Resources

Internal Funding Competition 2025/6

Update following November workshops:

Thanks to all of you who attended one of our workshops in November. It was great to see you, and to hear about some of your plans. This Short film gives an oversight of public engagement and the funding application process. Here are the slides which were used during the workshops (these are only accessible to Napier colleagues via Sharepoint).

Information for Edinburgh Napier researchers who are interested in applying for public engagement funding (2025/6): 

Public Engagement Funding Form 2025-6

The Public Engagement Forum is inviting applications from research and academic staff and postgraduate research students for public engagement projects. The key criterion for funding is that the proposed activity will creatively engage the public with your research, mutually benefitting publics and our research community.

This internal call is funded by the Scottish Funding Council through the Knowledge Exchange and Innovation Fund. Public engagement projects will need to show that they have wider societal impact.

To prioritise activities that support our communities and researchers with impactful engagement, preference will be given to projects which fulfil one or more of the following criteria:

Activities that are likely to have a positive impact on communities beyond Edinburgh Napier and improve perception and understanding of research at the university will receive serious consideration. Activities that merely showcase or advertise your work will be given low priority. You are encouraged to consider the criteria which we will use to review your application when you plan your project and to demonstrate this in your application.

Who can apply for funding?

This funding call is open to research and academic staff at the university, and all postgraduate research students. Undergraduate or Masters level students may be involved in but not lead a project (and this will be considered on a case-by-case basis).

Postgraduate research students should note that public engagement projects are not solely limited to the topic of their thesis.

We welcome applications from both researchers who have a wide or deep experience of public engagement, and those with little or no experience. Researchers who have received funding in previous years should demonstrate how further activity and budget will benefit both the partner organisation and the researcher.

What is funding typically spent on?

Public engagement projects vary greatly, and we expect the proposed budget to reflect the activity you’ll be undertaking. These are some activities that are likely to be approved:

  • Venue costs (typically in a community centre, local school, social enterprise, museum)
  • Catering for an event (where possible this should be sourced from a community-based organisation)
  • Staffing costs from a community partner
  • Freelance staffing costs for specialist skills (ie. graphic designer, film-maker, BSL interpreter)
  • Equipment needed to deliver an activity (please check what equipment is already available from your PE Lead)
  • Payment for students supporting projects
  • Travel expenses for researchers to engagement activity
  • Travel expenses for participants to engagement activity
  • Participants payments (where appropriate)

What can’t be funded?

It is unlikely that funding will be allocated to the following activities:

  • Catering for an existing event which is not public engagement with research
  • Travel for an existing event
  • Primary research activity
  • Covering Napier staff costs
  • Backfilling staff to carry out public engagement activities
  • Activities that are largely dissemination

Funding cannot normally be used to cover staffing costs (though exceptions may be made for research students). It is expected that time and resource will be provided for public engagement activities and applicants should discuss the project with their line manager or supervisor before submitting their form.

The Application Process

Applications can be made for up to £2,000. We encourage applicants to consider the realistic costs involved in a project but understand that at the application stage you may not be able to plan an accurate budget. We do not expect your proposed budget to be very detailed and are happy to support you with this.

Applicants will need to complete an application form. We are looking for you to articulate your public engagement idea, demonstrating what you would like to achieve and to provide details of the budget, timeline, partners and ethical considerations for the project. The information you provide must be clear for people to understand without any prior knowledge of your proposed project or research area of expertise, and its worth bearing in mind that there is limited time available to read each application. Applications will be reviewed by members of the University’s Public Engagement Forum and the panel may ask for further details, offer partial funding or offer to fund the full project.

Collaborating with other colleagues across the University on interdisciplinary projects:

In the past we have run two separate funding streams: one for individual researchers, and one for several researchers from different academic schools. This year we will only be running one funding stream. If you would like to work with a colleague from a different part of the university, you may each apply for £2,000. In this situation, one form can be submitted. It must be clear that all researchers are equally involved in the project.

Support for your application:

We encourage you to talk to us before you submit your application. If you have any questions regarding the eligibility of your activity/project, please contact your School Public Engagement Lead:

University Public Engagement Manager Dawn Smith dawn.smith@napier.ac.uk
TBS Public Engagement Lead Louise Todd l.todd@napier.ac.uk
SACI Public Engagement Lead Kirstie Jamieson k.jamieson@napier.ac.uk
SAS Public Engagement Lead Samantha Donnellan s.donnellan@napier.ac.uk
SCEBE Public Engagement Lead Tanis Grandison t.grandison@napier.ac.uk
SHSC Public Engagement Lead Stephen Smith ste.smith@napier.ac.uk

You may find it helpful to refer to the following when planning your activity and application:

Any funds awarded must be spent in full by 31 July 2026 or will be forfeit. Please consider this restriction when planning your project. Applicants will be expected to engage with the funding process (including risk assessment and evaluation) and a brief project report will be required upon completion of the project. If you are unable to complete your project (and spend all your allocated budget) please contact your Public Engagement Lead straight away so that funds can be reallocated.

Applications should be submitted as a Word document attachment (not a link to SharePoint) to publicengagement@napier.ac.uk no later than 5pm on Thursday 27 November 2025.

We anticipate that applicants will be notified of the outcome of applications in mid-December 2025.