How do you secure funding and support for STEM education outreach programs and grants from various sources?

It is essential to consider both the short-term goals and significant strategic direction. Often one or the other (sometimes both!) will resonate with a potential funder. Some want to be part of the moment, while others want to be part of the story. Having a clear vision of what your short-term and long-term goals are will provide a wealth of information for potential funders to see alignment within.

What I have found helpful is to expand on the most favourite project you are currently working on. Most people in STEM do have a track record. A good plan combines your demonstrated passion as your strength in STEM with the funding capacity as the strength of your potential partner. The plan demonstrates how these combined strengths will result in so much more impact in STEM. Stay close to your own superpower - in my case my passion for technology with students in primary and secondary schools. Zoom in on your current target group, your aproach, your values. Use this information to zoom in on funding partners who will be eager to complement your program.

Are you talking about Scanning Transmission Electron Microscopy being STEM techniques or Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) as an umbrella term used to group together those distinct but related technical disciplines? Regards, Jan Pinxter

To secure funding for STEM education outreach in Europe, follow these steps: 🏛 Government Grants: European countries often have government-funded programs supporting STEM education. Look for national and EU-wide grants like those provided by the European Commission's education and training opportunities. 🏦 Private Foundations: Investigate foundations and trusts that advance education, science, and technology. Examples include the Wellcome Trust and the Volkswagen Foundation. 🏢 Corporate Sponsors: Many companies invest in STEM education as part of their corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives. Target tech companies and those in related fields.

This is your 'dream' plan. Stay close to your own superpower - in my case my passion for technology with students in primary and secondary schools. Zoom in on your current or new target group, your aproach, your values. A good plan combines your demonstrated passion and result in STEM with the funding capacity of your partner. The plan demonstrates their involvement will result in an impact in STEM which your team can and will realize. Define 'impact' as number of students reached and number of student hours. Divide your plan into sections for which you can track spend and impact in your execution phase. Indicate cost and impact for each section. Most importantly, if funding is lagging, be prepared to remove sections from the project.