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Poster Short Abstract

This presentation outlines the development of a university-wide citizen research panel at the University of Turku. We describe the panel´s design process, implementation and early experiences in fostering collaboration between researchers and citizens across disciplines.

Poster Abstract

Citizen participation in research is increasingly recognised as essential for producing societally relevant, transparent, and impactful knowledge. In 2024, the University of Turku launched the project Science Belongs to Everyone! with the aim of bringing science and the university closer to citizens. To strengthen citizen involvement in research activities, it was decided to establish a university-wide citizen research panel to provide new opportunities for low-threshold collaboration.

This presentation describes the rationale, development process, and key design choices made in building the panel. Development steps included a survey of university staff, faculty visits and workshops, benchmarking comparable national and international initiatives, and co-development with a cross-disciplinary working group of researchers. These inputs informed decisions on the panel’s structure, recruitment, training for both citizens and researchers, and the support services provided.

The panel is designed as a flexible mechanism: researchers can submit task invitations at different stages of their projects, ranging from formulating a research question to helping with research communication. Local citizens, aged 15 and above join as volunteer panel members and choose which tasks to participate in.

Specific online trainings were developed for both citizens and researchers to prepare them for collaboration. In addition, project staff provide tailored support in designing tasks and organising panel meetings, ensuring a smooth process for both sides.

By the end of September 2025, nearly 150 citizens had joined the panel after completing the required online training, and researchers had submitted three tasks. These early results demonstrate a strong interest on both sides and indicate the potential of the panel to serve as an innovative tool for advancing citizen involvement in a multidisciplinary university.