Academy seeking Ingenious ideas to engage the engineers of the future

Academy seeking Ingenious ideas to engage the engineers of the future

The Royal Academy of Engineering is offering funding of between £3,000 and £30,000 for groups, individuals or organisations who have bright ideas for creative projects that engage the public with engineers and engineering under its Ingenious Public Engagement awards scheme.

Recently funded projects range from a series of apocalypse-themed engineering festivals (SMASHfestUK) to a live performance theatre show (Imagineer) bringing together arts and engineering. This year, the Academy continues its search to fund innovative projects that reach local, regional or national audiences right across the UK and connect members of the public, of any age, with engineers to tell the story of the diversity, nature and impact of engineering.

We are especially keen to receive applications for inventive public engagement projects that aim to reach diverse and under-represented audiences, including communities in deprived parts of the country, and projects that will engage people of different genders, ages and ethnic backgrounds.

Funding of between £3,000 and £30,000 is available for projects to:

• Inspire creative public engagement with engineering projects
• Motivate engineers to share their stories, passion and expertise with wider audiences and develop their communication and engagement skills
• Raise awareness of the diversity, nature and impact of engineering amongst people of all ages and backgrounds
• Provide opportunities for engineers to engage with members of the public from groups currently under-represented in engineering

Ingenious has funded over 200 projects to date, providing opportunities for more than 6,000 engineers to take part in public engagement activities, to gain skills in communication and to help bring engineering to the very centre of society. Ingenious projects have reached more than three million members of the public.

Ingenious panel chair Professor Anthony Finkelstein FREng said: “We have funded innovative projects across the country delivering projects as diverse as a Caribbean sound system and a circus show, displaying the breadth of places where you can find engineering. This year we want even more varied and innovative applicants. If you are passionate about inspiring the next generation – no matter what part of the country you are in, you should apply!”

Applications are welcome from engineers and creative or public engagement professionals keen to explore ways to provide public engagement training and opportunities for engineers and to engage new groups of people with their work.

Applications for the next funding round close at 4pm on Monday 23 September 2019.

Notes for Editors

1. Ingenious is a grant award scheme run by the Royal Academy of Engineering for projects that engage the public with engineers and engineering. The scheme is supported by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy.
2. A full list of current and recent awards made under the Ingenious scheme can be found on our website.
3. Royal Academy of Engineering

As the UK’s national academy for engineering and technology, we bring together the most successful and talented engineers from academia and business – our Fellows – to advance and promote excellence in engineering for the benefit of society.

We harness their experience and expertise to provide independent advice to government, to deliver programmes that help exceptional engineering researchers and innovators realise their potential, to engage the public with engineering and to provide leadership for the profession.

We have three strategic priorities:

• Make the UK the leading nation for engineering innovation and businesses
• Address the engineering skills and diversity challenge
• Position engineering at the heart of society

We bring together engineers, policy makers, entrepreneurs, business leaders, academics, educators and the public in pursuit of these goals.

Engineering is a global profession, so we work with partners across the world to advance engineering’s contribution to society on an international, as well as a national scale.

For more information please contact:

Yohanes Scarlett at the Royal Academy of Engineering

T: 020 7766 0618

E: Yohanes Scarlett