/ Grants at the Royal Society / Partnership Grants

STEM partner engagement

Involvement of at least one STEM professional (known as a STEM partner) is an essential element of the Partnership Grants scheme.

The STEM partner’s main role is to actively and regularly engage and work with the students during the running of the grant project. It is also expected that they may support the school or college with project planning and technical advice where needed. 

Details on the eligibility criteria for STEM partners can be found on our eligibility criteria page. You can contact the Schools Engagement team with any queries you may have about STEM partner requirements.

Benefits of the partnership

The partnership is designed to give students an opportunity to learn from STEM professionals and see the range of potential career opportunities available to them. It is also an opportunity for the STEM partner to develop skills in school engagement, and for a long-term sustainable relationship to develop between the school or college and STEM partner.

Guidance on how to find a partner

The Royal Society does not match schools and colleges to STEM partners, instead the relationship must be formed by you. Free online introduction sessions are run throughout term time for school and STEM partners and aim to give attendees a better understanding of the scheme and how to find a STEM partner. 

Successful partnerships  can be formed through many routes, and below are some suggestions to get you started:

Partnership FAQ’s

The questions below are commonly asked by prospective applicants and the answers provide useful hints and tips for your application. Please also review the guidance pages regarding the application, eligibility and guidance to support SEND as you write your application. Don’t forget that draft applications can be sent to the Schools Engagement team for review before you submit.

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Each application must have a named lead STEM professional from academia or industry, referred to as the lead STEM partner, who fulfills the criteria found on the eligibility and judging criteria page and co-signs the application. They will be expected to have the most engagement with the grant project.

Schools and colleges can involve more than one STEM partner and should highlight these by name in Stage 2 of the application form, but they do not need to co-sign the application form. This may include Masters and PhD students, retired STEM Ambassadors etc. Besides giving students a wider experience of STEM careers, involving multiple STEM partners means there is less time pressure on any one individual.  Education outreach or public engagement personnel can also support the project but cannot act as a lead STEM partner (although there are some exceptions - please see the eligibility page). 

The more interaction there can be between the STEM partner(s) and the students, the stronger the project will be.

Lead STEM partners should:

  • Complete basic information about themselves and a declaration on Stage 2 of the application form
  • Must be involved throughout the lifetime of the project

All STEM partners should:

  • Actively engage in-person with the students working on the project - they cannot just have an advisory role with school / college staff
  • Aim to visit the school / college and work with the students several times throughout the duration of the project (please see eligibility for minimum requirements)
  • Supplemented with digital support, such as video calls and email communication, where reasonable to do so

It is expected that most STEM partners will support a grant using charity days or as part of the organisation’s outreach and engagement work. Travel expense for STEM partners can be covered up to £200 total across the duration of the grant or up to £500 if an explanation is provided for review. Funding cannot be used to pay for a STEM partner’s time.

Funding can be used to pay for travel to allow the school / college group to visit the STEM partner’s place of work, if appropriate.

Yes. It is crucial that when you plan your project you ensure the involvement of the STEM partner(s) is sustained throughout the lifetime of the project and they are not just involved at the beginning and end of the project. The STEM partner's engagement with the students can be split across STEM professionals if you have more than one STEM partner involved in the project, so that each does not visit as often as if they were supporting the project on their own.

Whilst it is important that teachers are supported, the STEM partner should be working with the students themselves and engage with them directly. The STEM partner must not simply advise staff.

In your application, make it clear how often the STEM partner will visit the school / college and support the students. The judges do not expect to see exact dates but information about the expected number of visits is important. There should ideally be several interactions per term providing good quality engagement time.

Whilst the majority of the interaction should be in-person (either at the school or college, or perhaps during a trip to the STEM partner’s workplace), the STEM partner(s) can also be involved remotely via email or video calls to top up engagement, as long as this is in line with the safeguarding policies of the school or college.

The more interaction there is between the STEM partner(s) and the students the stronger your application will be. Therefore, a mix of in-person and remote support may be the most suitable solution.

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Partnership Grant STEM partner

It's been such a wonderful experience working with the young people on this project and watching them engage with biology in a way that they can really connect with.