91TV

Royal Society announces 27 new Places of Science grants to small museums

91TV Places of Science scheme has awarded 27 new grants to small museums across the UK, to engage communities with their local science stories, from impressive wildlife to practices or people that have had an impact on the region.

The grants of up to £3,500 will help museums across the UK reach new audiences and bring the history of science and scientists to life in new and exciting ways. Funding for the scheme comes from the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology.

Visitors will be able get involved in curating natural history specimens in Colchester, learn about the environmental impact of the textile industry in Lancashire, or the history of steelmaking at Ravenscraig in Lanarkshire. Several museums in this year’s cohort are working in partnership with the Natural History Museum on the  to help local communities take action for nature.

As part of the scheme, some museums are telling stories that have been lost in history, such as Bolling Hall Museum in Bradford highlighting the impact of Islamic mathematicians, astronomers and scholars in the UK on the Scientific Revolution; The online Mixed Museum supporting members of the ‘brown babies’ community – children and descendants of American Black GIs and white British women born during and after the Second World War – to better understand the science behind ancestry DNA testing; and Denbigh Museum celebrating the 200th birthday of Welsh engineer and astronomer Isaac Roberts.

Professor Russell Foster CBE FMedSci FRS, Chair of the Places of Science allocation panel, said: “We have such an exciting array of themes being explored by the Places of Science awardees this year, from historical crafts and manufacturing techniques to hidden wildlife and local scientific figures.

“It has been wonderful to see so many creative ways of sharing scientific stories that are both engaging and accessible. I hope these projects allow people of all ages to connect with science in new ways and feel a shared sense of ownership of their local scientific history.

“I would like to thank the Places of Science allocation panel for all their hard work and dedication in evaluating the proposals. Our discussions, along with the constructive feedback we send to the applicants, make the meetings a joy to Chair.”

Dr Sandra Knapp FRS, Chair of the Royal Society Public Engagement Committee, said: “It is great to see such diversity of projects funded by the Places of Science grant.

“The funded projects will highlight the crucial role that science plays in our daily lives. These projects will allow people across the country to learn more about and connect with the fantastic work going on in their local museums.”

The Places of Science scheme aims to celebrate projects that will evoke curiosity, interest and enthusiasm by exploring science in a creative way. From family days at the museum, through community-led creation and curation, to workshops for schools, projects offer an exciting way for people to engage with science in their local area and beyond.

Full list of 2026 awardees

Read more about the awardees

Beaminster Museum
3D scans to improve access and education for heritage objects

Bolling Hall
Describing the heavens: Astronomy from Islamic scientists to Bradford’s Abraham Sharp

Discover Bucks Museum
Wild Bucks: How science helps us to understand, explore and protect our local wildlife

Cambridge Museum of Technology
The Ripple Effect: Learning from the River Cam

Colchester Natural History Museum
Wild about Essex: Community curators at Colchester’s Natural History Museum

Denbigh Museum
200th Anniversary of Isaac Roberts “The Welsh astrophotography pioneer”

Eastney Engine Houses
Eastney engineers! Sewage and STEM

Englesea Brook Chapel and Museum of Primitive Methodism
Science and the natural world through old and new eyes

Epworth Old Rectory
Discovery gardens

Erewash Museum
Medical innovation in the Industrial Age: Dr George B Norman and Victorian Ilkeston

Fleetwood Museum
The science of risk at sea: Stories of danger for Fleetwood’s deep sea trawlermen

Folkestone Museum
Celebrating blood circulation: 400 years of William Harvey’s 'De Motu Cordis'

Helmshore Mills Textile Museum (Higher Mill)
Environmental impacts of the Lancashire textile industry - a lesson from history

Louth Museum
Wild about Louth

Milton Keynes Museum
Science adventurers: Half-term activities for kids at the Milton Keynes Museum with the Open University

Milton's Cottage
Milton's universe

Normanby Hall Country Park
Fireflies – forging new connections between young people and their local environment

North Lanarkshire Heritage Centre
Ravenscraig: Past, present, future

Pannett Art Gallery
Art lab - distilling the colours of the landscape

Porthcawl Museum
Digging into archives

Portsmouth Natural History Museum
Making a buzz

Richmondshire Museum
The river Swale from heritage to leisure, looking into the future for this iconic river-way

The Brunel Museum
Building bridges for young scientists

The Higgins Art Gallery and Museum
Through STEM workshops, discover the engineer who shaped Bedford’s airships and understand today’s scientific innovations

The Mixed Museum
Decoding DNA: Understanding ancestry science with the ‘brown babies of WW2’ community

The Rumble Museum
The Radcliffe Observatory community project: Sharing the wonder of the heavens

Tudor House Museum
The science of wool and weaving from a Tudor perspective