Find out how your school can apply for a grant of up to £3,000 for you and your students to carry out scientific research…
30 Second Briefing
Receive up to £3,000 through the Royal Society’s Partnership Grants scheme to run an investigative STEM project in partnership with a STEM professional – an excellent way for teachers and technicians to develop practical STEM experiences as part of the curriculum, or via extracurricular activities.
What are the Royal Society Partnership Grants?
Partnership Grants is a funding scheme for UK schools and colleges, where you can receive up to £3,000 for purchasing equipment to help you run an investigative STEM project. Projects are run in partnership with someone working in a STEM role in academia or industry.
The grant provides opportunities for students to develop key skills for their futures and perform hands-on practical work in the classroom.
Why should my school apply?
The scheme provides an opportunity to ignite students’ curiosity, and by working with STEM partners, gives students insight into a variety of careers.
These partnerships are sustained and the equipment can be re-used, leading to a long-term impact for the school. Evaluation of the scheme has shown that the grants awarded can help to increase teacher confidence in running practical activities.
Projects run under the scheme can aid your school’s curriculum delivery, and we would also encourage the development of cross-curricular projects.
What types of projects are funded?
Projects eligible for funding must be practical and investigative. The project title should be a question that the students are trying to answer by carrying out research.
A range of topics are explored each year. Two recently funded projects, for example, have seen students sequencing the DNA of daffodils, and exploring whether they can make their school more carbon neutral.
You can find details of other projects that have been funded by visiting the case studies page of our website.
Is there support to help apply for a grant?
The Royal Society’s Schools Engagement team will support teachers throughout the application process.
If you are interested, but not sure where to start, we recommend attending one of our free online intro sessions, which can be booked via our website. There, you’ll also find further guidance on how to apply – including project plans that can be used to support your application.
The team are always available via email or phone to answer any questions and provide feedback on ideas.
“The Royal Society’s Schools Engagement team will support teachers throughout the application process.”
How do I apply?
Applications are open now, with the relevant instructions and links available on our website at royalsociety.org/partnership. The application process is carried out in two stages, and you must have your STEM partner in place before you apply.
The application must ultimately be submitted by the school, though the STEM partner can support with its completion. The next deadline for applications is 29 November 2024; don’t forget that our team is always available to provide support.
For more information, call 0207 451 2531, email education@royalsociety.org or visit royalsociety.org/partnership.
- Receive up to £3,000 to purchase STEM equipment for your school
- Develop a long-term sustainable relationship between your school and a STEM professional
- Students can gain an insight into STEM careers and build key skills for their futures
