Partnerships for excellence in science and engineering

Article posted: 6 September 2010

The Royal Society's Partnership Grants scheme is now open.  You can apply for up to £3000 to work with scientists and engineers on creative investigations that inspire students with the excitement and wonder of cutting-edge science or engineering research.

Funds are available for projects working with students aged between 5-19, as long as the project involves a UK school or college, and a practising scientist or engineer. The next round for applications closes on 5 November 2010. For more details about eligibility criteria and to find out how to apply, go to http://royalsociety.org/partnership.

What are the benefits?

A Partnership Grants project offers students the chance to get really 'hands-on' with science or engineering, and develop their practical and critical thinking skills whilst enhancing their scientific knowledge.

'I really enjoyed seeing the results: the work demonstrated that the children had engaged with my talk, and it was clear that they had put a lot of effort into it.' Scientist, Royal Botanic Gardens at Ke

Bringing a scientist or engineer into school can be a fantastic source of careers inspiration, and long-lasting partnerships such as these can benefit schools for years to come. Partnership Grant projects allow teachers to go beyond the curriculum, engage with cutting-edge research and access new equipment and skills.

'The work put into the project by the partner was invaluable, and the enthusiasm of the scientists involved was certainly infectious.' Teacher, Gairloch High School

What can you apply for?

Teachers, schools and their partner scientists and engineers from across the country have come up with a whole range of different projects that have captured the imagination of students. A Partnership Grants project is a real opportunity to exercise your creativity.

How would you like to 'Step inside the cell' with Northlands Primary School in Rugby? Working with Dr Claire Wells from Kings College London, and having used the Partnership Grants funding to buy digital microscopes, pupils in Year 5 at the school investigated the differences between animal and plant cells, and then visited the Natural History Museum to find out more about how living things work.

Or what about investigating the link between 'Summer sun and skin cancer' like Dame Alice Owen's School in Hertfordshire? Here the students worked with scientists from Cancer Research UK, both at the school and at CRUK laboratories, to measure UV light and discover the effect of UV light on skin cells.

Find more ideas for projects by reading the case studies at http://royalsociety.org/partnership-grants-scheme-case-studies.

If you have a great idea for a project, but need help in finding a partner, then please contact us.

Royal Society staff are happy to discuss ideas for projects, and can be reached on education@royalsociety.org or 0207 451 2554.

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