Thank you for your interest in the dynamic and collaborative field of participatory sciences. Please check out the new strategic plan (2024-2027) for the Association for Advancing Participatory Sciences (AAPS), which is framed around mobilizing people, improving practices and creating partnerships.
This is an exciting time, full of opportunities to change how science works, to rethink who gets to participate in and benefit from science, and to reimagine what is possible for communities, equitable research partnerships and action-oriented science. AAPS believes there is considerable value to be drawn from participatory sciences for science and society, and we strive to be the go-to organization to support both leaders and learners in this field.
There is vast untapped potential for communities and individuals to contribute to and benefit from the expansive field of participatory sciences – from biodiversity to disaster response and prevention, from monitoring environmental pollution to conducting human health studies, from space exploration and astronomy to agriculture and forestry, and more. For more than 10 years, AAPS has engaged practitioners from many related traditions, including crowdsourced science, volunteer monitoring, community-engaged research, participatory research, citizen science and many more. Participatory sciences combine the strengths of scientific inquiry with the knowledge, insights and observations of communities and individuals.
If you are new to AAPS, here is a quick overview: We are a professional organization created in the early 2010’s, and the leading organization and go-to place for both leaders and learners in this field. We provide leadership in the exchange of best practices and other knowledge to advance the outcomes and impacts of participatory science projects. AAPS brings depth to how participatory sciences are valued both as public engagement and as research, and how well-designed and equitable projects benefit science, society and communities.
I encourage you get engage: Ongoing opportunities like our annual CAPS conference (Conference for Advancing Participatory Sciences) and open-access journal (Citizen Science: Theory and Practice) allow us to highlight the broad range of practices, and the traditions they emerge from, and build on the strength of these practices. AAPS works to inspire new collaborations, address shared challenges, and raise awareness of the value of these projects to pave the way for future successes.
What does the future hold for participatory sciences? And, how can we help shape a positive future? The field continues to rapidly evolve, and the new AAPS strategic plan includes goals, strategies and the flexibility to help AAPS grow into the future. The path to this future lies in enabling connections across boundaries – spanning scientific discipline, STEM education, academic interests and community priorities. We are excited to reinvigorate the transformative work our Association and its members have long been doing.
Over the next three years, AAPS will use this plan to set priorities and drive success towards the stated goals. Annual work plans, including milestones and metrics, will be organized around priority action areas.These are our baseline commitments to drive success, but they do not limit us from exploring or building beyond these commitments when opportunities arise.
We look forward to working with you and your colleagues.
Jay Benforado
Board Chair, Association for Advancing Participatory Sciences
