This scheme provides between £500 and £10,000 for Royal Society Research Fellows to create and lead innovative public engagement projects to engage audiences with their exciting research.
The 2022 funding round is now closed to new applications.
For more information, you can read the scheme notes here. If you have any questions, please email public.engagement@royalsociety.org
What is the Public Engagement Fund?
Working with schools and students
Public engagement can have a variety of interpretations, but the definition developed by the National Coordinating Centre for Public Engagement (NCCPE) is the most widely accepted.
In their definition, public engagement "describes the many ways in which the activity and benefits of higher education and research can be shared with the public. Engagement is by definition a two-way process, involving interaction and listening, with the goal of generating mutual benefit.”
The scheme is designed to support Society-funded scientists to undertake public engagement projects based on their research, and to increase the knowledge, skills and confidence of researchers.
Funding is available for any public engagement activity designed for a non-scientific, public audience that meets the application criteria. Projects should have clear aims, target specific audiences and provide opportunity for open dialogue and two-way communication between scientific researchers and the project’s target audience.
The minimum amount you can request for this scheme is £500 and the maximum amount is £10,000 over two years. Up to £5,000 can be requested for a one-year project. The total amount of funding available for this round is £60,000.
Whilst we welcome applications working with children and school groups, we would be particularly interested in projects that target wider age groups and demographics and collaborate with local creatives and organisations such as artists, writers, libraries and community organisations.
Examples of previously funded projects can be found here.
If you have an enquiry, or would like advice on your application, please contact the Public Engagement team.
The applicant must be a current Royal Society University Research Fellow or Dorothy Hodgkin Fellow who completed the first year of their fellowship on or before 31 October 2022.
We offer advice and support to anyone interested in applying to the Public Engagement Fund. You can book a one-to-one Teams call with a member of the Public Engagement Team to discuss your application by emailing public.engagement@royalsociety.org.
We are also running a workshop on how to write a public engagement grant. This will be held online on Monday 24 October.
The Public Engagement Fund application process is completed through Flexi-Grant®, an online system used to administer all Royal Society grants.
Once an application is submitted, it is reviewed by a judging panel made up of Fellows, Research Fellows, educators and public engagement professionals.
We will inform you of the outcome of your application in January 2023.
Our Partnership Grants scheme offers up to £3,000 to UK schools or colleges to run an investigative research project in partnership with a STEM professional.
If you want to deliver a better understanding of the latest developments in STEM and improve the perceptions of your field visit our Partnership Grants pages to find out more.
Public Engagement Fund | Partnership Grants | |
---|---|---|
Funding available | Up to £10,000 | Up to £3,000 |
Grant holder | Royal Society Research Fellow | School (working with STEM partner) |
Aims | Build capacity for your public engagement work, learn new skills and reach new audiences | Exposing students to real research and developing their understanding of the importance of STEM to everyday life. |
Participants | Any chosen target audience | 5 - 18 year-old students |
Format | Any chosen format | Investigative research project |
Length | Up to two years | Typically one academic year |