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Short Abstract

Can citizen science hubs contribute to embed citizen science in research infrastructures, funding calls, and implementation mechanisms? Dutch Citizen Science Hubs as a case and way to move towards embedding in core policy and research.

Abstract

The national funding programme Open Science the Netherlands has awarded five four-years grants in 2025 to expand Dutch citizen science hubs at research organisations. These hubs will build a strategic infrastructure to support knowledge exchange and share expertise and support for citizen science across the Netherlands. Furthermore, the hubs should play a role in the support to collect and manage (FAIR) data, communicate science effectively, design and monitor projects, and to address ethical and legal issues. The rewarded hubs differ in their focus, some are thematic oriented, others geographically.

At the panel, we want to present the case of the awarded hub PRO BONO (Citizen Science Network East of the Netherlands), which is part of the CS-NL network and the larger network of Dutch Citizen Science Hubs. How can hubs embed citizen science strategically in policy and research via e.g. an innovation agenda, funding mechanisms both at a national and a European level?