Consider using a citizen science approach in a regular science funding call. However, there are additional challenges. Reviewers might not be familiar with a citizen science approach. Therefore, they might be extra critical of the research protocol and data quality when involving citizens. Clearly explain all the measures you take to ensure data quality and a sound experimental set-up. Also provide details on the budgets you need for involving citizens.

Take enough time to prepare the proposal. This includes working on a shared understanding of ‘citizen science’ among project partners and connecting with communities of citizens during the proposal writing process. A local co-design approach from the start, ensures deeper engagement in the long term.

Be critical about why you need a citizen science approach. Discuss which level of citizen engagement you need, and how it creates added value for both scientists and citizens. What is the advantage of a citizen science approach compared to a regular scientific approach? Also, a co-creation approach is not necessarily better than a crowdsourcing approach. It all depends on the research question at hand.

A good citizen science project proposal states explicitly and at length its societal relevance and links this to strategic priorities of the funding agency or policy level of the call. A good proposal also explains how the knowledge created in the project can be scaled up and made sustainable after the project funding has ended.

Institutions, such as universities, play an important role in supporting successful citizen science applications. Especially younger researchers are enthusiastic about citizen science, but they need support such as training, networking opportunities and advice. Institutions can support this by installing citizen science contact points and mentoring networks with a focus on personal contact. Also having institutional social media channels and communication centers can support citizen science researchers. Have a look at the European Time4CS project, which supports research performing organizations in implementing institutional changes to support citizen engagement.

While citizen science or research funding might be a good start for a project, it is important to look at other possibilities to make the project sustainable in the long term. It helps to involve companies or policy makers from the start, who are interested in helping the citizen science initiative to become durable. While there are not many successful crowdfunding initiatives known to the panel, connecting to local authorities such as cities and municipalities has proven to be a successful strategy to sustain projects over the long term.

Make sure the citizen science approach is relevant to yourself as a project initiator. Also keep in mind that citizen science is an interdisciplinary approach. Don’t leave it all to natural science, but also involve social sciences and humanities. Furthermore, don’t forget to use existing guides, books and toolkits on how to set up a citizen science project, like our Scivil guides and manuals. This way you’ll start your project with a head start.