Folk och Forskning: Sweden’s new arena for evidence-based dialogue

On 8 May 2025, Public & Science Sweden launched Folk och Forskning (Science and Society) – a new national arena for evidence-based dialogue in Sweden. The event, held at Uppsala University, gathered around 250 researchers, policymakers, civil society, and industry representatives to explore how scientific knowledge can support democratic decision-making.

Our current activities

Researchers’ Grand Prix: national heat takes to the stage
Sweden’s flagship science communication competition is back, with the national heat being held live on stage for the first time at SciFest in Uppsala this October. Researchers have just four minutes to present their work in a clear, engaging way to win a place in the Stockholm final and a 20,000 SEK prize. Apply by 30 June. Read more.

EPiCS: Blending citizen science with research service-learning
Public & Science Sweden is a partner in the new Erasmus+‑funded EPiCS project that aims to promote citizen science in higher education to tackle societal challenges. Activities will include six pilot projects, building capacity via training, and developing an open-access toolkit. Read more.

From classrooms to code: co-creating the LOESS educational soil app
Through the EU LOESS project, students from 15 countries have been involved in co-creating an educational app to raise awareness of soil health. Classrooms participating in the project explored soil topics through lessons, discussions, and digital tools, gradually building up to their own app concepts. Developed for Android and iOS, the LOESS app brings science to life through games, quizzes, and interactive 3D soil organisms. Read more.

Our recent activities

Reflections from EUSEA 2025: Tools, trust, and the human touch
Public & Science Sweden’s Head of Learning, Julia Brink, reflects on her experiences at this year’s EUSEA conference held in Gran Canaria. She highlights the call for better tools to measure engagement, while reminding us that trust, empathy, and meaningful encounters remain just as vital in public engagement. Read more.

2024 winner of the Researchers’ Grand Prix: “It felt really special…”
Researchers’ Grand Prix winner, Luís Oliveira, reflects on his experience and what made his win so meaningful: the emotional connection his personal story sparked with both jury and audience. He emphasises that boiling down complex research into a compelling four-minute narrative is challenging but incredibly rewarding, especially when it inspires curiosity in students. Read more.

New EU recommendations for Public Engagement in R&I
Public & Science Sweden was a national expert in the EU’s recent Mutual Learning Exercise on Public Engagement, which convened in Brussels in April to launch policy recommendations and framework guidelines. With input from eight countries and featuring our “Borrow a Researcher” initiative, the final report presents five thematic pathways to strengthen public engagement, from capacity building to ecosystem support. Read more.

Consultation highlights challenges and opportunities for Gender Equality Practitioners
Gender Equality Plans (GEPs) and their implementation were at the heart of a GENDERACTIONplus stakeholder engagement online event organised by Public & Science Sweden on 27 March. Gender equality practitioners from 14 countries took part in the workshop aimed at gathering input into a new policy brief “A new ERA for GEPS: Challenges for Gender Equality Practitioners.” Read more.

From policy to practice: integrating gender and intersectionality in research
On 28 May, Public & Science Sweden hosted an INSPIRING ERA online event on integrating gender and intersectionality in research, in collaboration with GENDERACTIONplus. With 200+ participants across Europe, the event spotlighted EU policy, showcased the new EC inclusive gender analysis framework as well as tools and resources. The full recording and materials are now available. Read more.

Making Open Access a reality with Secondary Publication Rights
How can researchers legally share paywalled articles openly? In an INSPIRING ERA event hosted by Public & Science Sweden, experts unpacked the potential of Secondary Publication Rights to support open science, offering legal insights, case studies, and a vision for a more unified European framework. The full recording and materials are now available. Read more.

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