– Deadlined Extended –
Share your insights, research, experience or new ideas about practices for participatory sciences: the tools, strategies, or innovations that make for successful projects.
It’s easy to submit, and presenting can open doors for more ideas, connections, and inspired work in this field.
AAPS is calling for submissions covering many approaches to research by, for, and with members of the public for the 2025 Conference for Advancing Participatory Sciences (CAPS 2025), happening May 27th – 30th in Portland, Oregon.
We invite submissions that share stories and insights into the work behind participatory sciences (including community science, citizen science, crowdsourcing, volunteer monitoring and more), and share the important scientific contributions that can result from these practices.
Presentations provide an avenue for sharing your original ideas and finding connections with others in this field. CAPS 2025 is accepting submissions for two types of presentations: a Poster, or a Talk as part of a Discussion Session.
- What gets presented at this meeting? Ideas and insights that highlight what has been done or could be done to make participatory science projects successful and the field impactful. This call is for Individual Presentations (symposia and collaborative sessions have already been selected).
- Who can submit? Anyone working to make participatory sciences powerful and possible. This event uniquely brings together all of the people and perspectives needed for projects to thrive. That includes academics from all disciplines, community leaders, data managers, tech designers, librarians, and all who are part of project teams.
- Is this event for me? See above! And, just to start, here are a few reasons students/early career professionals, community leaders and researchers (just to start) can find value from being part of CAPS conversations.
- Do I have to have research findings? Only if that’s the type of knowledge you want to share. Other options include sharing stories of lessons learned and ideas for emerging work.
- Great! How do I propose an idea? We have a simple submission form linked below, as well as a planning guide to help you prepare.
Individual Presentations:
Each accepted individual presentation has two components: a talk delivered live on Zoom as part of a topical discussion session during the event (May 26-29), and an online poster on the virtual event page.
Topical Sessions are dynamic, small-group discussions featuring 6-8 presentations on a common theme. During this session, each presenter delivers a 5 minute talk – a focused overview designed to spark conversation and encourage attendees to visit their comprehensive Online Poster materials later. Presentations will be grouped topically into sessions by the Program Committee, unless you request and are accepted into an Organized Topical Discussion Session — find a full list of this year’s organized sessions and topics below. Organized Topical Discussion Sessions are new for 2026 and will highlight timely topics contributed and organized by leaders in the field.
At CAPS, presenters also compile a fuller representation of the work shared in the 5-minute talk into a shareable online poster. As a presenter, you have the flexibility to choose the best digital format for your information and desired engagement (e.g., interactive PDF, short video, or dedicated web page). These posters remain online for the entire month of the conference to facilitate continuous conversation and engagement.
Topical Discussion Sessions feature lightning talks and panel discussions with poster presenters on a cross-cutting topic relevant to several posters.
Online Posters will be shared in an easy-to-use virtual event site, providing access to media-rich posters and facilitating easy conversation, networking, and education opportunities.
Themes (overview):
Click on each topic for highlights, or on the embedded links for more expanded details on each theme.
Technology-driven innovation
Diversity and inclusion
Ethical considerations
Policy and decision-making
Knowledge collaborations
Participatory science methods
Education and learning
Scientific contributions to knowledge and discovery
Submission Basics:
If you would like to share your work with the participatory sciences community as part of our 2026 virtual conference, please complete the Individual presentation proposal form, available here.
This form works best when you have all of your materials ready. Please review this planning guide ahead of time to help you prepare.
Submissions due 14 February* 2026 31 January 2026.
*special deadline ONLY for the Health strand, 28 February
Submissions will be accepted in English only and must be submitted through the online submission form. Proposals submitted after the deadline will not be considered. All who submit will also be invited to take part in the peer review process.
We welcome submissions from any of the following perspectives:
- RESEARCH FINDINGS: findings from research, sharing insights into participatory science practices.
- STORY OF LESSONS LEARNED: lessons learned from on-the-ground experiences
- EMERGING WORK: inviting feedback on new projects, technologies, or research in progress (may be descriptive, but not promotional).
Looking for more details?
How to prepare your idea:
Ideas that are a good “fit” for this event are:
- Relevant to work in the field of participatory sciences (citizen science, community science, volunteer monitoring, crowdsourced science, etc.)
- Focused on practices/what works (such as building relationships, designing for action, integrating equity principles)
- Have informative stories, research outcomes, lessons learned, or emerging work to share with others in this field.
