Apply for funding to engage the public with Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC) supported science, technology or facilities
You must work for an organisation that:
Proposals must include a subject matter expert (SME) in an STFC-funded area.
The full economic cost (FEC) of your project can be up to £125,000. We will fund 80% of the FEC.
Your project should be a maximum of 36 months in duration.
Organisations that apply must be based in the UK.
STFC can only fund organisations that have audited accounts. If this does not describe your organisation, you must work in partnership with an organisation that can receive the funding on your behalf.
Almost anyone can apply for a Nucleus award, including:
The principal applicant must be eligible to apply on behalf of the organisation that would hold the award.
Every application must include an SME in an STFC funded area of science or technology. While these SMEs often play an active role in delivering the engagement activities, this is not mandatory. They may act as an adviser on the scientific content.
If applicants have any questions about applicant eligibility, please contact the Public Engagement team at stfcpublicengagement@stfc.ac.uk and we will advise on how you may proceed.
We are committed to achieving equality of opportunity for all funding applicants. We encourage applications from a diverse range of researchers.
We support people to work in a way that suits their personal circumstances. This includes:
UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) can offer disability and accessibility support for applicants and grant holders during the application and assessment process.
STFC Nucleus grant holders undertake high quality programmes of public engagement that inspire and involve target audiences with stories of STFC science, technology and facilities. Grant holders may also use Nucleus awards to create and sustain public engagement networks that develop communities of practice.
Proposed engagement programmes must either:
STFC’s remits are:
Nucleus awards will not be awarded unless there is a strong and demonstrable link between the proposed activities and STFC science and technology.
Nucleus awards may also be used for activities that are dedicated to developing community networks or capacity building in public engagement. This may be the sole purpose of a Nucleus award, or an application may combine engagement activities and networking into a coherent package.
The Wonder Initiative is about giving under-served communities an equal voice by listening, understanding, and responding to what people want to know about science and technology. Wonder marks a long-term commitment by STFC public engagement to move our focus towards audience driven public engagement with under-served communities in the most socio-economically deprived areas of the UK. Financial support through Nucleus awards is an important part of the Wonder Initiative.
The target audience for Wonder is defined according to indices of multiple deprivation. Specifically, STFC is interested in supporting audience driven engagement that works with audiences, particularly those eight to 14 years old and their families and carers, from the 40% most socio-economically deprived areas of the UK.
STFC defines the 40% most socio-economically deprived areas of the UK as those areas listed in the bottom two quintiles of the indices of multiple deprivation for the respective part of the UK.
Applicants are explicitly invited to submit Nucleus awards that work with the Wonder target audience.
We encourage applications that propose engagement with audiences considered to have low ‘science capital’.
Applicants may choose which audiences to engage with and the methods of engagement. These must be outlined in the proposal.
Nucleus awards will not be awarded for the sole purpose of authorship and publication of books and novels, though proposals in which the production of a book is an output of a wider programme will be considered.
Applicants should use their proposal to clearly explain how their Nucleus award will further the aims of the STFC public engagement strategy.
Applications that highlight the social, ethical, and economic benefits of research are welcomed.
Applicants are encouraged to propose novel or innovative approaches towards engagement as part of their Nucleus award, as long as these are demonstrably well planned and have clearly defined audiences.
STFC focuses heavily on evaluation and applicants must provide a clear evaluation plan showing details of how the outputs, outcomes and impacts of the Nucleus award will be captured and evaluated.
We require applicants to report on the outcomes of their Nucleus award in line with the STFC public engagement evaluation framework, which describes our approach towards effective engagement. We suggest that applicants should familiarise themselves with the framework and consider how it could be used to evaluate their engagement programme from its inception. Applicants are reminded that evaluation costs can be included within the overall budget.
The duration of this award is expected to be between 24 and 36 months
The Public Engagement Nucleus Awards scheme falls under the full economic costing framework. Therefore, all costs that contribute to the full economic cost of the proposal should be included under the cost headings as shown in the costs we fund section of the STFC guidance for applicants web page. As the Nucleus award scheme has no capital budget, applicants cannot request funds under the equipment heading.
STFC will fund a maximum of £100,000 for each proposal. For those research organisations (ROs) that are subject to TRAC, this will be 80% of the overall costs (that is a maximum of £125,000 at FEC). For non-TRAC ROs, please add all your costs under the ‘Exceptions’ fund heading.
Other than the restrictions outlined below, there are no set restrictions on the type of costs that may be applied for. For example, contributions to salaries, cost of materials, and travel and subsistence are eligible.
The following costs are ineligible for support through Nucleus awards:
For applicants from or for schools, note the following ineligible costs:
We are running this funding opportunity on the new UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) Funding Service so please ensure that your organisation is registered. You cannot apply on the Joint Electronic Submissions (Je-S) system.
The project lead is responsible for completing the application process on the Funding Service, but we expect all team members and project partners to contribute to the application.
Only the lead research organisation can submit an application to UKRI.
Select ‘Start application’ near the beginning of this Funding finder page.
