The British Ecological Society is the oldest Ecological Society in the world, having been founded just before the start of World War 1 in 1913. The Society is inviting applications to its Outreach Grants programme, which offers grants of up to £2,000 with no marched requirement (although the grant can be used as matched funding) for initiatives that help promote ecology and ecological science to a wider, non-academic audience.

Please note that, while applications from schools and museums are welcomed, projects must not be confined to a school or a museum and should involve a significant outreach element. Projects aimed solely at delivering curriculum activities to schoolchildren will not be considered.

All project proposals must be aimed at a non-academic audience and meet a minimum of two of the following objectives:

o Develop skills in communicating the science of ecology.
o Increase public understanding of, and engagement with, ecology.
o Inspire and enthuse people of all ages about the science of ecology, especially those not previously interested in the subject, and
o Stimulate discussion about ecology and its implications for society.

The Society normally makes between 10 and 15 grants each year. Details of previous grant recipients can be found on the Society’s website. Approximately 1 in 8 applications are successful.

Funding is not available for:

o Academic meetings.
o Closed meetings.
o Projects aimed solely at delivering curriculum to school children.
o Staff salaries (one off costs that are relevant to completing the even, For example, sub-contracting for logo design, will be considered as long as these are justified in the application).
o The purchase of apparatus, including computers, cameras etc., unless these are integral to the application, or
o Training courses that are not associated with developing skills in communicating the science of ecology for a public facing audience eg specific skills training courses for academics are not eligible for funding.

Further information, guidance and an online application form is available on the Society’s website.