Universidad Nacional Autonoma de México

UNAM The National Autonomous University of Mexico (National Autonomous University of Mexico, UNAM by its name in Spanish) is the largest university in Latin America. Originally the ‘Royal and Pontifical University of Mexico’, it was founded in 1910 by the then minister of education, Justo Sierra, whose aim was to create a Mexican institute of higher learning based on liberal values. In 1929 the university was granted autonomy from government influence, which allowed it greater freedoms around curriculum and budgetary management. Today, as well as offering degrees at undergraduate and postgraduate level, it also runs several high schools throughout Mexico City which prepares students for higher education. Other campuses exist across Mexico, and the university also has an international presence in Texas, Illinois, Quebec and London. UNAM prides itself on its research excellence and is home to various research centres – including the Centre for Applied Sciences and Technological Development – which emphasise the integration of science with real-world problems. UNAM also specialises in conducting research into issues directly relevant to Mexico and the developing world.

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. At the Centro de Ciencias de la Complejidad, during the 2009 AH1/N1 pandemic, the REPORTA crowdsourced monitoring system was deployed and used in subsequent months. During the current pandemic, we have made a similar effort https://coronavirusapoyamexico.c3.unam.mx During the first months, we also deployed a portal to promote offers and demands of scarce products and services https://solidaridadunam.c3.unam.mx. Other centres with a longstanding history of working with collaborative, co-productive practices, social interventions, and participatory action research are the Faculty of Political Sciences and Public Policy with their participation in the https://www.co-creation-network.org/; the Research Centre in Environmental Geography (CIGA acronym in Spanish) with projects such as the Citizen Observatory of Drought, the project Mapping, measurement and monitoring: participatory science and social innovation to improve community territorial management and defense, and New Community Monitoring Systems as Bases for Socio-Territorial and Environmental Innovation in Rural and Peri-urban Communities in Situations of Poverty, Marginalization and Environmental Conflict; in the Faculty of Architecture, there have been a series of interviews in collaboration with the centres of arts and crafts of six facilities dedicated to the exhibition and production of culture in Mexico City.
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)	No
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.	This is at an individual level and not something managed by the university. As such, some Faculties at UNAM don’t have at all links with collaborative or participatory networks (such as some of the faculties and research centres dedicated to the natural sciences), on other faculties and research centres dedicated to applied sciences, researchers have built up these collaboration networks. For example, the researchers from the School of Urbanism have links with a civil organization dedicated to support children, which is external to the universitary circuit. In the Faculty of Political Sciences, some researchers joined the European Co-Creative Network.
1.4 Do researchers and students participate 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	Just a minority of researchers have been able to establish international collaboration networks on collaborative research and citizen science. Most of these collaboration links have been built based on personal efforts.
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	Again this is at a personal level effort. For example, in the Math Department they mentioned that they would do them if specific projects are suitable for. In some other Faculties such as in Architecture, lecturers will include collaborative research as part of the core content of their lessons. Later, the CS activities are part of the informal activities of the studio projects.
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	No
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.	Some of the researchers interviewed mentioned that there is not such support (natural sciences), others from applied and social sciences mentioned that occasionally, the university would support community groups with the development of projects. However, the colaboration has become more and more scare due to the procedures that must be carried out for that to happen
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.	Researchers recognise that there is not such a thing as a citizen champion, however, most of the researchers interviewed mentioned having pushed for collaborating and pushing for collaborative research in the natural, social and applied sciences.
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.	Following up on the previous question, yes it can be said that UNAM has several SC champions who are actively dedicated to push CS in their disciplines.
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.	No
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.	No
2.8 Does the institution offer informal occasions for interactions with CS researchers? (Yes/ No). If yes, please provide more details.	Yes, but these are focussed on specific projects rather than on CS. Yes, they are donein an informal way, when the reseaarchers are their teachers in the modules of the studies
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.	No, CS Champions don’t have any institutional recognition. However, each semester, there is an exhibition of the best projects at the end of the year.
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
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.	No
3.2 Does the institution promote and fund CS coordinators? (Yes/ No). If yes, please provide more details.	No
3.3 Does the institution promote and fund CS communicators? (Yes/ No). If yes, please provide more details.	We have a communications team that may include CS projects, but is not specific to CS.
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.	Not specifically.
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
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
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.	Yes
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, from funding agencies, e.g. Reporta from the City’s science ministry. No, as far as I know, however, the school of architecture receive lots of support from the direction (director of the faculty), the information is nos shared with the school of urbanism
3.9 Has any of the CS initiatives in your institution received external funding (research international)? (Yes/ No). If yes, please provide more details.	No
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.	No
3.11 Has any of the CS initiatives in your institution received external funding (Charity Funding)? (Yes/ No). If yes, please provide more details.	No
3.12 How many projects were funded in the institution over the past 5 years in the area of citizen science? (provide number)	2 or 3
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, we have a dedicated communications office, that coordinates with UNAM’s several communication channels (Gaceta, TV, Radio, press releases, etc.). The institution offer very limited support to the researchers who are lectures or teachers like me, although all the teachers are entitled to develop research as part of their duties. On the other hand, there is a unit dedicated to research, and my knowledge about the communication channels is very limited; however as far as I know the communication is very limited scarce.
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.	No, all depends on the skills and training of the researcher.
4.1 Has the institution adopted explicit mission statements and strategies regarding CS? (Yes/No). If yes, please provide more details.	No. Because of the autonomy of the university each, faculty and department work on their own research plan which haven’t focus on supporting CS. For example in the faculty of Architecture, the research plan was oriented towards supporting public outreach, however, it was not put in place due to the lockdown and this is not included in the new administration plan.
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.	No
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.	No, while public outreach is very valued on the mission and vision of the university these are topics not evaluated.
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.	No