Inclusion and Diversity Fund
Supporting innovative products, activities and research projects help make the chemical sciences community more inclusive and diverse.
The fund will open for applications on 28 July 2025.
Previous recipients of our funding have included projects related to gender, disability, socio-economic background, language, race and ethnicity, the LGBT+ community and more. These have been delivered via initiatives such as data collection and analysis, workshops, conferences and hackathons.
Eligible projects must have clear intended outcomes, for example:
- removing barriers to access and progression for underrepresented groups in the chemical sciences, ensuring equitable representation and fostering a sense of belonging.
(please keep some line spacing between the bullet points) - enhancing retention, career development, and leadership opportunities for diverse talent in chemistry, addressing bias in career progression, and creating accessible pathways for professional growth.
- creating an inclusive culture in chemical sciences education, workplaces, and institutions by embedding accessibility and equitable practices that support belonging for all.
The Chemists’ Community Fund (CCF) provides the Inclusion & Diversity Fund with ring-fenced additional funding to support initiatives that closely align with the CCF’s guiding principles — particularly those that engage directly with under-represented communities and support wellbeing, accessibility, and inclusive participation in the chemical sciences.
We will consider individual applications up to the value of £5,000. Funding greater than £5,000 may be considered for one project each year. Please contact the diversity team for more details.
On this page
What can I request funding for?
The proposed project must focus on inclusion and diversity – outreach or chemistry research projects will not be considered. If your application is considered more suitable for the Outreach Fund we will contact you and seek your approval to transfer your application.
Applications relating to a range of audiences will be considered, including different age groups, career stages, geographical regions and sectors.
For further detail on our audiences for inclusion and diversity activities please see our inclusion and diversity strategy.
Please note, the Inclusion & Diversity Fund is intended for projects that directly investigate or address inclusion and diversity issues in the chemical sciences. The Inclusion and Diversity Fund is not intended to fund chemistry research.
- Focus on the chemical science community: your project must be centred on increasing inclusion and diversity in the chemical sciences community.
- Relevance to RSC I&D Strategy: your project must be relevant to our inclusion and diversity strategy.
- Audience: your project must have a clearly defined target audience within the chemical sciences community.
- Impact: your proposal must clearly describe the impact that the project will have on the target audience and/or beyond.
- Outcomes: your project should be deliverable and include clear evaluation plans.
- Feasibility of proposal: your project must be clearly written and costed, be feasible to complete with the resource allocation and/or support and be within the timeframe that you indicated on your proposal.
- Impact of funding: applicants should show that the requested funding will make a significant difference to their ability to deliver the project.
Inclusion and Diversity Fund grants will not be awarded to:
- projects which do not focus on investigating or addressing inclusion and diversity issues (i.e. outreach projects or chemistry research projects)
- projects whose primary aim is to generate a financial surplus
- projects for which our support would not significantly enhance the activity
- projects that are part of an education institution's usual programme of activities, including Open Days and Taster Days
- cover the cost of general purpose hardware, apparatus or equipment
- cover any employment costs of project staff that receive a salary from the applying organisation
Eligibility
The grant scheme is open to RSC members worldwide, as well as non-members based in the United Kingdom/Republic of Ireland.
Eligible applicants can apply either as individuals or on behalf of an organisation. This includes, but is not limited to, member-led groups, researchers in academia or industry, museums, community groups, not-for-profit organisations, arts groups and libraries.
The I&D Fund does not support:
- chemistry or scientific research, including projects focused on chemical sciences, laboratory-based studies, or investigations into chemical reactions and materials, even if led by individuals from underrepresented groups.
- general outreach initiatives that are not directly linked to inclusion and diversity goals.
- projects that do not demonstrate a clear, measurable benefit to representation, accessibility, or reducing bias within the chemical sciences.
Previous recipients of any of our grants are welcome to apply for funding, provided they fit the current eligibility criteria below. This can be to scale up a project that already exists or to fund the development of an original project.
Applicants should not resubmit an unsuccessful application unless invited to do so.
Past projects
View all the projects we have supported through the Inclusion and Diversity Fund, including special calls for specific projects, such as those helping the Black chemistry community.
How to apply
You can use this preview of the application form to help you prepare your answers.
Application deadlines
| Deadlines | Round 1 | Round 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Application submissions open and close: | 24 March to 5 May 2025 | 28 July to 15 September 2025 |
| Funding decisions returned by: | 16 June 2025 | 27 October 2025 |
Contact our inclusion and diversity team
We're here to help. Get in touch if you have any questions about inclusion or diversity in the chemical sciences or at the Royal Society of Chemistry.
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