Deadline: 13 May 2020
The Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) is inviting proposals for public engagement with environmental science which understand, address or mitigate the impacts of the COVID-19 outbreak.
This funding aims to help researchers to find different and better methods of engagement that they would not otherwise be able to implement. It could also help researchers to find alternative ways to gather data that would otherwise be collected on fieldwork which can no longer go ahead. There is also room to consider how a diversity of audience groups will be affected and able to access digital engagement. There is a wealth of expertise around digital engagement methods, including citizen science, which could be considered when planning effective, excellent engagement.
Funding Information
NERC intends to fund projects costing up to £10,000 each with a total budget of £50,000.
Desired Outcomes
- Capacity of researchers is built to deliver new or changed public engagement with environmental science research, which understand, address or mitigate the impacts of the COVID-19 outbreak, and/or.
- Delivery of excellent public engagement with NERC reseach which understands, addresses or mitigates the impacts of the COVID-19 outbreak, and/or.
- Capacity of researchers is built to deliver digital public engagement with environmental science research.
Activities in scope (not exhaustive)
- Delivery of new or adaption of current public engagement
- Development of existing digital public engagement assets
- Collaborative projects, including with museums and/or science centres
- Developing partnerships, including with local communities
- Building capacity (such as through networks, training, mentoring, sharing best practice)
- Digital engagement with potential focus on (but is not limited to):
- Citizen science projects
- Use of new and emerging technology, for example virtual reality
- Creation of digital assets
- Innovative use of social media Out of scope
- Digitisation of pre-existing documents
- One way engagement.
Additional leverage
- Applicants may include additional leveraged funding as part of their submission from appropriate sources.
- Applicants must clearly state the source and amount of any existing leveraged funding (in-kind or cash).
Eligibility Criteria
- You can apply for Innovate UK funding if you are a UK based business. All kinds of businesses can apply – from pre-startup and new companies to large multi-nationals.
- You can apply for funding if you want to do one or more of the following:
- To test the feasibility of your idea and make sure it will work
- Create a new product, process or service, or improve an existing one, through research and development
- Work with other businesses or research organizations on collaborative projects
- Proposals must be within NERC’s remit, but may include partnerships with other researchers across academic disciplines beyond NERC remit.
- Successful projects must finish, as a condition of funding by 31 March 2021.
- Any activities must be free at the point of access for public audiences.
- Applicants to this call may submit only one proposal as the project lead. Applicants, however, can be co-investigators on multiple projects if appropriate.
- All outputs must be accessable for the intended audience/user.
- All public engagement with research must align with NERC’s definition.
Sustainability
Proposals should also consider the sustainability of the project, in-line with NERC’s current approach: sustainability for NERC is all about creating and nurturing an environment and culture in which social, economic and environmental responsibility is embedded, balancing the needs of the NERC community and stakeholders, including immediate needs and those of future generations.
Equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI)
As well as the key legal requirements, applicants should consider how they will address specific needs related to EDI. As part of this, applicants must:
- Ensure that all imagery in public engagement is diverse and inclusive, so that the public and other external stakeholders see NERC as an inclusive, welcoming community.
- Ensure effective engagement with a broad range of communities, so NERC funded public engagement activity is more inclusive.
- Consider the accessibility needs of people they work with to ensure that everyone who wants to is able to engage with NERC engagement activity e.g. wheelchair accessibility of venues, subtitles, British Sign Language (BSL) translation where appropriate etc.
Assessment Criteria
Proposals will be considered on the following criteria:
- Overall fit to the desired outcomes of the call and potential for impact.
- Alignment to NERC Public Engagement with Research and Innovation Strategy
- Value for money
- The quality of engagement looking at the following aspects:
- The intention of the engagement
- Is there mutual benefit
- Quality of engagement
- Sustainability of engagement
For more information, visit https://nerc.ukri.org/funding/application/currentopportunities/nerc-covid-19-public-engagement-grant/