On 15 June the eXtreme Citizen Science Hub was officially opened in Amsterdam: a new citizen science hub that brings together universities, the city municipality and communities in order to tackle the city's challenges together.
The hub was founded by seven partners: Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, the University of Amsterdam, the Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences, Amsterdam UMC, Waag Futurelab, the Amsterdam Public Library and the City of Amsterdam.
The hub works along three main thematic lines: creating a sustainable and inclusive urban environment, health and well-being, and democratic and accessible technologies. Each partner contributes its own expertise: Vrije Universiteit coordinates the activities, Amsterdam UMC provides medical expertise, Waag Futurelab provides technological innovation, and the library ensures the link with the community.
This is not just a single hub: the Netherlands is currently setting up five such citizen science hubs in different regions of the country. Each of them specialises in a different theme, from biodiversity to health and the urban environment.
The Amsterdam example shows that citizen science is rapidly becoming an institutionalised, recognised and funded research method, not only an initiative of enthusiasts but also part of national open science policy.
More information is available on the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam website and on the Open Science NL citizen science hubs page.
Photo: Adrien Olichon / Unsplash