The Austrian Citizen Science Conference focuses on the collaboration between academia and science with the community, thereby encouraging interaction between scholars, researchers, citizens, and professionals in Austria, Germany, and Switzerland. Supported by the Citizen Science Network Austria and the related online platform Österreich forscht, opens an external URL in a new window, the conference has served as a venue to not only engage in exchange beyond one's own discipline and explore and research new formats and methods, but also explore findings about - and arising from - collaboration efforts between science, academia, and the public.
 

Citizen Science can occur at different levels, such as "global-regional-local", as previously discussed at the 2022 Forum Citizen Science, opens an external URL in a new window in Germany. Citizen Science can also impact science, academia, and the community, as demonstrated in 2023 at the CitSciHelvetia 2023, opens an external URL in a new window under the theme "Impact By Participation". With increasing frequency, researchers, decision-makers, and citizens are asking: "Citizen Science - Why Not  (Really)?", as discussed during the last Austrian Citizen Science Conference, opens an external URL in a new window held in 2022. As part of the 2023 Austrian Citizen Science Conference, we would like to intentionally and consciously build a bridge to affiliated conferences in Germany and Switzerland in an effort to continue discussions, strengthen partnerships, and explore new ideas and methods.

The Austrian Citizen Science Conference engages different target groups:
 

• People who (would like to) conduct their own Citizen Science research project(s) or conduct research about Citizen Science.
• People working at the crossroads of science/academia and with the community (i.e. schools, museums, libraries, adult education centers)
• People who conduct research in their free time (alone or as part of a group), or who are already actively involved in Citizen Science projects 
• People interested in learning more about Citizen Science (particularly on the third day of the conference where the public can engage with Citizen Science projects in a more hands-on way).

In cooperation with Ars Electronica, the 8th annual 2023 Austrian Citizen Science Conference will take place at the Johannes Kepler University in Linz between April 19 - 21, 2023, under the motto "ver.suchen - ver.einen - ver.antworten". Those wishing to enter a submission are asked to align their submission to one of the three keywords in the conference theme as listed below. You may present both project concepts and project outcomes. Moreover, the target groups mentioned above - and to whom the submission is aimed at - ought to be clearly discernible.

The applicant's submission should address the following points:

• A brief description of the application's content
• A brief, methodological description (workshops only)
• The objective (workshops only)
• Which category does your submission qualify for?
• Why is your submission pertinent to the selected target group(s)?

Submissions will be reviewed by the Scientific Advisory Board based on the following criteria:

• Workshops: Is the content, along with the method(s) and objective(s), generally comprehensible and well-defined?
• Does the applicant's submission correspond to the selected category?
• Are the reasons regarding relevance to the selected target group plausible and well-defined?