University of Primorska

Univerza na Primorskem (UP), Slovenia’s third largest public university, was established in 2003 as a centre of knowledge implementing European educational strategies. Its main objective is to carry out high quality study and research programmes, implementing and integrating them with the educational, intellectual and research potential in accordance with EU strategies. It satisfies regional demands and needs for quality higher educational programmes in the bilingual area, where Slovenian and Italian cultures are historically intertwined. It also aims to produce a beneficial co-existence and close collaboration with industry. UP provides an active, interdisciplinary research and study environment based on two fundamental pillars: mathematics, natural sciences and technology, and humanities and social sciences. By incorporating both pillars in research and study activities UP achieves improved interdisciplinary collaboration and improved international co-operation with the world’s leading institutions and researchers.

UP is the lead project partner responsible for project management and coordination. UP is also responsible for the implementation of the CSI on wildlife conservation in Slovenia.

Elena Buzan
Full Professor and Research Counsellor, Vice-Dean for Quality Assurance

Laura Iacolina
Assistant Professor

Felicita Urzi
Assistant

Luka Duniš

Assistant

Minja Krstić

Assistant

Lea Podgoršek

Project Administrator

Knowledge & Innovation

K&I is a social research institute, whose mission is to promote, plan and carry out applied research projects in different areas connected with the processes of change that are affecting contemporary societies. K&I is currently involved in a number of research funded projects on issues such as the socialisation of scientific research, responsible research and innovation and public engagement, gender in science, ethics and integrity of research, migration, environmental sustainability and energy transition, privacy, security and digitisation.

K&I is the leading partner responsible for the evaluation component of the project. The evaluation exercise will adopt a participatory method aiming to involve CSI teams at every stage of the evaluation process.

Luciano d’Andrea
K&I Team Leader

Claudia Colonnello
Senior Researcher

Fabio Feudo
Senior Researcher

Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

The NIHR Oxford Biomedical Research Centre (BRC) is based at the Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and run in partnership with the University of Oxford. The Oxford BRC undertakes translational research, which means taking laboratory research into a clinical setting. This kind of research is about first-time studies of medical innovations in patients, which are intended to improve healthcare delivery for the benefit of all patients. Oxford BRC is divided into 20 themes and four Clusters: Precision Medicine, Technology and Big Data, Immunity and Infection, and Chronic Diseases.

Oxford BRC is the leading partner responsible for the implementation of the CSI on non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in the United Kingdom.

Dr Syed Ghulam Sarwar Shah
Co-investigator

Oxford University, Oxford Centre for Diabetes, Endocrinology and Metabolism

The Oxford Centre for Diabetes, Endocrinology and Metabolism (OCDEM) is a large, multi-disciplinary department, which aims to tackle some of the world’s biggest health challenges by integrating innovative basic biology with cutting-edge clinical research. We have internationally renowned programmes in a range of areas including diabetes, endocrinology and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD).

The Oxford Centre for Diabetes, Endocrinology and Metabolism is a multi-disciplinary department with research interests that span the translational spectrum – from basic biology through to clinical application. Our ultimate aim is patient benefit, through improved understanding, diagnosis and treatment of disease

The OCDEM is a partner working towards the implementation of the CSI on non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in the United Kingdom.

Professor Jeremy Tomlinson
Co-investigator

The Griffin Institute

The Griffin Institute at Northwick Park is a leading, not-for-profit, charitable research institute with a vision to be a leading translational biomedical research and training organisation.

Their mission is to accelerate innovative solutions that both improve and maximise patient benefits.

The Institute has a newly refurbished state-of-the-art facility for pre-clinical studies, which are conducted both as part of collaborative projects and as contracted work for external clients. The theatre suites are also first-class and are used to run numerous internationally renowned courses relating to surgical training.

The Griffin Institute is a partner working towards the implementation of the CSI on non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in the United Kingdom.

