DESCUBRE - FUNDACION ANDALUZA PARA LA DIVULGACION DE LA INNOVACION Y EL CONOCIMIENTO

Their core work

Descubre is an Andalusian foundation dedicated to science communication and public engagement with research. They organize the annual European Researchers' Night in Andalusia, bringing scientists and the public together through interactive events that make research accessible and understandable. Their core mission is promoting scientific vocations — especially among underrepresented groups — and bridging the gap between complex EU-funded research and everyday citizens. They operate as a regional science outreach hub, translating research results into formats the general public can engage with.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

In the early period (2014–2017), Descubre focused on foundational science outreach in Andalusia — promoting research careers and making science accessible through Researchers' Night events framed around general Horizon 2020 societal challenges. From 2018 onward, their work evolved to incorporate EU policy agendas: Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI), citizen science, the Sustainable Development Goals, and the Green Deal became central themes. This shift shows a move from general public engagement toward purpose-driven science communication tied to specific global challenges.

Descubre is increasingly embedding sustainability frameworks (SDGs, Green Deal) into their public engagement work, making them a relevant partner for projects that need to communicate climate and sustainability research to citizens.

How they like to work

Descubre operates exclusively as a project coordinator — all five of their H2020 projects were self-led, indicating strong organizational capacity for managing EU-funded activities independently. Their consortium size is modest (15 unique partners across 5 projects, averaging 3 partners per project), and all collaboration is within a single country (Spain), suggesting they work with a tight regional network of Andalusian institutions. This makes them a reliable lead partner for regionally anchored outreach projects, though they have not demonstrated experience in large multi-country consortia.

Descubre has worked with 15 unique partners, all based in Spain. Their network is concentrated in the Andalusian research and education ecosystem, reflecting their regional mandate and focus.

What sets them apart

Descubre is one of the few organizations that has coordinated the European Researchers' Night in Spain for five consecutive H2020 funding cycles, demonstrating exceptional continuity and institutional knowledge of this specific EU instrument. Their strength lies in combining deep regional roots in Andalusia with a proven track record of managing CSA (Coordination and Support Action) projects. For any consortium needing a science communication or public engagement partner in southern Spain, Descubre brings both operational experience and an established network of local research institutions.

Highlights from their portfolio

• OPENRESEARCHERS1819
  Their highest-funded project (EUR 33,000), representing the peak of their Researchers' Night series and the edition where RRI was first integrated as a core theme.
• OPENRESEARCHERS2021
  The most thematically evolved edition, incorporating Green Deal, SDGs, citizen science, and inclusion — showing how the format adapted to new EU policy priorities.
• RESSQUA
  Their first H2020 project (2014), establishing the model that would be refined and repeated across four subsequent editions under the OPENRESEARCHERS brand.