RIECS
TOWARDS A PAN-EUROPEAN RESEARCH INFRASTRUCTURE FOR EXCELLENT CITIZEN SCIENCE
ABOUT THE PROJECT
The project addresses some current issues such as fragmentation, interoperability, efficiency, etc., and lays the foundations for the first comprehensive design of citizen science at the global level.
RIECS-Concept conceptualises the European research infrastructure for citizen science, leveraging both resources provided by citizens (such as mobile phones, computers, etc.) and existing scientific resources (citizen science platforms, data collections, other existing research infrastructures, etc.). This infrastructure will provide cross-cutting services to the research community.
Two key results will be generated:
- A conceptual design, including a feasibility study, of the infrastructure;
- A strategic plan for the five-year implementation of the new infrastructure.
To achieve this, research will be conducted and work will be carried out with all types of communities globally to gather requirements, co-design solutions and refine the proposed solutions in various scientific topics and domains.
PROJECT CHARACTERISTICS
Type of project: European
Duration: 2025 – 2027
PROJECT OBJECTIVES
The RIECS-Concept project has three main objectives:
- Collectively create a data and research infrastructure for citizen science. To do this, three key steps will be followed: create an open inventory of technological components; connect this catalogue in a coherent foundational design that links technological and scientific challenges; and formulate a unified conceptual model to integrate data and metadata from different sources. These actions will focus on three specific areas: environmental observations, health, and climate change.
- Develop a strategic plan that will lay the groundwork for the successful implementation and operation of the infrastructure. A planning and co-design process will be carried out with key stakeholders, including funders and end users. The result will be a multi-year implementation roadmap with concrete measures and guidelines for decision-makers. In addition, an impact assessment framework will be developed with criteria and indicators to measure the effects of RIECS in different dimensions.
- Achieve open governance from the conceptualisation of RIECS. A participatory and inclusive approach will be promoted, involving actors from science, technology, policy and society in the co-design and development processes of the roadmap. Through inclusive dialogue and collaboration, RIECS seeks to respond to user challenges and ensure that its design and governance reflect the needs and perspectives of different stakeholder groups.
IBERCIVIS’ ROLE
Ibercivis reports to the funding authority and leads the administrative, financial, and technical management. It also oversees the technological aspects, ensuring the conceptualisation, integration, and operation of the future infrastructure for citizen science.
OUR ACTIVITIES
- Ibercivis reports to the funding authority and leads the administrative, financial, and technical management. It also oversees the technological aspects, ensuring the conceptualisation, integration, and operation of the future infrastructure for citizen science.
- Ibercivis leads the preliminary design of the catalogue of services, resources and functionalities.
- It carries out the technical feasibility and integration study, the result of which is a report on technical viability and scientific excellence. This report establishes a general conceptual design that integrates technological and scientific dimensions, proposing cross-cutting architectural solutions adapted to each end user.
- In parallel, Ibercivis is working on the compliance of RIECS data and metadata with the European framework and is contributing to the definition of the framework for sustainability, collaboration and policy support.
- In addition, Ibercivis plays an active role in engaging with stakeholders, establishing a key participation model for the co-creation of the roadmap during conceptualisation, thus promoting co-design and open governance.
- Among other key responsibilities, Ibercivis leads the creation of the project management manual, the ethics management plan, the data management plan, the quality and risk contingency plan, as well as progress reports. It also coordinates ethics, legal, intellectual property and data management throughout the project and collaborates in the creation, coordination and management of the External Advisory Board.
