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A Science Shop is a facility, often attached to a specific department of a
university A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. ''University'' is derived from the Latin phrase ''universitas magistrorum et scholarium'', which ...
or an
NGO A non-governmental organization (NGO) or non-governmental organisation (see spelling differences) is an organization that generally is formed independent from government. They are typically nonprofit entities, and many of them are active in ...
, that provides independent participatory research support in response to concerns experienced by civil society. It's a demand-driven and bottom-up approach to research. Their work can be described as community-based research (CBR). Science Shops were first established in the
Netherlands ) , anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau") , image_map = , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands , established_title = Before independence , established_date = Spanish Netherl ...
in the 1970s and their main function is to increase both public awareness and to provide access to
science Science is a systematic endeavor that Scientific method, builds and organizes knowledge in the form of Testability, testable explanations and predictions about the universe. Science may be as old as the human species, and some of the earli ...
and
technology Technology is the application of knowledge to reach practical goals in a specifiable and reproducible way. The word ''technology'' may also mean the product of such an endeavor. The use of technology is widely prevalent in medicine, scie ...
to laymen or
non-profit organization A nonprofit organization (NPO) or non-profit organisation, also known as a non-business entity, not-for-profit organization, or nonprofit institution, is a legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public or social benefit, in co ...
s. In practice, this means civil society organizations will have access to scientific research at low or no cost. Science Shops that are based at universities give students opportunities to do community-based research as part of their curriculum. Science Shops are not restricted to the natural sciences. They can cover topics in all scientific disciplines, ranging from natural sciences to
social sciences Social science is one of the branches of science, devoted to the study of society, societies and the Social relation, relationships among individuals within those societies. The term was formerly used to refer to the field of sociology, the o ...
and humanities. Science Shops are managed and operated by both permanent staff members and students who screen questions provided by members of civil society. Science Shop staff use these questions to provide challenging problems to both research students and university faculty members in hope of finding solutions to the question. Students who participate in Science Shop projects often can acquire credits toward their degree. Also, many students do their postgraduate work on problems referred to by Science Shops. Myriad Science Shops have developed expertise in specific areas. For example, the first Science Shop attached to the chemistry department at
Utrecht University Utrecht University (UU; nl, Universiteit Utrecht, formerly ''Rijksuniversiteit Utrecht'') is a public research university in Utrecht, Netherlands. Established , it is one of the oldest universities in the Netherlands. In 2018, it had an enrollm ...
was particularly skilled in evaluation reports on soil analysis. Clients are often directed to the Science Shop that is best suited to address their particular concerns. The
Dutch Dutch commonly refers to: * Something of, from, or related to the Netherlands * Dutch people () * Dutch language () Dutch may also refer to: Places * Dutch, West Virginia, a community in the United States * Pennsylvania Dutch Country People E ...
system has provided many benefits e.g. to environmentalists, workers, and social workers. Science Shops, in general, have aided environmentalists in better analyzing industrial pollutants, and helped workers to better evaluate the safety and employment consequences of new production processes. Moreover, they have enhanced the understanding of social workers in how to deal with disaffected teenagers. The Dutch system has inspired Science Shops in nations across
Europe Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a subcontinent of Eurasia and it is located enti ...
such as
Denmark ) , song = ( en, "King Christian stood by the lofty mast") , song_type = National and royal anthem , image_map = EU-Denmark.svg , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of Denmark , establishe ...
,
Austria Austria, , bar, Östareich officially the Republic of Austria, is a country in the southern part of Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine states, one of which is the capital, Vienna, the most populous ...
,
Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG),, is a country in Central Europe. It is the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany lies between the Baltic and North Sea to the north and the Alps to the sou ...
,
Norway Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe, the mainland territory of which comprises the western and northernmost portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and t ...
, the UK,
Belgium Belgium, ; french: Belgique ; german: Belgien officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. The country is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeast, France to ...
,
Romania Romania ( ; ro, România ) is a country located at the crossroads of Central, Eastern, and Southeastern Europe. It borders Bulgaria to the south, Ukraine to the north, Hungary to the west, Serbia to the southwest, Moldova to the east, a ...
and
Portugal Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic, In recognized minority languages of Portugal: :* mwl, República Pertuesa is a country located on the Iberian Peninsula, in Southwestern Europe, and whose territory also includes the Macaronesian ...
. Moreover, there are currently Science Shops in countries outside of Europe such as
Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tota ...
.


