Alongside numerous major European and national research projects secured by our researchers, the Institute of Physics Belgrade has also achieved notable success in calls dedicated to science promotion and science communication. This year, at the public call by the Centre for the Promotion of Science (CPN), the Institute was awarded funds for two projects on science promotion and science communication. The projects are as follows: Medialab 2026, implemented by the Institute’s Department of Communication and the project ‘Imagine, Research, Prove – Life Beyond Earth’ carried out by the Laboratory for Experimental Astrobiology (LEA).
These projects were among 31 projects approved for funding in Category 1, out of a total of 133 applications submitted under the Public Call for Financial Support for Projects for the Promotion and Popularisation of Science in this category. The Centre announced the call in two categories: the first dedicated to science clubs, in which 18 projects were approved, and the second open to scientific institutions, organisations, and individuals.
Among the approved projects, ‘Medialab 2026’ ranked first, having received the highest score of 4.90 among all submitted proposals, and was awarded 396,000 RSD for its implementation. The project “Imagine, Research, Prove – Life Beyond Earth” received a score of 4.40 and was granted funding of 379,600 RSD.
This year, through Medialab training, the Institute will educate a new generation of young journalists as well as researchers interested in writing about science. In addition, participants will receive specialised training on recognising and addressing fake news and pseudoscience. The project is implemented at the Institute’s premises by the Department of Communication, drawing on the region’s largest popular-science platform, the media initiative Science through Stories (www.naukakrozprice.rs).
The project ‘Imagine, Research, Prove – Life Beyond Earth’ brings closer astrobiology, one of the most intriguing scientific fields, to pupils, university students and the general public. Through the interactive exhibition ‘SciFi into SciFa – From Science Fiction to Science Facts’, which is to be held in five selected locations in Serbia, also available in virtual form during the entire course of the project, and through the promotion of an educational board game, the participants will learn how hypotheses about life beyond Earth are tested, what conditions on other worlds may support life, and why critical thinking is essential to the scientific process.
The project aims to encourage young people to pursue natural sciences, strengthen interdisciplinary cooperation, and showcase the work of Serbia’s first Laboratory for Experimental Astrobiology, thus contributing to greater visibility of national science and its integration into global research efforts. Project activities will be followed digitally via the LEA Instagram page and the laboratory’s official website, ensuring long-term impact and broader community engagement.
