This fund may be of interest if you’re developing an idea about food, nature or climate – including projects where a group hasn’t yet been constituted.
The Royal Society of Edinburgh’s Healthy Planet, Healthy People Catalyst Awards support community-led research exploring how food, nature or climate can benefit people’s health and wellbeing.
This could involve finding out what local people need, gathering information or developing practical solutions together. The research can help you take your ideas forward and provide evidence often needed to access further funding from a wide range of funders.
What you need to know
- Who can apply: individuals and community groups across Scotland, including East Lammermuir. You don’t need to be an academic.
- Groups that aren’t constituted: If your group isn’t constituted, you need an organisation to agree to hold and manage the funding for your project. This could be a registered local charity, a constituted community association or a local council such as East Lothian Council. They would need to agree to the fund’s requirements before you apply.
- Individuals: you need a letter of support from an eligible organisation.
- What it pays for: research costs such as staff time, facilitation, materials, travel and support to help people participate.
- What it doesn’t cover: work already carried out, unrelated running costs or fundraising activities.
- Timing: projects can start from 1 June 2027 and last up to 12 months.
- Afterwards: you’ll need to provide a short final report and a record of spending, and take part in an end-of-project workshop.
- Organisation holding the funds: it needs to meet the award’s financial, safeguarding and insurance requirements.
Applications close at noon on 1 December 2026.
Read the full details and apply
For questions about applying or holding the funding, contact Awards@theRSE.org.uk.