Resources

Funding and grants

If you have an idea for a STEM education event or project that needs funding, here are some organisations that might be able to help.

British Science Association

Kick Start Grants

This scheme offers grants for schools in challenging circumstances to organise their own events as part of British Science Week. There are two options available:

• Kick Start grant: A grant of up to £300 for your school to run an activity

• Kick Start More grant: A grant of up to £700 for your school to host a science event or activity which involves your students and the local community

The type of activity you run is up to you and depends on your own priorities and the resources at your disposal.

• To be eligible, schools must either:

• Have a high proportion (over 30%) of pupils eligible for the pupil premium or equivalent;

• Have a high proportion (over 30%) of pupils from ethnic minority backgrounds; and/or

• Be a small school based in a remote and rural location.

The Royal Society

Partnership Grants

[Currently closed but applications are invited once per year]

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

Partnership Grants of up to £3000 are available to schools to enable students, aged 5 – 18, to carry out science, technology, engineering or mathematics (STEM) projects.

Who can apply for this scheme?

Applications need to be made jointly between the two project partners, where the partnership needs to be established before starting the application. The two partners are: 

• School partner: any teacher or support staff at the main school, such as a computing teacher or a science technician

• STEM partner: an individual that is currently working in a STEM related profession, such as a researcher or analyst.

INSTITUTE OF PHYSICS

School Grants Scheme

The scheme provides grants of up to £600 for projects or events linked to the teaching or promotion of physics and engineering in schools and colleges based in the UK, catering for students in the age range five to 19.

Eligibility and timing

Grants can be used to support a wide range of projects. You can apply for the grant for the organisation of a school based science week activity or extracurricular activities such as a science club. Alternatively, you might want organise a careers event or a visit from a working physicist or engineer.

The following will normally not be funded:

• Costs normally met from school budgets (eg the purchase of text books or standard equipment)

• Projects that the referees judge would proceed regardless of a grant award.

• Continuing Professional Development (CPD) for teachers or annual subscriptions

• Projects requiring more than £600 where sources of additional funding are not stated

Deadlines

Projects taking place in spring term 2018: 1 November 2017