10th November 2020 10:30:00
Panel debate, Workshop, Interactive activity
Competitive grants are one of the most common ways we try to change society. They are used to increase growth, spur discovery and preserve history. But they’re not always given out fairly. We know, for instance, that having a male-sounding name can increase your chances of getting science funding. So what happens when they’re used to improve our public services? Nesta, the UK-based innovation foundation, does exactly that, and opened up data on £10m of grants to researchers to find out. The first part of the workshop will outline what their audit found, with a focus on applicant gender and location. You’ll find out how grant making organisations can conduct this kind of audit as well as about the changes Nesta are considering. Afterwards, we’ll hold a facilitated discussion to help applicants and grant makers understand each other better without the restrictions of formal grant making processes. We’ll discover what barriers applicants have faced and how they think they could be removed. We’ll also hear from grant-makers about the complex demands of running grant programmes and the difficult trade-offs involved in trying to increase access. The first portion of the event will be recorded for people unable to attend.
This website is an archived version of the 2020 festival, visit the main website for this years events