IMPETUS 1st Open Call is Now Open for Applications

Deadline: 13-Mar-23

Are you an organisation or an individual participating in a citizen science project or have an idea for a new one? IMPETUS wants to hear from you!

IMPETUS has launched its first call. This call is a two-way call: The Accelerator Programme and the European Union Prize for citizen science. This call is funded by the European Commission to support and give recognition to citizen science in Europe.

Topics

IMPETUS supports citizen science initiatives addressing two challenges per call. For this first open call, these topics are Healthy Planet and Cities for Life.

As noted earlier, their understanding of citizen science is inclusive. They are seeking to fund projects that can make a difference, at local, national or international scale. They are particularly interested in applications that propose novel, less explored participatory roles for citizens and other key stakeholders, and that engage with marginalised, underrepresented or disadvantaged groups.

In the short proposal form you will be asked to clearly articulate the aim and scope of your citizen science initiative, including the overall idea, implementation, team, and expected impact.

Types of Track

Accelerator Programme: The challenges or topics of this first call are “Healthy planet” and “Cities for life”. This means that your project should address and relate to one of these topics. It has two grants:
- Sustaining grants: If you are an ongoing project, successful applicants will receive €10,000, mentoring and training support for a period of six months.
- Kickstarting grants: If you start a project, successful applicants will receive €20,000, mentoring and training support to help start your initiative for a period of six months.
European Union Prize for Citizen Science: The European Union Prize for citizen science is the second part of this call, recognizing outstanding citizen science initiatives.
- The European Union’s new Citizen Science Prize makes a statement. It honors, presents and supports outstanding projects whose social and political impact advances the further development of a pluralistic, inclusive and sustainable society in Europe.
- The European Commission has entrusted Ars Electronica in Linz with the task of staging this prestigious and highly remunerated competition. The Citizen Science Award, which will be announced for the first time in 2023, is embedded in the large-scale IMPETUS project.
  - Prize Categories
    - The European Union Prize for Citizen Science is awarded once a year and includes a Grand Prize, two Category Awards and 27 Honorary Mentions.
      - European Union Prize for Citizen Science – Grand Prize
        
        Prize Value: € 60.000
        
        Awarded: 1 award each year (2023-2025)
        
        The European Union Prize for Citizen Science Grand Prize recognizes outstanding achievements in the advancement of knowledge through the empowerment of civil society and citizens in the development of the future. The Grand Prize is not limited to specific topics or themes. The Prize will be awarded to the most outstanding initiative according to the award criteria.
      - Diversity & Collaboration Award
        
        Prize Value: € 20.000
        
        Awarded: 1 award each year (2023-2025)
        
        The Diversity & Collaboration Award focuses on initiatives with explorative collaboration models that actively engage a diverse range of stakeholders and scientific agendas. Awarded initiatives will demonstrate a specific excellence in cultural diversity, gender diversity, stakeholder engagement, and social inclusivity, such as e.g.:
        
        Promoting intercultural dialogue through science activities;
        
        Increasing equity to science learning through STEAM or transdisciplinary approaches;
        
        Demonstrating novel approaches to science engagement that actively engage local communities.
      - Digital Communities Award
        
        Prize Value: € 20.000
        
        Awarded: 1 award each year (2023-2025)
        
        The Digital Communities Award focuses on the wide-ranging field of scientific, artistic and social initiatives within Citizen Science that aim to deliver social benefits, create and support communities, and foster an open and inclusive civil society through the innovative or alternative use of digital technologies.
        
        Awarded initiatives will be outstanding grassroots, emerging, and community initiatives that utilize digital technologies for the implementation of the work itself or the community engagement. Initiatives that serve as role-models and sources of inspiration, encouragement, and empowerment to set the science agenda from and within the community they engage are specifically targeted for this award and should push the boundaries between civil society, citizens and science. Focus will be placed on such communities working on digital transformation topics increasing citizens’ ability to engage with change processes or advancing the field of Citizen Science through digital technologies.
      - Honorary Mentions
        
        Prize Value: € 0
        
        Awarded: 27 Honorary Mentions each year (2023-2025)
        
        The selection of Honorary Mentions is not shaped by thematic considerations, but will consist of outstanding initiatives from all fields and directions of Citizen Science. Beyond the quality assessment of applications, the selection of Honorary Mentions will also consider the geographical diversity as well as the diversity of contexts and research fields represented by the selected initiatives.

Please note that IMPETUS has parallel open calls for the IMPETUS Accelerator, and the European Union Prize for Citizen Science. While you may be eligible to apply for both of them, the applications are independent, and you will need to apply for either on a different platform.

