VA (Public & Science)

VA (Public & Science) (Swedish: "Vetenskap & Allmänhet") is a Vetenskap & Allmänhet, VA, is a non-profit association that wants to promote dialogue and openness between researchers and the general public. VA operates primarily Sweden, but with an eye on European and International science communication including several new EU projects. The organization was founded in 2002 and is currently based from Grev Turegatan 14 in Stockholm, Sweden.

VA's members consist of some 80 organizations, authorities, universities, companies and associations. In addition, it has a number of individual members. The organization is funded through membership fees, project grants and a grant from the Swedish Ministry of Education and Research.

VA's Purpose and Primary Objectives

1. Increase collaboration between researchers and the public.
2. Increase knowledge and dialogue about:
   • Public perceptions of research and research needs
   • Prerequisites for research, research methods and results
   • Methods for science communication
3. Be a leading knowledge hub for public engagement and science communication
4. Strengthen all aspects of engagement with society; democratic, cultural as well as for the benefit and education of society

Part of what the VA does is carry out surveys and studies with the aim of increasing knowledge about the relationships between science and society at large. This includes an annual barometer into the Swedish public's general attitudes towards science and researchers, as well as more specific studies on how opinion-forming groups in society view and use research, how researchers interact with society, and methods for dialogue on science and research.

VA also arranges many events and activities aimed at stimulating dialogue between researchers and the public in new ways and in novel arenas. VA is the Swedish national co-ordinator for the science festival European Researchers’ Night. The first Researchers' Night was run in Sweden in September 2005 and in 2017 events were run in 29 cities in Sweden. VA also organises the Researchers' Grand Prix, a science communication competition for researchers and mass experiments in schools, a citizen science initiative that engages pupils in real research. Other activities include Science Cafés. VA also participates in societal debate via traditional as well as social media.

VA is currently a partner in three EU-funded Horizon 2020 projects SciShops: ORION, Open Responsible research and Innovation to further Outstanding Knowledge, is aimed at fostering RRI and open science in research performing and research funding organisations. SciShops will expand the ecosystem of Science Shops in Europe and BLOOM is aimed at raising public awareness and interest in the bioeconomy through dialogue and co-creation activities.

VA is a member of EUSEA (European Science Events Association), ECSA (European Citizen Science Association) and the Living Knowledge network.

Impact & Development Work

• Letters and consultation responses
• Debate articles
• ARCS  - a Swedish collaborative project to create a national portal for citizen research.
• Bloom  -  EU project to create regional networks to increase public interest and knowledge of bioeconomy
• EU-Citizen.Science -  EU project  for citizen research in Europe
• Falling Walls Engage Hub Sweden - the northern European node in an international network for research communication and research collaboration.
• March for Science / How do you know that? - Sweden
• News evaluator  - Researchers, teachers and students together develop a tool for teaching source criticism
• ORION  Open Science -  EU project that will make research in life science and biomedicine more inclusive for society
• RETHINK - EU project  for research communication in the future
• RRI Tools - EU project that has created a toolbox for responsible research and innovation
• Cooperation
• SciShops  - EU project where a European network for Science shops is created
• Smedpack  - a package solution for the safety of pharmaceutical consumers
• Super MoRRI - will develop and improve methods for measuring activities within RRI (responsible research and innovation).
• Swafs - Swedish platform to influence Horizon 2020
• Youcount -  EU project  to increase young people's participation in society.
• Open science workshops

Studies

• Public attitudes
  • The VA Barometer  - recurring measurement of the Swedish public's view of science, research and researchers.
  • Science in society  (ViS)  - recurring measurement and in-depth studies of the Swedish public's view of science, research and researchers in collaboration with the SOM Institute.
  • International comparisons  - analyzes of foreign attitude surveys

Other surveys:

• Communication about the corona - A study of the public's understanding, perception and how they are reached by information about the COVID-19 pandemic in Sweden.
• Animal experiments  - the public's attitudes towards animal experiments
• Tiresome acquired and quickly ruined? In-  depth study on researcher confidence
• Linnaeus Jubilee  - The public about Carl von Linné 2007
• Science & Values  - How does the outlook on life, values, cultural and social background affect the view of knowledge, research and researchers?
• Attitudes of children and young people
  • Generation Equation - A report on children and young people's attitudes to school, school subjects and learning in Sweden
  • Knowledge owns  -  young people's attitudes to knowledge, research and researchers
  • Myself as a researcher  - analysis of children's drawings of themselves as researchers.
• Researcher
  • Researchers' views on communication and open science
  • Research on research communication
• Journalists / media & communicators
• Authorities  - Research-based knowledge in Swedish administration
• Business  - the  view of research and science in business
• Politicians  - politicians' relationship to science
• Collaboration indicators
• School meets science  - the  school world's view of research and contacts with researchers