Where indicated, you can also demonstrate elements of your responses in visual form if relevant. You should:
Watch our research office webinars about the Funding Service.
For more guidance on the Funding Service, see:
Applications should be self-contained, and hyperlinks should only be used to provide links directly to reference information. To ensure the information’s integrity is maintained, where possible, persistent identifiers such as digital object identifiers should be used. Assessors are not required to access links to carry out assessment or recommend a funding decision. Applicants should use their discretion when including references and prioritise those most pertinent to the application.
References should be included in the appropriate question section of the application and be easily identifiable by the assessors, for example (Smith, Research Paper, 2019).
You must not include links to web resources to extend your application.
Use of generative AI tools to prepare funding applications is permitted, however, caution should be applied.
For more information see our policy on the use of generative AI in application and assessment.
STFC must receive your application by 20 March 2025 at 4:00pm UK time.
You will not be able to apply after this time.
Make sure you are aware of and follow any internal institutional deadlines.
Following the submission of your application to the funding opportunity, your application cannot be changed, and applications will not be returned for amendment. If your application does not follow the guidance, it may be rejected.
STFC, as part of UKRI, will need to collect some personal information to manage your Funding Service account and the registration of your funding applications.
We will handle personal data in line with UK data protection legislation and manage it securely. For more information, including how to exercise your rights, read our privacy notice.
If you or a core team member need to tell us something you wish to remain confidential, email grantspolicy@stfc.ac.uk
Include in the subject line: [the funding opportunity title; sensitive information; your Funding Service application number].
Typical examples of confidential information include:
For information about how UKRI handles personal data, read UKRI’s privacy notice.
STFC, as part of UKRI, will publish the outcomes of this funding opportunity at board and panel outcomes.
If your application is successful, we will publish some personal information on the UKRI Gateway to Research.
Word limit: 550
In plain English, provide a summary we can use to identify the most suitable experts to assess your application.
We usually make this summary publicly available on external-facing websites, therefore do not include any confidential or sensitive information. Make it suitable for a variety of readers, for example:
Clearly describe your proposed work in terms of:
List the key members of your team and assign them roles from the following:
Only list one individual as project lead.
UKRI has introduced a new addition to the ‘specialist’ role type. Public contributors such as people with lived experience can now be added to an application.
Find out more about UKRI’s core team roles in funding applications.
Word limit: 750
What are you hoping to achieve with your proposed work?
Explain how your proposed work:
You may demonstrate elements of your responses in visual form if relevant. Further details are provided in the Funding Service.
We expect you to demonstrate:
Word limit: 1,000
How are you going to deliver your proposed work?
Explain how you have designed your approach so that it:
Within the Approach section we also expect you to:
Applicants are expected to upload a single PDF document to provide evidence of audience demand, if applicable. The Funding Service will provide document upload details when you apply. If this does not apply to your proposed work, you will be able to indicate this in the Funding Service.
Word limit: 1,000
Why are you the right individual or team to successfully deliver the proposed work?
Evidence of how you, and if relevant your team, have:
The roles in funding applications policy has descriptions of the different project roles.
Word limit: 750
What will you need to deliver your proposed work and how much will it cost?
Justify the application’s more costly resources, in particular:
Assessors are not looking for detailed costs or a line-by-line breakdown of all project resources. Overall, they want you to demonstrate how the resources you anticipate needing for your proposed work:
Word limit: 250
What are the ethical or RRI implications and issues relating to the proposed work? If you do not think that the proposed work raises any ethical or RRI issues, explain why.
Demonstrate that you have identified and evaluated:
Word limit: 750
How will the outputs, outcomes and impacts of the project be captured, evaluated and shared?
Demonstrate that you have:
You may demonstrate elements of your responses in visual form if relevant. Further details are provided in the Funding Service.
The Funding Service will provide document upload details when you apply.
Word limit: 750
How will the outputs, outcomes and impacts of the project be captured, evaluated and shared?
Demonstrate your consideration of:
You may demonstrate elements of your responses in visual form if relevant. Further details are provided in the Funding Service.
The Funding Service will provide document upload details when you apply.
Word limit: 200
We expect that projects will focus primarily on audiences based in the UK.
Please show the total estimated number of people who will be reached within each of the following audience groups and express this as a percentage (which must total 100%):
Please copy and paste the table shown in the Funding Service into the answer field to provide your response in the requested format.
If you are targeting a specific subset of the general public not mentioned above, please use the entry for ‘general public’ and specify here (for example gender specific or special educational needs ( SEN) audiences).
Word limit: 500
If appropriate, how will your project engage with the Wonder Initiative audience and what is the anticipated impact?
Please provide details of the following:
The Wonder Initiative aims to connect people from all backgrounds with our science and technology. Wonder is about giving under-served communities an equal voice by listening, understanding and responding to what people want to know about science and technology.
The Wonder Initiative focuses on working with participants from the 40% most socio-economically deprived areas of the UK, in particular eight to 14-year-olds and their families and carers.
