Citizen Science for Health: UniSR's commitment recognised nationally and internationally

Vita-Salute San Raffaele University has taken significant steps to strengthen its position in Citizen Science, particularly in the challenging topic of health. The university's journey began with its commitment to the Third mission and with a clear vision: to empower citizens, patients, and caregivers to actively participate in scientific research and generate shared, useful, and sustainable knowledge.

The first important milestone was reached in April at the Second National Conference of the Citizen Science Italia association, traditionally dedicated to issues such as biodiversity and environmental monitoring, where thanks to a proposal by UniSR, Università di Torino e Centro Studi KOS a working group dedicated to health was established. UniSR is the only Italian university that, since 2023, has a team dedicated to Citizen Science. Confirming the recognised and credible role that UniSR is acquiring in this innovative field with rich future prospects, Maya Fedeli – the University's Citizen Science officer – has been chosen to coordinate the national CSI Salute working group.

Despite its great potential, Citizen Science remains underrepresented in the medical and healthcare fields today. In fact, when applied to health, patients become active participants in research, capable of influencing scientific processes and promoting a more participatory, ethical and inclusive healthcare system.

In this context, the new working group has already outlined an ambitious action plan:

• Build a community of stakeholders to promote and develop citizen science for health.
• Develop and share common operational tools, glossaries, methods, and information materials.
• Increase the visibility and quality of projects in the healthcare field.
• Strengthen links with the European group 'ECSA CS Health'.

Alongside this national recognition, our university has contributed to two recent scientific peer-reviewed publications, further strengthening our position in the academic and international arena.

The first, Community-driven research: Exploring the Potential of Citizen Science in Nursing, is the result of a collaboration between the Research and Development Area, CeNRI professors and researchers, and the Federation of Incontinence and Ostomy Associations (FAIS Onlus). It explores how citizen science can transform the field of nursing. Serving as a practical guide for nurses wishing to adopt this approach, the article illustrates operational models, best practices and effectiveness criteria for research projects co-created with patients and caregivers.

The second publication, Institutional Changes to Embed Citizen Science in RPOs: The Case of UniSR as an Implementer Partner of the European Project TIME4CS, is a case study recounting the institutional transformation undertaken by UniSR as part of the European TIME4CS project. Thanks also to the parallel creation of the new Research Development area, TIME4CS has helped the implementation of a structured plan involving researchers, students, technical and administrative staff, and external stakeholders. This has led to a significant increase in awareness and adoption of Citizen Science as a research methodology, with positive impacts on scientific competitiveness, internationalisation, and the promotion of the principles of Open Science and Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI).

These achievements are not a finishing line, but a new starting point. UniSR is committed to spearheading a cultural shift in health research, where citizens are active participants in the scientific process: only through shared science this can be truly achieved.