Dr Vasiliki Kiparoglou
Principal Investigator

Centre for Social Innovation

The Zentrum for Soziale Innovation (Centre for Social Innovation) is a trans-disciplinary, non-for-profit, social science research institute. Located in Vienna, Austria, the institute employs around 60 people, most of them researchers from different disciplinary backgrounds. ZSI offers analyses and concepts for promoting and implementing social innovation in its thematically focused areas from a transdisciplinary perspective.

ZSI will take the lead on mutual learning and training. The work will focus on supporting the research activities carried out in the CSIs by strengthening the CSI teams in trans-disciplinary work and responsive stakeholders’ engagement. ZSI will also foster synergies among the CSIs and between the CSIs and other relevant Citizen Science experiences.

Mag. Elke Dall
Senior Researcher

Carmen Siller
Project Manager

Dr. Elisabeth Unterfrauner
Project Manager and Senior Researcher

Dr. ilse Marschalek

Samire Gurgurovci
Research Assistant

Women Engage for a Common Future

Women Engage for a Common Future is a non-profit network dedicated to a gender just and healthy planet for all. The international network consists of over 150 women’s and civil society organisations implementing projects in 50 countries. WECF believes that a sustainable future and environment needs holistic solutions reflecting the lives of people on the ground, and in feminist solutions based on partners’ visions and needs. The network works on transformative gender equality and women’s human rights in interconnection with climate justice, sustainable energy and chemicals, less toxic waste, safe water and sanitation for all. WECF has expertise in three thematic areas: sustainable development, climate action, toxic free healthy environment. WECF implements solutions locally while influencing policy internationally.

WECF will lead the work on the implementation of the CSI on energy communities in Germany.

Johannes Baumann
Project Coordinator

Marika Kuschan
Co-leader 1 of the CSI

Katharina Habersbrunner
CSI Co-leader 2

Science for Change

Science for Change (SfC) is a SME born from the will to tackle societal and environmental challenges affecting communities using innovative solutions. It specializes in developing user-centered, innovative services and products based on citizen science, participatory strategies, community engagement and co-creation processes to facilitate social innovation.

SfC will lead work focusing on scoping process, focusing notably on ensuring citizen scientists’ recruitment for each CSI as well as establishing institutional arrangements and other accomplishments for CSI implementation, to increase sustainability of the initiatives since the very beginning.

Rosa Arias
CEO & Founder of Science for Change

Nora Salas Seoane
Social Researcher, Human Resources & Emotional Intelligence Officer

Vicente Aylwin Fernández
Policy Strategic Officer

European Science Engagement Association

EUSEA is an international community of public engagement professionals, science festival and science event organizers. The association comprises about 120 members, including universities and scientific institutions, science festival organisations, science centres and museums, municipalities and NGOs. The network has developed from a knowledge-sharing platform for European science festivals to a collaborative community of public engagement professionals, developing and testing new formats of science communication, building relationships with researchers, policy-makers and stakeholders from scientific institutions, higher education institutions, municipalities and regions. EUSEA is the initiator of the European Science Engagement Platform, a resource of recommendations, best practices and innovative event formats for practitioners working in the field of science-society dialogues.

EUSEA is the leading partner responsible for Communications and Dissemination activities.

Dr Annette Klinkert
Executive Director

Christopher Styles
Project Officer

Aarhus University

Aarhus University (AU) is a leading European research university with education and research activities in all scientific disciplines. The University attracts 25% of the Danish research funding and has been awarded several European Research Council advanced and starting grants. The Danish Centre for Studies in Research and Research Policy (CFA) is a research centre at the Department of Political Science, responsible for carrying out both basic research and long-term competence building, together with more practical oriented analyses, evaluations and policy investigations. CFA is active in the areas of RRI, citizen science, structural transformations, gender and implementation of gender action plans in research organizations, evaluation, capacity building, comparative studies and research policy.