You may demonstrate elements of your responses in visual form if relevant. Further details are provided in the Funding Service.
The Funding Service will provide document upload details when you apply.
Word limit: 50
Which of the STFC programme areas are relevant to your project?
Show the percentage of relevant programme areas and approximate percentages from the following:
Please show the percentage of relevant programme areas and approximate percentages (which must total 100%). Please copy and paste the table shown in the Funding Service into the answer field to provide your response in the requested format.
Word limit: 250
Provide details of support from your research organisation.
Provide a Statement of Support from your research organisation detailing how they will support you, as the applicant, and your proposed activities. This should include details of any matched funding that will be provided to support the activity and any additional support that might add value to the work.
Assessors will be looking for a strong statement of support from your organisation. This information should have been approved for submission by an appropriate institutional authority.
You must also include the following details:
Upload details are provided within the Funding Service on the actual application.
Add details about any project partners’ contributions. If there are no project partners, you can indicate this on the Funding Service.
A project partner is a collaborating organisation who will have an integral role in the proposed research. This may include direct (cash) or indirect (in-kind) contributions such as expertise, staff time or use of facilities. Project partners may be in industry, academia, third sector or government organisations in the UK or overseas, including partners based in the EU.
Add the following project partner details:
If a detail is entered incorrectly and you have saved the entry, remove the specific project partner record and re-add it with the correct information.
For audit purposes, UKRI requires formal collaboration agreements to be put in place if an award is made.
Upload a single PDF containing the letters or emails of support from each partner you named in the Project partners section. These should be uploaded in English or Welsh only.
Enter the words ‘attachment supplied’ in the text box, or if you do not have any project partners enter ‘N/A’. Each letter or email you provide should:
The Funding Service will provide document upload details when you apply.
If you do not have any project partners, you will be able to indicate this in the Funding Service.
Ensure you have prior agreement from project partners so that, if you are offered funding, they will support your project as indicated in the project partners’ section.
For audit purposes, UKRI requires formal collaboration agreements to be put in place if an award is made.
We will assess your application using the following process.
We will invite experts to review your application independently, against the specified criteria for this funding opportunity.
You will not be able to nominate reviewers for applications on the new UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) Funding Service. Research councils will continue to select expert reviewers.
We are monitoring the requirement for applicant-nominated reviewers as we review policies and processes as part of the continued development of the new Funding Service.
Following peer review, we will invite experts to use the evidence provided by reviewers and your applicant response to assess the quality of your application and rank it alongside other applications after which the panel will make a funding recommendation.
STFC will make the final funding decision.
We aim to complete the assessment process within four months of the opportunity closing date.
We will give feedback with the outcome of your application.
We support the San Francisco declaration on research assessment and recognise the relationship between research assessment and research integrity.
Find out about the UKRI principles of assessment and decision making.
Reviewers and panellists are not permitted to use generative AI tools to develop their assessment. Using these tools can potentially compromise the confidentiality of the ideas that applicants have entrusted to UKRI to safeguard.
For more detail see our policy on the use of generative AI.
The assessment areas we will use are:
Find details of assessment questions and criteria under the ‘Application questions’ heading in the ‘How to apply’ section.
If you have a question and the answers aren’t provided on this page
Important note: The helpdesk is committed to helping users of the UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) Funding Service as effectively and as quickly as possible. In order to manage cases at peak volume times, the helpdesk will triage and prioritise those queries with an imminent opportunity deadline or a technical issue. Enquiries raised where information is available on the Funding Finder opportunity page and should be understood early in the application process (for example, regarding eligibility or content/remit of an opportunity) will not constitute a priority case and will be addressed as soon as possible.
For help and advice on costings and writing your application please contact your research office in the first instance, allowing sufficient time for your organisation’s submission process.
For questions related to this specific funding opportunity please contact stfcpublicengagement@stfc.ac.uk
Any queries regarding the system or the submission of applications through the Funding Service should be directed to the helpdesk.
Email: support@funding-service.ukri.org
Phone: 01793 547490
Our phone lines are open:
To help us process queries quicker, we request that users highlight the council and opportunity name in the subject title of their email query, include the application reference number, and refrain from contacting more than one mailbox at a time.
See further information on submitting an application.
Nucleus Public Engagement Awards 2025 is a single stage funding opportunity as part of the STFC public engagement programme.
Impact can be defined as the long-term intended or unintended effect research and innovation has on society, economy and the environment; to individuals, organisations, and the wider global population.
We recognise that the COVID-19 pandemic has caused major interruptions and disruptions across our communities. We are committed to ensuring that individual applicants and their wider team, including partners and networks, are not penalised for any disruption to their career, such as:
Reviewers and panel members will be advised to consider the unequal impacts that COVID-19 related disruption might have had on the capability to deliver and career development of those individuals included in the application. They will be asked to consider the capability of the applicant and their wider team to deliver the research they are proposing.
Where disruptions have occurred, you can highlight this within your application if you wish, but there is no requirement to detail the specific circumstances that caused the disruption.