Dialogue Activities

• Allthings.BioPRO  - an online game about bioeconomy
• Almedalen
• Researcher dialogue
  • ComScience  - EU project to try new forms of conversation about research.
  • Science Café  - coffee with a researcher
• Researcher Friday -  part of European Researchers' Night. EU project that shows how fun, exciting and everyday research can be.
  • Mass experiment
• Researcher Grand Prix  - research communication competition
• Forum for research communication  - conference for actors in research communication
• Find Vasa's missing cannons
• Media seminars for researchers
• New images of research
• Post-antibiotic futures
• Collaborative seminar
  • Research for the future  - conference on future research policy
  • ODE  - external dialogue and commitment
  • Science & Society  - seminar on the collaboration of science with the outside world
  • Stockholm Meeting with tour  - seminar to promote mobility and collaboration between sectors, universities and countries
• Youth Parliament  - introduces students to parliamentary procedures on science and research
• VA-day  - Science & Publicity's annual half-day conference when this year's VA project is presented and discussed.
• What is science?  - A film project with the aim of increasing children and young people's scientific understanding and ability.
• 2WAYS  -  EU project to test new ways of disseminating knowledge about research

The Board of Representatives

VA's board consists of representatives from the association's members. There are currently thirteen members and each member representative serves for a term of two years. The following are the representatives as of 2021.

• Board President - Ann Fust
• Young Researchers Representative - Anna Hedlund
• Foundation for Strategic Research Representative - Lars Hultman
• IKEM Innovations and the chemical industry Representative - Magnus Huss
• KTH - Kungl. Institute of Technology Representative - Sigbritt Karlsson
• Engineers of Sweden Representative - Ulrika Lindstrand
• Chairman of the RIFO Society members of parliament and researchers - Betty Malmberg
• The Swedish Museum of Natural History - Lisa Månsson
• Student Unions Representative - David Samuelsson
• The Swedish Research Council - Sven Stafström
• IVA - Kungl. Academy of Engineering Sciences - Tuula Teeri
• Consultant - Urban Wass
• Freelance Journalist - Jack Werner

VA Member Organizations (2020)

ABF AFA Astronomical Youth Childhood Cancer Blekinge Institute of Technology Chalmers University of Technology Energy Agency Swedish Defense Research Agency Folkbildningsrådet People's University Research non-animal research network Scania Formas FORTE, Council for health, labor and welfare Freedom of Thought Defense University of Gothenburg Keep Sweden Tidy Dalarna University College of Borås School Halmstad University of Skövde University West Ibn Rushd Study Association Ifous - innovation, research and development in school and preschool IKEM - Innovation and chemistry industries in Sweden Institut français de Suède Institutet för Framtidsstudier IVA, Kungl. Academy of Engineering Sciences IYPT Sweden Jönköping University Karlstad University	Karolinska Institutet KK-stiftelsen Kungliga biblioteket Kungl. The Swedish Academy of Forestry and Agriculture Royal Institute of Technology Royal. Vetenskapsakademien Kungl. Vitterhetsakademien LIF - the researching pharmaceutical companies Linköping University Linnaeus University Food Companies LSU, Swedish Youth Organizations Luleå University of Lund University, Malmö University Mistra Mittuniversitetet Swedish Civil Contingencies Mälardalen University Nature & Culture Natural Resource Schools Association Museum of Natural History Scientists Nobel Museum Rifo, Society of MPs and researchers National Heritage Bank of Sweden Tercentenary Research Institutes of Sweden Runö college Rymdstyrelsen Share Music & Performing Arts SIQ, Institute for Quality development School Research Institute	SMHI, Swedish Meteorological and Hydrological Institute National Maritime and Transport historical museums, the National Veterinary Institute Foundation Maritime University Foundation for Strategic Research, Stockholm University study associations Swedish Science Center Graduate Engineers SLU Swedish National Union of Students Young Academy of Sweden university teachers and researchers Systembolaget Södertörn University Engineering Industries Technical Museum Thorildsplans Gymnasium Tom Tits Experiment Umeå University Young Researchers Universeum University and College Council, UHR University Chancellor's Office Uppsala University Science in school Science and Folkbildning Swedish Research Council VINNOVA Wikimedia Sweden Ängelholms gymnasieskola Örebro University

External links

• Vetenskap & Allmänhet website
• Researchers' Night in Sweden
• Researchers' Grand Prix