Aarhus University will be part of the evaluation team, working synergically with K&I. More specifically, AU will take the lead in the evaluation components aimed at the assessment of societal impact according to MoRRI (and SUPER MoRRI) and SDG frameworks.

Evanthia K. Schmidt
Associate Professor, Research Director

Ebbe K. Graversen
Associate Professor, Head of Research

European Citizen Science Association

The European Citizen Science Association is a non-profit organization set up to support citizen science as a recognized and well-established approach in Europe and beyond. ECSA advocates for enhancing the participation of the general public in scientific processes as a way to advance science while increasing the social relevance and sustainable impact of research. Through the initiation and support of citizen science projects and the performance of research on citizen science, ECSA fosters scientific literacy and contributes to the democratization of science.

As part of STEP CHANGE, ECSA will conduct a stocktaking process to leverage the knowledge and lessons learned from the implementation of the five CSIs. This information will set the basis for a Citizen Science Navigator to guide researchers in different fields wanting to apply a citizen science approach.

Simona Cerrato
Communications and Community Manager

Dorte Riemenschneider
ECSA Managing Director, Project Officer

François Jost
Project Officer

Enrico Balli
Project Officer

University of Rome Tor Vergata

Established in 1982, the University of Rome Tor Vergata currently offers 106 graduate programmes and 32 PhD courses. Our 18 Departments and 48 Research Centers are active in numerous disciplines to expand basic and applied research. Tor Vergata is part of several important networks such as YERUN (Young European Research Universities Network), VIU (Venice International University) and UNICA (Network of Universities from the Capitals of Europe). The Department of Biology at UNITOV, established in 1983, focuses its training and research mission on cutting-edge issues regarding studies on life at all its levels of organization and diversity. The various research areas contribute to developing a multidisciplinary platform through constant scientific activity in the biomedical, biotechnological, bioinformatics, ecological, evolutionary and agri-food fields, both through basic research and through collaborations with public and private partners as well as national and international entities. The Department of Biology is attentive to the themes of Responsible Research and Innovation and Sustainable Development with activities aimed at structural change in research institutions. The UNESCO Interdisciplinary Chair in Biotechnology and Bioethics, involved in STEP CHANGE, has been present in the Department of Biology since 1998, carrying out numerous national and international collaborations in research and education mainly in the infectious diseases (HIV, Ebola, Zika, COVID-19) and immunology fields.

The University of Rome Tor Vergata is the leading partner responsible for the implementation of the CSI on infectious disease outbreak preparedness in Italy.

Carla Montesano
Professor

Eeva Tortellini
MSc

Vittorio Colizzi
Professor

Elisabetta Russo
MSc

Maurizio Mattei
Professor

Andrea Declich

Senior Researcher

Marina Potestà
PhD

Action for Rural Women’s Empowerment

ARUWE is a gender focused organization that strengthens women’s leadership so that collectively they can break the chains of poverty, patriarchy, class and sexual repression. We do this through advocating for rural women’s economic justice, sexual and reproductive health and rights, promoting education and lifelong learning, enabling communities to adapt to climate change and challenging the negative impact of rigid and oppressive gender stereotypes.
ARUWE is a non-profit, non-government organization working with marginalized groups of people, especially women and girls in Uganda. ARUWE was established in 2003 as a community-based organization and later registered as an NGO in 2008. The organization started its operations in Wakiso district supporting women to increase agricultural production for household food security and income generation. Currently, ARUWE operates in the central and north-eastern regions of Uganda focusing on socio-economic empowerment of women and girls. We envision seeing a world in which women and girls realize their full social potential. We empower women to initiate and manage their socio-economic development processes through strengthening community participation, advocacy and service delivery.

ARUWE will lead the work on the implementation of the CSI on off-grid renewable energy in rural Uganda.

Agnes Mirembe
Executive Director

Kenneth Wanani
MEAL Office

Rhona Nakirya Ssemakula
Programmes Manager