Citizen Science

The term citizen science is used to describe all forms of interaction between society and academia in which people actively participate in research projects independently of their professional activities. This participation can be of short duration, e.g., through one-time sharing of information about an observation, but can also lead to long-term engagement.

Citizen science is recognized in Germany by the research community and funding agencies as an important field of action that taps the competencies of citizen scientists for research projects and links academia more closely with society. The German government values the relevance of citizen science so highly that its promotion was anchored in the coalition agreement.

Helmholtz scientists played a leading role in drafting the White Paper Citizen Science Strategy 2030 for Germany and are active in a large number of citizen science projects.