Join the Community Engagement Network – it’s free to join and open to any organisation whose primary audience is underrepresented in science. 

Join today

About the Community Engagement Network

At the British Science Association (BSA), we want to see a future where science is more relevant, representative and connected to society.

Our community engagement projects (a series of programmes and grants) aim to support community groups that work with people who are often underrepresented in science. We want to help affect change at a grassroots level, spreading the appeal of science and showing that it is open – and relevant – to all.

To help achieve this goal, we created the Community Engagement Network.

Over the past four years, and almost 900 members later, the growing Network works to inspire and build confidence among community organisations, connect the groups to one another, and provide ongoing support to its members. The Network also aims to facilitate new partnerships and projects and build a body of evidence demonstrating the impact of community engagement with underrepresented audiences.

What is involved

As a member of this Network, you will receive the following:

• Information and ongoing support in providing science content to your community group.
• Various opportunities offered by the BSA and other organisations.
• Exclusive access to certain grant schemes and programmes offered by the BSA.
• The quarterly Community Engagement Network e-newsletter.
• The opportunity to connect with other community organisations across the UK* that may be doing similar work, with the aim to foster dialogue, shared learning, and best practice.
• The opportunity to connect to local science organisations* facilitating new partnerships and projects.

The Community Engagement Network is open to the following:

To become a member, your organisation’s primary audience must be those who are underrepresented in, and underserved by, science. This includes:

• people from an ethnic minority background
• people living in communities which face deprivation, including people disadvantaged in terms of education and income
• people with a disability or long-term health impairment
• people living in a remote and rural location, defined as settlements of less than 10,000 people; and
• girls and women.

Join the Network

We’re always looking to welcome new members and grow the Community Engagement Network. If you’d like to join, please get in touch at [email protected] with the following information:

• your name
• the name of your organisation
• your email address
• the city/town and region where your organisation is based
• which underrepresented audiences you work with (please see the above list)

Join here

*If you agree to join the Network, we would like to be able to share information about your organisation and your contact details with other Network members. Your contact details will not be shared with third parties outside of the Network and will only be shared within the Network when we think there is a relevant opportunity. For more information, please see the BSA Privacy Information.

Back to the Community Engagement webpage

To keep up to date on our Community Engagement programmes, follow BSA Communities on Twitter.