Partnership Grants

Do you have a great idea for bringing research alive in schools?

The Partnership Grants scheme funds schools up to £3,000 to run investigative STEM projects in partnership with STEM professionals from academia or industry. In June 2021 an external evaluation of the last three years of the scheme was undertaken (covering approximately 100 awarded grants). The report highlighted the success of the scheme and its unique value in a busy UK STEM engagement landscape benefitting students, teachers and STEM professionals alike. The 10 key findings of the report are summarised here (PDF). The scheme is open to both primary and secondary schools, including sixth form colleges. Schools outside of the UK are not eligible to apply.

Tomorrow's climate scientists is an extension to the Partnership Grants scheme and funds schools specifically researching into climate change and biodiversity. The programme aims to give students not just a voice but an opportunity to take action themselves to address climate and biodiversity issues.

Image ©Kkolosov

This scheme is open to applications

Due to COVID-19 the deadlines for the 2021 round have been extended. The first round of grant allocations will take place at the end of June with funding available to schools from September. The second round of grant allocations will take place at the end of November with funding available from January 2022.

To help teachers and STEM partners with the application process, free online training sessions are being run until the end of October. Book now to learn more about the scheme and to receive tips about how to make your application stand out.

Apply for this scheme on Flexi-Grant®

Why apply for this scheme?

The scheme:

Provides an opportunity for students to develop key skills, including research skills, problem solving skills and data-handling skills, which will be invaluable for their future careers.
Demonstrates the range of STEM careers available to students.
Fosters long-term working relationships between schools and STEM professionals.
Fulfills the requirement of Benchmark 8 of the Gatsby Practical Science Benchmarks – ‘Students should have opportunities to do open-ended and extended investigative projects.’ Additionally supports the requirements of the Gatsby Career Benchmarks - ‘Encounters with employers and employees’.

How to apply:

There must be two partners involved in a Partnership Grant – a school partner from the UK and a STEM partner from academia or industry. More information about the partnership can be found here.
The school partner must be the lead applicant and start the application, which is completed online through Flexi-Grant.
Applications must be for a specific investigative project rather than a general request for equipment or STEM resources.
Full eligibility criteria can be found here.

Key dates - 2021 round only:

Due to COVID-19 the dates for the 2021 round have been extended. There will be two allocation periods. Schools who would like to receive funding from September 2021 will need to complete both stages of the application process by the end of June. Stage 1 and Stage 2 will remain open for a second allocation period, which will take place at the end of November with funding available from January 2022. The key dates will return to normal for the 2022 round. A detailed timeline can be found here.

For further information about the scheme please visit the pages below. If you have any questions, please contact the Schools Engagement team at education@royalsociety.org or 0207 451 2531.

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