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2024 Conference for Advancing the Participatory Sciences
This online conference brings together researchers, facilitators, and project and community leaders for four exciting days of collaboration.
Our event highlights leading voices within the participatory sciences and facilitates dynamic discussions. With an online format, you’ll connect with a broad range of people and perspectives that won’t be convened anywhere else.
Online June 3-6, 2024
Break the silos!
CAPS 2024 offers time to connect, collaborate, and innovate
Conference overview:
Daily Symposia provide big ideas to discuss, while, throughout the conference, small group sessions provide specific opportunities to meet and exchange ideas with participatory science professionals from around the globe.
Multimedia posters are presented in an online poster hub designed to spark engagement and will be available for the entire month.
This collaborative conference utilizes an easy-to-use virtual space that encourages collaboration and discussion. A single Zoom link provides easy access to the conference.
About CAPS 2024
Conference registration includes access to a core program of live, virtual events held across four days (June 3-6) as well as access to an online event space.
The core program will take place between 12-5 pm EDT and include keynote presentations and panel-style symposia on cross-cutting topics. Each day will feature a block of Ideas-to-Action Sessions (workshops, discussions, or collaborations) to turn inspiration into action, as well as live poster discussion sessions and networking events.
About CAPS 2024
Conference registration includes access to a core program of live, virtual events held across four days (June 3-6) as well as access to an online event space.
The core program will take place between 12-5 pm EDT and include keynote presentations and panel-style symposia on cross-cutting topics. Each day will feature a block of Ideas-to-Action Sessions (workshops, discussions, or collaborations) to turn inspiration into action, as well as live poster discussion sessions and networking events.
Build connections and explore big ideas
This event convenes conversations across disciplines, roles, and perspectives. Together, we seek and share the traditional and innovative practices that lead to powerful partnerships for discovery, learning, and action.
Interactive posters will be available on the virtual event site for the duration of the event and live sessions with presenters will offer opportunities for face-to-face conversations with innovators and thought leaders in this field.
Bring your research, story, or emerging idea to our 2024 virtual conference
Opportunities to present:
A special call for topical abstracts related to biodiversity, third spaces, and community-driven partnerships is open through April 5th. We are also still accepting abstracts for online posters* through the end of April.
This year's event is made possible by the following sponsors, supporters, and partners:
Your organization can be a leader for future events. Contact director(at)citizenscience.org for details.
This year’s speakers
Nominated by people across this field, speakers will address pressing issues and priority questions to help advance our work.
Maui Hudson
Director, Te Kotahi Research Institute, University of Waikato
Opening Keynote:
CARE and the use of Indigenous Knowledge in Open Science
Prof. Hudson will present June 3rd, launching a conversation about work in this field at the intersection between big data and local knowledge.
Ideas to Action session will immediately follow.
Insights from across this field and beyond
Symposia will launch engaged conversations on three priority topics:
Moving from Data to Impact
Participatory sciences can create a wealth of data, but it’s what can be done with the data that inspires participation for scientists and the public alike. Realizing big-picture project goals–whether for discovery, corrective action, learning, conservation, or otherwise–can sometimes feel out of reach, and can also bring up new challenges. These Symposia offer insights and strategies for ensuring project data can yield real impacts.
New Frontiers
New technologies, innovations, and approaches are being implemented to augment and enhance the efforts of volunteer contributors, as well as increasing accessibility to scientific tools and processes. Speakers in this topic area are conducting or planning cutting-edge technology or innovations that can challenge and inspire the way that we think about our own practices.
Building Equitable Partnerships
Partnerships are central to the success of most projects, and offer great opportunities to share knowledge and reach new audiences. However, resources, influence, and funding are often centralized in large institutions, creating power imbalances between project partners that can disrupt good intentions. Speakers in this topic will share best practices and lessons learned from cultivating equitable partnerships across different disciplines and settings.
Biodiversity Special Strand
Woven throughout the conference are strategies to engage and share new knowledge to address the biodiversity crisis.
Find discussions on improving the relevance of biodiversity data, better reflecting local values, improving partnerships, and more in sessions across all four days.
Multi-media Posters
Live poster sessions will feature over 100 presenters in 17 small break-out groups, offering an engaging quick look at poster details.
Conference attendees will be given access to our special online hub, providing access to media-rich posters and facilitating easy conversation, networking, and education opportunities.
Live poster sessions feature lightning talks and panel discussions with poster presenters on a cross-cutting topic relevant to several posters.
Posters are the heart and soul of this event.
Our media-rich online platform is designed to facilitate engagement.
Ideas-to-Action
These engaging and collaborative sessions highlight building skills, advancing efforts, seeking solutions, and other ways to leverage inspiration for impact.
June 3rd:
- Extended Q and A with Maui Hudson
- Biodiversity Beyond Boundaries: Setting the stage and making new connections
- Exploring your data challenges and opportunities with the Data & Metadata Working Group
June 4th:
- ArcGIS Capabilities from Analysis to Sharing Results
- Exploring opportunities for benefits to flow from global- to local-scale biodiversity projects and vice versa
- Optimizing opportunities for learning at participatory science events
June 5th:
- Building reciprocity via badges: an exploration of platforms and potential
- Biodiversity Beyond Boundaries: Digital tools for biodiversity documentation
- Participatory Sciences as Open Science
June 6th:
- Publishing and sharing your participatory science work
- Leveraging awe-inspiring events to connect with audiences
- Libraries and Museums as Community Hubs for Participatory Sciences
Program elements
Symposia speakers – nominated by people across this field – will address pressing issues that many of us are struggling with as we do this work.
Live sessions with lightning talks and panel discussions with poster presenters on a cross-cutting topic relevant to several posters.
Engaging and/or collaborative sessions for building skills, advancing efforts, seeking solutions, and other ways to leverage inspiration for impact.
Posters are the heart and soul of this event–presented in a media-rich online platform designed specifically to facilitate engagement.
Registration rates*:
Reduced Rate
$60 before 15 May 2023 |
Students, community leaders, and other opportunities.
*To facilitate globally equitable access to this event, practitioners who are based in the Global South (as defined by UNESCO) are eligible for a 50% off of the relevant registration rate. Additionally, members of RICAP (the Ibero-American Association for Citizen and Participatory Sciences) and CitSciAfrica are welcome to register at the rate offered to AAPS Members. All details will be facilitated by the registration form.
Emerging partnerships bring new dimensions to our 2024 event.
- Biodiversity strand – with support from Florida State University and the iDigBio program, this event will feature highlights of participatory science practices for biodiversity data partnerships and decision making.
- Working in partnership with the Ibero-American Network of Participatory Science (RICAP), a Biodiversity without Boundaries portion of this event will facilitate North-South exchange of practices (submissions and reviewers will be invited in both English and Spanish – stay tuned for the possibility of Portuguese).
Partner with us!
There is still time to partner to convene a special strand. If you are interested in supporting attention to a topical area of practice, contact us for options.
EQUITY STATEMENT:
AAPS is committed to providing an equitable and inclusive virtual conference and celebrating the diverse voices in our space. AAPS strives to ensure that all our members and participants feel welcome and comfortable sharing their insights and contributions with the larger citizen science community and that all our participants can meaningfully engage in our events.
If you are interested in shaping how equity is woven into our events, please consider joining the planning team. Contact events@citizenscience.org for more information.