What happens after COP26? How can we make a local difference?

Our Highlands and Islands Climate Change Community grant will support and connect communities in the Highlands and Islands to work with a researcher and build mutually beneficial relationships to explore how to take local action on climate change.

• Grants of up to £4,500 will be available to community groups to run a project or activity on a local climate change issue that benefits your community and involves working with a researcher. 
  
  
• Activity will run from April to October 2022, culminating in a project celebration and evaluation meeting. 
  
  
• If you are involved in a community group that is interested in applying for a grant, please register your interest using this form. If you have a project/idea to explore but no connection to a researcher, please don’t worry. We will be able to match you up and partner you with a researcher with the appropriate skills/expertise. If you already work with a researcher, you are also welcome to apply
  
  
• If you’re a researcher, you can also register your interest here to keep updated, find out more about the grant and potentially be matched with communities based on developing interests. Researchers will be matched with communities in March 2022, once the funded projects have been decided. 

We are hosting a live webinar about the grant scheme on Monday 13 December 14:00-16:00. 

The webinar will be BSL interpreted and live captioned. It will also be recorded and shared. 

By completing this EOI form, you are registering to either attend or receive a recording of the webinar and to receive email updates on the grant scheme. We highly recommend you attend the webinar or watch the recording before submitting a grant application. You can opt out at any time.

For the full guidance on who can apply, please refer to our guidance document.

• Location – for the purposes of this grant, our definition of the “Highlands and Islands” includes: Highland Council, Moray Council, Comhairle nan Eilean Siar, Orkney Islands Council, Shetland Islands, Argyll and Bute Council and the Isles of Arran and Cumbrae. The main activities of the funded project must take place in one of these locations.
  
  
• We’re keen to hear from both grassroots community groups and larger organisations from across the Highlands and Islands. You do not necessarily need to be part of a formal constituted group.
  
  
• We particularly welcome applications from groups who work directly with participants who are traditionally underrepresented in science, research and innovation:
  
• people living in a remote and rural location, defined as settlements of less than 10,000 and/or Level 6 or higher on the Scottish Urban and Rural Classification
• people from ethnic minorities and speakers of minority languages
• people with low socio-economic status, including people disadvantaged in terms of education and income
• people with additional support needs, a physical or mental condition or impairment
• Projects can build on existing work by the community which would benefit from input from a researcher, or could be a new idea. We’re especially keen to receive applications on projects that seek to start adapting to the effects of climate change.
  
  
• We welcome applications from groups who have an idea of how a researcher could be useful and can be matched in the next stage of the process. You can find out more about this matching process at the webinar. If you have worked with a researcher before or have someone in mind, you can also apply for a grant.