Although it is hard for me to believe, I have now been with EUSEA for a fifth of its lifetime! Where has the time gone?
In this slightly different version of the “25 years of EUSEA” blog, you will hear a little from me – Chris Styles, EUSEA’s Senior Project Officer – about my journey through science communication and EUSEA over the past 5 years.
Chris before EUSEA
Before 2021, I was relatively new to the world of science communication and public engagement. Prior to EUSEA, I had been working at the University of Malta on various activities, including completing an internship with the Science in the City festival, assisting with events for the Malta Chamber of Scientists, and creating various articles and podcasts.
Around the same time, I took on the assistant project officer role with an upcoming EU project – SciCulture. However, just as we were all getting excited about organising the project’s second summer school – a week-long experience that merged the arts, science, and enterprise – the world shut down, and I moved back to the UK. Looking back, it was a strange time, and I found myself creating content for a promising project that was on an undefined hiatus.
Some of the Science in the City team in 2019
Edward Duca, Chris Styles, and Annette Klinkert
This was when I first interacted with EUSEA. I reached out to (then) Director Annette Klinkert and SciCulture’s project leader, Edward Duca, to ask for an interview about what the new reality under lockdown meant for science communication (obviously very in vogue at the time).
Following this conversation, I started to follow the work of EUSEA very closely, even attending their online Christmas party later in December 2020 – a very warm and merry event, considering the time and context.
When I saw that EUSEA was hiring a new project officer, I jumped at the chance to apply, although I did not hold too much hope of actually being offered the role, I was still relatively inexperienced (and perhaps a pinch of the imposter syndrome that haunts all millennials), and so when asked to jump on a quick call at 6 o’clock one evening, I was expecting a nice “thank you but…” (which I am sure all job hunters can empathise with) albeit more courteous than the majority of rejections.
However, much to my surprise, Annette offered me the job, and my journey with EUSEA officially began!
Getting on Board at EUSEA
Chris Visiting Annette in the Herford Office- 2021
When my first day at EUSEA arrived. It was a busy time for me, but could have been much more intense (all things considered). I was jumping into two EU projects – ResBios (incorporating RRI into bioscience institutions) and Our Space Our Future (ensuring schools and students have access to education about space science), and then later the Step Change Project (using citizen science for energy, medical, and environamental research)- very different projects, but they seemed to fit my experience well, having a background in bioscience and education. This came with its challenges, but thanks to Annette, Andrea Troncoso (the person whose shoes I was jumping into), Amalia Verzola (my fellow new hire at EUSEA), and the two consortiums, learning the ropes wasn’t too stressful. This, paired with the general “slow down” in the workload as we started to come out of the COVID lockdowns, gave me a little more room to get up to speed.
Since then, my “jack of all trades” mentality and willingness to give most tasks a go have allowed me to learn and hone new skills – the type of multitasking that is often expected from people working in communications. I was also able to attend and participate in what would be the first of many conferences.
It was amazing to be in the room (albeit sometimes a ‘Zoom room’) to help shape and share some of the fantastic work these EU projects are doing. Then there’s the EUSEA conference itself: I have now helped to facilitate 6 and a half conferences (with EUSEA27 preparations underway), which has allowed me to meet so many interesting people and travel across Europe to new places. This has also helped develop my own vision of what science communication and public engagement mean to me, as I am sure it does for many of the participants coming to the EUSEA conference.
Although I still fall into that imposter syndrome mindset on occasion, working with others and being part of fantastic projects has helped this to subside – at least a little.
The Step Change team at ECSA 2024
Perhaps my proudest achievement in my EUSEA role is the work I have done with the IMPETUS project – an initiative to fund and support citizen science across Europe. For the past few years, I have led the work package on dissemination and communication, but the scope of the IMPETUS project meant the effort and skill demands were far greater than anything I had worked on before.
IMPETUS at the 2024 Ars Electronica Grand Prix award ceremony for the EU Prize for Citizen Science
Through three open calls for citizen science projects (the IMPETUS ‘accelerators’) and three years of coordinating the European Union Prizes for Citizen Science, it was like a series of major projects all rolled into one. Through the IMPETUS accelerator, we helped facilitate the creation of 97 new projects and the continuation of 32 ongoing citizen science projects, while the European Prize highlighted 90 outstanding citizen science projects, for which EUSEA supported communication and dissemination. This included producing social media posts, video interviews, and news articles, along with promoting other IMPETUS consortium outputs.
IMPETUS came to a close earlier this year, and we are still in the reporting process for the final review later in September 2026. This has provided me with ample time to reflect on just how much great work the IMPETUS consortium has done, and the space we have created within the citizen science ecosystem as an avenue for (relatively) low-barrier-to-entry support and funding for small-scale, community-led, and problem-focused citizen science comes to an end. However, we have left behind a generation of new citizen science projects that will continue to inspire forward-thinking people to take on challenges in their communities and use citizen science practices to improve their corner of the world.
I am hoping to be able to use the experience I have gained through the IMPETUS project as we approach closer to October and the start of our next EU-funded collaboration- the ALL4KV project. More info about this is coming very soon!
Being part of EUSEA
Through my work at EUSEA, I have developed my sphere of expertise and interest considerably, both through the projects EUSEA has partnered on and through the collaborations and conversations the network has provided. These conversations happen all through the year – including the EUSEA Hotspots, the annual EUSEA conference and regular connections with EUSEA members, which we regard as our extended EUSEA family. In my role at EUSEA, I work across all areas of activity and see firsthand the dedication and admiration people have for EUSEA. Although EUSEA may not be the biggest network (and indeed, would not wish to be) we use this to our strength: the familiarity members and guests have at our events, and the open and honest way people share their learnings and experiences is one of EUSEA’s most valuable features. We are doing our best to make sure EUSEA continues to grow and improve services for members, and within the public engagement and science communication community.
Working in a small but dynamic organisation like EUSEA has meant a lot of dedication and hard work, but it has also brought me tremendous career highs. When I reflect on what EUSEA – and my own contribution – has achieved, it makes me exceptionally proud. And I am continuously excited to work with Jörg, the board- Ken, Rony, Maria, Mhairi, Sara, and Andrea- the congressa team, and you all to build this network and ensure members get the most out of these connections, as I have.
So if you want to help us grow and do not mind a few emails from me every once in a while, why not join us and get involved?
And maybe see you in Glasgow next year, for #EUSEA27!
Chris, Mira, and Jörg at #EUSEA26
Author:
Chris Styles – EUSEA Senior Project Officer
