How we can help

Through our Researcher Support and Media Office teams, the Wellcome Trust provides advice, training and engagement opportunities for Trust-funded researchers wanting to improve their communication skills and to engage people with their work.

We work with top broadcast, museum, media and arts professionals to provide training and opportunities.

Who we support

Our support is available to anyone from PhD students who want to make a start in public engagement to PIs who want to develop a strategic approach for their group or institute's engagement. Whatever your position, find out more about the different types of activities you could get involved in, take a look at the training and resources available and, of course, get in touch to discuss how we can help you.

A national reach

The Wellcome Trust is a supporter of the Concordat for Engaging the Public with Research. The Concordat is a single unambiguous statement of the expectations and responsibilities of research funders in the UK. It is intended to build upon existing good practice in public engagement by providing guidance to help you and your colleagues foster a culture in your institution that values, recognises and supports public engagement.

The Wellcome Trust co-funds The National Coordinating Centre for Public Engagement to support UK universities in engaging with the public. It provides a single point of contact for all researchers interested in public engagement, and their website provides extensive resources and links, including information on nationwide training and engagement opportunities. In addition to advice on how to engage different groups, the website provides guidance on how to create an environment in which public engagement can flourish.

All researchers can also benefit from our partnerships with other organisations. For example, the Wellcome Trust provides funding for Junior Café Scientifique. See the activities section for more information.

Funding

The Wellcome Trust funds public engagement projects. If you want to organise an event, develop an exhibition, run a workshop or engage the public in some other way, you can apply for a grant.

If you are applying to us for a major research grant and can demonstrate how public engagement can add value to your project, include your plans in your application. Investigator Award applicants for example are asked about their public engagement plans and may request funds to cover the costs involved; see Investigator Awards cost guidance notes [Word] for further information.