Open Call for Inspiring Tasmania Grants (Australia)

Objective

• National Science Week Program
  • The objectives of this program are:
    • Promote and encourage community interest, participation, and engagement in STEM
    • Raise awareness of the contributions and achievements of Tasmanian scientists and innovators, including contributions to the improvement of everyday life
    • Increase engagement and participation in groups historically under-represented in STEM
• STEM Community Connections Program
  • The objectives of this program are:
    • Increase engagement and participation in groups historically under-represented in STEM
    • Support building STEM engagement and communication capacity in Tasmania

Categories

• National Science Week Grants
  • National Science Week, held from 10 to 18 August 2025 aims to raise the profile and increase public awareness of the importance of science, technology, and innovation in their society.
  • This grant program is available to support the delivery of public National Science Week events and activities held between 2-24 August 2025.
• Community STEM Grants
  • This program aims to build capacity, programs, initiatives, and activities that raise the profile and provide engagement with a focus on groups historically under-represented in STEM.
  • This grant program is available to fund activities as listed above, where these are delivered outside of the National Science Week period (2-24 August 2025).

Funding Information

• For each stream, two levels of grants are available:
  • Small program grants: up to $4000
  • Large program grants: between $4000-8000

Eligible Costs

• Venue and equipment hire
• Event consumables
• Event advertising and promotions, including graphic design and printing
• Transport/accommodation associated with the project
• Prizes and giveaways
• Equipment
• External presenter fees
• Staff costs for activity development or delivery of the activity outside of staff hours already paid by your organisation/group

Ineligible Costs

• Business as Usual costs
• Permanent infrastructure and large capital expenditures
• Staff costs for administering the grant or writing the grant or grant reporting or staff hours already paid by your organisation/group
• Activities that are exclusively for a school or school audience
• Research projects
• Administrative fees imposed by a parent organisation
• Expenditure items that receive funding under another Commonwealth program, or from a National Science Week state or territory Coordinating Committee, in the same year

Eligible Activities

• Funded activities/initiatives may include, but are not limited to, applications for the following types of STEM engagement:
  • Workshops or field activities
  • Fairs, expos, shows or exhibitions
  • Science through the arts activities
  • Interactive online events, podcasts, videos, or virtual tours
  • Presentations, demonstrations, lectures, or webinar
  • Forums, debates, quizzes
  • Citizen science activities
  • Build organisational capacity in STEM, for example through professional development
  • STEM clubs or groups
  • School initiatives open to the wider community that are not for the exclusive or primary benefit of a school or its enrolled students. Initiatives in or for schools that are specifically for students and their families can apply for the Australian Science Teacher’s Association’s National Science Week School’s grants.

Eligibility Criteria

• To be eligible to apply for a grant, you must be:
  • An individual (aged 18 years or older)
  • A community group, association, or organisation
  • A business, industry body or local government organisation
  • State government department or agency with a community focus (e.g. libraries)

Assessment Criteria

• Eligible applications will be assessed against the following:
  • Reach and impact demonstrated through:
    • Identifying the intended audience of the proposed activity, noting where appropriate the anticipated audience numbers, ages/demographics, geographic reach, and outlining whether/how this event is catering to people from specific groups that are historically under-represented in STEM.
    • A clear and inclusive promotional plan to outline how the target audience will be reached, including any innovative approaches
    • How participation will be kept affordable and accessible
    • The impact of the proposed activities for the intended audience
    • How success of the project will be evaluated
  • Applicant’s capacity, capability and resources to carry out the project, demonstrated through identifying:
    • Ability to run the activity, including previous experience and access to support from personnel with suitable skills and experience.
    • Access to appropriate venues, infrastructure, technology, and any required regulatory or other approvals required to run the proposed activity.
    • Submission of a considered and achievable budget.

For more information, visit Inspiring Tasmania.