Want to take science further?

Become an Ambassador for the Science Comes to Town 2027 project.

Date: 07 de September de 2026

We are looking for Ambassadors to help put Oeiras and Portugal on the European science map, as part of the Science Comes to Town 2027 project.

In 2027, this project will transform Oeiras into a true meeting point for science, citizens and communities, with hundreds of events and projects.

Parks, libraries, beaches, markets and cafés will become spaces for dialogue, participation and co-creation with researchers, through initiatives such as citizen science, exhibitions, laboratory activities, science cafés, participatory workshops, hackathons, and artist and journalist residencies.

Activities will focus on the five European Union Missions: cancer, climate change, oceans and waters, climate-neutral and smart cities, and healthy soils.

In Portugal, the project is led by ITQB NOVA, in partnership with the Municipality of Oeiras, with the aim of engaging the rest of the country as well.

Oeiras will be one of four host cities, alongside Aarhus (Denmark), Genova (Italy) and Kaunas (Lithuania).

Ambassadors will help follow and promote initiatives, share content and build bridges between researchers and communities, contributing voluntarily to a more open, participatory and accessible science culture.

Project-related expenses, such as travel to events, will be covered according to the conditions defined by the organisation.

Rather than profiles with large numbers on social media, we are looking for people with different backgrounds and different ways of communicating. We value communication quality, the ability to mobilise people, and engagement with diverse communities, including different age groups, interests and levels of science literacy.

Fluency in Portuguese and English is also required.

Applications are open until 25 September 2026.

Apply now.

As an Ambassador, you will become part of the Science Comes to Town 2027 network, helping us raise awareness of the project, engage communities and share content about the initiatives taking place in Oeiras and across the five European Union Missions.

It is an opportunity to:

take part in a European Commission initiative dedicated to bringing science closer to citizens;
discover and promote projects, researchers and initiatives in science, technology and innovation;
reach new audiences through your social media and communities;
develop science communication and outreach skills;
become part of a diverse network of Ambassadors;
contribute to a programme that aims to engage people of all ages and backgrounds;
represent an initiative at national and international level and help build a more open and participatory science culture.

Being a Science Comes to Town Ambassador is a voluntary role. Ambassador-related expenses incurred as part of the project, such as travel to events, will be covered according to the conditions defined by the organisation.

Complete the application form and tell us who you are, about your connection to science, and why you would like to become a Science Comes to Town 2027 Ambassador.

In the form, you will be asked to provide:

a video application of up to 2 minutes — it can be recorded on a mobile phone;
links to your social media or other relevant platforms;
your order of preference for the five European Union Missions, indicating the one you would particularly like to be involved in;
any other documents requested in the form.

TELL US YOUR STORY

We want to learn about your background, your communication skills and the communities you can reach.

We value engagement, communication quality and the ability to mobilise different audiences more than large numbers on social media.

JOIN THE NETWORK

If selected, you will join a network of up to five Science Comes to Town 2027 Ambassadors.

Throughout the project, you will take part in communication, outreach and engagement activities, including:

creating and/or sharing digital content;
promoting project initiatives;
participating in in-person activities;
engaging your communities and networks;
other communication activities associated with the event.

With the Science Comes to Town Ambassadors, we want to create a diverse group of people from different fields, backgrounds and communities.

A. INTEREST OR EXPERIENCE IN SCIENCE

Applicants should demonstrate at least one of the following:

a demonstrable interest in science, technology and innovation;
academic or professional training in a scientific or technological field;
scientific research experience;
professional experience in STEM or STEAM fields;
experience in science communication or outreach;
participation in citizen science, science education or science literacy projects;
proven experience communicating scientific or technological topics.

B. COMMUNICATION SKILLS AND REACH

We are looking for people who know how to communicate — online, offline or both.

You should have proven experience communicating with the public and demonstrate the ability to produce or share content that is:

clear;
accessible;
relevant;
appropriate for different audiences.

Reach and/or demonstrated ability to mobilise people through:

social media;
digital platforms;
communities;
other communication channels

will also be valued.

More than the size of your audience, we also want to understand its level of interaction and engagement.

Fluency in Portuguese and English is required.

C. ABILITY TO REPRESENT THE INITIATIVE

As an Ambassador, you will represent Science Comes to Town to different national and international audiences.

We are looking for people who can represent initiatives, projects or organisations through communication that is clear, responsible, inclusive and aligned with the objectives of the initiative.

You should also have the availability and motivation to participate in communication, outreach and engagement activities associated with the event.

These may include:

engaging your communities;
creating and/or sharing digital content;
promoting events and activities;
participating in in-person activities;
interacting with different audiences.

D. DIVERSITY AND ABILITY TO REACH DIFFERENT AUDIENCES

Science is for everyone.

And we want our Ambassador network to reflect that diversity.

Experience or demonstrated ability to communicate and interact with diverse audiences will be valued, including:

different age groups;
different professional and social backgrounds;
different levels of science literacy;
communities with different interests;
different forms of participation.

Diversity of backgrounds, fields of activity, audiences reached and communities represented will be valued.

The goal is to build a broad and diverse Ambassador network capable of reaching different people.

To apply, you must:

be 18 years of age or older;
provide the requested documents;
demonstrate an interest or experience in science, technology, innovation or science communication;
demonstrate experience using social media, digital media or other communication channels;
declare your availability to carry out the Ambassador role during the defined period.

Applications will be assessed based on:

relevance of the applicant’s background;
communication quality;
science outreach experience;
digital reach;
ability to mobilise people;
diversity of audiences reached;
motivation, demonstrated through the application video;
suitability for the event concept.

Science Comes to Town is a European Commission initiative funded by the Horizon Europe programme, through the WIDERA work programme.

The 2027 edition brings together a consortium of 15 partners from seven European countries — Italy, Denmark, Lithuania, Portugal, Spain, Austria and Germany.

In Oeiras, this initiative aims to be more than a series of events.

We want to create spaces where science and society can meet, allowing citizens to connect with researchers, take part in projects and explore the impact of science on their everyday lives.