatives through the IMPETUS program with the Equity in Health for LGBTQIA People project, which I coordinate.

As a teacher, I facilitate various Citizen Science initiatives with students and the community in the area of health equity for LGBTQIA people.

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What motivates you the most about citizen science?

I believe that social and scientific progress is only possible if we include everyone and that means including each of us and society as a group. Working in the field of health and with minority groups or people with unequal opportunities, working with the community and citizens is a priority and the only way to succeed.

I believe that participation in the IMPETUS Citizen Panel is excellent for networking and building cooperation at the European level, as well as finding new challenges and solutions.

Sofia Morazzo DVM

she/her
International Clinical Research Center, St.Anne’s University Hospital, Brno, Czech Republic
Faculty of Medicine, Masaryk University, Brno Czech Republic

Your involvement in citizen science

My involvement with citizen science has been mostly focused on motivating and inspiring young students at the high school level or initial years of university, to understand how we investigate, in my case, metastatic cancer. I believe that reaching out to young citizens could inspire them to pursue science but most of all equip them to better understand how research is done and enable them to be more critical about it.

My new involvement with citizen science is through the Echos Project (https://cancermissionhubs.eu/), a European Union project that aims to establish National Cancer Mission Hubs across Europe, to operate at local, regional and national levels, to bridge the gap between all the different stakeholders and facilitate the EU Cancer Mission.

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What motivates you the most about citizen science?

My main motivation is the understanding that certain problems in society can only be solved if we all work together and are aligned in priorities, methodology, and values. I’m particularly passionate about the Cancer Mission, and I think science becomes less efficient if there’s misalignment between us (scientists, patients, etc.), however, I believe that citizen science can reduce that gap.

Ultimately, there’s strength in numbers, so I’m very motivated to try to reach out, contribute, and support those who want to make a change.

Luciana Marques

She/her
Barcelona, Spain

Your involvement in citizen science

I am a scientific communicator, and I have actively participated in several projects focused on basic research. I’m constantly working on strategies to achieve the wider public interest and engagement in science.

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What motivates you the most about citizen science?

Citizen science, to me, represents the intersection of curiosity and impact. It drives me to the relentless pursuit of solutions that benefit all sides.

In essence, what motivates me about citizen science is the chance to utilise my professional background to drive meaningful change, promote scientific discourse, and empower individuals to contribute to a better understanding of our world and its challenges. Citizen science aligns perfectly with my passion for communication and creating impactful experiences, making it an exciting and fulfilling field.

Roumiana Michonova

she/her
Project Manager –  Public Engagement
Knowledge and Technology Transfer Officer
University of Luxembourg 

Your involvement in citizen science

I’m promoting and supporting Citizen science projets at the University of Luxembourg, and I’m working to establish and build a sustainable network locally and internationally.

 

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What motivates you the most about citizen science?

My main motivation is the understanding that certain problems in society can only be solved if we all work together and are aligned in priorities, methodology, and values. I’m particularly passionate about the Cancer Mission, and I think science becomes less efficient if there’s misalignment between us (scientists, patients, etc.), however, I believe that citizen science can reduce that gap.

Ultimately, there’s strength in numbers, so I’m very motivated to try to reach out, contribute, and support those who want to make a change.

Mariana Ciancio

She/her
Research Manager
Università di Bologna

Your involvement in citizen science

I participate in some co-creation and co-participation projects organized by the Municipality of Bologna regarding the improvement of citizen’s life quality and the best way of re-designing urban public spaces.

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What motivates you the most about citizen science?

Citizen science, to me, represents the intersection of curiosity and impact. It drives me to the relentless pursuit of solutions that benefit all sides.

In essence, what motivates me about citizen science is the chance to utilise my professional background to drive meaningful change, promote scientific discourse, and empower individuals to contribute to a better understanding of our world and its challenges. Citizen science aligns perfectly with my passion for communication and creating impactful experiences, making it an exciting and fulfilling field.

