Ciência + Cidadã Program
An Active Citizenship Program In Scientific Research
[PT]
Ciência + Cidadã (C+C) is an innovative citizenship program that aims to implement a citizen science approach in scientific institutions and local communities. The program also seeks to promote co-creation and public consultation involving various stakeholders from civil society in a transdisciplinary and intergenerational approach. C+C is coordinated by ITQB NOVA in close partnership with the Oeiras Municipality and in collaboration with other research institutes, non-profit organizations and companies.
Citizen Science is the “public participation in scientific research activities when citizens actively contribute to science, either with their intellectual effort, personal and local knowledge or with their tools and resources” (European Commission, 2014). Citizen Science is a key requirement for Open Science, providing everyone with the opportunity to contribute to scientific research, innovation, and evidence-based policies.
MISSION
I. Citizen Science: developing scientific research projects with the involvement and the active participation of citizens
II. Co-creation: thinking about science with people
III. Public consultation: decision-making for science
11 ONGOING CITIZEN SCIENCE PROJECTS
35 RESEARCHERS
500 CITIZEN SCIENTISTS ACTIVELY PARTICIPATING
15 SCHOOLS INVOLVED
20 ACTORS AND ARTISTS INVOLVED
2600 VISITORS IN EVENTS
ONGOING PROJECTS
Citizen Science projects implemented within the scope of the Science + Citizen Program
OEIRAS EXPERIMENTA l LIVING LAB
Partners: ITQB NOVA, Oeiras Municipality, IMPETUS
Identify alternative climate-smart crops for a more fair and sustainable food production, raising awareness on food security and climate change and restoring the historical agroecosystem of Quinta de Cima do Marquês de Pombal in Oeiras. Research work led by Plant Ecophysiology and Metabolism, PlantX and Proteome Regulation in Plants laboratories at ITQB NOVA and recently funded by the European Union through IMPETUS Programme.
MICROMUNDO@OEIRAS
Partners: ITQB NOVA, Universidade do Porto, Tiny Earth, Oeiras Municipality
Discover new antibiotics and to map antibiotic resistance in soil samples. It involves as citizen scientists University and Master students from Universidade Nova de Lisboa and high-school students from Escola Secundária Aquilino Ribeiro. Scientific work coordinated by Pedro Matos Pereira and Paulo Durão from ITQB NOVA.
CARBON TREE
Partners: ITQB NOVA, IST, INES-ID, INOVLABS, Oeiras Municipality
Study air quality with DIY low-cost technology in the schools of Oeiras.
MICROBIOMA COMUNIDADE PORTUGAL
Partners: GIMM, ITBQ NOVA, CBR, Oeiras Municipality
Pilot the characterization of the human gut microbiome dynamics in the 30 families actively involved in the study.
SEAMIC
Partners: NOVA University Lisbon, ITQB NOVA, Oeiras Municipality, EUTOPIA_HEALTH
Develop and apply a rapid test to assess the microbial contamination of the waters in the Oeiras coast. Given its environmental and public health focus, this rapid test could, in the future, have other applications, such as in humanitarian missions. Project led by Yeast Molecular Biology Lab at ITQB NOVA with the support of EUTOPIA_HEALTH.
FUNGI: FRIENDS OR FOE
Partners: ITQB NOVA, Oeiras Municipality
Harvest airborne fungal spores to evaluate their correlation with pollution levels in Portugal districts, emphasizing thermotolerant opportunistic fungal pathogens. Citizen science project led by Applied and Environmental Mycology lab at ITQB NOVA involving high-school students and teachers from Oeiras.
SOILED- SOIL PLASTIC DEGRADATION
Partners: ITQB NOVA, Escola Secundária Aquilino Ribeiro, Município de Oeiras
Understanding the biodegradation process of plastics and the effect of this process on soil microorganisms. This scientific research project is being coordinated at the Laboratory of Environmental and Applied Mycology.
SOMBRA PARA TODOS
Partners: EVITA, AOAL, AVÈNE, ITQB NOVA, Câmara Municipal de Oeiras, VAC, LISBOA, INOVLABS
Provide communities with freely available shadow and sunscreen protective strategies to prevent skin cancer in long-term contributing for cities healthy sun exposure behaviors.
PNEUMOFAM - CITIZEN SCIENCE IN FAMILIES
Partners: ITQB NOVA, Município de Oeiras
In 2025, the ITQB NOVA Laboratory of Molecular Microbiology of Human Pathogens launched the PneumoFam – Citizen Science in Families project to study how pneumococcus and respiratory viruses are transmitted among children, parents, and grandparents. With the collaboration of the C+C Program, the ITQB NOVA Communications Office, and the Science and Innovation Office of the Municipality of Oeiras, 25 families were recruited to participate in this study by collecting saliva samples at home following the scientific protocol, providing feedback on the collection process, conducting laboratory assays at ITQB NOVA, and acting as ambassadors to promote the project within their local communities.
DXHUB YOUTH IN ACTION – DIAGNOSING PATHOGENS IN WATER
Partners: ITQB NOVA, Município de Oeiras, DXHUB, Agrupamento de Escolas de Paço de Arcos, Stab Vida
