ABOUT THE PROJECT
During this period, the governance structure, technical architecture, and framework for creating a thematic node specializing in citizen participation within this major European data infrastructure will be defined.
EOSC-CSN (EOSC Citizen Science Node) is a six-month preparatory project whose main deliverable is the Project Charter for the EOSC Federation’s Citizen Science Node: a comprehensive blueprint for its governance, technical architecture and operational framework.
The EOSC Federation connects multiple interoperable Nodes — thematic, geographical or institutional — through the EOSC Interoperability Framework and the federative capabilities of the EOSC EU Node, as described in the EOSC Federation Handbook. Currently, access to this federation is based on academic credentials (EduGAIN), which excludes those who generate science from outside academia: citizen scientists, NGO researchers, civic technology communities and independent researchers. EOSC-CSN directly addresses this gap.
The project forms part of EOSC Gravity (June 2025 – December 2027), the Horizon Europe coordination project (GA 101188045) tasked with consolidating the EOSC ecosystem and piloting its transition to a new governance and funding model from 2027 onwards, including through cascading funding to expand the Federation of Nodes.
PROJECT FEATURES
Project type: European — EOSC Gravity Sub-Grant
Duration: 6 May 2026 → 6 November 2026 (6 months)
Funding: €50,000 · GA 101188045
Consortium: 4 organisations (ES, IT, NL) — Fundación Ibercivis (coordinator), CIEMAT, Citizen Science Italia and Leiden University (representing Citizen Science Nederland).
PROJECT OBJECTIVES
Six specific objectives that converge in a single Project Charter:
SO1 — Value proposition. Outline how the node connects traditional research with data generated by the public, ensuring compliance with the FAIR principles.
SO2 — MVN requirements. Strategic alignment with the EOSC Federation Handbook and fulfilment of all technical and legal requirements for the Minimum Viable Node.
SO3 — Governance model. A multi-level governance structure that reflects the diversity of the citizen science community, orchestrating existing platforms within a framework compatible with the EOSC.
SO4 — Technical roadmap. Integration of RIECS’s core services with the EOSC: AAI proxy, FAIR validation, ARGO monitoring and APEL accounting.
SO5 — Training curriculum. A training matrix for non-affiliated researchers, aligned with the EOSC Academy and integrated into the EOSC Knowledge Hub.
SO6 — Showcase. A public event demonstrating live the integration of citizen science projects into the EOSC Federation via the node.
Use cases that validate the node’s functional requirements
UC1 — Automated data validator. Connects citizen science projects with scientific data repositories and certifies that the data produced is valid and ready for research.
UC2 — Access for citizen science. Researchers and members of the public without institutional affiliation have the same access to the EOSC Federation as anyone at a university: an account, workspace and the tools needed to conduct research.
UC3 — Data traceability. Every piece of data circulating within the federation retains a link to the person and project that generated it, ensuring that its history and reuse are always traceable and correctly attributed.
UC4 — On-demand computing for citizen-led events. The node provides, on demand, the computing resources required by hackathons and other citizen-led events: virtual machines, access to GPUs, storage and other infrastructure, for the duration of the event.
THE ROLE OF IBERCIVIS
Ibercivis is coordinating the project and leading the formation of the consortium. As part of this coordination, it is setting up a group of 10 to 15 experts to review and validate the node’s governance, technical and operational framework. The selection process is open—no affiliation with a university or research institution is required—and seeks candidates from beyond the foundation’s usual network, with a balance across disciplines, countries and genders.
WHAT WE DO
The project roadmap is divided into three phases:
Phase 1 — Strategic Setup (M1, May 2026). Kick-off meeting in Madrid, delivery of the Project Plan, definition of the technical scope and mapping of community leaders.
Stage 2 — Co-design and Project Charter (M2–M4, June–August 2026). Design of use cases, stress-test workshops with the community, peer review with the expert group, delivery of the Project Charter and first draft of the showcase plan.
Stage 3 — Onboarding and Showcase (M5–M6, September–November 2026). Contribution matrix for the EOSC Academy, use case onboarding report and live integration, and final public event demonstrating the node within the EOSC Federation.
Public deliverables include the Project Charter (August 2026), the Training Matrix (October 2026), the Use Case Onboarding Report (October 2026) and the Showcase Report (November 2026).