Here’s what you need to prepare:
- Title (100 characters or less)
- Author list (names, emails, and who is presenting)
- Short summary (250 characters or less, aka 1-2 sentences)
- Detailed overview/abstract that expands on the short summary (2000 characters or less)
- Everything else is just answers to some basic menu-based questions to help us organize sessions (the full set of options are in the PLANNING GUIDE).
Timeline and terms:
Who can submit? Anyone! If your project or work falls under the participatory sciences umbrella, we welcome your ideas and perspective at this conference. We want to bring together people from all spheres, spaces, and disciplines: volunteers, students, data managers, community leaders, librarians, scientists, teachers, to just name a handful!
How many ideas can I submit? Only one submission per presenting author will be considered. You can be listed as a co-author on multiple submissions, but you can only be the presenting author for one submission.
Will this cost me anything? There is no cost to submit an idea for an individual poster presentation. If accepted, the presenting author will need to register for the 2026 conference (see rates and options here).
What is the deadline again Submissions will be accepted through 11:59 PM EST on 14 February 2026 January 31, 2026.
When will I hear back? Proposals will be reviewed and authors will be notified of decisions by early March 2026.
Who reviews these ideas? The CAPS 2026 Presentation Committee, a sub-committee of the Conference Planning Committee, will facilitate the peer review of all submissions. Each submission will have 2-4 peer reviewers.
If I am accepted, then what? All presenters must register to attend the conference by May 1, 2026 to confirm their participation and be included in the program.
Review Criteria:
Proposals will be assisted using the following criteria:
- Highlight research findings, stories of lessons learned, or emerging work relevant to the participatory sciences
- Provide clear methods or processes for the insights shared (e.g., based on decades of experience, user testing, evaluation data, etc.)
- Focuses on practices that advance a big topic, idea, or challenges within the participatory sciences
This event strives to provide relevant, quality content that advances our field. All proposals will be reviewed and ranked by the CAPS 2026 conference committee who will make final decisions regarding acceptance following peer-review. Peer review is an important part of that process, and as such all who submit will be invited to opt into the anonymous review process. Reviewers will use criteria designed to ensure that submitted content is relevant to the Conference and meets the Association’s values of diversity, respect and collaboration, accessibility, participation, integrity, and transparency. See event code of conduct for additional detail
Organized Sessions
The following organized topical sessions have been accepted into the program. Conveners of these sessions will select from a pool of submissions and moderate a discussion around the proposed topics outlined below.
You can indicate your interest in being part of one of these sessions in the submission form. Indicating interest does not guarantee your placement in the organized session, nor is it the only way to join a topical discussion session. Presentations not part of the organized sessions will be grouped topically based on responses to previous questions by the program committee.
Engaged Research Strategies from the Health Sciences
Health sciences (environmental, public, biomedical, behavioral) offer a depth of insight into engaged research traditions and strategies for addressing the ethical, equitable, and actionable dimensions of practice. They are also at the forefront of exploring implications and use of new technologies. Talks in this session will highlight applications of engaged research practices in the health sciences.
Convener: Lauren Anderson, University of Louisville
Environmental Monitoring: How to sustain a project long-term and design for impact
There is a long history of environmental monitoring, and it continues to be a practice that is evolving in the face multiple crises. In this session, we highlight 1) how long-term environmental monitoring efforts have sustained or changed through time and 2) how monitoring data has had intended or unintended impacts.
How can citizen and participatory science projects be designed to foster nature connectedness?
A growing body of evidence points to diverse benefits of engaging in environmental citizen/participatory science projects, like increased knowledge, self-efficacy skills, pro-environmental behaviours, to increasing someone’s sense of belonging with the natural world, also known as nature connectedness. How citizen/participatory science experiences foster nature connectedness through project design is yet under-explored. This session invites contributors to explore this theme.
Implications of the use of emerging AI techniques in the participatory sciences
AI techniques such as machine learning and computer vision are not new to citizen science, but the recent proliferation of generative AI such as Large Language Models and image generation is rapidly changing the AI ecosystem and public understanding of science. The session will examine the implications for participatory sciences and consider how to ensure that use of AI is not only effective and scientifically robust but also carried out and communicated in a responsible and ethical manner.
Innovative uses of low-cost sensors, open data, and citizen science in education and community resilience
Low-cost, small sensor and AI technologies are rapidly evolving and transforming how ground-based environmental monitoring is conducted around the world, providing opportunities for citizen scientists, community-based research, and entrepreneurial initiatives. These technologies raise considerations on how to coordinate instrumentation specifications, data collection methods, open data integration and archiving, among other topics. This session welcomes contributions on these and related topics.
