Here’s a quick round up of some funding currently available for public engagement and outreach projects…

British Ecological Society outreach grants – deadline 8 September 2014
The British Ecological Society is offering grants of up to £2,000 to promote ecological science to a wide audience. The funding is available for projects that: ncrease public understanding of, and engagement with ecology; stimulate discussion about ecology and its implications for society; inspire and enthuse people of all ages about the science of ecology, especially those not previously interested; develop skills in communicating the science of ecology. For more details see: www.britishecologicalsociety.org/grants-awards/outreach-grants/

National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) research engagement award – deadline 12 September 2014
The National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Clinical Research Network has announced an award to draw attention to the role of members of Patient Participation Groups (PPG) in promoting access to research. Open to local primary care PPGs. Apply before 12 September 2014. For more details, see: www.crn.nihr.ac.uk/can-help/patients-carers-public/application-form-research-engagement-award/

British Pharmacological Society (BPS) outreach grants – deadline 15 September 2014
Grants of up to £1,500 are available to support innovative pharmacology outreach and public engagement activities. These grants are available to both BPS members and non-members, including schools and teachers, and deadlines for applications fall in February and September. The project should usually take place within six months of the relevant application deadline. For more details see: www.bps.ac.uk/details/educationPage/4342811/Education-grants.html?cat=bps13cb94959d9

Royal Academy of Engineering’s grant scheme – deadline 22 September 2014
Ingenious, the Royal Academy of Engineering’s grant scheme for projects that engage the public with engineers and engineering is now open for applications. They are looking for projects that inspire creative public engagement with engineering, stimulate engineers to share their stories, passion and expertise in innovative ways with audiences and create debate around the impact of engineering. Funding is from £3,000 to £30,000. The deadline for applications is 4pm on 22 September. For more details see: www.raeng.org.uk/ingenious

The Biochemical Society scientific outreach grants – deadline 24 September 2014
Grants are available to support activities and events that help communicate the excitement of molecular bioscience to young people and the community. Applications are invited for sums up to £1,000 to assist with the direct costs associated with an event and expenses incurred (e.g. transport and/or teacher cover). For more details see: www.biochemistry.org/Grants/EducationalGrants/ScientificOutreachGrants.aspx

UoM Art and Science Collaborations – deadline 30 September 2014
The University of Manchester is seeking to support new initiatives that develop innovation within the field of art and science collaborations. We believe there is teaching, research and engagement/impact benefits to these collaborations – and believe arts/science projects can contribute in creative ways to our social responsibility agenda. Arts/science projects and events planned as part of this scheme for 2014/2015 will be preparing the way for public engagement events planned as part of the European City of Science 2016. For more details see: www.humanities.manchester.ac.uk/humnet/collaborations/

Society for Microbiology Science education and outreach grants – deadline 1 October 2014
The Society for Microbiology provides grants to promote microbiology or to support developments likely to lead to an improvement in the teaching of any aspect of microbiology. Members of the Society can apply for grants up to £1,000 for educational outreach activities including: talks, workshops, broadcasts, activities at science festivals and audio-visual or computer-based packages, activities that take place as part of a National Science and Engineering Week event at the applicant’s place of work. For more details see: www.sgm.ac.uk/en/grants-prizes/education-outreach-funds.cfm/education-and-outreach-grants

Wellcome Trust Society Awards – deadline 3 October 2014
Funding is available under the Wellcome Trust’s Society Awards for projects that encourage public debate and understanding of biomedical science. Society Awards  (above £30,000) can fund the scaling-up of successfully piloted projects (whether funded through People Awards or through other means) or can fund projects that are more ambitious in scale and impact than is possible through a People Award. Society Award projects would normally expect to reach audiences with a wide geographical spread across the UK and/or Republic of Ireland. They can also part-fund larger projects. For more details see: www.wellcome.ac.uk/Funding/Public-engagement/Funding-schemes/People-Awards-and-Society-Awards/index.htm

Royal Society Partnership Grants Scheme – deadline 31 October 2014
The next round of the Royal Society’s Partnership Grants will open for applications in September. Through the scheme, grants of up to £3,000 will be available to support teachers, scientists and engineers help develop science projects, with the aim of making the teaching science more interesting within primary and secondary schools. Any UK primary or secondary school teacher and practising scientist/engineer can apply as long as the students involved in the project are between 5 and 18. For more details see https://royalsociety.org/education/partnership/

Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC) public engagement large awards – deadline 6 November 2014
The Large Awards Scheme provides funds for projects which are expected to have a significant regional or national impact. STFC offers awards from £10,000 up to £100,000. Almost anyone can apply but project teams must have strong links with STFC’s scientific research community. We also encourage partnerships that may positively impact on the success of the project e.g. universities with science centres. Projects must be relevant to publicising engagement or teaching about the STFC science and technology areas. For more details see: www.stfc.ac.uk/1839.aspx

Wellcome Trust Small Arts Awards – deadline 28 November 2014
The Small Arts Awards provide grants of up to £30,000 to projects that engage the public with biomedical science through the arts. The aim of the awards is to support arts projects that reach new audiences which may not traditionally be interested in science and provide new ways of thinking about the social, cultural and ethical issues around contemporary science. Small Arts Awards can support the R&D of new project ideas or ways of working, investigate and experiment with new methods of engagement through the arts, or fund or part-fund final production costs. For more details see: www.wellcome.ac.uk/Funding/Public-engagement/Funding-schemes/Arts-Awards/index.htm

Institute of Physics (IoP) Public Engagement Grant Scheme –  Round 1 of the 2015 scheme will open for applications in early September 2014
The IoP aims to provide positive and compelling experiences of physics for public audiences through engaging and entertaining activities and events. The public engagement grant scheme is designed to give financial support of up to £1500 to individuals and organisations running physics-based events and activities in the UK and Ireland. For more details see:  www.iop.org/about/grants/outreach/page_38843.html

Institute of Mathematics Education Grant Scheme – no deadline
The Institute of Mathematics are looking for grant applications of up to £600 to help with the costs of running or attending an educational activity relating to mathematics. The aim of these grants is to support activities which will help increase the popularity of mathematics with learners and encourage the take up of mathematics post-16. Applications can be submitted at any time. For more details see:
http://ima.org.uk/about_us/support_and_grants/education_grant_scheme.cfm.html

Microbiology in schools grants – no deadline
The Society for General Microbiology has announced that its Microbiology in Schools Fund is now open for applications. Grants of up to £1,000 are available to schools or individuals that are members of the Society to support microbiology teaching initiatives and events including: Organising a visit to or from a working microbiologist (no more than £200 in expenses may be claimed per visiting microbiologist) and or A class visit to a microbiology laboratory to carry out activities. Applications can be submitted at any time until the budget has been exhausted. For more details see: www.sgm.ac.uk/en/grants-prizes/education-outreach-funds.cfm/microbiology-in-schools-fund