Upscaling Citizen Science
As part of the BOKU project "Unsere Mission: Gesunde Böden und Gewässer" (“Our Mission: Healthy Soils and Waters”), a BOKU citizen science project related to the EU Missions “A Soil Deal for Europe” and/or “Restore our Ocean and Waters” will be funded. The goal is to expand an existing small-scale citizen science project from the local to the regional level, or to open a conventional project to the general public.
By scaling up a citizen science project, a larger segment of the population can be introduced to the goals of the EU’s Mission Soil and Mission Water and actively involved in the research process.
Key points:
| Area of action | Mission Soil &/ Mission Waters |
| Funding | € 60.000 |
| Amount of funded projects | 1 Project |
| Funding rate | 100% |
| Submission period | April 27, 2026 to June 18, 2026 |
| Announcement of funded project | August 01, 2026 |
| Deadline for final report | February 28, 2028 |
| Submission platform | Via E-Mail to hanna.rummel@boku.ac.at |
| Contact | Hanna Rummel (hanna.rummel@boku.ac.at) |
All details are provided in the document “Upscaling_CALL FOR PROPOSALS”. Please read it carefully!
All relevant documents are listed at the end.
Upscaling Citizen Science Webinar:
On May 21 we hosted a webinar on Zoom to discuss the call in further detail and answer any questions. You can find a recording of the webinar unter the following link:
Passcode: 7iC&PPw.
FAQ's:
Is it possible to apply with a new independent citizen science project?
No, the call in intended for the expansion of already existing projects and not for the creation of a new independent citizen science project.
Does my project focus on the areas of action of Mission SOIL &/ Mission WATER?
To find out if your project falls within the scope of our call, you can read through the Austrian National Mission Action Plans for Mission Soil and Mission Water, published by the FFG.
How was the jury selected?
The jury consists of international citizen science experts, who were found through the citizen science network and previous collaboration.
Will the proposal with the highest score from the jury be funded?
No, the questions that have to be answered differ depending on whether the project is a small citizen science project that will be expanded or a conventional project that will be opened up to citizen science. The difference in the maximum achievable points will be taken into account during the final decision.
Is it necessary to create a separate ePM for this additional fund, or can it be added to the current project?
You do not need to create an ePM in advance; instead, create a self-funded project after receiving funding.
Do the evaluation criteria C1-C3 relate to the current running project or to the new citizen science component?
The evaluation criteria C1 “Exclusion criteria” and C2 “Open questions regarding the project” refer to the planned expansion of citizen science within the existing project: What would you do it you received the funding? How would you implement citizen science in you project?
C3 “Impact on the EU Missions” relates to the current project (and thus, in a boarder sense, also to the citizen science project).
Merely the “Project Overview” and “Project description” on the first page of the proposal form refer to the current running project, as these are not evaluated by our jury.
Which section of the Cost Breakdown excel should subcontracting costs be entered in?
Subcontracting costs should be entered under “Other” in the Cost Breakdown.
What is meant by "upscaling an existing project"?
The goal of the call is to either (1) expand an existing small-scale citizen science project from the local to the regional level, or to (2) open a conventional project to the general public.
In both cases, there should already be a project running at BOKU that serves as a foundation.
case (1): Your running project already incorporates citizen science elements on a small, local scale (e.g. in 20th district in Vienna). With the funding, you plan to expand your project from a local to a regional scale (e.g. from the 20th district to the whole of Vienna).
case (2): Your running project is a conventional project. With the funding, you plan to incorporate citizen science into your running project.
Can I choose one year as duration for the project?
You can choose the duration of one year for your project, provided you meet the deadline for the final report on 28 February 2028. You should have finished your project before submitting the final report.
Should the requested funding of 60,000 be calculated with or without overhead?
The funding is to be calculated without overhead. Instead, include only the cost reimbursement (10% of the third-party personnel costs)