Looking for Sustainability in an Age of Uncertainty: GLOBE after 30
Funding uncertainties for participatory science have impacted long-supported programs such as Global Learning and Observations to Benefit the Environment (GLOBE). We share a vision for a more flexible structure, including virtual training, flexible electronic data sheets, and simplified account structure and support systems. This topical discussion session will examine how GLOBE leaders and participants are navigating funding uncertainties and will inform projects facing similar disruptions.
Points and Participation: Gamification and Behaviour Change in CS
The application of gamification or game-like elements in citizen science is widely used to improve engagement and also has the potential to lead to further behavioural impact. This interactive session brings together citizen science practitioners, researchers, and CS community members to share lessons from real projects using game elements to motivate engagement, learning, and sustained impact. Together, we’ll explore successes, pitfalls, and practical takeaways for future initiatives.
Seeds of Change: Participatory Science for Biodiversity and Equity
This session explores participatory science innovations that act as “transformative seeds” linking biodiversity, nature-based solutions, equity, and behavioural change. Drawing on Earthwatch Europe’s work and Horizon Europe’s DAISY, PLANET4B and NATALIE projects (exploring biodiversity prioritisation and transformative change), we aim to showcase impactful examples from diverse contexts worldwide and discuss how co-created interventions foster values shifts and just transformations.
Topical Areas:
The following topics were identified by the program committee and will be used to help group presentations into sessions focusing on themes relevant to practitioners from across disciplines, roles, and approaches to this work. The examples under each theme below are meant to give you an idea of what types of conversations could be relevant under each topic. Use the down arrows to expand to view examples of each topic.
Technology-driven innovation:
- AI and Machine Learning: Projects that use technologies and volunteer support to analyze vast amounts of data more efficiently, leading to new discoveries and insights.
- Mobile Apps and Platforms: Projects that involve user-friendly apps making it easier for people to participate in participatory science projects.
- IoT Devices: Internet-connected devices (IoT) enabling real-time data collection and monitoring for a range of environmental and other scientific variables.
Diversity and inclusion
- Bridging the Gap: Efforts ensuring that projects are accessible to people from diverse backgrounds, including those with disabilities and from marginalized communities.
- Community-Based and Boundary Organization Partnerships:Leveraging partnerships to bring project opportunities to new audiences.
Ethical considerations
- Data Privacy and Security: As the volume and complexity of data in the participatory sciences increases, ensuring its privacy and security becomes a paramount concern.
- Responsibilities to Participants: Processes that support fairness and equity by attending to priorities of all partners and ensuring that everyone benefits from participatory science projects.
Participatory science for policy and decision-making
- Influencing Policy: The ways that participatory science data and research results are being used to inform policy decisions on a range of issues, from climate change to public health.
- Community-led Research: Expanding access to tools, labs, and data for communities to advocate for change and to take action on pressing issues.
- Coalition Building: Partnerships between scientists, policymakers, and community organizations that enable communities to advocate for change and take action on priority issues.
Knowledge collaborations
- Beyond Traditional Boundaries: Participatory science projects that cross disciplinary boundaries, leading to more holistic and innovative research.
- Braiding Indigenous Knowledge and Western Science: Projects that build and reflect different knowledge traditions for deeper understandings and respectful planning.
Participatory science methods
- Data Management and Use: Designing protocols for data collection, classification and analysis that lead to successful project and participant outcomes.
- Data visualization and sharing project outcomes: Examples of innovative approaches to sharing project outcomes with stakeholders.
- Volunteer Training and Outreach: How has (or has not) the landscape of online learning changed strategies for effective volunteer engagement?
Education and Learning
- Evaluation: How do we know what participants are learning and what strategies are effective for programs designed to educate the general public?
- Colleges and Careers: Higher education institutions are integrating participatory sciences into curricula to connect class themes to real science, as well as providing valuable professional learning to advance careers in the participatory sciences.
- Engaging Younger Learners: Tools, strategies, and outcomes of involving students in authentic scientific research, whether in formal or informal settings.
Scientific contributions to knowledge and discovery:
- Addressing Global Challenges: Developing sustainable technologies, understanding climate patterns, and proposing mitigation strategies; improving disease diagnosis, treatment, and prevention; or exploring alternative energy sources, efficient resource management, and sustainable agriculture.
- Expanding Basic Discoveries: Contributing to fundamental scientific advancement, in fields like health, physics, chemistry, biology, ecology, etc., or developing technological advancements that support scientific discovery.
We recognize that this list of examples is not comprehensive, and that your work might fit into more than one category. When submitting, presenters will be given the opportunity to identify up to three themes, in order of preference, that apply to their work. There will also be an “Other” option for you to input your own theme in the submission form.