The next round of applications for the Royal Society Partnership Grants [1] is open from 7 January 2013 until 22 February 2013. You can request grants of up to £3,000 for science projects run at a primary or secondary. The Partnership Grants scheme is open to any UK primary or secondary school teacher in partnership with a practising scientist or engineer.

A great case study of a school that linked their grant to CREST is Thomas Hepburn Community School [2]. Their research on the effects of UV rays was greatly bolstered by the grant, allowing students to access a wide range of resources. By engaging with the CREST Awards, the students were able to independently work within the project guidelines to further investigate the project topic.

The students involved in the project must be between 5 and 18. Reception years are eligible if the project is run in conjunction with other age groups. Sixth form and further education colleges are eligible, provided the students involved in the project are aged under 19. Applications must be made by both partners together. Any grant awarded goes to the school.

For teachers, a Partnership Grants project allows student work to go beyond the classroom curriculum, whilst allowing students to engage with research and experimental facilities otherwise not available.

The benefits of such a grant include improvements in practical and thinking skills, as well as scientific knowledge. Pupils become more enthusiastic, participation in classroom activities increases, and valuable communication and understanding skills are developed, which can then enhance future classroom-based work.

More information on other Link Schemes is available on the Accredited partners [3] pages of this website.

To contact the Royal Society regarding the Partnership Grant: email education@royalsociety.org [4] or phone  0207 451 2574.