Public engagement with research

Seed funding is available from the Grantham Institute to aid researchers and students in developing ambitious activities for public engagement in 2023-24, including for large events like the Great Exhibition Road Festival.

The Institute will award up to £1000 for up to three proposals that engage an audience with the Institute’s vision for creating a sustainable, resilient, zero-carbon society.

What are we looking for?

Successful proposals will create an activity that explores how people think, feel or behave, and relate their experience to a research topic that falls within the Grantham Institute remit. They can be challenging, but not necessarily didactic.

Proposals will ideally involve people from across disciplines at College, and may include external collaborators such as from the arts, literature, performance, sports, social sciences, psychology, etc.

This can be an existing collaboration or project that you are looking for additional funds to support your activity. Applicants can be staff, postgraduate or undergraduate students at Imperial.

You should indicate how engaging people with this research supports one or more of the Institute’s aims.

We will be paying particular attention to:

• Clearly stated objectives, and how you plan to evaluate whether you have met them?
• How the activity adds something to your research, such as your perception of a key challenge, described under the question “What are you hoping to get out of taking part in the Festival?”
• How will you address the needs of different audience members, (eg under 5’s, children over 12, young adults, academics from other disciplines?, answer under “Please provide a brief overview of your research area and why it would be of interest to wider audiences?”
• What is the incentive for the audience to participate in your activity; what do they get out of it? described under the question “What are your initial ideas for engaging people with your research? What will visitors be able to do or see?”
• How your team will use digital communications to engage specific audiences with your activity, eg attracting them to take part, seeking their responses, or publicising the outcome of your activity
• An activity that can be stored and staged at future events, eg Grantham Annual Lectures, NHM Science Uncovered, British Science Festival.

How to apply

If you have any pre-application questions, or are seeking advice, please contact Simon Levey , Communications Manager at s.levey@imperial.ac.uk.

Please prepare a brief outline of your proposal (max two pages A4) and send a copy with any supporting information including an outline budget to s.levey@imperial.ac.uk.

Funding for successful proposals will be awarded on the production of a written report summarising your activity, including aims, objectives and the findings of an evaluation up to one month after the end of the project.

Timeline:

• Expressions of interest: Contact Simon Levey by 17:00 on 26 January 2024
• Application deadline: Send proposal to Simon Levey by 17:00 on 29 February 2024
• Decisions: You will receive a response by 17:00 on 15 March 2024
• Funds must be claimed by expense form or invoice by 28 June 2024 unless in exceptional circumstances
• Report deadline: 17:00 on 26 July 2024