Deadline: 14-Aug-24
The Maker Projects – Community STEM Engagement grants is offering grants for fostering inquiry-based learning and the development of STEM skills in students and youth under 18 years of age in design, engineering and programming, through hands-on learning.
Objectives
- The objectives of the grant opportunity are to:
- deliver maker projects where students and youth under 18 years of age, at the time of application, can develop and apply their STEM knowledge through experimentation, tinkering and hands-on learning by engaging with a range of technologies
- encourage practical skills, creativity and entrepreneurial thinking through the delivery of hands on STEM-related events and activities
- inspire students to pursue STEM disciplines in their study and work
- ensure that maker projects are accessible to as many young people as possible, including those in regional, rural and disadvantaged areas
- make a positive and ongoing impact on youth under 18 years of age, particularly diverse cohorts and communities historically underrepresented in STEM including:
- First Nations peoples
- culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) people
- women and girls
- people living in regional and remote areas
- people with disability
- people from low socio-economic backgrounds
- neurodivergent people
- LGBTQIA+ people
- people who face age-based discrimination.
Funding Information
- For this grant opportunity up to $2 million in funding is available over two years from 2024-25 to 2025-26. The grant amount will be up to 80 per cent of eligible project expenditure.
- The minimum grant amount is $20,000.
- The maximum grant amount is $100,000.
- The maximum project period is 2 years.
Outcomes
- The intended outcomes of the grant opportunity are:
- students and youth under 18 years of age will gain practical knowledge and skills in scientific experimentation, design, technology, innovation and entrepreneurship
- an increase in the accessibility of STEM-related events and activities and increased participation of youth under 18 years of age, particularly diverse cohorts and communities historically underrepresented in STEM as defined in the glossary
- positive and ongoing development of STEM skills for participating youth through inquiry-based learning.
Eligible Projects
- To be eligible your project must:
- be aimed at delivering STEM-related activities and events to meet the objectives and outcomes
- be for the benefit of youth under 18 years of age
- include scientific, technological, engineering or mathematics experts, inventors, innovators or entrepreneurs to work with participants to gain practical knowledge and skills in design, technology, innovation and entrepreneurship
- include either new activities or an expansion to the applicant’s existing business as usual activities
- be collaborative in nature and include at least one partner organisation during the life of the project
- have at least $25,000 in eligible expenditure
- include eligible activities, such as:
- interactive workshops
- events relating to existing interactive exhibitions
- hands-on participation from youth under 18 years of age
- resources for participants to support the lasting impact of the funded activities.
Eligibility Criteria
- To be eligible you must:
- have an Australian Business Number (ABN) and
- be one of the following entities:
- an entity, incorporated in Australia
- an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Corporation registered under the Corporations (Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander) Act 2006 (Cth)
- an incorporated association
- an incorporated not for profit organisation
- a publicly funded research organisation (PFRO)
- a government or non-government vocational education and training (VET) provider
- Joint applications (consortia) are acceptable, provided you have a lead organisation who is the main driver of the project and is eligible to apply.
For more information, visit Australian Government.