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VA (Public & Science)

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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.[1] The organization was founded in 2002 and is currently based from Grev Turegatan 14 in Stockholm, Sweden.[2]

VA's members[3] 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[4] 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[5] and in 2017 events were run in 29 cities in Sweden.[6] VA also organises the Researchers' Grand Prix, a science communication competition for researchers and mass experiments in schools,[7] 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 [8]

  • 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.[9]

  • 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) [10]
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

References

  1. ^ "Projekt". Vetenskap & Allmänhet (in Swedish). Retrieved 2021-09-07.
  2. ^ "Om VA". Vetenskap & Allmänhet (in Swedish). Retrieved 2021-09-07.
  3. ^ "Member organisations - Vetenskap & Allmänhet". Vetenskap & Allmänhet (in Swedish). Retrieved 2018-03-08.
  4. ^ "The public - Vetenskap & Allmänhet". Vetenskap & Allmänhet (in Swedish). Retrieved 2018-03-08.
  5. ^ "Stockholm 'erupts' with activity for European Researchers' Night". Retrieved 2009-03-20.
  6. ^ "A night of wonder, curiosity and fun: European Researchers' Night 2017". Retrieved 2018-03-08.
  7. ^ "Mass experiments".
  8. ^ "VA-projekt". Vetenskap & Allmänhet (in Swedish). Retrieved 2021-09-07.
  9. ^ "Styrelse". Vetenskap & Allmänhet (in Swedish). Retrieved 2021-09-07.
  10. ^ "Medlemsorganisationer". Vetenskap & Allmänhet (in Swedish). Retrieved 2021-09-07.