The Institute of Physical Chemistry, Polish Academy of Sciences becomes Poland’s National and Regional Hub in the COALESCE project

Our Institute has joined the European COALESCE project (Coordinated Opportunities for Advanced Leadership and Engagement in Science Communication in Europe) as Poland’s National and Regional Hub.

This places the Institute within a pan-European network of organizations engaged in science communication, contributing to the development of tools and resources aimed at strengthening the relationship between science and society.

About COALESCE

The COALESCE project, funded by the European Commission, aims to develop a sustainable European Competence Centre for Science Communication, alongside a dedicated Science Communication Academy.

Running from April 2023 to March 2027, the project brings together expertise from across Europe to:

• reduce the distance between scientific knowledge and society,
• address public distrust and challenges related to misinformation,
• strengthen policy responses to scientific crises,
• advance high-quality, evidence-based, and interdisciplinary science communication.

COALESCE builds on the legacy of EU-funded initiatives under the Science with and for Society (SwafS-19) programme and integrates knowledge from numerous European and national projects into practical tools, resources, and policy recommendations.

A distinctive feature of COALESCE is its dual operational structure, combining:

• a virtual European Competence Centre for Science Communication,
• a distributed network of National and Regional Hubs across Europe.

This model enables the connection of European-level knowledge with national and regional implementation.

The COALESCE consortium

The project is implemented by a consortium of 13 partner organizations from eight European countries, bringing together higher education institutions, specialized science communication organizations, small and medium-sized enterprises, and a research funding organization.

The consortium includes:

• Erasmus University Rotterdam
• Science for Change
• Venice International University
• Trinity College Dublin
• LUT University
• formicablu
• Universitat de València
• Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam
• Stickydot
• FECYT – Fundación Española para la Ciencia y la Tecnología
• SISSA Medialab
• Tallinn University
• University of the West of England

Role of National and Regional Hubs

National and Regional Hubs form the core operational network of COALESCE. These organizations serve as local anchors for the project’s activities across Europe.

As Poland’s hub, the Institute of Physical Chemistry, Polish Academy of Sciences will:

• contribute to the co-creation of tools and resources for the European Competence Centre,
• adapt and translate COALESCE materials to the Polish context,
• establish and support local Communities of Practice in science communication,
• promote COALESCE resources, events, and future training opportunities,
• engage stakeholders across research, policy, education, and society.

The hubs operate within diverse national ecosystems and tailor their activities to local needs, ensuring that European-level knowledge is effectively embedded in regional contexts.

A European network of excellence in science communication

As part of COALESCE, the Institute of Physical Chemistry PAS joins a prestigious, geographically and institutionally diverse European network of organizations engaged in science communication, including: Erasmus University Rotterdam, Trinity College Dublin, University of Copenhagen, University of the West of England, Tallinn University, University of Valencia, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Koç University, and University of Agder.

The network also includes specialized organizations and institutions supporting the development of science communication and its broader systemic environment, such as FECYT, Wissenschaft im Dialog, Science for Change, SISSA Medialab, formicablu, Stickydot, TRACES, SciCo, and SciComPt.

Further partners across the network include Venice International University, CRA, Hiša eksperimentov, Public & Science Sweden, Faculty of Social Sciences – Charles University, Labs of Latvia, Office of the Ombudsperson for Academic Ethics and Procedures of the Republic of Lithuania, and The Science Basement.

From knowledge to practice

A central objective of COALESCE is to transform research and experience into actionable outputs, including:

• policy briefs addressing urgent societal challenges (e.g. climate, health, AI),
• guidelines for science communication in crisis contexts,
• training frameworks and needs analyses for stakeholders across the research and innovation ecosystem,
• strategic tools such as the Crisis Navigator for science communication.

These resources are developed through co-creation processes involving researchers, communicators, policymakers, and societal actors.

Strengthening science–society relations in Poland

By joining the COALESCE network as a National and Regional Hub, the Institute of Physical Chemistry PAS strengthens its engagement in science communication in Poland and Europe.

The Institute will contribute to:

• building a more open, dialogical model of communication between science and society,
• strengthening trust in science through evidence-based approaches,
• supporting researchers and institutions in developing effective communication practices,
• fostering collaboration between science, policy, and the public.

Regarding our role in the COALESCE project, Dr. Adam Kubas, Director of the Institute and Professor, remarks:

“The designation of the Institute of Physical Chemistry PAS as a National and Regional Hub within the COALESCE project reflects a high level of trust and positions us to contribute to shaping how scientific knowledge is understood and situated in society. The value of research extends beyond its results; it is realized in how knowledge is interpreted, communicated, and integrated into the broader public sphere.

As an institute of the Polish Academy of Sciences, we view this as a natural extension of our mission. Science communication is not separate from research; it is the domain in which its meaning becomes accessible beyond specialist communities, particularly in fields where complexity presents a barrier to broader understanding.

We are therefore committed to co-developing approaches to communication that preserve the integrity and complexity of knowledge while making it accessible and relevant in everyday contexts. This includes working across disciplines, including with the arts and literature, to enable broader, more multidimensional engagement.

A key priority is fostering sustained interest in science, grounded in curiosity, openness, and the capacity to think in scientific terms from an early age.

In this context, our role in COALESCE creates an opportunity to contribute to the future direction of science communication in Europe — through the development of forward-looking approaches grounded in the legacy of European initiatives, as well as in our own experience and insights developed in the local context, and shaped through continuous dialogue with society.”

Learn more

COALESCE project website: https://coalesceproject.eu

European Competence Centre for Science Communication: https://scicommcentre.eu

Latest news: https://coalesceproject.eu/news/

Newsletter: https://coalesceproject.eu/subscribe/

The Polish COALESCE Hub is coordinated by Dr. Anna Przybyło-Józefowicz, Communication and PR Manager at the Institute of Physical Chemistry, Polish Academy of Sciences.

Contact: aprzybylo-jozefowicz@ichf.edu.pl.

Funding statement

COALESCE is 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 Agency. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.