Partnership Grants

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

Partnership Grants of up to £3,000 are available to UK schools and colleges to carry out investigative STEM research projects in their classrooms in partnership with a STEM professional from academia or industry. The grants are designed to help schools and colleges purchase equipment to run these projects. The scheme is open to both primary and secondary schools, including sixth form colleges. Schools outside of the UK are not eligible to apply.

For 2020, there has been a new extension to the scheme called Tomorrow’s climate scientists. This programme is funding schools who are specifically carrying out research into climate change and biodiversity.

Image ©Kkolosov

This scheme is open to applications

The 2021 funding round is now open for applications. Due to COVID-19 the deadline for Stage 1 has been extended until the end of May and Stage 2 will remain open until the end of June.

To help teachers and STEM partners with the application process, free online training sessions are being run until the end of May. 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:

Please note, the dates below are for the 2021 round only due to COVID-19. The key dates will return to normal for the 2022 round.

January – May: complete Stage 1 of the application process
June: complete Stage 2 of the application process
July – September: judging and applicants notified if they are successful or not
September: projects can begin
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.

To be among the first to hear about the grant rounds opening each year and to stay up to date with our other opportunities and resources, sign up to our UK teachers newsletter.