3 projects
All three ReFocuS projects (2016-2021) are dedicated to organizing public science events and outreach activities.
Organization
PRIRODNO MATEMATICKI FAKULTET
Serbian university faculty specializing in science communication, public engagement events, and citizen science outreach through the ReFocuS initiative series.
University research groupsocietyRSNo active H2020 projectsThin data (2/5)
H2020 projects
3
As coordinator
1
Total EC funding
€130K
Unique partners
3
What they do
Their core work
The Faculty of Sciences and Mathematics at the University of Niš is a Serbian higher education institution focused on science communication and public engagement. Through their sustained "Road to Friday of Science" initiative (ReFocuS), they organize public science events that bring research closer to citizens, emphasizing open science, citizen science, and the connection between cultural and natural heritage. Their EU-funded work centers on making science accessible and inclusive rather than conducting frontier research itself.
Core expertise
What they specialise in
Open science and citizen scienceemerging
1 project
ReFocuS 3.0 explicitly introduced open science, citizen science, and multidisciplinarity as core themes.
Cultural and natural heritage outreachsecondary
1 project
ReFocuS 2.0 connected science communication with cultural and natural heritage themes.
Evolution & trajectory
How they've shifted over time
Early focus
Science popularization events
Recent focus
Open science and citizen science
The faculty began with a straightforward science popularization event format in ReFocuS (2016-2017), with no distinctive thematic keywords. By ReFocuS 2.0 (2018-2020), they expanded into heritage-linked science communication and took on a coordinator role. The most recent iteration, ReFocuS 3.0 (2020-2021), shows a clear shift toward contemporary science policy themes — open science, citizen science, diversity, and multidisciplinarity — reflecting alignment with the EU's evolving research culture agenda.
They are moving from simple science outreach toward embedding open science principles and inclusivity into public engagement, which positions them well for Horizon Europe's Responsible Research and Innovation agenda.
Collaboration profile
How they like to work
Role: active_partnerReach: Local1 countries collaborated
They operate in very small consortia (3 unique partners total) and have coordinated one of their three projects, showing both the ability and willingness to lead. Their partnership network is notably narrow — all collaborations involve partners from a single country — suggesting they work within a tight, trusted group rather than building broad European networks. This makes them a reliable, low-overhead partner but not a network hub.
A very small network of 3 unique partners, all within a single country. This suggests a close-knit regional collaboration circle rather than a broad European presence.
Why partner with them
What sets them apart
Their distinctive strength is continuity: three consecutive iterations of the same science engagement initiative show deep institutional commitment to public outreach, not just one-off project participation. For a Serbian institution, sustained EU funding across three project cycles demonstrates reliability and the ability to deliver. They would be a natural partner for any consortium needing a science communication or public engagement work package in Southeast Europe.
Notable projects
Highlights from their portfolio
- ReFocuS 2.0Their only coordinator role and largest single grant (€61,000), marking the point where they stepped up from participant to project leader.
- ReFocuS 3.0Introduced open science and citizen science themes, signaling a thematic evolution toward EU science policy priorities.
Cross-sector capabilities
Science communication and disseminationPublic engagement and citizen scienceEducation and outreachCultural heritage interpretation
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