The European Citizen Science Association (ECSA) was founded in 2014 as a non-profit association in Germany to encourage the growth of citizen science in Europe, and to support the participation of the general public in research processes.
ECSA is a membership association that brings together researchers, practitioners and citizens who want to increase the democratization of knowledge production. We are open to both individual and organizational members; currently, our hundreds of members come from countries across the European Union and beyond.
ECSA supports its members by coordinating citizen science projects, performing research on citizen science, and exchanging experiences and capacity-building. Most of our activities are led by members, and often organized through our thematic working groups. These working groups rely on volunteers, who commit their time and expertise to our activities.
In addition to these activities, ECSA engages in research and coordination projects, and acts as a communications hub for citizen science in Europe. These tasks are led by the ECSA team, which has its headquarters in Berlin, generously provided by the Museum für Naturkunde Berlin. We also have satellite offices in Brussels and Leiden.
More information on ECSA, its projects, working groups and the possibilities of cooperation can be found on the ECSA website.