National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food and Environment(INRAE)

INRAE is France’s new National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food and Environment, created on January 1, 2020, It was formed by the merger of INRA, the National Institute for Agricultural Research, and IRSTEA, the National Research Institute of Science and Technology for the Environment and Agriculture.

Elements	Evidence for this
1.1 Are there research projects using CS methodology? (Yes/ No) If yes, provide description of any tracked past and present projects employing CS, Crowdsourcing, Participatory-Action-Research or a Co-productive approach. For definition of citizen science, see ECSA characteristics of citizen science	Yes, we have identified 200+ such projects, past and current, at INRAE. They pertain to food, agriculture, forest and the environment with a wide diversity of non-academic participants: – many contributive/consultative projects such as Nutrinet (web-based and long-term study of relationships between nutrition ans health with 150,000 participants) or many crowdsourced projects on biodiversity : Observatoire des saisons, Oak Bodyguard*, CiTique*, Ephytia* platform bringing together several epidemiosurveillance and biodiversity programmes (Vigil’Encre, AGIIR, Jardibiodiv, etc.). – many collaborative projects (e.g. Ecovitisol* or Bakery*) – some co-created projects (e.g. Manech* project or other projects aiming to co-design systems or to involve deeply non academic actors at each step of the project such as Divinfood*) * coordinated by INRAE, cf. the sheet ‘CS-Projects Example’.
1.2 Do researchers and students belong to a CS network? (Yes/No) If yes, provide details of the different links with CS networks. A citizen science network can be formal (e.g. an association or organisation) or informal (a shared mailing list)	> On a European and global scale – INRAE is an institutional member of ECSA and a few of us are individually active in ECSA activities (e.g.Marco Barzman, INRAE, is co-Chair of the new Agri-food WG). – INRAE is a member of the ComMod group about companion modelling, which focuses on participatory approaches close to participatory action research with the aid of modeling (https://www.commod.org/en/) > On a national scale – INRAE is an active member of ALLISS, a network of RPOs and NGOs for the development of links between science and society (http://www.alliss.org/) which includes the 30 signatories of the Charter on Citizen Science in 2017. – INRAE is the initiator of IDEAS, a network of researchers on and for the co-design of innovative farming and food systems (https://www6.inrae.fr/ideas-agrifood_eng/ ).
1.3 Do researchers and students have established working collaborations with CS groups? (Yes/ No) If yes, state name of projects and type of collaboration with external CS groups or projects. External CS groups can be an existing organisations or ad-hoc nature observation club, or a group of people that are self-quantifying. It can also be a collaboration with an organisation that runs CS programmes such as Earthwatch.	INRAE researchers have been initiating national, European and even international working groups on CS for a long time, for example in the field of participatory plant breeding with the organisation of the first international seminar on participatory breeding in 2006.
1.4 Do researchers and students participation in national or international CS projects? (Yes, national; Yes, international; Yes, both national and international; No CS collaborations yet) If yes, provide a brief description of past and present cases. In some countries there are no official networks, such as the UK, but informal networks can run and be active	Yes, many national CS projects and some international ones, particularly at European level with INRAE as leader (e.g. DRYvER, Divinfood, Diversifood), or as deeply involved in WP (e.g. Liveseed, https://www.liveseed.eu/). From a historical point of view, the involvement of INRAE researchers in the first participatory projects dates back to the 1980s. Although CS now concerns all 14 scientific divisions of INRAE, they emerged at that time within the “Agrarian Systems and Development” department, which became “Sciences for Action, Transitions, and Territories”. Between 1990 and 2000, mainly agronomists and geneticists set up participatory action research programmes, initially with farmers, to conduct research on varieties and crop management plans adapted to organic systems. They have led to the recognition of participatory approaches that are now in use in many scientific fields and on an international scale.