Rebecca Hale

she/her
Educational Content Manager at Engineering UK

Your involvement in citizen science

I am passionate about making STEM accessible to all young people. With over six years in UK museums and now as Content Manager at Engineering UK, I design engaging STEM activities, events, and competitions—especially for underrepresented students. I lead content for the Big Bang programme, including the Big Bang Fair, which reaches 20,000+ young people annually, and the Big Bang Competition, where students showcase their STEM projects. I also support schools in running their own STEM events and collaborate with the Youth Forum to ensure content is relevant and inclusive.

 

Read more

What motivates you the most about citizen science?

My main motivation is the understanding that certain problems in society can only be solved if we all work together and are aligned in priorities, methodology, and values. I’m particularly passionate about the Cancer Mission, and I think science becomes less efficient if there’s misalignment between us (scientists, patients, etc.), however, I believe that citizen science can reduce that gap.

Ultimately, there’s strength in numbers, so I’m very motivated to try to reach out, contribute, and support those who want to make a change.

Catia Prandi

She/her
Associate Professor at Alma Mater Studiorum – Università di Bologna

Your involvement in citizen science

As a computer scientist, my research focuses on designing digital tools for citizen science and civic engagement to raise awareness of social issues like sustainability, inclusion, and accessibility. I lead two major projects: SMARTLAGOON, an EU-funded initiative using citizen science to study environmental and social impacts on Spain’s Mar Menor lagoon, and DISCOV.ER, which develops digital tools to engage the public in climate awareness at Italy’s Delta del Po. I also lead the CitizER Science project in Emilia Romagna, creating policy recommendations and running hands-on workshops on citizen science and sustainability. Additionally, I contribute to Citizen Science Italia and am organizing sessions at the Citizen Science Italia Conference and ACM GoodIT 2024 on citizen science for social good.

Read more

What motivates you the most about citizen science?

Citizen science, to me, represents the intersection of curiosity and impact. It drives me to the relentless pursuit of solutions that benefit all sides.

In essence, what motivates me about citizen science is the chance to utilise my professional background to drive meaningful change, promote scientific discourse, and empower individuals to contribute to a better understanding of our world and its challenges. Citizen science aligns perfectly with my passion for communication and creating impactful experiences, making it an exciting and fulfilling field.

Tania Jenkins

she/her
Founder Cosie Science & SchoolFan Erasmus+ project coordinator

Your involvement in citizen science

I coordinate SchoolFan: Schools for a Cooler Future, an Erasmus+ citizen science project helping students and teachers identify climate change misinformation. Previously, at the University of Geneva, I initiated, secured funding for, and led CoFish, a citizen science project with Lake Geneva fishers, studying water quality and fostering an engaged community. I chaired the EuroScitizen COST Action (2018–2023) and led a working group on citizen science, culminating in a publication on scientific literacy in evolution. Currently, I contribute to Swiss citizen science as a national conference committee member and am part of the European Citizen Science collaboration group.

 

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What motivates you the most about citizen science?

My main motivation is the understanding that certain problems in society can only be solved if we all work together and are aligned in priorities, methodology, and values. I’m particularly passionate about the Cancer Mission, and I think science becomes less efficient if there’s misalignment between us (scientists, patients, etc.), however, I believe that citizen science can reduce that gap.

Ultimately, there’s strength in numbers, so I’m very motivated to try to reach out, contribute, and support those who want to make a change.

Natalia Marin

She/her
Independent Curator & SciArtist
Bucharest, Romania

Your involvement in citizen science

I have been actively involved in citizen science, using my interdisciplinary background to connect art, science, and technology in ways that foster public engagement. Through various projects, I’ve explored the intersection of visual culture and medicine, focusing on personal narratives related to health and biotechnology. My collaborations with key thought leaders have advanced discussions on the societal impacts of science, making these topics more accessible to the public. By embracing citizen science, I aim to democratize knowledge and encourage broader participation in scientific exploration and discovery.

Read more

What motivates you the most about citizen science?

Citizen science, to me, represents the intersection of curiosity and impact. It drives me to the relentless pursuit of solutions that benefit all sides.

In essence, what motivates me about citizen science is the chance to utilise my professional background to drive meaningful change, promote scientific discourse, and empower individuals to contribute to a better understanding of our world and its challenges. Citizen science aligns perfectly with my passion for communication and creating impactful experiences, making it an exciting and fulfilling field.

