Faculty of Science and Engineering Better World Initiatives
Better World Initiatives are our annual funds to enable staff and students in the Faculty of Science and Engineering to support projects that focus on priorities in environmental sustainability, engagement (civic, public and schools outreach) and equality, diversity, inclusion and accessibility (EDIA).
Themes for project funding will seek to enable staff or students to create, develop or extend projects that inform thinking and practice to enable more people in the Faculty to make a bigger difference to our people, our region or our earth.
Funded initiatives
Funded opportunities have been created, open to all staff and students (individuals or groups), to inspire our Faculty community to explore new ideas or accelerate existing projects.
There are two routes of funding for the Better World initiatives:
- Better World grants
- Better World strategic projects.
Better World grants
These grants, offering up to £1,000, aim to support innovative ideas or initiatives that directly align with the Faculty's Social Responsibility and EDIA strategy.
Further information for grants
Opportunities to inspire our Faculty community to explore new ideas or accelerate existing projects, which directly relate to one or more of the FSE SREDIA annual priorities.
Staff and students can apply for a grant of up to £1000.
Funding costs can include, but are not limited to the following:
- Resources (e.g. online and printed material), including payment for support to help create new material
- Implementation costs (e.g. project consumables)
- Subsistence and travel (travel should be the most sustainable transport for the journey and alternative means of meeting such as Teams / Zoom should be considered)
- Venue and/or equipment hire
- Visitor/speaker fees and expenses (suggested maximum of £250 per speaker)
- Refreshment costs
- Photography and filming (and editing) costs.
Costs cannot include requests for IT equipment or other items that would normally be requested through School or Institute equipment and resources budgets.
Better World strategic projects
The annual call for the strategic projects has now closed for 2024/25 academic year.
Timescales
Better World Grants
Applications open: 31 January 2025
Application deadline: 30 April 2025
Deadline to spend full funds awarded: 15 July 2025
Please note that if the total available grant funds are awarded before 30th April, applications will close early.
Expressions of interest will hear back within one week.
Applicants will be informed of the outcome within four weeks of application, so they can start on delivery during the current academic year.
Eligibility
These are open calls for applications from any member of staff (professional services, technical, research and academic) or student(s) (undergraduate and postgraduate) from the Faculty of Science and Engineering.
- Beneficiaries of any funded project should predominantly be in the Faculty of Science and Engineering. If the project is to support staff or students, deliver training or provide a service: the majority of the recipients, attendees or service users should be in the Faculty.
- We encourage applicants to collaborate with others who are working in similar areas, across Schools / Departments or disciplines (including outside of the Faculty). Where such a relationship enables the better realisation of the initiative’s aims and impact, then we may encourage you to make contact with other groups that we are aware of to do this. We will prioritise funding for projects that are collaborative.
- We encourage interdisciplinary projects. Should this partnership be with colleagues from other Faculties, we suggest that additional match funding is sought by individuals in other Faculties to support such engagement.
- The funding will only be available to projects that are not able to be funded through existing School or Department budgets.
Assessment criteria
The SREDIA team encourage the following ways of working:
- Ambitious
- Collaborative
- Embedded
- Evidenced
- Informed
- Pro-active.
We expect applicants to also embrace these values that will be used to assess applications as described below.
Ambition
The proposed initiative should be innovative and creative in its aims, planning, delivery and/or outcome. It should clearly outline how it links to and takes forward an objective within the SREDIA priorities.
Collaboration
Where possible, your project should draw skills, experience and knowledge from a breadth of people. This may mean working across teams, departments or groups. Clearly define in your project proposal how you have considered working collaboratively and the value this will bring.
Embedded practice / principles or shared learning
For projects that will not be ongoing or sustained, we would look to fund projects as long as learning is shared or its practice benefits future work.
For projects that are sustained or have the potential to be scaled up, describe how this would be funded in the future as Better World Grants are not intended to be used for the same projects with the same outcomes year on year.
Evidence informed
Your application should demonstrate that you are addressing a need that is known in the Faculty or sector, or solving a problem that has been recognised within a Department. Also describe how you will gauge the impact of your initiative and how this will be measured.
Pro-active
The proposed initiative should address one of the SREDIA priority areas and you will need to explain why this initiative is a suitable response.
Funding requests will need to be based on realistic costs and where additional funding is required, we will expect this to have been identified and ideally secured.
You will need to explain how your initiative will be delivered within the cost and time constraints.
Expectations of successful applicants
Successful applicants are expected to meet the following requirements:
- Provide a project update halfway through the project to share progress.
- Complete a simple ‘end of project’ report to demonstrate how you have made a difference. Summarising the initiative, outcomes, impact the initiative had, learning and expenditure. This report could then form the basis of your entry into the next University or Faculty Social Responsibility Awards.
- Showcase your project's work. For example, at the Better World Celebration event; on social media; a hub post; or as a case study for Social Responsibility reporting.
- Work with the Social Responsibility team to enable them to capture imagery of your working project and represent your project with images in their future Social Responsibility Reports, webpages and other media. You will be provided with a copy of these images for your own purposes.
- Return any non-spent funds, giving notice by 30 June 2025 and returning to us by 15 July 2025.
Please note: All projects must be delivered by the successful applicants and there is no operational support available. However, information, guidance and advice can be provided around event organisation, such as: publicity, registration, organising filming or photography.
Application process
Better World grants
Applications can be submitted by initial expression of interest. If you are unable to complete this form online, please email the Social Responsibility team to request a paper copy. The application window is open until 30 April 2025.
Subject to review of the application against the strategy, selected applicants will be asked to complete a full application form.
Apply online
Student Applicants
Please note that all student applications need a staff 'sponsor' and access to an account for the money to be transferred to. This person must be named on the application form and should be asked in advance of submitting the application, the sponsor will be asked to confirm that they will take responsibility for ensuring that the funds are spent in line with the University financial regulations i.e. using University approved suppliers etc.
This structure is in place to best support student projects and allow for a contact for elements such as finance, equipment and support on the initiative itself.
If you have any questions, please email the Social Responsibility team.
Further information
If you would like to discuss any ideas or have any queries please email the Social Responsibility team.
