Explore Citizen Science Projects
Welcome at Österreich forscht!
Here you can find everything about Citizen Science in Austria. In the future, it should be just as normal to work in a citizen science project as to be a member of an association, e. g. the voluntary fire brigade or a music ensemble. We want people to see science no longer as an elite programme, but as a process that affects all our lives, a process which is an important part of society and is worth understanding. However, the fun and enjoyment of research should not be neglected. We do not understand citizen science as an infotainment concept, but as a collaborative process through which new insights can be gained.
In the new HealthCheckR project, the project team is working with citizens to develop a tool for identifying reliable health information on social media. Their aim is to counteract misinformation and support good decisions for people's own health.
Aquirufa
- land use
- water
Biodiversity and ecology of freshwater bacteria The bacterial genus Aquirufa, which was discovered and scientifically described in cooperation with pupils, is the eponym and focus of the research project. The aim is to research the ecology, biodiversity and distribution of Aquirufa in water bodies through the active and creative participation…
ABOL-BioBlitzes
- animals
The lack of sustainability in human activity is leading to the global destabilisation of our natural systems. The resulting biodiversity and climate crises require a transformation to an environmentally sustainable society. However, the expertise in the field of taxonomy required for this transformation is often only shared by a few…
Plastic Pirates
- water
- waste
Plastic Pirates - Go Europe! A Citizen Science Initiative to investigate plastic pollution along rivers The pollution of beaches and riverbanks in Europe with plastic waste does not stop at borders. Preventing micro- and macroplastics in the environment, addressing this challenge scientifically and researching sustainable materials are therefore tasks we…
Bug us with your ticks!
- health
- animals
For our national tick monitoring programme, we invite you to provide us with ticks. Your samples will help us analyse which tick species appear when and where in Austria. Moreover, ticks will also be investigated for the presence of pathogens. What are the aims of the project? The goal of…
Environmental distribution of bisphenol A
- waste
- water
- health
The project “Environmental distribution of bisphenol A” investigates the possible spread of bisphenol A (BPA) in our environment. To this end, citizen scientists collect samples (soil, sludge, water, etc.) and send them to our laboratory, where the BPA concentration in the samples is determined. What are the aims of the…
Researching Discrimination with Citizen Science
- culture
- language
- gender
- living together
Discrimination is often difficult to grasp, both in everyday life and in research. By involving citizen scientists, we aim to broaden knowledge about discrimination. What are the aims of the project? Racist discrimination and stigmatization are difficult to grasp both in everyday life and in research, as they are often…
United by Crisis?
- history
- catastrophs
- land use
- culture
Participate in archaeological field surveys and/or in cleaning, documenting & interpreting archaeological finds. A transdisciplinary look at the early Neolithic communities in the Schletz settlement cluster The project aims to explore the surroundings of the famous Neolithic settlement of Asparn/Schletz (Lower Austria). Numerous human remains suggest a violent attack on…
The Austrian wide winter bird count of BirdLife Austria Every year, the bird conservation organisation BirdLife Austria hosts the "Hour of Winter Birds", the Austrian winter bird count. All nature lovers are invited to count birds for one hour on the days around January 6th. All participants actively contribute to…
Waterbird Census
- animals
Citizen Science with a long tradition The first water bird counts in Austria took place as early as the 1950s. In the following years, the number of counts was gradually increased, and from 1970 onwards Austria-wide surveys have been carried out. This makes the waterbird census one of the longest…
ornitho.at
- animals
Important groundwork for bird protection The association BirdLife Austria has been researching and protecting the native avifauna for over 50 years. Citizen science has always been an essential basis of this work, as BirdLife's expertise is based on decades of collecting bird records. In the past, observations were recorded on…
Breeding bird monitoring
- animals
Annual counts This advanced citizen science project requires knowledge of the common native breeding bird species and participation over several years. Twice a year, the participants count all birds seen and heard at fixed points. The total of all counts is then used to calculate population trends. The available data…
SPOTTERON - Plattform für Citizen Science Apps