2.1 Does the institution have training programmes on CS? (Yes, for students;Yes, for researchers; Yes, for citizen scientist; Yes, for different actors [state]; No, training programmes) If yes, provide a brief description of past and present training programmes	Training programmes have been deployed at INRAE since the 2000s, around action research in partnerships, which were, for example, the subject of a dedicated guide in 2008. Since then, the Institute’s actions have multiplied and changed scale, notably through the creation of the INRAE ‘Science in Society’ team, which trains, provides support and raises awareness of CS, in response to a strong institutional push: – 2 ‘schools for researchers’, in 2017 and 2021 (1-week in-residence intensive learning seminars with about 40 researchers for each session) – MOOC on Open Science including a module on Citizen Science to be online June 2023, targetting our researchers, technicians, and admin staff. – Co-development workshops for researchers involved in citizen science projects (about 1 workshop per month since 2022), – Lectures on CS for students (by researchers from different disciplines and for different french universities) or engineer schools.
2.2 Does the institution provide CS activities in both formal and informal education? (Yes, formal; Yes, informal; Yes, as part of a research project without a link to education; Yes, a mix of formal and informal[state]; No, no CS activities are organised). If yes, provide a brief description of past and present training programmes	Yes, informally (e.g. CS projects with academics such as Oak Bodyguard) and formally such as the courses organised by the open lab “Tous chercheurs” for the CiTIQUE programme since 2016 (2-3 day courses aiming to train citizens of all ages in the research process while producing quality data), or the DIAPAUSE reflexive scheme since 2020 (intensive 2-day residential workshop with researchers and non-academic participants from 5 or 6 projects looking back on their own participatory practices).
2.3 Does the institution offer assistance for scientists and partners (recipients, stakeholders and groups of interest) regarding cooperative CS activities? (Yes, advice on participatory activities; Yes, courses and training; Yes, both participatory activities and courses and trainings; No, there is no assistante from the institution for CS activities) If yes, provide a brief description of activities.	Yes, support is offered thanks to the decisions of the Directorate General, in particular since 2020 with the creation of the INRAE’s Science in Society team: – advice (we have a network of 10 CS referees + a team dedicated to CS support + some CS champions, cf. 2.4), – support (e.g. DIAPAUSE or co-dev workshop, cf. 2.1 et 2.2) – courses (organised by the dedicated team but also by researchers that are specialised in participatory research, such as the ComMod group)
2.4 Does the institution have “CS champions” at the research level? (Yes, there is a point of contact in the institution; Yes, there is an unofficial champion (person that people get in touch with); Yes, there is a person who pushes citizen science in the institution and promote it; No, there is not such a thing as a CS Champion). If yes, please provide more details about the CS Champion.	Yes, some researchers in the institute may be considered as CS champions (or at least they are known for their focus on co-design approaches, crowdsourcing, participatory method, or participatory plant breeding). INRAE’s Science in Society team can also be a resource for them.
2.5 Does the institution have more than one CS Champion? (Yes, there are different points of contact in different labs/research groups; Yes, there are different points of contact in different departments; Yes, other [list]; No, there are no more CS champions in the institution). If yes, please provide more details.	Yes, there are different points of contact in different labs from different departement of research. We do not use the term ‘champion’ but ‘resource person’ or ‘expert’, who are numerous in the field of CS. Among them, we can distinguish between those who “do” or are involved in a very operational way in CS (mostly researchers/engineers/technicians from technical sciences) and those who study and equip them (mostly researchers from social sciences). At the institutional level, the Science in Society cluster is responsible for listing SC projects and the actions that support them, and for sharing methods and tools from the social sciences.
2.6 Does the institution have “CS champions” at the student level? (Yes/No). If yes, please provide more details about department/projects with CS student champions.	Maybe we do not understand well the question but we have several CS PhD student who focus their study on various aspects of CS.
2.7 Does the institution offer information sessions on CS? (Yes, for researchers; Yes, for students; Yes, for management; No, no information sessions are provided). If yes, please provide more details.	Yes for researchers, via the heads of our labs and research departments.
