O u r M i s s i o n
MCSA’s mission is to empower and enrich scientific processes by promoting the active participation of migrants in citizen science. We provide a platform for collaboration between academic and field experts and non-academic scientists and citizens, supporting the development of collective knowledge within the communities where migrants live and, where relevant, in their countries of origin.
MCSA is committed to supporting citizen scientists through training and education, while facilitating communication, dialogue, and knowledge exchange among participants and collaborators. We seek to foster an environment of openness, respect, and inclusion, encouraging people from diverse backgrounds to contribute to scientific activities and the generation of knowledge.
Through this approach, MCSA seeks to strengthen the connection between scientific expertise and community knowledge, recognising the contribution that migrants can make to science and to the communities in which they live.
This version is deliberately close to the bylaws wording in meaning, while making it appropriate for a public-facing website. I would not substantially rewrite the mission statement, because it is part of MCSA’s formally established organisational foundation.
O u r V i s i o n
MCSA sees citizen science as a space for questioning how society is organised, whose perspectives shape our understanding of the world, and whose knowledge is recognised in the production of science. We seek to strengthen the participation of migrants in these processes, including migrant women and gender minorities, whose experiences and perspectives have often received limited recognition.
Our vision is grounded in a critical understanding of the Eurocentric, Western-centred, and androcentric traditions that have influenced scientific knowledge and institutions. We seek to open greater space for perspectives and experiences that have historically been overlooked and to encourage a broader understanding of what constitutes knowledge and who can contribute to its production.
We envision a scientific community shaped by diversity, participation, openness, and respect, where migrants are recognised as people who can contribute knowledge, experience, and ideas to research and scientific processes. By bringing together different perspectives and forms of knowledge, MCSA seeks to contribute to a more equitable, just, and gender-responsive society.
M c S A C o r e V a l u e s
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Empowerment
For MCSA, empowerment in citizen science means enabling migrants and other underrepresented communities to take an active role in scientific research and decision-making. It involves recognising their agency and supporting access to the knowledge, skills, resources, and opportunities needed to participate and make informed choices. Empowerment also recognises migrants as contributors to knowledge who can influence research processes and decisions affecting their communities and wider society.
Fairness
For MCSA, fairness in citizen science means ensuring that individuals and communities have fair opportunities to participate in scientific activities and that their contributions receive appropriate recognition. Participation should not be restricted by personal characteristics, social circumstances, cultural background, or access to resources. Fairness also requires consideration of who has access to opportunities, whose perspectives are represented, and whose contributions are acknowledged throughout the research process.
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Humility
For MCSA, humility in citizen science means recognising that scientific expertise is not held by one group alone. It requires researchers, organisations, and participants to remain open to learning from one another and to value the different forms of knowledge brought into collaborative research. This includes recognising the contributions of migrants and giving due consideration to experiential, evidence-based, and nature-based knowledge alongside academic expertise. Humility encourages listening, reflection, and a willingness to acknowledge the limits of one’s own knowledge while working collectively towards a fuller understanding of an issue.
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Integration
For MCSA, integration in citizen science means creating connections between people, communities, knowledge, and institutions that may otherwise remain separate. It involves bringing together migrants, researchers, organisations, public institutions, and other stakeholders to exchange knowledge, build relationships, and work across social and cultural boundaries. Integration strengthens the connection between science and society, allowing different experiences and areas of expertise to inform one another and contribute to a more connected and cohesive society.
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Diversity & Inclusivity
For MCSA, diversity and inclusivity in citizen science mean ensuring that people from different backgrounds, cultures, experiences, and circumstances have the opportunity to participate and contribute. We place particular importance on the involvement of migrants, recognising that diverse perspectives and lived experiences can broaden the understanding of scientific issues and contribute to research that is more relevant to the communities it concerns.
Respect
For MCSA, respect in citizen science means recognising the dignity, rights, knowledge, and contributions of everyone involved in the research process, including researchers, citizen scientists, and other participants. We place particular importance on lived experience as a source of knowledge, recognising that people’s experiences of their communities, cultures, institutions, environments, and everyday lives can provide insights that may not be captured through conventional research. Respect requires cultural sensitivity and recognition of differences in background, perspective, and experience, while ensuring that these differences are not grounds for discrimination or exclusion.
Honesty & Integrity
For MCSA, honesty and integrity are fundamental to trust and credibility in citizen science. Honesty requires information to be presented accurately and transparently, including the disclosure of relevant conflicts of interest. Integrity requires high ethical standards throughout the research process, from data collection and analysis to interpretation and reporting. Together, these principles support scientific work that is responsible, transparent, credible, and trustworthy.
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Empathy
For MCSA, empathy in citizen science means recognising and responding to the experiences, circumstances, and perspectives of others. It involves approaching citizen scientists and research participants with care and sensitivity, acknowledging the time, effort, and personal commitment they bring to scientific activities. Empathy encourages researchers and participants to listen to one another, understand different perspectives, and create a collaborative environment where people feel respected and able to contribute.