Eligibility Criteria

Accelerator Programme
- Individuals, legal entities, and consortia established in a country or territory eligible to receive Horizon Europe grants are eligible to apply.
- Please note that the geographic eligibility focuses on the European Research Area (ERA), namely the EU Member States, all overseas countries and territories linked to EU Member States and all third countries having concluded or currently negotiating an association status with Horizon Europe.
European Union Prize for Citizen Science
- The competition is open to Citizen Science Initiatives in the European Research Area. This includes the European Union, all overseas countries and territories linked to EU member states (Aruba, Bonaire, Curaçao, French Polynesia, French Southern and Antarctic Territories, Greenland, New Caledonia, Saba, Saint Barthélemy, Sint Eustatius, Sint Maarten, St Pierre and Miquelon), and all third countries associated to or currently negotiating an association agreement with Horizon Europe (for the 2023 iteration of the Prize: Albania, Armenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Faroe Islands, Georgia, Iceland, Israel, Kosovo, Moldova, Montenegro, Morocco, North Macedonia, Norway, Serbia, Tunisia, Turkey, Ukraine, United Kingdom).
- The competition is open to applications from natural persons (such as individual researchers, creatives, artists, and other professionals), groups of natural persons, legal entities (such as associations, research and higher education institutions, public bodies, NGOs, companies, and other legally established organizations), and groups of legal entities (such as research consortia).
- Community initiatives may be submitted only by an authorized representative. This may be an individual or an organization as specified above.
- Initiatives must be at the time of submission either be ongoing, completed or far enough along in their design for the jury to be able to assess its quality and impact and the likelihood of it being successfully implemented. The same applies to collaborative arrangements – at the time they are submitted, they must already be up-and-running and in the implementation stage. No consideration will be given to entries that are purely concepts, ideas or proposals for collaboration. Entries must be no older than two years or, if completed more than two years ago, must still show a significant update or further development through active work within the last two years.
- Initiatives that have received funding from Horizon Europe or other European Union funding schemes are eligible to receive the European Union Prize for Citizen Science.
- Initiatives participating in the IMPETUS Accelerator Program are eligible to receive the European Union Prize for Citizen Science if they fulfill the eligibility criteria.
- Citizen Science Initiatives consisting of or benefitting entities subject to EU sanctions are not eligible to apply.

Criteria

Accelerator Programme
- This is a great chance if you are:
  - thinking of starting a new citizen science project;
  - an ongoing citizen science project looking for support financial and otherwise, to grow and become sustainable;
  - a researcher or a research team seeking to resource a new citizen science project;
  - a community interested in co-designing research on the topics related to our challenges: Healthy Planet and Cities for Life
  - an organisation in public, private and third sectors exploring the use of citizen science in their work.
European Union Prize for Citizen Science
- The European Union Prize for Citizen Science honors initiatives that incorporate characteristics of Citizen Science defined by ECSA in the fields of
  - core concepts;
  - disciplinary aspects;
  - leadership and participation;
  - financial aspects; and
  - data and knowledge.
- The quality of all submitted initiatives will be judged according to the following six award criteria and sub-criteria:
  - Scientific Quality
    - Contribution to knowledge
    - New research fields and transdisciplinarity
    - Open Science & FAIR data best practice
    - Quality and robustness of research methodology
  - Social Quality & Policy Impact
    - Social innovation
    - Social impact & community building
    - Environmental impact & sustainability
    - Contribution to and engagement with Sustainable Development Goals and Green Deal
    - Contribution to local, national and European policy development
  - Diversity & Collaboration
    - Diversity of partnerships and stakeholders
    - Quality and amount of citizen scientist involvement
    - Transdisciplinary involvement
    - Integration of citizen scientists into scientific process
    - Sustainable collaboration
    - Gender diversity & Social inclusion
  - Communication & Engagement
    - Community engagement
    - Aesthetic quality and clarity of communication
    - STEAM & science educational aspects
    - Quality and clarity of documentation of outputs
    - Accessibility and reach to diverse citizens
  - Innovation & Creativity
    - Innovative use of digital tools for communities
    - Development and application of new technologies
    - Innovative methods of artistic & scientific engagement
    - Innovation in scientific, artistic, and participatory research methodologies
    - Inspirational use of art, culture, and creativity
    - Scalability and exploitability of scientific results
  - European Dimension
    - Engagement with European policy (EU research and innovation missions, e.g. Open Science policy, Green Deal, New European Bauhaus, and other priorities)
    - Showcase Europe’s role as a global leader in Citizen Science
    - Exemplify Citizen Science as a methodology and practice in science, education, innovation, and policy within the European Research Area
    - Value creation and alignment with the needs of EU citizens
    - Incentive for behavioral changes towards science/environmental issues in EU citizens
    - Potential to increase trust of citizens in science and research

For more information, visit IMPETUS.