Recent evidence of increasing accumulation of micro- and nanoplastics (MnP) in soils and groundwater raise severe concerns by agricultural and water industries, food manufacturers, regulators, environmental interest groups and citizens. Private and public sectors require detailed understanding of environmental and public health risks posed by MnP in soils and groundwater. The PlasticUnderground Doctoral Network creates supra-disciplinary intersectoral capacity for analysing the fate, transport and impacts of MnP in soils and groundwater to develop solutions for reducing their environmental and public health risks, supporting the EC’s circular plastic economy strategy. The central aim of the PlasticUnderground Doctoral Network is to deliver international scientific excellence through a holistic supra-disciplinary and inter-sectoral research and training network on solutions to the emerging crisis of MnP pollution in subsurface ecosystems in soils and groundwater, integrating knowledge across traditional discipline boundaries to benefit the public and private sectors. The supra-disciplinary research programme includes unique training opportunities for a cohort of 10 Doctoral Candidates (DCs) (plus one individually funded through ETHZ [CH] and three funded through UoB, RU and Polymateria [UKRI] as Associated Partners) in environmental and social science, ecotoxicology, soil science and aquatic ecology, analytical chemistry, agronomy, data science and numerical modelling as well as responsible innovation, method standardization for use in regulatory decision making and risk assessment. The integrated training programme will prepare DCs with skill sets that are urgently required in agricultural, water, chemical, and manufacturing industries, environmental and regulatory agencies, academia, and the public sector and includes training provision by key stakeholders that will directly benefit from the training in this network.

The aim of Road to Friday of Science (ReFocuS 2.0) project is to refocus and promote the value of cultural heritage and natural resources to society and highlight the important role that communities play in preserving and managing their cultural heritage and natural environment. The potential that cultural heritage offers is enormous, and beneficial to everyone. Following the EU and UNESCO tendencies and guidelines which recognize the importance of cultural and natural heritage as an indicator and facilitator of the social development, we refocus public attention to synergy of education, cultural and natural heritage, and sustainable development. The other aim of the project is to pay more attention to: academics to share their knowledge and work with broader public and this way to provide effective heritage education, young people to keep the national treasures and protect national heritage, and general audience to be aware of cultural diversity as a fundamental component of sustainable development. The ReFocuS project named “Past means Future” consists of two parts: Night 2018 will be focused on “Past”, while Night 2019 will be focused on “Future”. Cultural heritage and natural resources are based on aspects of our past that we cherish, want to keep and pass on to future generations and outside world. Researchers will participate in a wide range of activities developed for and aimed at young people and adults. The activities will take place in venues such as old streets and houses, museums, archaeological sites, fortress, science clubs, and libraries in twelve Serbian cities with the aim of showing the relevance of their work to our everyday lives as well as engaging ordinary people with research and bringing research to unusual places. Workshops, lectures, exhibitions, conversations and film screening about the cultural and natural heritage of Serbia will be organized within the local Science Clubs.

ReFocuS Art (Road to Friday of Science and Art) project aims to substantially raise public awareness about the importance and positive role of science for and in society by bringing the researchers into the focus of the general public. The 2020 year demonstrated the necessity for the state of the art of science in everyday life and large creativity in the research process to respond to contemporary challenges. Skills, such as creativity, problem-solving and critical thinking will be fundamental for the carriers of today's generations. We argue the same skills are crucial for the researcher career, and instrumental in art as well. Science and art may have different subjects and different audiences but share the investigative spirit, motivation and skills. Both artists and researchers strive to see the world in new ways, and when they succeed in those endeavours, the general public acquires a novel perspective and new knowledge. Both are based on the process which can lead to encouraging to use creativity and critical thinking, and questioning the world around us. This year, by using Science is art as an overall theme, we want to promote the creativity, critical thinking and problem-solving skills of researchers and artists as an imperative for the development of science and society. In this way, we want to inspire and stimulate young people to be innovative and to seek creative solutions to different problems and challenges. The activities will take place in the 14 cities and 46 diverse venues through Serbia, including research institutes, old streets and houses, museums, archaeological sites, fortress, science clubs, shopping malls, city parks and libraries. Some of the activities will be exclusively online, allowing reaching the public outside proposed cities. The diversity of partners in the project, both cultural and scientific institutions, will expand the general image of how and why science and researchers are important for society.

ReFocuS 3.0 (Road to Friday of Science Third edition) project aims to substantially raise public awareness about importance and positive role of science for and in the society by bringing the researchers into the focus of the general public. This year, by using open to diversity as an overall theme, we will present the openness of science, sharing of knowledge and the concept “science is everywhere”. Within this concept, we will show the new dimensions in perceiving researchers and their role in society, increase public awareness on the positive role of research in and for the society and promote the involvement of citizens in science. The science is not only confined to labs, but it also permeates the things surrounding us, and most importantly science is open to diversity. We want to make people aware that everybody can contribute to science. This future direction of the science, open science, cannot be achieved without combining and involving not just several academic disciplines, but also non-academia. The project relies on diversity of all actors in the science networks: researchers of diverse backgrounds and areas of expertise, citizens as a new type of researchers, diverse research topics important for the society and diverse institutions involved in science. The activities will take place in the thus far biggest ReFocuS edition, involving 14 cities and 46 diverse venues, including research institutes, old streets and houses, museums, archaeological sites, fortress, science clubs, shopping malls, city parks and libraries. The true value is reflected in presenting the openness of science to diverse contributors, both people and institutions. The fact is that both science and society can benefit from diversity since diversity delivers different perspectives on the world. The diversity of partners in the project, both cultural and scientific institutions, will expand the general image of how and why science and researchers are important for society.