The ERASMUS + project “Digital Language and Communication Resources for EU Scientists” (DILAN)

The ERASMUS + project “Digital Language and Communication Resources for EU Scientists” (DILAN) is launched with the aim of creating digital resources and training in transversal competences for digital communication in science (dilan_overview_project-launch).

“Digital Language and Communication Resources” (DILAN) (Erasmus+ KA2 Cooperation Partnership 2022-1-ES01-KA220-HED-000086749), a project co-funded by the European Union with an amount of 400,000 euros and a duration of 3 years, was launched last December 2022. DILAN is coordinated by Dr. Carmen Pérez-Llantada, Professor of the Department of English and German Philology and PI of the Digital Science Laboratory of the

, with the collaboration of researchers from the areas of microbiology, computation, data science, applied linguistics, discourse analysis and specialists in languages for specific purposes and educational technologies from the University of Zaragoza and the University of La Rioja (Consortium Campus Iberus). The project involves two private sector entities, the Ibercivis Foundation, a national and international leader in the promotion and visibility of citizen science in collaboration with various scientific and social agents, and Kampal Data Solutions, experts in big data, complex networks and artificial intelligence. Five international partners of recognised prestige in the fields of languages for specific purposes, communication and educational technologies are also participating: Université de Bordeux and Université Clermont Auvergne (France), Bucharest University of Economic Studies and Ovidius University din Constanta (Romania) and Oslo Metropolitan University – OsloMet (Norway). The consortium incorporates 5 international partners associated to the project: Université de Grenoble and Université de Paris (France), University of Vlora (Albania), University of Westminster and University College London (UK).

The main objective of DILAN is to improve the ability of scientists to communicate their research results beyond the specialised community, so that they reach diversified audiences and society at large. The European Union has recognised that public communication of science is a key priority for society. To support this priority, DILAN will provide solutions for the digital transformation of human resources in research. The DILAN project involves the creation of resources and materials in digital format, as well as online training courses and a MOOC with innovative learning/teaching practices. In this way, DILAN will support the European scientific community (with a special focus on women researchers), enhancing their resilience and capacity to communicate on Web 2.0. The resources will be designed for STEM and non-STEM areas and will also promote civic engagement, social responsibility and democratisation of science, as well as other key EU values (multilingualism, digital literacy learning, and scientific literacy of citizens).

The first meeting of the project consortium was held virtually on 7 February 2023. As part of the project’s Communication Plan, it is planned to develop a website for DILAN and to launch various dissemination channels on social networks to inform all interested people about the activities and upcoming events to be developed within the framework of the project.

DILAN is a continuation of the research project “Digital Genres and Open Science” (PID2019-105655RB-I00, MCIN/AEI/ 10.13039/501100011033) funded by the Ministry of Science and Innovation of the Government of Spain and is the result of the close collaboration of an international network of multidisciplinary researchers (“Digital Science: Sustainable, Transformative, Transversal“) (D_SCI), Campus Iberus action group. Its objective is to investigate how scientific knowledge is communicated on the Internet to both specialised audiences and broader publics, with special attention to Citizen Science as an emerging paradigm today.