The Royal Society of Chemistry
At a glance
Key takeaways
- If your work is chemistry outreach, or inclusion and diversity in the chemical sciences, this funder is worth approaching, but its Inclusion and Diversity Fund does not pay for chemistry or scientific research, even when led by under-represented individuals, and its Outreach Fund needs a significant chemical sciences element.
- The stated amounts for single programmes run from £500 to £7,000, and the funder says it will consider individual applications up to £5,000, with more possible for one project each year, so size your request to those figures and budget it against the reach you expect.
- The Inclusion and Diversity Fund has two rounds, closing on 27 April and 18 August, with decisions about seven weeks after the closing date, so plan around those dates; Outreach Fund applications follow the deadline for their relevant round.
- Organisations such as member-led groups, museums, community and arts groups and libraries can apply, but applicants under 18 cannot apply to the Outreach Fund, and non-members based outside the UK and Republic of Ireland are excluded from the Inclusion and Diversity Fund.
- Do not resubmit an unsuccessful application to either fund unless the funder invites you to.
Overview
The Royal Society of Chemistry is a charity registered with the Charity Commission for England and Wales (charity number 207890).
The Royal Society of Chemistry is an international charity and professional body that connects chemical scientists with each other and with society as a whole. Its object is the general advancement of chemical science and its application. It offers grants for travel, events, outreach and research, alongside personal support and guidance, and its Chemists' Community Fund has been helping members and their families for over 100 years. The charity paid £842,000 in the period covered by the annual report.
What they fund
Priority Areas
The RSC offers grants for travel, events, outreach and research, alongside personal support. Its Outreach Fund backs chemistry-based public and school engagement projects connecting communities from all backgrounds with the chemical sciences. It aims to build chemists’ public-engagement and science-communication skills, inspire school students, involve public audiences in contemporary chemical-science issues, and create opportunities for under-represented audiences and communities. Its Inclusion and Diversity Fund supports activities and research projects to make the chemical sciences community more inclusive and diverse. Organisations can apply, including member-led groups, academic and industry researchers, museums, community groups, not-for-profit organisations, arts groups and libraries. Outreach applicants may apply on behalf of organisations registered in the UK or Republic of Ireland; the Inclusion and Diversity Fund also accepts RSC members worldwide.
Themes
- Chemistry outreach
- Inclusion and diversity
- Chemistry research
- Travel and events
- Chemistry education
Geographic Focus
UK; Republic of Ireland; worldwide.
What they don't fund
- Inclusion and Diversity Fund only:
- 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
- the cost of general purpose hardware, apparatus or equipment
- any employment costs of project staff that receive a salary from the applying organisation
- 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
- applications from non-members based outside the United Kingdom/Republic of Ireland
- an unsuccessful application unless invited to resubmit
- Outreach Fund only:
- applicants under 18
- applicants who are not UK or Republic of Ireland residents with a UK or ROI address and bank account, and who are not applying on behalf of an organisation registered in the UK or ROI
- applications that do not have a significant aspect related to the chemical sciences
- an unsuccessful Outreach Fund application unless invited to resubmit
- Activities that have a high cost for a comparatively low reach and/or impact
How to apply
Outreach Fund applicants can use the example application questions to prepare before applying online.
Deadlines: Submit applications by the specified deadline for the relevant funding round.
Application windows:
- Inclusion and Diversity Fund — Round 1: Opens on 2 March, closes on 27 April
- Inclusion and Diversity Fund — Round 2: Opens on 30 June, closes on 18 August
Who can apply:
- Outreach Fund: Applicants/applications to the outreach fund must be aged 18 and over; be a UK or Republic of Ireland (ROI) resident (with a UK or ROI address and bank account), or are applying on behalf of an organisation registered in the UK or ROI.
What to send:
- Outreach Fund: A budget summary for your project using the budget template.
Applying again: Outreach Fund: Do not resubmit an unsuccessful Outreach Fund application unless invited to do so.
Application success factors
What the charity says:
- The project must focus on increasing inclusion and diversity in the chemical sciences community.
- The project must be relevant to the RSC's inclusion and diversity strategy.
- The project must have a clearly defined target audience within the chemical sciences community.
- The proposal should clearly describe its impact on the target audience and/or beyond.
- The project should be deliverable and include clear evaluation plans.
- The proposal must be clearly written and costed, feasible with its resources and within its proposed timeframe.
- Applicants should show that the requested funding will make a significant difference to delivering the project.
- Outreach budgets should be considered against projected project reach and impact.
Where they fund
Where it says it funds
- Ireland
- United Kingdom
- International
Similar funders
Funders supporting work similar to The Royal Society of Chemistry.
6 years of accounts
| Financial year | Income | Expenditure | Grants paid | Accounts document |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| year to 31 December 2020 | £64,798,000 | £64,287,000 | £600,000 | Accounts for year to 31 December 2020 |
| year to 31 December 2021 | £63,675,000 | £64,462,000 | — | Accounts for year to 31 December 2021 |
| year to 31 December 2022 | £65,972,000 | £72,071,000 | — | Accounts for year to 31 December 2022 |
| year to 31 December 2023 | £70,858,000 | £85,114,000 | £1,027,000 | Accounts for year to 31 December 2023 |
| year to 31 December 2024 | £73,358,000 | £87,549,000 | — | Accounts for year to 31 December 2024 |
| year to 31 December 2025 | — | — | £842,000 | Accounts for year to 31 December 2025 |
Income vs grants paid
IncomeGrants paid
Total value each financial year
Grants paid stayed within income across the 2 years shown.
- Grants paid, year to 31 December 2020; year to 31 December 2023: grants to institutions, as reported on the charity register (Part B).
- Grants paid, year to 31 December 2025: grants paid out in the year.
— No grants figure for those years.
Figures from the charity’s filed accounts and its register entry. The document icon links to the charity’s entry on the Charity Commission register, where its filed accounts can be found.
Sources
Registers and filings
Other sources
- rsc.org
- rsc.org/funding-and-support/funding · read on 31 October 2026
- rsc.org/funding-and-support/funding/outreach-fund?formlink=funding_search · read on 31 October 2026
- rsc.org/funding-and-support/funding/inclusion-and-diversity-fund?formlink=funding_search · read on 31 October 2026
- rsc.org/funding-and-support/chemists-community-fund · read on 31 October 2026
- rsc.org/contact-us · read on 31 October 2026
- Annual report (year to 31 December 2025)
This profile draws on the funder’s own website as well as its filed accounts.
Sources last checked on 31 October 2026.
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At a glance
Applying to The Royal Society of Chemistry?
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Applying to The Royal Society of Chemistry?
Hinchilla drafts your answers around this funder's priorities, using your organisation's own documents.
No credit card required