The Public Engagement Team are happy to give advice on applications for funding. If you would find feedback and comment on an application useful, or if you would like to discuss your ideas with our members, get in touch early on and consider dropping in to our next monthly Breakfast Brainstorm session. Similarly, if you are working on a research grant and would like advice on including public engagement please get in touch.
Grants for public engagement often have defined deadlines and the Public Engagement Team send out a newsletter every two weeks including details of any live funding calls. If you would like to be added to the newsletter distribution list to recieve these updates please email engage@contacts.bham.ac.uk.
The grants listed below have rolling or no deadlines.
The British Society for the History of Science Outreach and Engagement Grants – offers grants of up to £500 to support engagement and outreach projects in the history of science. They are keen to encourage projects that engage with the history of science, technology and medicine in new and exciting ways and are applicable to their intended audiences. There will be two further application rounds in 202213 May and 23 September and more info here.
Undertake activities related to scientific ocean drilling – Apply for funding to undertake small-scale activities related to scientific ocean drilling. Activities could include, workshops or events, training and outreach. Grants of between £2,000 and £10,000 are available and you can apply to the scheme at any time during the current phase of the research programme (2020 to 2024). More info here.
Community Green Grants – The WMCA Community Green Grant will fund projects that tackle green deprivation whilst also improving the local environment, by increasing or improving green/blue spaces close to where people live or connecting people to nature, especially communities experiencing green deprivation. Small Grants scheme offers grant between £3,000 – £25,000 and the Large Grants scheme offers grants between £25,000- £100,000. Community Green Grants is a rolling grant, more info here.
Parkinson’s UK, Support for your research meetings – Parkinson’s UK-supported meetings bring the right people together to get to the heart of complex issues and stimulate new research ideas. Meetings can also give you an opportunity to involve people with Parkinson’s in your research. Grants of up to £3,000 are available, applications must be submitted at least 3 months in advance of the planned event with decisions made within 4 weeks of receiving an application. More info here.
Creative, Confident Communities – The Esmée Fairbairn Foundation invites applications for the Creative, Confident Communities grants. These support projects that help communities use their power to make change happen, local economies work better for the people who live there or culture and creativity build thriving communities. Grants are worth at least £30,000 and social investment grants from £100,000 to £2 million. More info here.
Our Natural World grants– The Esmée Fairbairn Foundation invites applications for Our Natural World grants. These support projects that aim to preserve and improve species health and habitats, or that focus on sustainable and ethical food or clean and healthy freshwater. Grants are worth at least £30,000 and social investment grants from £100,000 to £2 million. More info here.
International Centre for Mathematical Sciences, GB – invites applications for its public engagement activities. This supports activities related to the mathematical sciences to address public audiences including training events bringing together PE professionals and academics. Grants up to £15,000 are expected to this rolling call. More info here.
Royal Society for Chemistry Outreach Fund –The fund is now running on a rolling monthly application system for both small grants of up to £5,000 and large grants of £5,001 – £10,000. Applications are open to people, organisations and communities with ideas and innovative way to bring chemistry-based science engagement into schools, the public and community groups as well as to develop science communication skills of chemists. More information here.
Science Foundation Ireland Funding – the Discover Programme supports and develops STEM education and public engagement in the Republic of Ireland and provides funds to create or extend activities and existing ability as well as to explore novel means of engaging the public. Funding is worth up to €50,000 over one year and applications are accepted on a rolling basis. Details and apply here.
Community Health Grants – the Burdett Trust for Nursing offers <£10,000 through their Small Grants Scheme to empower health visitors to promote public health with vulnerable groups and communities. Details and apply here.
Population Studies Grants – the British Society of Population Studies offers grants <£1,000 to members to organise meetings and events aimed raising public awareness of human population research from any perspective (e.g. biological, economic, historical, medical, social). Applications reviewed January, April and November. Apply here.
Ocean Events Funds – the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) is offers grants < £10,000 to support workshops and events (including public-facing) relating to ocean discovery (e.g. plate tectonics, Earth structure and composition, ancient oceans, climate change). Details and apply here.
Severn Trent Community Fund – awards grants of up to £250,000 for projects that relate to water and generate tangible community benefits. There are three tiers of award: <£10,000, <£75,000 and <£250,000. Applications assessed quarterly and you must submit your application at least 5 months before your project is due to go ahead. Details and apply here.
Omani Culture Grants – the Anglo-Omani Society invites grant applications to support events and meetings that enable British nationals to gain wider knowledge about Oman and its culture, people, history, geography, economy, literature, art, music, languages, beliefs and customs. No maximum award value is specified and there is no deadline – applications are assessed quarterly.
Community Resilience Grants – the Heart of Engagement Community Foundation has grants available for those supporting communities through the coronavirus outbreak, including those carrying out some types of outreach. For more details see here.
AHRC Funding – follow-on funding of £100,000 available for AHRC-grant holders to explore innovative and creative engagements with new audiences which stimulate pathways to impact. Details and apply here.
Child Development Grants – are available from the Waterloo Foundation to support the dissemination of knowledge and best practice to children and their carers, and to related professionals. Maximum award is £10,000. No deadline for submission, but end of February or mid-June 2021 preferred (to align with research funding dates). Details here.
Animal Welfare Grants – the Marchig Animal Welfare Trust supports organisations and individuals with projects that encourage initiatives designed to improve animal welfare, promote alternative methods to animal experimentation and their practical implementation or promote and encourage practical work in alleviating suffering and preventing cruelty to animals. Details here, or apply here.
Heritage Grants – the National Lottery Heritage Fund supports projects that connect people and communities to the national, regional and local heritage of the UK. Grants are worth £10,000 <£100,000 each for up to 5 years. Applications open year-round. More details and apply here.
Plant Pathology Promotion fund – from the British Society for Plant Pathology to support projects aiming to promote an understanding and awareness of plant pathology to a wider audience. Funding is worth up to £2,000. No deadline, applications considered quarterly. Apply online here.
Animal Behaviour Grants – the Associated for the Study of Animal Behaviour offers Public Engagement Grants of <£2,000 to members and non-members to create activities aimed at young people and/or the general public, to communicate the science of animal behaviour. Open year-round with outcomes in June and November, details here.
British Pharmacological Society Engagement grants – grants up to £1,500 available to support outreach activities related to innovative pharmacology. Seed-corn grants of £250 available all year round. Details here.
Physiological Society Funding – grants of <£500 available to members and non-members year-round to increase understanding and awareness of physiology, engaging study at higher education and beyond, and to promote The Society, its vision and its activities. Collaborative / creative applications encouraged. Details here.
Reaction Awards – <£5,000 available to any researcher for public engagement activities provided the application includes research in an STFC-funded area of science or technology. Full details here, applications open year-round.
NC3Rs Public Engagement Grants – up to £1,500 to support NC3Rs-funded researchers (past and present) to engage the public with approaches to replace, reduce and refine animal use in science. Deadline: quarterly, apply here
>If you are aware of other public engagement grants we may be missing, please let us know so we can add these to this page.
