Join-in information for our Kiel community
In 2026, the City of Kiel and the KielRegion will transform into a public stage for science.
- EUCYS 2026: Europe’s biggest competition for young researchers
- Science Summer & Children’s University formats
- Citizen-science projects & Science Battle
- New formats from universities, museums, industry, culture, and start-ups
- A strong visual presence across the city: pop-up science, mobile labs, science stages
Quick links
Current calls for participation
Science at Kiel Week 2026
We’re excited to strengthen the presence of science at Kiel Week – and in the coming year, we’ll be combining familiar approaches with fresh new ideas. Instead of limiting activities to a single area, we’re aiming for science to be visible across the entire Kiel Week site.
Whether it’s stage slots for interactive, engaging presentations or exhibition spaces featuring hands-on science: we’re now looking for formats from your institutions that we can match with the right Kiel Week organisers. We tailor placements to your target audiences and to what each organiser can offer. By bringing many experiences together, we aim to create a true “science mile” at the heart of this international event.
You can submit your contributions through our form. Once you’ve registered, we’ll identify the best location for your activity at Kiel Week and offer it to you as an option. We hope you’re just as excited about this concept as we are – and we can’t wait to see your ideas!
Go to the Kiel Week submission form (language switch top right)Citizen Science Study
A fascinating new citizen-science study is launching in Kiel and the KielRegion. Together with the cities of Brest and Split, the Science Comes to Town project is exploring how citizens can actively contribute to scientific research – and, in doing so, create new knowledge for their regions.
The aim of the study is to map the diversity of existing and completed citizen-science projects across countries and to learn from one another. Here in Kiel and the KielRegion, there are already many passionate initiatives in which citizens collect data, share observations, and take part in generating research insights.
If you are running a citizen-science project, have one in the pipeline, or have completed one within the past three years, you can now register your project for the study. Participation is a fantastic opportunity to showcase your work across Europe, build new connections, and spark ideas for future collaborations. Every submission helps us create a comprehensive picture of citizen-science activities in Kiel and the KielRegion – and strengthen the role of the public in research.
Register your project for the study
Newsletter (Germany only, international will follow) & download material
Contact & Materials
The project team of the City of Kiel and the KielRegion welcomes your enquiries:
sctt@kielregion.de
The logo package, fact sheets, image texts, and other materials are available at:
Go to the download folder
Get Your Event in the Programme Calendar
Shape the face of our science hub and make your event or project visible as part of this international science communication initiative.
Easily add your events or projects to the programme calendar, or let’s explore together how a collaboration with Science Comes To Town could give your initiative even greater reach! By adding your entry to the working document, you agree to display the SCTT logo alongside your event or project.
Go to the programme calendar (working file)Quick links
Get Project Support
With EU funding, the project team aims to support initiatives and activities by stakeholders in Kiel and the Kiel Region.
Guidelines:
- Action Period: Implementation in 2026, with a clear link to scientific research
- Support Scope: New projects or SCTT extensions of existing formats
- Partial Support: SCTT funding can only be provided on a proportional basis
- Collaboration Encouraged: Projects involving multiple partners will be prioritised
- Ethics Compliance: An ethics checklist must be followed (provided)
Criteria
If your idea meets the guidelines, get in touch with the project team and address the following criteria. A submission form will be available shortly:
- Visibility for SCTT: Which groups, individuals, or multipliers will be reached?
- Focus & Objectives: Which thematic priorities, project goals, and target audiences are addressed?
- Funding & Contribution: Is there co-funding or other financial support?
- Sustainability & Impact: How will long-term impact and sustainability be ensured?
- Measurability: How will the activity’s success be measured?
- Knowledge Sharing: If there is a gain in knowledge, will Open Science/Open Access principles be followed?
Why join-in?
By participating in Science Comes to Town, you become part of a Europe-wide flagship initiative that brings science to life and strategically boosts the innovation potential of your location. Benefit from visibility on an international stage: your results and contributions will be showcased in Kiel, Brest, Split, and beyond to a wide audience across the EU and worldwide. As a partner, you gain access to networks spanning science, industry, and policy, creating valuable connections with leading research institutions, companies, and decision-makers that foster exchange and new collaborations.
Science Comes to Town amplifies communication and reach through targeted PR, social media, and campaigns, both locally and internationally. Through diverse engagement formats, you’ll reach new audiences and benefit from professional outreach. Your involvement actively contributes to location marketing and helps attract talented young professionals. Together, we promote your site as a hotspot for innovation, science, and societal responsibility.
This EU flagship project sets impulses far beyond 2026. By getting involved, you contribute sustainably to forward-looking projects, strengthen your position in the international research landscape, and actively shape transformation in our region. Join Science Comes to Town and demonstrate how creative partnerships can dynamically connect science, society, and urban development—across borders and disciplines.
About Science Comes to Town
The Science Comes to Town initiative builds on the previous European City of Science programme, which designated a European city as the science capital every two years. The most recent European City of Science was Katowice, Poland, in 2024. The initiative contributes to the European Research Area and the European Pact for Research and Innovation (R&I), highlighting the importance of social responsibility as well as the active participation of citizens and society in research and innovation.
Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Research Executive Agency. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.
