Terms and Conditions

This file is provided for reference only for holders of grants from the Copus Grant Schemes 2002/3. Current applicants please see the most up to date information.

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1. Introduction

These pages set out the conditions under which grants are offered through the Copus Grant Schemes 2002/2003. Copus grants are made possible by a grant from the Office of Science and Technology’s public understanding of science, engineering and technology programme, and by funding from The Royal Society.

You are strongly advised to read both the Terms and Conditions and the Guidelines for completing the forms before completing your application.

In this document the word science should be read to include science, technology, engineering, mathematics and medicine, as well as the processes, issues and ethical/ social concerns linked with these disciplines.

2. Aims

These grant schemes are designed to:

• Support projects outside the formal education system that make science more accessible to a broad range of audiences and improve two-way communication between scientific communities and public audiences.
• Generate high-quality projects tailored for defined audiences
• Encourage cooperation and networks between science communicators
• Stimulate financial support from other sources

3. Outline of the grant schemes

Grants are available for any amount from £500 to £20,000, under one of two schemes:

• Small grants, for grants of £500 – £8000
• Large grants, for grants of £8001–£20000

These schemes are identical in the types of projects they can fund, and in their assessment criteria. They differ in the application process; grant management; and reporting requirements.

There are two rounds of funding for the Copus Grant Schemes 2002/2003. The closing dates are:

• Round 1: 5pm GMT Thursday 21 November 2002
• Round 2: 5pm GMT Thursday 16 January 2003

Applications will only be considered for one round. Applications received after the closing date for Round 1 will be entered in to Round 2. Applications received after the closing date for Round 2 will not be considered for funding.

4. Eligibility

• Applicants must be resident in the UK, and aged 18 or over.
• Grants are awarded to individuals, who may apply for themselves, or on behalf of an organisation.
• Projects funded by Copus grants must take place in the UK, although projects may be part of broader European/international initiatives.
• Only one application per Copus grant scheme (i.e. Large grants or Small grants) per grant round will be considered from any one applicant.
• A project cannot be funded by more than one Copus grant scheme simultaneously.
• Applicants wishing to submit applications to more than one scheme should complete a different Application Form for each project, but only need to complete one Personal Details Form.
• One Supporting Statement, from an individual or organisation not connected with the project, should be included with each Application Form.
• Grants that are awarded should be accepted or declined within two months of award. Previous Copus grant holders may reapply for all schemes, providing previous grants have been satisfactorily completed.
• Current Copus grant holders may reapply for all schemes, providing no matters are outstanding with the administration of their grant.
• Copus grants are not awarded to projects retrospectively.

For Large grants:

• Grants may only be used to pay for up to 75% of the cash costs of a project i.e. at least 25% of the cash costs of the project must be being sought from a source other than the project’s host at the time of the application to the Copus grant schemes.
• Applications must be accompanied by a business plan (see below).

5. Exclusions

Copus grants do not fund:

• Projects that only target school pupils during school time. Projects that take place within schools MUST involve the participation of the broader community.
• Projects that only support curriculum development or school resource production.
• Course fees, research, or other projects designed to explore the processes of education or public understanding of science.
• Publishing costs of popular science books.
• Purchase of general purpose hardware such as computers, video recording equipment, video and digital cameras or other similar apparatus.
• Delegate fees for meetings and conferences.

6. Funding Priorities

Grants will be awarded to science communication projects that meet the following funding priorities. If the project does not match at least one of these priorities, it will not be successful for funding:

Science in Society:

projects for public dialogue or consultation on science issues that feeds into decision-making processes at the local, regional or national level.

Under-represented Audiences:

projects that target audiences traditionally under-represented in science communication activities. This includes, but is not limited to, projects that target ethnic minorities, people at risk of social exclusion, people with learning difficulties, mental or physical disability, remote communities and people who have never participated in a science event or activity before.

Collaboration:

projects that involve cooperation with other organisations to increase the impact of the activity. This cooperation must not be limited to co-funding.

Good Practice in Science Communication:

projects that disseminate good practice in science communication with other organisations/individuals involved in science communication in the UK. These projects must be targeted specifically at the science communication community.

All applications must include details of what the project’s target audience(s) is/are and how they will be reached; and how the project will be evaluated.

7. Timescale

The schemes fund projects that take place at any time during the year, but we encourage applicants to link their events to UK-wide initiatives such as National Science Week. Copus grants may fund projects lasting up to two years in length. There is no minimum timeframe, however potential applicants who have short-term projects are encouraged to collaborate with other organisations to increase the impact of their projects.

