Funders

Wellcome trust newMain funder: Wellcome

I’m a Scientist is proud to be part-funded through a Sustaining Excellence Award from Wellcome, the UK’s largest charity. Wellcome are dedicated to achieving extraordinary improvements in human and animal health. They support the brightest minds in biomedical research and the medical humanities. Wellcome’s public engagement grants are intended to promote interest, excitement and debate around science and society.

Wellcome is providing £550,000 over five years to support the event. We need to raise the same again from other funders in order to keep the event going. More information about funding.

Zone funder: The Association for the Study of Animal Behaviour

 The Association for the Study of Animal Behaviour (ASAB) is an academic society that promotes the study of animal behaviour by holding conferences, funding research and publishing Animal Behaviour, the leading international scientific journal in its field. ASAB care about animals and their Ethical Committee promotes the ethical treatment and conservation of animals.

ASAB encourages the teaching of animal behaviour in schools through our Education Committee. The Committee provides free teaching resources and offer funding to teachers keen to develop new resources. The ASAB Education Officer visits schools to give talks about animal behaviour, and our committee members are always on hand to advise on scientific research methods and the behaviour of animals.

ASAB are funding the Animal Behaviour Zone in March 2017.

 

Zone funder: The Institute of Physics and Engineering in Medicine

Part funded by Institute of Physics and Engineering in Medicine (IPEM)IPEM is the Learned Society and professional organisation for physicists, clinical and biomedical engineers and technologists working in medicine and biology.

Healthcare is one of the most useful areas you can apply physics and engineering to and the NHS is the largest employer of scientists in the UK. Physics and engineering principles have contributed to the development of every single medical device that is used in hospitals from simple blood-pressure monitors to sophisticated MRI machines.

In partnership with IoP, IPEM are funding the Medical Physics Zone in March 2017. They have previously funded similar Medical Physics Zones in 2015 and 2016.

 

UK_Space_Agency.svg_Zone Funder: UK Space Agency

The UK Space Agency is responsible for all strategic decisions on the UK civil space programme and provide a clear, single voice for UK space ambitions.

A key goal in the current UK space strategy is to increase awareness among the general public of the UK’s space programme and of the role that space plays in everyday life.

The UK Space Agency are funding the Space Exploration Zone in March 2017.

 

Previous funder: Royal Society of Chemistry

The Royal Society of Chemistry is the largest organisation in Europe for advancing the chemical sciences. Supported by a worldwide network of members and an international publishing business, our activities span education, conferences, science policy and the promotion of chemistry to the public.

In the UK, the RSC are the largest non-governmental supporter of UK chemistry education. Their activities encompass formal and informal education from primary through to Higher Education levels and they are committed to providing Continuing Professional Development (CPD) for those teaching chemistry. They work closely with the government and other organisations on issues which may impact on science education and encourage initiatives to attract students to the chemical sciences from all parts of society and raise awareness of potential careers with chemistry.

The Royal Society of Chemistry funded 18 zones in I’m a Scientist UK and Ireland for two years (2015-2016). In the UK they have funded: Energy ZoneColour Zone, Water Zone, ChemCareers Zone, Drug Synthesis Zone, Spectroscopy Zone, Sustainability Zone, Green Chemistry Zone, Materials Zone, Molecules Zone, Colour Zone, Polymers Zone, Ytterbium Zone, Spectroscopy Zone, Biochemistry Zone, Climate Change Zone, Toxicology ZoneAntibiotics Zone, Catalysis Zone, Mercury ZoneDrug Discovery and Energy.

Previous funder: Science & Technology Facilities Council (STFC)

The STFC, one of the seven Research Councils, keeps the UK at the forefront of international science. STFC draws on many aspects of science and engineering, working with academia and industry to share its expertise in materials science, space and ground-based astronomy technologies, laser science, microelectronics, wafer scale manufacturing, particle and nuclear physics, alternative energy production, radio communications and radar.

STFC research addresses topics as fundamental as: The birth of the universe to the solar system we live in, Understanding how the heavy elements are formed in the violent explosions of stars, Is it possible to complete the ‘Standard Model’, so far physicists have detected all but one of the particles predicted by this theory, the Higgs particle.

Thanks to a Large Award the STFC funded 6 zones a year in I’m a Scientist over 3 years, starting in 2013. Zones funded under the Large Award were:

Crystallography Zone, Extreme Speed Zone, New Materials Zone, Extreme Clean Zone, Particle Physics Zone, Extreme Size Zone, Nuclear Zone, Astronomy Zone, Diamond Zone, Extreme Energy Zone, Big Data ZoneExtreme Temperature Zone, Light Zone, Particle Physics Zone, Electromagnetic Zone, Extreme Force Zone, Hafnium Zone, Extreme Pressure Zone, Tantalum Zone, Gravity Zone, Iridium Zone.

Previous zone funders

BBSRC – GM Food Zone, Food Science Zone
Biochemical Society (part-funders): Health Zone Biochemistry ZoneAntibiotics Zone.
British Society for Cell Biology – Cells Zone
British Pharmacological Society – Pharmacology Zone
e-Bug  Antibiotics Zone
Institute of Physics – Space ZoneQuantum ZonesLaser ZoneEarth ZoneLight Zone, Terbium Zone, Osmium Zone, Medical Physics Zone
Physiological Society – Sports Science ZoneHuman Limits ZoneBody Zone, Ageing Zone
RCUK Digital Economy – 
Digital Zone
RCUK Energy Programme – 
Energy Zone
RCUK Lifelong Health & Wellbeing programme – 
Healthy Ageing Zone
Royal College of Pathologists –
 Pathology Zone
Science & Technology Facilities Council –
 Zinc ZoneSubatomic ZoneElectromagnetic Zone
Science Foundation Ireland –
I’m a Scientist Ireland
Society for Endocrinology –
Hormones Zone
The Genome Analysis Centre – Bioinformatics Zone, Genomics Zone
University of Nottingham – 
Food Science Zone
University of Reading — Evolution Zone
Nelson Thornes, Kerboodle
Wellcome, In the Zone – 
Primary 7-11 Zone, Secondary 11-19 Zone