Swedish pupils and researchers together tackle food waste

Better climate information reduces waste in the school canteen. This is a clear finding of the Food Waste Experiment, a citizen science project in which around 700 pupils from 27 schools in Sweden helped researchers to investigate whether ”nudging” can reduce food waste. The Experiment was run as part of the science festival ForskarFredag, the Swedish European Researchers’ Night.

New tool to let anyone learn how to spot fake news

Several years of research and development are behind the News Evaluator, a tool that teaches an evidence-based method for online source criticism. VA is one of the developers of the tool and it is now available in English and Swedish versions for use by those wanting to teach source criticism, as well as anyone wanting to learn how to evaluate the credibility of online news themselves.

Forthcoming activities

ORION to showcase stakeholder engagement activities
On 25 June, VA, together with other ORION partners, is running an online workshop on “Engaging the public in science through dialogue and co-creation –  inspiring examples from across Europe” at the Future of Science Communication conference. Innovative engagement methods and activities will be showcased that have been developed and tested by the EU ORION Open Science project. VA’s Secretary General, Cissi Askwall, will also be giving a keynote at the conference, co-organised by Wissenschaft im Dialog och ALLEA. Read more.
 
Swedish Researchers’ Night expands its reach
A record number of organisations will be organising European Researchers’ Night activities in Sweden this September, co-ordinated by VA. Known as ForskarFredag, the 2021 programme will consist of both physical and online activities run by some 40 partner organisations, enabling people across the whole of Sweden to participate. A dialogue event on climate change and efforts at European level, involving young people, researchers and policy makers, will be held in English on 24 September. The event will be broadcast from Stockholm to audiences across Europe. Read more.
 
Pupils and senior citizens to research accessibility of Swedish housing
In order to live independent and active lives, we need housing that is designed to meet our needs. But how accessible is Swedish housing? School pupils, senior citizens and others in Sweden will be helping researchers at Lund University to investigate this as part of the 2021 Housing Experiment, a citizen science project running in the autumn as part of European Researchers’ Night activities in Sweden. Read more.

Researchers’ Grand Prix Digital launches
In the Researchers’ Grand Prix, researchers compete to see who can present their research in the most engaging, educational and understandable way - in just 4 minutes! Applications are now open for Researchers’ Grand Prix Digital 2021, an online heat that is open to researchers throughout Sweden. The winner will join finalists from regional heats to compete in the grand final in November. Read more.
 
Citizen science for policy across Europe
On 22 June, EU-Citizen.Science is inviting representatives from ministries across Europe to engage in a discussion about citizen science and its benefits for policy making. The event is open for anyone to follow via a Zoom webinar, and will also be broadcast live on Youtube. Read more. 
 
VA welcomes new international collaborations
With our wide experience of embedding open science, citizen engagement and science communication in European projects, VA looks forward to the imminent launch of the Horizon Europe programme and is keen to hear from organisations looking for partners for new project proposals. Read more about what we can bring to partnerships.

VA’s recent activities

Coronavirus in the Swedish media study – latest findings
The findings of 16 waves of VA’s ongoing study to investigate communication about the coronavirus are now available. In collaboration with researchers from the Karolinska Institute and Södertörn University, the study is seeking to understand how people are receiving and interpreting information about the coronavirus and the ongoing pandemic in Sweden. A content analysis of reporting on the coronavirus in the Swedish media is also planned. Read more.

VA at the virtual PCST conference
This year’s online PCST conference provided VA with an opportunity to showcase the results of a number of its studies and public engagement and open science projects. VA’s contributions included visual presentations, insight talks and a roundtable discussion to delegates participating from numerous time zones across the globe. Read more.

Record high participation at Forum for Science Communication
This year’s Swedish Forum for Science Communication on 14 April attracted record interest. Over 600 science communicators, communication managers, journalists and others working with science communication took part in the conference, from over 15 countries. Topics discussed included how the pandemic has affected science communication, crisis communication and future trends. The SciComm Project of the Year Award was also presented. Read more.

VA hosts international networking event for science engagers
The aim of the Falling Walls International hubs is to connect the local and regional Science Engagement networks with the global Falling Walls community. In connection to the Swedish Forum for Science Communication, some 50 international science engagers gathered for an hour of “Eftersnack”, an informal networking and knowledge exchange organised by VA and Hub Sweden. Read more.

New inspiring stories from ORION
Check out a new inspiring story from one of VA’s international projects, ORION Open Science. Read about how the ORION podcast started as a tool to communicate about open science and has resulted in an engaged network of experts. Plus learn about the development of VACCINE, a digital game for engaging the public with the science behind vaccinations, infections and the immune system, led by the Babraham Institute in the UK. Read all of ORION’s inspiring stories.

New factsheets on the bioeconomy
Four new factsheets on aspects of the bioeconomy have been published by the EU AllThings.bioPRO project. Available in English, the factsheets cover bio-based food packaging; sustainable fashion; bio-based products for kids and schools; and jobs and careers in the bioeconomy. Read more.

VA’s recent publications and resources available in English

VA Barometer 2020/2021: An annual survey into the Swedish public’s general attitudes towards science and researchers.

VA information folder 2021: Information about VA and its members.

Research.Foresight: A study investigating how research is communicated in Sweden and Europe today and in the future.

VA’s definition guides to science communication, citizen science, open science and responsible research and innovation

VA in social media