Applications Invited for BES Outreach and Engagement Grants

Follow us@ngobox

About the Organization

From the field and lab to the heart of government, the BES convenes expert voices, collates the evidence and makes clear recommendations to influence change through science.

Founded over a century ago, the BES was the first Society in the world committed to understanding our earth through ecology, the science studying the relationship between living things and their environment. That commitment remains today with a global community spanning 120 countries and a strategic mission to find ecological solutions for a planet under threat.  

With the scientific foundation of our seven world-class journals, the BES has a unique ability to convene the ecological community – bringing the right people together to seek solutions for some of the most pressing challenges of our time.  In particular, we support policymakers and business by providing the evidence needed to ensure scientifically robust outcomes.

The BES’s work is grounded in our strategic goals to advance ecological science, put ecology at the heart of decision making, nurture an equitable collaborative community, become more sustainable and celebrate the wonder of ecology to inspire change and action.

About the Grant

Providing funding of up to £2,000 for individuals, teams and organisations to engage public audiences with the excitement of ecological science.

Objectives:

• Engaging public audiences with the relevance and importance of ecological science and careers is vital.
• This grant will support BES members to deliver independent outreach, public engagement and science communication activities that engage public audiences with the excitement, importance and relevance of ecological science or enhance the experience and skills of others to communicate ecology with public audiences.
• The grant will support diverse formats that reach and engage public audiences in innovative, creative and impactful ways, whether through in-person events, digital formats, or physical resources.

All Grants must be for projects that meet at least one of the top-level BES aims:

• Communicate evidence-based messaging for what ecology is, how nature works, and the use of ecological science as a solution to local and global challenges.
• Raise awareness and public understanding of ecological careers, their relevance and importance, breadth, and diversity, and show that anybody can become an ecologist.
• Share how individuals can take action to benefit the environment, themselves, and society.
• Increase the ability of others to deliver the above aims through outreach and engagement activities.

Whilst all forms of outreach and engagement will be supported, the funding may have the greatest impact if the Grant particularly encourages applications for activities that achieve the following:

• Pilot novel methods of communicating ecological sciences with public audiences.
• Engagement which may stimulate dialogue with ecologists, inform behavioural change and action for both ecologists and the public, or encourage ecological career prospects.
• Encourage interdisciplinary collaborations.
• Produce engagement materials or outcomes others can use or benefit from subsequently.
• Develop the skills of others in communicating ecological science with public audiences e.g., training.

Eligibility

• The lead applicant must have a BES membership. The lead applicant should be the person who will oversee the project delivery and complete the final report.
• Projects should be a maximum of 12 months.
• Awards are open to individuals, teams and organisations across all experience levels to organise ecological public engagement events. Collaborations between two or more people are also welcome.
• Your proposal must be aimed at a non-academic audience, and all projects must clearly demonstrate direct interaction with them. They should also show evidence of links to the research community at regional, national and international levels, where appropriate.
• There are no restrictions on where applicants come from nor where they carry out their outreach and engagement work.

Applications will NOT be considered for:

• Staff salaries (one-off costs that are relevant to completing the event e.g. sub-contracting for logo design, will be considered)
• Training courses not associated with developing skills in communicating the science of ecology for a public-facing audience
• Projects aimed solely at delivering curriculum to school children.
• Projects that are delivered to a small number (1-2) schools in a school setting where other members of the public can’t engage.

Applications from museums and schools are welcome, but projects must involve significant outreach beyond schools.

We will not award more than one grant to any applicant in any year and no more than three grants in any five years. Failure to submit a satisfactory report at the end of a grant will mean you are ineligible to apply for further grants.

For repeat, annual events that request funding more than once – the Grants Committee would only consider this if the project showed new novel ideas and development on the previous application

How to Apply

Apply for this grant

Round 1 opens 12 Jan and closes 10 Mar 2026.

For more information please check the Link

Stay in the loop with the newest RFPs and Grants through NGOBOX's WhatsApp Channel. Join now by clicking here!

Tags Environment and Sustainability Others