2.8 Does the institution offer informal occasions for interactions with CS researchers? (Yes/ No). If yes, please provide more details.	Not sure what ‘informal occasions for interactions’ means. > Interaction between scientists and non-scientists Scientific mediation activities are regularly carried out throughout France, allowing scientists involved in CS programmes to exchange with the general public: open-door events in our 17 research centres, a space dedicated to SC on the INRAE stand at the International Agricultural Show each year, etc. > Interaction between scientists A day open to all INRAE agents, involved or interested, will be organised in 2023 around crowdsourcing.
2.9 Does the institution nurture “CS champions”? (Yes, at the management level; Yes, at the student level; Yes, at the researchers level; No, CS Champions don’t have any institutional recognition). If yes, please provide more details.	Yes, this year, evaluation criteria have been added to the researcher career evaluation dossier which are filled out every-other year. The French Ministry of Higher Education and Research has recognised INRAE’s commitment to CS by entrusting it with the organisation of the annual participatory research prize. An independent jury composed of scientific experts and associations rewarded its first two winners (category “citizen gathering” and category “co-construction”) in 2021 by choosing two projects led by INRAE (https://prix-recherche-participative.fr ).
2.10 Does the institution include CS into scientific research in university teaching programmes? (Yes, Undergrad 1 programme; Yes, Postgrad 1 programme; Yes, Undergrad multiple programmes; Yes, Postgrad multiple programmes; No, CS is not included in the teaching curricula). If yes, please provide more details.	No, INRAE does not manage university teaching programmes. However, more and more INRAE staff are invited to give lectures on CS at universities and engineering schools.
3.1 Does the institution have an official strategic plan for advancing CS? (Yes, short [a year or less]; Yes, medium [between 1-3 years]; Yes, long term goals [4+ years]) . If yes, please provide more details.	Yes, CS is a part of the global strategic plan of the institute (OP 1.3 : https://www.inrae.fr/sites/default/files/pdf/synthese_INRAE2030-UK-DV06.05.pdf), and of the strategic plans of some of the 14 research departements of the institute (in particular a department on social science and another on ecology promote CS). In 2016, the report “Citizen science in France” was produced by INRAE at the request of the Ministry of Education, Higher Education and Research (https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01603983/document).
3.2 Does the institution promote and fund CS coordinators? (Yes/ No). If yes, please provide more details.	Projects are coordinated by INRAE researchers, other RPO researchers, or partners (such as associations, extension partners, …). INRAE is a public institute so the salary of the researchers is paid by the institute and not by the project. To date, INRAE can fund interdisciplinary projects via an internal call for proposals, but does not have a specific call for CS projects. Sometimes there are grants provided by a scientific department. Support is provided by the decisions of the Directorate General, in particular since 2020 with the creation of the INRAE’s Science in Society division.
3.3 Does the institution promote and fund CS communicators? (Yes/ No). If yes, please provide more details.	No, the CS communicators (when there are) are funded by the projects. INRAE’s Science in Society division provides comprehensive internal and external communication.
3.4 Do the CS projects at the institution receive any Short Term Funding (6-12 months) ? (Yes, full; Yes, partial; Yes, other; No, there are no short term funding options). If yes, please provide more details.	No short-term funding options provided by INRAE
3.5 Do the CS projects at the institution receive any Medium Term Funding (12-36 months)? (Yes, full; Yes, partial; Yes, other; No, there are no medium term funding options). If yes, please provide more details.	No (see 3.2)
3.6 Do the CS projects at the institution receive any Long Term Funding (Over 36 months)? (Yes, full; Yes, partial; Yes, other; No, there are no long term funding options). If yes, please provide more details.	No (see 3.2). But some projects, for example Nutrinet Santé or Pl@ntNet ((https://plantnet.org/en/), receive some funds from INRAE and other partners of the consortium. 1 research engineer is dedicated ot CS with the ephytia platform.
