The British Ecological Society encourages its members and others to promote ecological science to a wide audience. To this end, we offer Outreach Grants of up to £2,000.

Application Deadlines

08 September 2014

We aim to notify applicants if they have been successful or not within two months of the deadline.

Ecology

The Society defines ecology as the scientific study of the distribution, abundance and dynamics of organisms, their interactions with other organisms and their physical environment. It is therefore essential that applications promote and engage the public with the science of ecology. Grants will not be awarded for purely nature conservation purposes or any activity that does not promote the science of ecology.

Objectives

All objectives must be aimed at a non-academic audience and all projects must provide a clear demonstration of direct interaction with the public.

To support projects that:

• Increase 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.

Eligibility and Conditions

Awards are open to individuals and organisations to organise public engagement events in ecology. This includes, but is not limited to, members of the BES, researchers, schools, museums, libraries and community groups.

Applications will NOT be considered for:

• Staff salaries (one off costs that are relevant to completing the event e.g. sub-contracting for logo design, will be considered as long as these are justified in your application)
• Purchase of apparatus, including computers, cameras etc., unless these are integral to the application.
• Training courses that are not associated with developing skills in communicating the science of ecology for a public facing audience e.g. specific skills training courses for academics are not eligible for funding.
• Academic meetings
• Closed meetings

Applications from museums and schools are welcome but projects must involve significant outreach beyond schools. Projects aimed solely at delivering curriculum to school children will not be considered.

Value

The maximum award is £2,000. However, the award may be used as part-funding for larger projects involving other sponsors.

Assessment Criteria

Applications will be judged by a panel of reviewers against the following criteria and therefore need to demonstrate:

• Consistency with at least 2 of the grant’s objectives
• Awareness of public interest and concerns including the relevance of the project to the target audience(s)
• Exploration of ecological concepts and issues, rather than simply providing information: specific information should be provided regarding the aspects of ecological science that the project aims to communicate
• Clear objectives for the project and its potential impact
• Evidence of appropriate means of publicity to reach the target audience
• Size of the audience that the event/initiative will reach
• Clear plans and resources to assess the impact and legacy of the project
• Realistic costing and evidence that any shortfall in funding not covered by the Society’s award, or by other organizations, can be covered by the applicant
• Realistic assessment of practical issues such as copyright, insurance and health and safety
• Whether the activity depends on Society funding or that Society funding will add a significant element.

To Apply

Applications for this grant must be made using the BES online application form.

All costs must be clearly justified within the budget section. Any costs that are not justified will not be considered. Please ensure all costs are clearly calculated in GBP (British Sterling).

– See more at: http://www.britishecologicalsociety.org/grants-awards/outreach-grants/#sthash.TaUe2O06.dpuf