The Public Engagement Unit runs the Engage Grants.
The 2023/2024 edition of the funding call, the Engage and Involve Grants aims to support researchers at the University of Bath to develop their skills and understanding of public engagement with and involvement in research.
We fund activities so researchers can give public engagement a go by themselves.
In 2023/2024 we have a total of £20,000 available for this funding call and we anticipate funding 10 projects each up to £2,000 each.
The Engage and Involve Grants 2023/24 are now closed.
Public Engagement
For the purpose of the Engage and Involve Grants, public engagement is understood as:
The various ways in which research activity and the benefits of research are shared with the public. Engagement is, by definition, a two-way process involving interaction and listening, with the aim of generating mutual benefit.
Public engagement includes a diverse range of activities that seek to improve the connections between research and society. It should involve people outside academia in spaces or at times where they can choose to participate and relate to specific and active research.
It could be activities that, whilst not essential for your research, can enhance or enrich your research, or it could be activities that actively involve people in research. Public engagement can happen at any stage of the research life cycle.
High-quality public engagement allows people to discover, discuss, participate and/or create research in meaningful ways for them, helping them to meet their goals as individuals and within communities, and benefit you and your research.
What we're looking for
We are interested in funding activities that improve the connections between research and society.
Before you consider applying for an Engage and Involve Grant, we’d like you to think about how the activity you would like to do provides an opportunity to test ways to either engage people with your research or involve them in it.
Here are some examples to illustrate what we mean by this:
partnering with a cultural venue to co-create opportunities to share research with their audiences
piloting approaches to patient and public involvement and engagement
testing activities that could form part of a community (citizen) science project
hosting an event in a community space with a relevant community to help you prioritise your research questions
This is not an exhaustive list, and activities are not limited to these examples as they are for illustrative purposes only.
We want to support successful applicants in developing their expertise in public engagement practice and work with them throughout their project. Colleagues have told us that working with a creative practitioner also helped them think differently about engaging and involving people in and with their research. For the 2023/24 Engage and Involve Grants, we are therefore looking to fund applicants who are willing to work with us and a creative practitioner to refine their ideas.
We aim to fund a portfolio of different types of activities that engage people with and involve them in research from across the three Faculties and the School.
Who can apply
The Engage and Involve Grants 2023/24 are now closed
This call is open to staff members in the Research & Education and Technical & Experimental job families (any discipline or career stage) and doctoral students.
Doctoral students must secure permission from their supervisor(s) to apply for this award.
We welcome applications from all Faculties and the School.
Assessment criteria
We aim to fund a portfolio of different types of activities that engage people with and involve them in research from across the three Faculties and the School.
We will be assessing applications based on the following criteria:
An idea for an activity you would like to deliver that engages public groups with or involves them in your research.
An identified public group you want to engage with or involve in your research.
A willingness to try new things and think creatively about public engagement with and involvement in research including working with the Public Engagement Unit and a creative practitioner.
How to apply
Applicants need to fill in the Engage and Involve Grants application form.
Engage and Involve Grants application form.
Information session
We hosted an information session on Wednesday 1 November 2023 and presented the Engage and Involve Grants funding call slide deck. The session was also recorded, please drop us an email at public-engagement@bath.ac.uk if you would like access to the recording.
Submissions
Application forms must be emailed to public-engagement@bath.ac.uk no later than 4pm on Friday 8 December 2023 with ‘Engage and Involve Grants’ in the subject line.
Assessment process
Applications will be reviewed by a panel made up of:
The Public Engagement Unit
An external public engagement professional
An academic representative from the University of Bath
A member of the Public Engagement Unit will be in touch as to the outcome of your application the week commencing 8 January 2024.
Successful projects will be invited to a creative workshop to support you in developing your project ideas on Wednesday 21 February 2024.
Deadline
Completed application forms must be received by 4pm on Friday 8 December 2023.
Reporting
We have found that projects of this scale usually take 12 months to develop and deliver.
Successful applicants are required to report on their learning, outcomes and experiences to the Public Engagement Unit.
We have a reporting form we use but we are happy to accept a project report in a format that is appropriate to the applicant and the project.
Key dates
Call opens – Tuesday 17 October
Information session – Wednesday 1 November, 1pm
Call closes – Friday 8 December, 4pm
Grant starts – January 2024
Reports due – January 2025