Participatory Science: Supporting Inclusive Public Engagement in Science at EPA

June 16, 2022

As part of our continued efforts to protect public health and the environment, we recognize the value of meaningful public involvement in shaping the science that supports our mission. Public participation – the principle that the public has a right to be informed of and engaged in decisions that affect them – has been crucial in environmental protection over the years. When it comes to public participation in science, it’s becoming easier than ever thanks to new tools and technologies, like smartphone apps, drones, digital photographs, and low-cost pollution sensors.

We continue to evolve as an agency and public partner. We’ve renewed our focus on helping communities use science as a tool to address local environmental concerns. We believe that providing communities equitable access to participate in and lead scientific projects is key to our shared vision of public engagement in science.

One way the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency invites the public to play a hands-on role in protecting the environment is through participatory science. Participatory science encompasses all public participation activities in the scientific process – from identifying environmental problems, to collecting data and brainstorming solutions. You may have heard the term, “citizen science” used in the past to describe these kinds of activities. Many other phrases have been used as well; community science, crowd-sourced science, civic science, neighborhood science, community-based participatory monitoring, volunteer monitoring, public participation in scientific research, public science, open science, civic science, and do-it-yourself science. There is ongoing dialogue among leaders in the field to determine what language best describes the breadth of participatory science activities. Participatory science approaches range from those originating in academic and government institutions that enlist the public in data collection to create knowledge, to community-led projects intended to develop data and information to address environmental justice issues and community concerns. You can learn more about the types of participatory science activities and projects EPA supports by checking out our Participatory Science StoryMap.

I am proud to announce the agency recently published its vision for the use of participatory science in EPA’s work. This document provides a guide to EPA’s participatory science efforts and outlines our planned actions for public engagement in science and monitoring activities. An important piece of this vision is increasing the accessibility of participatory science for all residents. Our decision to shift from “community and citizen science” to “participatory science” represents our commitment to inclusive and accessible involvement of the public in scientific research, especially for those who have been historically underrepresented in the field. Our vision includes empowering communities to take direct action in improving their environment while also influencing the culture, values, and future of participatory science.

I am honored to be a part of EPA’s transition to the term participatory science. My hope is that this small, but significant, change will signal to both the greater scientific community and communities across the country that equity, accessibility, and inclusion in science and research remain a priority for the EPA.

• EPA’s Participatory Science Website
• EPA’s StoryMap on Participatory Science across the U.S.

About the Author

Maureen Gwinn
Principal Deputy Assistant Administrator
Office of Research and Development

Dr. Gwinn serves as Principal Deputy Assistant Administrator for Research and Development. During her EPA career, Dr. Gwinn has served as the National Program Director for the Sustainable and Healthy Communities Research Program, Director of the Biomolecular and Computational Toxicology Division and contributed to multiple human health hazard assessments in support of the Integrated Risk Information System Program.