Gatsby Charitable Trust and the Ogden Trust

As part of its 350th Anniversary Campaign which was officially launched in July, the Royal Society aims to invigorate science and mathematics education. Early endorsement of the Society's aspirations for education has come through two generous donations from the Gatsby Charitable Foundation and The Ogden Trust, totalling £1.5 million. Both donations will be endowed, with the interest accrued supporting the Education Policy Unit. This is a significant step towards the Society's overall goal for a £5m endowment for the policy unit by 2010.

In recent years, the Society has developed a track record in education by taking the lead on the successful establishment of the Advisory Committee on Mathematics Education (ACME) and the Science Community Partnership Supporting Education (SCORE), as well as having direct impact on science in schools with its Partnership Grants scheme. Both ACME and SCORE, which connect with a wide range of STEM stakeholders, have already had a significant influence on policymakers through education policy advice and the publication of several reports. Furthermore, both committees derive their credibility by representing a unified voice for their subject communities in the UK.

The ACME and SCORE initiatives have highlighted a need for higher quality evidence related to education policy exposed to rigorous independent analysis, often considering the wider context of the UK and taking a longer-term view on impact. To this end, the Society wants to build on its achievements by creating an Education Research Fellowship scheme and an Education Policy Unit. Education Research Fellows will be future leaders in science and mathematics education research, and undertake work that will bridge gaps between research, policy and practice in key areas. The Education Policy Unit - the first of its kind in the UK - will support and build on the work by ACME, SCORE and the Royal Society education team, particularly the impending publication of two 'state of the nation' reports by the Education team on science and mathematics education.

The Society's education programme also improves science education by supporting practice as well as influencing policy. Practical initiatives which seek to inspire young people to enjoy science through direct experiences with scientists and experimentation include the Society's Partnership Grants scheme. Teachers can apply for a special grant of up to £3,000 to fund a project which links their school with scientists and engineers on a creative science investigation. An independent evaluation of the scheme has recommended that it should be expanded because it provides a unique opportunity for students to engage with scientists.

In order to achieve its overall goal of £15m to support science education initiatives, the Royal Society is looking for support from individuals, trusts and corporate organisations. If you would like to support our 350th Anniversary Campaign or you know of others who would, please contact the Development Office on 0207 451 2211 or visit our website royalsociety.org/campaign