MCSA’s work is grounded in a set of core values that shape who we are, how we work, and how we engage with people and communities. These values guide our relationships, our approach to citizen science, and our commitment to the participation of migrants in science, society, and policy.
In a rapidly changing world, science and technology increasingly influence how people communicate, access information, form opinions, and make decisions. At the same time, the rapid spread of misinformation and disinformation can make it increasingly difficult to distinguish reliable knowledge from false or misleading information. MCSA therefore recognises the importance of openness, critical thinking, responsible communication, and public participation in strengthening trust in knowledge and science.
Our values reflect the principles we seek to uphold in our work with migrants, communities, researchers, organisations, institutions, and other partners. They provide a foundation for responsible and collaborative engagement and guide MCSA in responding to the social and technological changes that shape contemporary society.
Our core values are Empowerment, Respect, Fairness, Honesty, Integrity, Humility, Integration, Diversity, and Inclusivity. Each value represents an important part of MCSA’s identity and informs the way we approach our activities, partnerships, communication, technology, and engagement with society.
M C S A Goals & objectives
1. Advancing Participatory Research Among Migrant Communities
MCSA supports the meaningful engagement of migrants in all phases of scientific inquiry, particularly on issues that affect their everyday lives. This includes not only the provision of tools and training, but also the recognition of lived experience as a valid and essential source of knowledge. Participation is encouraged in ways that acknowledge structural inequalities and actively mitigate them through inclusive and accessible practices.
2. Strengthening Representation and Structural Inclusion in Science
Through strategic partnerships and outreach, MCSA promotes increased visibility and participation of migrants in scientific fields. We work to create interdisciplinary and cross-sectoral spaces where knowledge can be exchanged on equal terms, and where decision-making is informed by a plurality of voices. Representation is not treated as symbolic, but as integral to institutional change within science and policy.
3. Developing Inclusive Knowledge Ecosystems
We are building a transnational network of citizen scientists, institutions, and community actors to address complex challenges affecting migrant communities. These collaborations are structured to promote inclusive methodologies and ethical engagement, ensuring that gender, cultural background, and social position are considered throughout research design, data interpretation, and dissemination.
4. Promoting Recognition of Migrant Contributions to Science and Society
Public engagement is a cornerstone of MCSA’s work. We aim to shift dominant narratives by showcasing scientific, social, and cultural contributions of migrants. Our communication strategies foreground the value of inclusive science and encourage respectful dialogue across differences, while addressing systemic barriers to participation—including those based on gender and social status.
5. Supporting Community-Led Research and Capacity Building
MCSA enables migrants to lead their own citizen science initiatives by offering tailored support in project development, data analysis, and knowledge dissemination. This work is rooted in a commitment to equity and sustainability, with a focus on access to resources, fair representation in leadership, and the cultivation of inclusive learning environments.
6. Contributing to a More Just and Inclusive Scientific Framework in Europe
We engage with broader European networks to promote a citizen science model that reflects the diversity of its constituents. MCSA contributes to shaping frameworks where community-based knowledge is legitimized, and participatory science is structurally supported. Our involvement is grounded in principles of social justice, inclusion, and gender-aware governance.
7. Embedding Migrant Perspectives in Public Dialogue and Policy
We facilitate opportunities for migrants to participate in public dialogue and policy consultation, ensuring that their perspectives inform both scientific inquiry and institutional practices. This includes the integration of critical reflections on identity, power, and marginality, and advocates for more accountable and responsive systems.
8. Fostering Intersectoral Collaboration for Equitable Research Practices
Our partnerships with universities, NGOs, and community organizations are grounded in shared responsibility for ethical, inclusive research. These collaborations prioritize equitable distribution of roles, decision-making power, and recognition, while supporting the integration of gender perspectives into both research content and institutional structures.
9. Generating Evidence to Inform Inclusive Policy and Practice
Through empirical research and continuous monitoring, MCSA examines the lived experiences of migrants in science and society. These insights inform the development of targeted strategies to reduce structural barriers, including those related to gender, and help establish institutional mechanisms that support inclusive participation.
10. Advocating for Sustainable and Equitable Research Infrastructures
We engage with funders and policymakers to promote long-term support for citizen science initiatives rooted in equity, inclusion, and social relevance. Our advocacy underscores the need for structural commitments—such as fair funding allocation, safe environments, and attention to work-life balance that enable sustained engagement across diverse groups.
The Migrants' Citizen Science Association (MCSA) pursues an inclusive approach to citizen science that centers the experiences and contributions of migrants in the co-production of knowledge. Our work seeks to transform the relationship between science and society by creating participatory pathways for those traditionally underrepresented in research and decision-making processes.
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