Ivana Radović

she/her
Faculty of Agriculture, University of Belgrade

Your involvement in citizen science

I coordinated and participated in several citizen science projects, among which ones is “Citizens for SDG 15.1”, funded by IMPETUS 1st Accelerator. This project got honorary mention of EU citizen science prize. I also participate in two-year project “Ecosystem services assessment of Ribnica Gorge (Western Serbia) through citizen science” (2024/25).

 

Read more

What motivates you the most about citizen science?

My main motivation is the understanding that certain problems in society can only be solved if we all work together and are aligned in priorities, methodology, and values. I’m particularly passionate about the Cancer Mission, and I think science becomes less efficient if there’s misalignment between us (scientists, patients, etc.), however, I believe that citizen science can reduce that gap.

Ultimately, there’s strength in numbers, so I’m very motivated to try to reach out, contribute, and support those who want to make a change.

Chiara Stenico

She/her
Engaged Research Officer | Citizen Science | Open & Responsible Research

Your involvement in citizen science

I work as in the role of engaged research office in the research services department of my University (EUR) working towards embedding citizen science in our Open Science programme and a support (eco)system for civic engagement. Before my assignment, I have spent some time mapping research projects and activities around citizen science and analogous approaches (e.g., community-based, participatory research), talked to researchers from different disciplines, investigated the challenges that these projects seemed to face. This kind of mapping led me to be in touch with many different initiatives at the national level and the EU level (including IMPETUS and the EU citizen science prize). In my role I am now working on some projects to develop opportunities for citizen science research in terms of awareness, visibility, training, and the establishment of a community of practice.

Read more

What motivates you the most about citizen science?

Citizen science, to me, represents the intersection of curiosity and impact. It drives me to the relentless pursuit of solutions that benefit all sides.

In essence, what motivates me about citizen science is the chance to utilise my professional background to drive meaningful change, promote scientific discourse, and empower individuals to contribute to a better understanding of our world and its challenges. Citizen science aligns perfectly with my passion for communication and creating impactful experiences, making it an exciting and fulfilling field.

Fatma Marrakchi

she/her
Founder-CoBiol

Your involvement in citizen science

With a strong background in bioengineering and a passion for sustainability, I am dedicated to leveraging citizen science to accelerate decarbonization and the energy transition. My research focuses on engaging communities in addressing global challenges, fostering a resilient circular economy, and ensuring equitable access to water, food, and energy. I thrive on interdisciplinary collaboration, working with researchers and citizens worldwide to develop innovative solutions with high socio-economic impact. Through citizen science, I aim to bridge the gap between scientific research and public engagement, empowering communities to contribute meaningfully to a greener, more sustainable future.

 

Read more

What motivates you the most about citizen science?

My main motivation is the understanding that certain problems in society can only be solved if we all work together and are aligned in priorities, methodology, and values. I’m particularly passionate about the Cancer Mission, and I think science becomes less efficient if there’s misalignment between us (scientists, patients, etc.), however, I believe that citizen science can reduce that gap.

Ultimately, there’s strength in numbers, so I’m very motivated to try to reach out, contribute, and support those who want to make a change.

Diana Bowler

She/her
Interdisciplinary Ecologist at UKCEH

Your involvement in citizen science

I work in the Biological Records Centre in the UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology. My work focuses on biodiversity monitoring to meet the needs of research and policy on biodiversity change while supporting the needs of the volunteers collecting data. This involves thinking about methods that are appropriate to make use of different types of citizen science data while also working closely with different species recording communities, with great expertise in species and their ecologies, to support their activities and improve data flows and standards.

Read more

What motivates you the most about citizen science?

Citizen science, to me, represents the intersection of curiosity and impact. It drives me to the relentless pursuit of solutions that benefit all sides.

In essence, what motivates me about citizen science is the chance to utilise my professional background to drive meaningful change, promote scientific discourse, and empower individuals to contribute to a better understanding of our world and its challenges. Citizen science aligns perfectly with my passion for communication and creating impactful experiences, making it an exciting and fulfilling field.