Swedish non-profit promoting dialogue and openness between the public and researchers

Acronym: V-A

Based in Stockholm, Sweden, VA (Public & Science) is a non-profit civil society association aimed at promoting dialogue and openness between the public and researchers. VA has 79 member organisations representing research organisations, public authorities and institutes and universities, as well as companies and private associations. The organisation works to create and stimulate dialogue about everyday research topics in new and accessible areas, such as cafés, youth centres, art galleries, museums and shopping centres. It also runs different projects and is currently coordinating a major one aimed at increasing students’ and teachers’ scientific literacy and interest through discussions with researchers. VA conducts studies about the relationship between science and society and carries out annual opinion polls into the Swedish public’s attitudes to science and researchers. It has also studied researchers’ views of communication with the public and attitudes within specific groups to research (teachers, journalists, politicians, young people and business executives). VA coordinates the Swedish events taking place during the annual European Researchers’ Night and is responsible for the marketing, evaluation and management of this nationally recognised science extravaganza. The organisation has successfully submitted proposals and obtained yearly grants from the European Commission since 2006 covering the coordinating tasks and part of the event costs. VA has set up a science communication toolbox, which provides information about successful formats, as well as a forum for exchanges of ideas (scicommtoolbox.se), which will be continuously developed and updated with new experiences and recommendations. VA was a partner in the EU financed Science in Society ComScience project 2009–2012, aimed at developing new formats for discussing research and finding best practice, bringing together researchers and citizens in dialogue meetings. VA also wrote a report for the EU-funded PLACES project in 2012, describing the scientific culture in Sweden, focusing on the place of science in society (VA report 2012:3, available in English at www.v-a.se).

Website: http://v-a.se

Address:
Grev Turegatan 14
114 46 Stockholm
Sweden

Projects:

• BLOOM - Boosting European citizens knowledge and awareness of bioeconomy
• RRI tools - Responsible Research and Innovation Tools (RRI TOOLS)
• EU-Citizen.Science - The European Citizen Science Platform