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Science Community Grant

The Royal Society

The Royal Society has long advocated for the place of practical activity at the heart of science education. Experiencing how science is practiced in real-world contexts is key to fostering engagement, enjoyment, and inspiring a lasting interest in STEM in young people, helping them to develop core skills and competencies for future employment, and life, in general.

The Science Community Grant aims to empower teachers, boost STEM confidence, and embed more practical science learning across participating schools and colleges. Funded organisations will create collaborative communities where teachers can share best practices, receive peer support, and work closely with the organisation and STEM professionals (actively working within academia and industry), to enrich STEM education and hands-on learning. The Royal Society intends to play an active role in this collaborative community of schools and colleges from the outset. It is envisaged that a significant portion of the schools and colleges taking part in the Science Community Grant will build the capacity to apply for a full Partnership Grant.

The aims of the Science Community Grant are to:

Support UK schools and colleges in undertaking more hands-on, inquiry-based learning and investigative STEM projects
Allow students the opportunity to experience how science is done in practice
Provide continuing professional development (CPD) training for teachers to enhance skills and confidence in running practical investigations
Embed a collaborative community among schools and colleges to help support the delivery of practical science activities and to develop practical investigation and technical skills within students
Embed a culture of lasting partnership between schools and colleges and STEM professionals
Embed an outreach culture within universities or industry and develop the engagement skills of early-career STEM researchers

Evaluation and impact reporting is integral to this grant award and grant recipients will be required to collect data to understand the medium-long term impact on beneficiaries, and to provide evidence of sustained partnerships and communities between schools/colleges and STEM professionals, and the integration of practical learning in schools/colleges.

All grant activity, including reporting, should be completed within 39 months of the project start date.

What does the scheme offer?

There are ten Science Community Grants available. The grant amount is a maximum of £105,000 payable over three years.

While the grant cannot be used to support direct staffing costs, it can be used to support coordination and administration of the grant by the organisation.

Funds may also be used for:

Equipment to enable schools to undertake small-scale investigations
School and college expenses related to their participation, such as teacher cover and travel costs
STEM professional costs associated with training and travel costs for school/college visits
Data collection and evaluation

Full details about the funding and payment schedule, and examples of allowable costs, can be found in the scheme notes.

To help organisations learn more about the grant, online information sessions will be held throughout November, December, and January. Sessions can be booked through the Royal Society’s Event portal.

To find out more about The Julia Rausing Trust, please visit www.juliarausingtrust.org.

AI Based Application Success Predictor

1. Investigator Excellence (Most Important Factor)

Royal Society funding is people-focused, not project-heavy.

Strong predictors include:

A high-quality publication record relative to career stage

Evidence of original contributions (not incremental work)

Intellectual independence from PhD/postdoc supervisors

Clear trajectory toward international scientific leadership

🔑 For fellowships (URF/Dorothy Hodgkin): the person matters more than the project.

2. Original, Curiosity-Driven Science

The Royal Society prioritizes:

Fundamental research questions

High-risk, high-reward ideas

Long-term scientific value (not short-term application)

Projects that are:
❌ overly applied
❌ narrowly translational
❌ framed mainly around impact metrics

…are typically less competitive.

3. Career-Stage Fit to the Scheme

Each Royal Society scheme targets a very specific career window.

Examples:

URF → early-career researchers with exceptional promise and independence

Dorothy Hodgkin Fellowship → excellent researchers needing flexible working

Research Grants → established investigators with strong track records

International Exchanges → collaborative, bilateral research

🎯 Mismatch between applicant stage and scheme is a common reason for rejection.

4. Clear Scientific Vision (Not Over-Detailed Methods)

Successful proposals emphasize:

Big scientific questions

Why the problem matters fundamentally

Why you are uniquely placed to solve it

Royal Society reviewers prefer:
✔ conceptual clarity
✔ intellectual ambition
✔ long-term vision

…over exhaustive experimental detail.

5. Independence and Leadership Potential

Especially for fellowships, reviewers look for:

Clear distinction from previous supervisors

Evidence of initiating ideas, collaborations, or techniques

Mentoring, supervision, or leadership activities (as appropriate)

🔑 Future Fellow of the Royal Society potential is an implicit (but real) consideration.

6. Host Institution Strength & Commitment

For fellowships:

The host department must provide a strong research environment

Clear institutional support (space, facilities, integration)

No expectation of teaching overload during fellowship

Weak or generic host support letters reduce competitiveness.

7. International Standing or Potential

The Royal Society is globally focused.

Predictors include:

International collaborators

Invitations, talks, or visiting positions

Publications with global visibility

Strong case for international leadership (for UK-based schemes)

8. Discipline-Agnostic Excellence

Unlike many funders, The Royal Society:

Does not prioritise thematic calls

Does not require societal impact narratives

Evaluates purely on scientific excellence

This favors:
✔ theoretical work
✔ blue-sky research
✔ cross-disciplinary science

🧠 Common Reasons for Unsuccessful Applications

❌ Applicant not sufficiently independent
❌ Solid but not exceptional publication record
❌ Project too incremental or applied
❌ Weak articulation of long-term vision
❌ Poor career-stage fit
❌ Generic host support

Specialties

Others

Technology Development

Eligibility Requirements

The grant is open to applicants from UK-based STEM institutions or organisations that can demonstrate a significant track record of engagement with both schools/colleges and STEM professionals. Applications are welcomed from organisations as a whole, or from groups/departments/faculties within organisations.

Applicants must:

Consist of a team capable of supporting a minimum of 25 schools/colleges and STEM professionals throughout the three-year period of the project
Have the capacity to create and maintain an active community of schools/colleges and their STEM professionals, with regular engagement to promote, support and share best practice
Be capable of fully supporting schools/colleges and STEM professionals to undertake successful, small-scale investigative projects, in partnership
Have experience of providing continuing professional development (CPD) for teachers and STEM professionals

A statement of support from the head of the organisation (or department head, as appropriate) must be included as part of the application.

Please read the scheme notes carefully for further information on eligibility, to ensure that you meet all eligibility requirements before applying.

Eligible Countries:

United Kingdom

Sponsor Details

Sponsor Institute/Organizations: The Royal Society

Sponsor Type: Corporate/Non-Profit

Address: 6-9 Carlton House Terrace, London, SW1Y 5AG

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