Citizen Science
ITQB NOVA, in partnership with the Municipality of Oeiras, is implementing an innovative citizen science strategy — a pioneering initiative recognized both nationally and internationally — involving more than 15 research laboratories in the fields of plant science, microbiology, environmental sciences, and artificial intelligence, and involving hundreds of citizen scientists.
What is Citizen Science?
According to the European Commission, Citizen Science is defined as “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.”
It includes activities such as:
• Collection and analysis of scientific data;
• Co-creation of research questions;
• Promoting scientific literacy and public engagement;
• Providing recommendations for policy decisions.
Citizen Science is a pillar of Open Science, enabling collaboration among researchers, citizens, and policymakers. This approach makes science more open, inclusive, and participatory, generating shared knowledge and real impact on society. Science takes place not only in laboratories, but also at the Quinta de Cima do Marquês de Pombal, in the Navegadores neighborhood, at the Padre António de Oliveira Educational Center, in schools, and on the municipality’s beaches, reinforcing its social impact and positioning Oeiras as a national and European leader in Citizen Science.
Mission
Citizen Science:
developing scientific research projects with the involvement and the active participation of citizens
Co-creation:
thinking about science with people
Public consultation:
decision-making for science
Inclusion and Equity:
engagement and participation
11
ongoing citizen science projects35
researchers500
citizen scientists actively participating15
schools involved20
actors and artists involved2600
visitors in eventsExponential Growth in Participants and Impact
Between 2022 and 2026, the Science + Citizen Program established itself as a leader in citizen science, with the number of projects growing from 3 to 13 and the number of participating laboratories increasing from 3 to 18. The number of researchers involved increased from 9 to 35, while the number of citizen scientists rose from 8 to more than 650, highlighting the program’s impact and ability to mobilize participants.
Maria João Leão, Coordinator of the C+C Program
Between 2022 and 2026, the Science + Citizen Program established itself as a leader in citizen science, with the number of projects growing from 3 to 13 and the number of participating laboratories increasing from 3 to 18. The number of researchers involved increased from 9 to 35, while the number of citizen scientists rose from 8 to more than 650, highlighting the program’s impact and ability to mobilize participants.
Ongoing Projects
Oeiras Experimenta
Partners: ITQB NOVA, Oeiras Municipality, IMPETUS
Oeiras Experimenta is a living citizen science laboratory that integrates scientific research, community participation, and public policy to address the challenge of sustainable agriculture and food production in the context of climate change.ciation of local knowledge, and active citizenship, establishing itself as a laboratory of the future.
Carbon Tree
Partners: ITQB NOVA, IST, INES-ID, INOVLABS, Oeiras Municipality
Study air quality with DIY low-cost technology in the schools of Oeiras.
Micro Mundo @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.
Fungi: Friends of Foe
Partners: ITQB NOVA, IST, INES-ID, INOVLABS, 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.
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.
PneumoFam
Como se transmite o pneumococo entre crianças, pais e avós?
As infeções respiratórias continuam a ser uma das principais ameaças à saúde, sobretudo para crianças pequenas, idosos e pessoas mais vulneráveis. Muitas vezes, a transmissão acontece de forma silenciosa, no lugar onde nos sentimos mais seguros: dentro de casa, entre pais, filhos e avós. O projeto PneumoFam – Ciência Cidadã em Família nasce precisamente dessa realidade. A ciência entrou no quotidiano familiar para compreender como circulam microrganismos respiratórios que podem causar doença grave. Ao envolver várias gerações no mesmo estudo, o PneumoFam transforma famílias em protagonistas de investigação científica e aproxima a ciência da comunidade.
Microbioma Comunidade
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.
Sombra para todxs
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.
DxHub
Partners: ITQB NOVA, Município de Oeiras, DXHUB, Agrupamento de Escolas de Paço de Arcos, Stab Vida
Within the framework of the European DxHub project, a citizen science initiative is being implemented at the Quinta do Marquês Secondary School and the Paço de Arcos School Group. Students take part in real scientific activities, analyzing pathogens in water samples (Legionella spp.), while promoting scientific literacy in health. The project’s impact is assessed through questionnaires administered before and after participation, measuring the evolution of students’ knowledge and perceptions.
SCAR
Our gut is home to billions of microorganisms, the gut microbiome, which are essential for digestion, metabolism, immunity, and protection against pathogens. Xenobiotics, chemical substances found in food, medications, or the environment, can affect this balance, promoting either health or disease. SCAR studies these interactions at the molecular level with the active participation of citizens, bringing science and society closer together.
