Fondazione IDIS-Città della Scienza

Their core work

Fondazione IDIS-Città della Scienza is Naples' major science center and public engagement institution, operating as a foundation dedicated to making science accessible to citizens, students, and educators. They specialize in designing frameworks and tools for science education — from open schooling models to STEAM curricula and digital assessment toolboxes. Their H2020 work focuses on bridging the gap between formal education and real-world science literacy, developing practical guidelines and accreditation systems that schools and science centers can adopt across Europe.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

Their early H2020 work (2017-2018) centered on open schooling concepts and building science capital among citizens — broad, aspirational goals around making schools more connected to society. By 2021, their focus sharpened considerably toward measurable outcomes: assessment frameworks, accreditation systems, self-assessment tools, and design guidelines. The shift suggests a maturation from advocating for open science education toward building the concrete instruments that institutions need to implement and evaluate it.

Moving from broad science engagement advocacy toward structured, tool-based quality assurance for informal science learning — expect future work in education accreditation and digital assessment.

How they like to work

Exclusively a participant — they have never coordinated an H2020 project, joining consortia where others lead. With 36 unique partners across 17 countries from just 3 projects, they operate in large, diverse consortia (averaging 12+ partners per project). This profile suggests an organization valued for its practical science center expertise and public engagement infrastructure rather than for driving research agendas.

Broad European network spanning 36 partners across 17 countries from only 3 projects, indicating participation in large multi-national consortia. No obvious geographic concentration — their partnerships are spread widely across the EU.

What sets them apart

Città della Scienza is one of Italy's most prominent science centers, giving it a rare combination of physical public engagement infrastructure and EU project experience in science education research. Unlike universities that study education theoretically, they operate a real visitor-facing venue where frameworks and tools can be tested with actual audiences. For consortium builders, they bring a credible dissemination and piloting venue in Southern Italy — a Widening country region that strengthens geographic balance in proposals.

Highlights from their portfolio

• SURROUNDEDbySCIENCE
  Their largest project (EUR 145,000) and most recent, focused on building concrete accreditation and assessment tools — signals their current strategic direction.
• OSOS
  Largest consortium involvement (EUR 117,500) addressing open schooling across Europe, connecting science education with citizenship and societal responsibility.