The following steps are involved in our grant process:
Those interested in requesting a grant from the Science House Foundation are encouraged to submit one or more requests. This can be done by filling in a grant request directly with the Foundation. The requestor is asked to provide information about the project to be funded. These requests are automatically sent to Science House Foundation personnel for review.
Each grant request is reviewed by the Foundation to determine whether it fits within the mission of the Foundation. A small team of people carefully reviews each application, and decides whether or not funds should be allocated to the project. In some cases we will ask follow up questions via email or phone to learn more about the project. Notification of grant request approval or rejection will be made in writing within one month of receipt of all the grant application. Please note that since the Foundation receives funding requests in excess of what we can support, we must often decline support to worthy organizations and programs. Such a response does not reflect in any way a negative appraisal of the prospective organization or the value of its services.
Please note that while there are no hard and fast rules as to what we will or will not fund, those projects that best inspire a passion for science among students will generally be received favorably. What is important is not so much your experience with philanthropic projects but the creativity that you apply to the project.
While some requests will be fully funded by the Foundation, other requests may receive only partial funding. Also, where funding is needed for multiple projects, we may fund some of these projects and promote the additional projects on our website (click here for some examples) in the hopes of finding other philanthropic partners willing to help.
After the grant has been made, Science House will periodically follow up to determine whether or not the grant has been effective, with a phone call, email, or even a site visit.
Data from our post grant reviews is then fed back into the Grant Review Process. Those funded projects deemed to be a success are then given more weight when similar funding is requested in the future. Unsuccessful grants will result in similar projects being less likely to be funded in the future.
The following describes what organizations and projects are eligible for grants with the Science House Foundation, and our reporting requirements.
We accept grant applications from nonprofit organizations both in the US and internationally. Our target is to make half our grants to projects outside the US. We also consider applications from organizations that are not registered nonprofits, however we cannot guarantee funding in these cases.
We support projects for school-aged students in all fields of science (including math and computer science). We make grants in the areas of education and training, equipment, competitions, books and prizes. To see examples of the projects we have funded, visit our grant success stories page >.
We're excited about the potential of technology to make the best science educational resources available to students around the world. We are particularly interested in bringing technology to science nonprofits, and helping to make great resources widely available.
We wish to share the stories of our grant recipients so that others can get inspired, learn about science education resources they can use and discover projects they can do. Our only condition of funding a project is that grant recipients be willing to tell us what they did with the grant - by providing, for example, a description of the project, experiences of the students or project organizers, photos (if possible) or other resources produced. We ask for a report 3 months after the award of the grant, which we will display (in full, or a selection thereof) on our website. See past success stories here >.
At Science House, we believe in the power of science to discover how nature works. We do not support the teaching of intelligent design or creationism and do not provide grants to entities whose purpose it is to promote these.
The Science House Foundation is a federally registered 501(c)3 foundation, established in 2008.
At Science House we believe in the positive impact of scientific education and innovation. Through the Science House Foundation we provide opportunities and educational materials to students around the world, so that they grow up to tackle scientific problems and be the innovators of the future.
Some examples of the types of projects that Science House funds include:
