News Release
As opportunities for public participation in research grow, citizen science is gaining attention for its potential benefits—from broader engagement to stronger research capacity—while raising important questions about processes, and even terminology, particularly in a country as large and diverse as Canada. At the request of Public Services and Procurement Canada, the CCA has formed an expert panel to examine the state of citizen science in Canada and how it compares internationally.
Citizen science—sometimes called community science or participatory research—engages the public as research partners with valuable skills, perspectives, and experiences to contribute.
Jeremy T. Kerr, FRSC, a professor in the Department of Biology at the University of Ottawa, will serve as chair of the expert panel. Prof. Kerr is a leading ecologist and conservation scientist. He previously co-chaired an Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development working group on citizen science, helping countries worldwide to use public engagement and scientific evidence as a guide for policy.
“In a place as geographically vast as Canada, citizen science can accelerate scientific discovery and amplify its value for society and our shared national priorities,” said Prof. Kerr. “I look forward to what we’ll learn by bringing together the perspectives and experiences of the members of this panel.”
As chair, Prof. Kerr will lead a diverse, multidisciplinary group of panel members to answer the following question:
What is the current state of citizen science in Canada and how does it compare internationally?
“We’re very pleased that Prof. Kerr and this group of experts have agreed to lead this important work,” said Tijs Creutzberg, President and CEO of the CCA. “This project, which has the support of 17 federal departments and agencies, will be pivotal to understanding the potential for citizen science across the Government of Canada.”
Expert panel members serve as individuals and do not represent the views of their organizations of affiliation or employment.
This project was supported by the Government of Canada through the Strategic Science Fund.