8. How to apply

Applying to the Small Grants scheme:

Please complete an Application Form and a Personal Details Form, and send both to us together with one Supporting Statement Form.

Applying to the Large Grants scheme:

Please complete an Application Form and a Personal Details Form, and send both to us together with one Supporting Statement Form and a Business Plan.

The Business Plan should:

• Outline the objectives of the project and the proposed strategy;
• Clearly indicate how the proposal will improve public engagement with science;
• Define targets and outline intended/existing evaluation methods for measuring achievement and effectiveness;
• Provide a timetable for delivery of the project; Provide details of any background evidence in support of the project, including the experience of the applicant/organisation in engaging public audiences with science;
• Describe how the target audience will access and make use of the project;
• Give evidence of the project’s effectiveness and proven value if the application is for continuing an established initiative;
• Provide a financial breakdown, which should include details of all costs, incomes and onward financial targets, state whether these incomes are cash or in-kind, and an indication of whether the grant will be spent over 1 or 2 project years. Please indicate details of matching financial support from other sources that is already secured for the project, or which is being sought from co-funders (in which case please indicate expected level of success);
• Outline potential or intended future developments/follow-up activities.

The Business Plan should not exceed 2,500 words in total. It may be accompanied by up to two individual items of photocopyable, A4-sized backup material of up to a total of 4 sides of A4 (e.g. illustrations, leaflets, press cuttings but not cds, videos etc.) where appropriate (e.g. in support of an established initiative).

9. What happens to my application?

An independent Copus Grants Panel assesses all applications. Members of the panel are listed at http://www.copus.org.uk/grants_about_panel.html. Applications may be funded in full, partially funded, or not funded. The Copus Grants Panel may impose special conditions on the award of the grant.

10 If your application is successful:

Grant offer procedure

We will send you an offer letter and contract, setting out the terms of your grant award and the payment arrangements; terms include branding and acknowledgement details, and evaluation requirements. (An example contract is available from http://www.copus.org.uk/grants_apply.html.) We shall endeavour to send this offer letter out within 8 weeks of the relevant closing date.

Payment of the grant

The grant will be paid in two instalments: the first instalment of 80% of the grant awarded will be available upon return of the signed contract; the second (the balance of what the grantholder has spent up to the limit of the total grant offered) will be paid at the end of the project on satisfactory completion of the reporting procedures below.

Please note that income may stretch over more than one financial year.

Reporting procedures

Small grants:

If the project lasts for more than 6 months, we will require a brief progress report every 6 months. We will require a completed Final Report Form (including a financial statement) and evaluation at the end of the project (date to be agreed in the contract), in order to claim the spent balance of the grant.

Large grants:

Projects will be assigned a mentor appointed by Copus who will be able to offer guidance on the project’s development and assist in evaluating its outcome. We will require a progress report through the mentor at least every 6 months for the duration of the project. We will require grantholders to submit a written final report (including a financial statement) at the end of the project (date to be agreed in the contract), in order to claim the spent balance of the grant.

Publicity and sharing of information

Summary information of successful applications will be published on the Copus website shortly after the grants are offered, and will be updated as necessary in the event of any offered grants being declined by the applicant.

11. If your application is not successful

The decision of the Copus Grants Panel is final. Where possible, Copus will aim to provide feedback to unsuccessful applicants on request.

12. What we do with the information you provide.

We will use the information provided on the Application Form, Supporting Statement and, for Large Grants only the Business Plan and any background materials to assess and process the application. We may further use the contact information and summary information about the project to publicise successful applications, and to promote networks between science communicators (e.g. we may share the details of successful applications for projects that include participation in National Science Week 2003 or 2004, with the BA, the coordinators of National Science Week).

We will use the information provided on the Personal Details form for administrative and statistical purposes only. It will not be used to evaluate your application.

Multiple copies of the documents you submit will be made for the purposes of administering the assessment of your application. By submitting these documents to us, you agree that we may make copies for these purposes.

All information will be used by Copus, in accordance with the Data Protection Act 1984 and as amended by the Data Protection Act 1998. Copus is hosted by The Royal Society; a summary of The Royal Society’s data protection policy, including the rights of subjects upon whom data is held, is obtainable from the Executive Secretary (reference DPSA/JB).

The Copus Grant Schemes are funded by the Office of Science and Technology and The Royal Society.

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