We’re working to improve accessibility and inclusion for disabled chemists

The Royal Society of Chemistry is committed to understanding and tackling the barriers that disabled people face within the chemical sciences. We are continuing to work on reviewing the accessibility of our own practices, as well as consulting with the community to help shape our work building a more inclusive chemistry culture for all.

We understand disability as a broad umbrella term comprising diverse experiences of mental and physical difference, both "seen" and "unseen".

The barriers that many disabled people currently face arise from how physical and social environments are structured, rather than being intrinsic to disabled individuals themselves. We are therefore working to contribute to the societal change necessary to ensure full and equal participation for disabled chemists.

Funding available to support chemistry's disabled community

Alongside this work, we are making funding available for community-driven projects to improve accessibility and disabled inclusion in the chemical sciences:

  • Every so often, we create a specific call to support these projects through our Inclusion & Diversity Fund - applications are currently closed
  • The last special call was open to applications between 3 October 2022 and 13 November 2022
  • Applications were reviewed on a rolling basis, as they were received
  • We considered individual applications up to the value of £5,000
  • Funding greater than £5,000 was considered for large-scale projects
  • Bookmark this page or follow our social media posts to find out when our next special call is open

View a list of the projects which received funding in last year’s special call

 

We are making funding available for other community-driven projects to improve diversity and inclusion in the chemical sciences. See our Inclusion & Diversity Fund for further details.

Application FAQs

Who can apply

The grant scheme is open to everyone (individuals and organisations). This includes, but is not limited to, members of the Royal Society of Chemistry, member-led groups, researchers in academia or industry, museums, community groups, not-for-profit organisations, arts groups and libraries.

Previous recipients of any of our grants are welcome to apply for funding. 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.

This special call will open to applications on 3 October 2022, and will close on 13 November 2022. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis, as they are received.

Eligibility

The proposed project must focus on supporting the disabled chemistry community – 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 that the Inclusion & Diversity Fund is intended for projects that directly investigate or address inclusion and diversity issues in the chemical sciences. The Inclusion & Diversity Fund is not intended to fund chemistry research.

 

Assessment criteria

All applications should clearly show that the proposed project:

  • is centred on improving accessibility and disabled inclusion in the chemical sciences community
  • is relevant to our Inclusion and diversity strategy
  • has a clearly defined target audience
  • has a clearly defined intended impact
  • is deliverable; and
  • includes clear evaluation plans.

In addition, applicants should show that the requested funding will make a significant difference to their ability to deliver the project. 

Restrictions on funding

Inclusion and Diversity Fund grants will not be awarded to:

  • projects which do not focus on investigating or addressing inclusion and diversity issues (such as 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 or
  • cover any employment costs of project staff that receive a salary from the applying organisation.

What do we mean by disability?

Disability is defined as any long-term health condition or impairment affecting daily life, whether mental, physical, or both. Disabled chemists are diverse. We will support projects looking at any and all areas of disability, including mobility and sensory impairments, chronic illness, neurodiversity, and mental health conditions.

What is the social model of disability?

Our standpoint on disabled inclusion and accessibility is founded on the social model of disability, which was developed by disabled activist groups. The social model affirms that disability is not an inherent characteristic of a person, but a dynamic of exclusion and disenfranchisement emerging within a particular societal context. This puts the onus on wider society to consider diverse access needs and make adjustments to policy and practice to ensure that disabled people can participate equally. See Inclusion London’s Social Model Factsheet for more.

How to apply

 

Please note, applications are currently closed.

 

This special call was open to applications from 3 October 2022 to 13 November 2022. Applications were reviewed on a rolling basis, as they were received.

When a new special call is announced, applications must be submitted through a dedicated online form that we will publish.

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Prizes & funding

Contact the Inclusion & Diversity team

Tel:
+44 (0) 1223 432463
Email:
the team

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