VETENSKAP & ALLMANHET, VA

Their core work

VA (Public & Science) is Sweden's leading independent organization for dialogue between researchers and the public. They design and run national science engagement programs — most visibly ForskarFredag (Researchers' Night), Sweden's largest annual science event bringing researchers face-to-face with citizens. Beyond events, VA develops methods for responsible research and innovation (RRI), co-creation between scientists and society, and citizen science frameworks. They serve as a bridge organization, helping research institutions open up their work to public scrutiny, participation, and co-design.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

In their early H2020 period (2016–2019), VA focused squarely on traditional science communication — organizing researchers' nights, public engagement events, and promoting science careers through festivals and hands-on activities. From 2019 onward, their work shifted toward more participatory and governance-oriented themes: citizen science, research ethics, ethics-by-design, and youth empowerment through co-creation. This evolution mirrors the broader EU policy move from one-way science communication toward genuinely inclusive open science and responsible innovation.

VA is moving from organizing public-facing science events toward designing participatory governance frameworks — expect them to pursue projects on ethics of emerging technologies, citizen engagement in policy, and inclusive science.

How they like to work

VA balances leadership and partnership roles: they coordinate Sweden's national Researchers' Night (4 projects as coordinator) while joining larger European consortia as a specialized partner for public engagement and communication work packages. With 97 unique partners across 24 countries, they operate as a well-connected hub rather than working with a fixed set of collaborators. Their CSA-heavy profile (9 of 12 projects) confirms they are brought in for coordination, dissemination, and societal engagement — not for technical research delivery.

VA has collaborated with 97 distinct partners across 24 countries, giving them one of the broader networks among science engagement organizations in Northern Europe. Their partnerships span universities, science museums, NGOs, and research funders across the EU.

What sets them apart

VA occupies a rare niche: an independent, non-university organization dedicated entirely to the interface between research and society. Unlike university communication departments that serve their own institution, VA works across the entire Swedish research system and brings that national-level perspective into EU consortia. For any project needing genuine public engagement — not just a dissemination checkbox — VA offers tested methods, an established network of researchers willing to participate, and credibility with both scientific and public audiences.

Highlights from their portfolio

• ORION
  Largest single grant (EUR 477,647) and a flagship open science project focused on institutional change — shows VA can handle substantial multi-year commitments beyond event coordination.
• FF18_19
  Part of VA's continuous run as Sweden's national coordinator for European Researchers' Night, demonstrating sustained institutional capacity and trust from the EU Commission.
• TechEthos
  Marks VA's expansion into technology ethics governance — a significant departure from traditional science communication into emerging policy-relevant territory.