The LINCS project is the collective effort of 12 partners and the legacy of 14 years of participation in the ERN as a consortium. The ambition is to organize events in 14 different French cities (specifically focusing on medium-sized cities, where research is happening, but science engagement activities are less frequent), sharing the same objectives, theme, activities, approach to popularization, and at the same time involving local researchers. Convinced that the quality of the exchange with researchers is the key factor in enriching and refining the citizens' vision of research, we create intimate, warm, direct encounters between the public and researchers, with a specific focus on the 15-30 age range. To achieve this, the 1,200 researchers involved in the project will be coached and trained by mediators, artists or scenographers, using different methods. A long-lasting effect on researchers will be one outcome, as ERN is an occasion for them to start a long journey in science engagement. The planned activities enable privileged encounters and/or shared, fun experiences in direct contact with professional researchers. The “EU corner” will be enlivened by the participation of EU researchers, games and live radio broadcasts. The French Ministry of Culture will financially support the event for the 3rd year, fostering the participation of researchers in social sciences and humanities; the Ministry of Research will also continue its support. One partner is in charge of strategies for reducing the environmental impact of the events. The LINCS project is based on an original tagline, a theme to intrigue visitors and stimulate the creativity of researchers and mediators. A theme which testifies to our ambition to set up almost intimate meetings between researchers and visitors. Meetings which promise to unveil the untold stories of an exciting profession. A slogan that evokes both secrets and curiosity: "Little Nocturnal Secrets" (“petits secrets nocturnes”). But shh…!

We are proposing ERNs for 2016 and 2017 in 12 French cities. Our consortium of 11 partners will organise afternoons for schoolchildren, events in the cities and, above all, evenings where 1000 researchers will meet up to 30,000 people a year. The general public will be able to meet a number of researchers directly and experience something memorable with them. Since 2006, we have acquired a solid knowhow in the “art of interaction”. In 2014-2015, we went one step further by including the public in the actual research experiments, thereby creating scientist-citizen cooperation. We will renew these experiences and go even further: we are encouraging the public and researchers to experience creative moments together! Several creative interactions will be set up, around the “Ideas” theme in 2016 and the “Impossible?” theme in 2017, to allow researchers and the public to interact. The evenings will be full of ideas, challenges, and encounters with diverse individuals. In this way, we will rally European researchers to get involved in each city. Specific strategies will be used (such as public radio recordings) to allow them to share their European experience. These moments of cooperation will without a doubt reinforce the mutual appreciation between researchers and citizens. Our communication strategy (attracting specific audiences through networking, web, partnerships with youth-oriented press, etc.) will be based on the slogan: “General Creativity”. This slogan denotes the interactive nature of the evening and gives us a chance to talk about the richness of European research. To this effect, and for the first time, Cédric Villani, an inspiring and renowned researcher, has accepted to be the ERN’s patron. Lastly, we plan to renew the “Great Participatory Experiment” in 2017. In each city (and perhaps even Italy), the public will contribute to the same playful scientific experiment chosen in 2016 after a challenge involving all our research institutions.