Science Shops and the EU

The European Commission (EC), which initiates and implements EU policies and spends EU funds, has been an important factor behind the international interest and progress of the Science Shop movement. The EC has financed studies and projects, such as SCIPAS, InterActs, ISSNET and TRAMS which contributed to the development of new Science Shops. The most recent projects, namely PERARES (Public Engagement in Research and Researchers Engaging with Society), EnRRICH (Enhancing Responsible Research and Innovation through Curricula in Higher Education), SciShops and InSPIRES received funding from the European Union’s 7th Framework Programme and the
Horizon 2020 The Framework Programmes for Research and Technological Development, also called Framework Programmes or abbreviated FP1 to FP9, are funding programmes created by the European Union/European Commission to support and foster research in the Europea ...
research and innovation programme.


PERARES Project

The Public Engagement with Research And Research Engagement with Society (PERARES) project was a four years project funded by the European Community’s 7th Framework Programme. The project started in 2010 and aimed to strengthen public engagement in research (PER) by involving researchers and Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) in the formulation of research agendas and the research process. It used various debates (or dialogues) on Science to actively articulate research request of civil society. These are forwarded to research institutes and results are used in the next phase of the debate. Thus, these debates move ‘upstream’ into agenda settings. For this, partners linked existing debate formats – such as science café’s, science festivals, online-forums – with the Science Shop network - already linking civil society and research institutes. To be able to answer to research requests, it was necessary to enlarge and strengthen the network of research bodies doing research for/with CSOs. Thus, ten new Science Shop like facilities throughout Europe are started, mentored by experienced partners. Guidelines to evaluate the impact of engagement activities are developed and tested.


EnRRICH Project

The Enhancing Responsible Research and Innovation through Curricula in Higher Education (EnRRICH) project will run from July 2015 – December 2017. It will improve the capacity of students and staff in higher education to develop knowledge, skills and attitudes to support the embedding of Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI) in curricula by responding to the research needs of society as expressed by civil society organisations (CSOs). To reach this aim, the project will identify, develop, pilot and disseminate good practice and relevant resources to embed the 5 RRI policy agendas ’Public Engagement’, ‘Science Education’, ‘Open Access’, ‘Ethics’ and ‘Gender’ in academic curricula across Europe. Through sharing learning and initiating discussion and debates at institutional, national and international levels both within the project consortium and beyond it, the EnRRICH project will create a better awareness of, and enhance the policy context for, RRI in curricula and thereby produce more responsible and responsive graduates and researchers.


SciShops Project

The SciShops project will run from September 2017 to February 2020. Its aim is to build on and expand the capacity of the Science Shops ecosystem in Europe and beyond. As part of the SciShops project, at least ten new university- and non-university-based Science Shops will be established in Europe by project partners. The SciShops team aims to demonstrate the benefits of starting a Science Shop for different kinds of organisation, as well as to show how civil society gains from collaborating with Science Shops in community-based participatory research.


InSPIRES Project

The Ingenious Science Shops to Promote Participatory Innovation, Research and Equity in Science (InSPIRES project) brings together civil society, practitioners and other stakeholders in Europe, Africa and Latin America, to co-design, jointly pilot and implement innovative Science Shops models. InSPIRES seeks to support Science Shops that approach vulnerable sectors and unorganized groups of civil society, both in urban and rural areas. Working principally but not exclusively in health and environmental issues, InSPIRES models aim to integrate Responsible Research and Innovation, Open Science and Impact Evaluation in order to promote inclusive and culturally adaptable Science Shop projects to be accurate and responsive to civil society needs and concerns. From April 2017 until March 2021, InSPIRES partners have proposed to conduct 76 projects.


Sources


www.livingknowledge.org
- The International Science Shop Network *http://www.livingknowledge.org/projects/perares/
www.enrrich.eu
*Sardar, Ziauddin and Loon, Borin Van. 2001. ''Introducing Science''. USA: Totem Books (UK: Icon Books).


External links


Livingknowledge.org - The International Science Shop NetworkInSPIRES Project


Science and technology in the Netherlands Research