3.7 Does the institution have internal funds that can be used for CS initiatives?  (Yes, public engagement; Yes, science communication; Other, list; No, there are no internal funds available). If yes, please provide more details.	No (see 3.2). Some INRAE departments choose to fund short-term action or PhDs on certain CS projects.
3.8 Has any of the CS initiatives in your institution received external funding (research national)? (Yes/ No) . If yes, please provide more details.	Yes, it’s the main source of funding. From the national research agency (via calls), fundations, territorial agencies, thematic agencies, etc.
3.9 Has any of the CS initiatives in your institution received external funding (research international)? (Yes/ No). If yes, please provide more details.	Yes, from european H2020 program for example (e.g. DivinFood, DryRivers, Increase)
3.10 Has any of the CS initiatives in your institution received external funding (Prestige funding [ERC, UKRI future research leaders and other high profile])? (Yes/ No). If yes, please provide more details.	Not to our knowledge.
3.11 Has any of the CS initiatives in your institution received external funding (Charity Funding)? (Yes/ No). If yes, please provide more details.	Yes, from Fondation de France, Fondation Nina Carrasso, that fund several CS projects and CS work of PhD students.
3.12 How many projects were funded in the institution over the past 5 years in the area of citizen science? (provide number)	In our repository, we have 57 projects funded during the 2018-2022 period.
3.13 Does the institution offer the researchers adequate communication channels to reach relevant partners? (Yes, support for public communication; Yes, media relations department; Yes, community engagement expertise; No, there is no support to reach relevant partners). If yes, please provide more details.	Yes, support for public communication when necessary (national and/or local level). INRAE scientists are regularly approached directly by potential partners or citizens to solve a problem they have. In addition to these direct contacts, INRAE is working on support mechanisms (1) to find partners at the national level and sign binding agreements and (2) to find partners in third-party locations.
3.14 Does the institution develop/ make available open and free tools or technical know how solutions that can be used in CS projects? (Yes/No). If yes, please provide more details.	Yes, researchers from the G-EAU research unit are specialized in developping such participatory tools. Other research units develop participatory tools (tools for ComMod approach, tools for co-designing in the IDEAS network, …). INRAE’s “Sciences for Action, Transitions, Territories” department is very active in the development of tools, methods and case analyses of CS conducted by researchers in biotechnology fields.
4.1 Has the institution adopted explicit mission statements and strategies regarding CS? (Yes/No). If yes, please provide more details.	Yes, CS is a part of the global strategic plan of the institute (OP 1.3 : https://www.inrae.fr/sites/default/files/pdf/synthese_INRAE2030-UK-DV06.05.pdf). Called “Science in Society”, we are a team of 8 people (5.7 full-time equivalents) working to support Science / society relationships, of which 7 (about 4 full-time equivalents) are specifically dedicated to CS. A specific institutional strategy for CS is currently being drafted.
4.2 Has the institution developed institutional norms, regulations, policies or agreements in support of CS? (Yes/No/Other). If yes or other, please provide more details.	In 2016, the French Ministry of Research asked INRAE (because of our diversity of CS projects) for a report on CS to produce an overview of CS in France and to develop guidelines. See the report: https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01603983/document As a conclusion of the report, a charter for CS has been signed by 30 french RPO (whose INRAE) and NGOs at the ministry. This charter defines CS (translated by “sciences et recherches participatives” in French) and presents the principles and ethical values. See the charter: https://www.science-ensemble.org/pdf/charte-francaise-des-sciences-et-recherches-participatives.pdf
4.3 Has the institution developed or consider public engagement and CS contributions in the evaluation of researcher? (Yes/No). If yes, please provide more details.	Yes, since this year. See 2.9.
4.4 Does the institution have a set of guidelines for collaboration agreements between institutionally-affiliated and independent CS partners? (Yes/No). If yes, please provide more details.	Yes, various agreements have been signed with the heads of French non-profit networks (FNE, UNCPIE, etc.) covering expertise, scientific mediation and CS.