2025 Engaging Science Grants build science literacy and foster engagement
Issued: 16 Aug 2024
- The 2025 Engaging Science Grants opened on 15 August 2024.
- The grants are designed to increase public awareness and appreciation of science, promote science literacy and science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) careers.
- Dating back to 2016, more than $3.1 million has been provided to 258 grant recipients through the Engaging Science Grants program.
More opportunities to meet and learn from Queensland’s talented scientists are on offer through funding support for events and educational engagement projects under the Queensland Government’s Engaging Science Grants.
The grants are designed to increase public awareness and appreciation of science, promote science literacy and science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) careers.
Opening on 15 August 2024, grants of up to $20,000 for up to one year are available for eligible projects and events, with up to $500,000 available in total.
Projects that engage diverse stakeholders, target under-represented groups (including First Nations people, girls and women, and disadvantaged groups) and involve Queenslanders from regional or remote areas are highly encouraged.
Research undertaken in 2023 highlighted that many Queenslanders felt they were missing out on science events and activities in their areas, with only one in ten people surveyed saying they felt these activities in their area were “adequate”.
The Engaging Science Grants help address this need.
For example, funding will enable communities to host local science-related events or STEM activities or enable scientists or STEM education providers to visit multiple towns across the state.
To be eligible, projects must demonstrate that they align to the community pillar goals in the recently released Future Queensland Science Strategy, seeking to empower community awareness and engagement in science.
In the 2024 round, 28 projects were funded by the Engaging Science Gants.
Since 2016, more than $3.1 million has been provided to 258 grant recipients through the Engaging Science Grants program.
Applications for the 2025 Engaging Science Grants program will close on 27 September 2024, with projects expected to commence in early 2025.
View further information about the Engaging Science Grants program.
“I encourage as many people and organisations as possible to consider applying for the 2025 Engaging Science Grants round.
“Through these grants we encourage the community to participate in scientific activities, events and projects, and learn about the opportunities that science can provide.
“In particular, our Engaging Science Grants focus on our young people, encouraging them to study STEM today, and look to the meaningful and valued career opportunities science offers tomorrow.
“STEM drives innovation and economic growth and a STEM education equips people with the skills needed in our rapidly changing world.
“This is a key component of the Future Queensland Science Strategy to ensure Queensland’s future prosperity to deliver better outcomes for our environment, economy and people.”
Quotes attributable to Queensland Chief Scientist Professor Kerrie Wilson
“Last year we were successful in receiving funding for our Gulf Savannah Science Festival which helped us to inspire secondary school aged children from within the Carpentaria Shire Council region to follow STEM careers by involving them in hands on taxonomy, ecology and biodiversity activities and real-world scientific experiments in soil analysis.
“Our project was a one-day Science Festival held at the Normanton State School on 14 September last year, with students from this school and from schools in the surrounding rural area.
“Sixty students and 30 teachers and presenters representing tertiary institutions, environmental organisations and the Carpentaria Land Council Aboriginal Corporation were involved in a very successful program delivering a range of educational sessions.
“The program was so successful we are looking to expand future programs over a number of days.
“In a very real way we were able to turn our grant into an event that brought science to the community and gave our science leaders of the future hands-on science experience in an important environmental activity.”
Quotes attributable to Gulf Savannah NRM CEO Zoe Williams