illustrative image with event title and icons

Citizens in the Research Cycle: Why and How?

Aika

5.2.2026 klo 9.00 – 12.15

How can involving citizens enrich your research, sharpen your questions, strengthen your impact, or open entirely new avenues of collaboration?

Science belongs to everyone! project invites researchers from across disciplines to a half-day event exploring citizen involvement throughout the research cycle: from early idea shaping and funding applications to communication and evaluation.

The event includes a joint opening session with a keynote and short talks introducing cross-disciplinary perspectives on citizen involvement and two parallel workshops, where participants can either develop their own involvement idea, or explore how citizen involvement can support strong funding proposals, including budgeting and addressing engagement and impact requirements.

The event is designed for researchers from all disciplines and with all levels of experience.

Programme

9.00 - Opening remarks Dean Pekka Hänninen

9.05 - Keynote Research Director Meri Kulmala, University of Helsinki

9.35 - Short presentations on Citizen involvement: experiences, examples and possibilities

  • Case example: Patient & care taker involvement in my research
  • Experiences from University of Turku citizen research panel – researchers´ view
  • Citizen participants´ view on citizen involvement & UTU citizen research panel
  • Possibilities in research funding 

10.30 - Coffee & Informational screenshows

11.00 - Workshops: Demo workshop (seminar room Meioosi, 8th floor) and Funding workshop (seminar room Blokki 3, 1st floor) 

12.15 - Closing remarks

The joint session is held in English. In workshops both English and Finnish can be used.

Welcome to explore how citizen involvement can benefit your research!

The event is organised by Science belongs to everyone! project and it builds on the experiences of the newly established University of Turku Citizen research panel