Education and Eden funding

Departments have been asked to engage with delivery against LSE Offer such as they can in the current very challenging circumstances. If your department wants to undertake some activity against LSE Offer and is unable to do so with existing funds in the department then you can apply for some relatively small extra funding by completing this very short application form and returning it to the Eden Centre (eden@lse.ac.uk) by COP Monday 25 January.

This will be a one-off bid process and the limited available funds will equitably allocated based on the submitted application form.

(NB: the LSE Offer Support Fund replaces the biddable SEEF and LSE Offer funds that were available last year.)

If you have an idea for smaller-scale education and student experience related initiatives you can apply for Eden Catalyst funding for up to £10,000. The fund supports initiatives which contribute to the development and delivery of education enhancement activity at the School in line with LSE 2030 and we are particularly interested in applications relating to the following themes:

• Curriculum enrichment
• Technology enhanced learning and digital innovation
• Diversity, inclusion and decolonisation
• Student voices, partnership and academic support 

How to apply

There are two stages to your application:

1.     Submission of an Expression of Interest (EoI) form, which is a simple, high-level application form with an outline of the project and an estimation of cost that will allow the funding panel to agree to a project in principle. For applications of less than £1,000 this is the only form required. For applications of more than £1,000, if your EoI is agreed in principle you will then proceed to stage 2.

2.     Submission of a Project Plan: the Eden Centre Development Advisers (DAs) for your department will work with you on the submission of a more detailed project plan. The project plan will outline the activity, resources, timescales and outputs for the project. Once this has been submitted and agreed by the funding panel, the money will be transferred to your department budget for implementation.

If you wish to apply, please use the online Expression of Interest Form. Here is a blank form to give you an idea upfront of the form sections and questions.

Once completed this form will be automatically sent to the Eden Centre for the funding panel's consideration. We will usually respond to EoIs within three weeks of submission.

Funding for departments to create undergraduate research internships and/or assistantships in 2020/21 has now been allocated. The Eden Centre intends to offer funding in 2021/22 and will update this page with information when available.

The Eden Centre has funded different approaches for internships/assistantships, so that departments and academics can choose the most suitable model for them. For example:

• activities can take place within or outside term time
• time commitment can be shorter or longer
• projects can be undertaken by solo students, or more than one student can be involved

Two main models are already in use at LSE, and the Eden Centre are willing to fund either:

• Research internships – students carrying out more substantial projects (some previous projects have been for 100 hours) with a greater degree of student independence. These projects are likely to develop students’ overall research skills.
• Research assistantships – students supporting academics’ research projects, with more limited student autonomy. Activity could be focused on a more limited research task.

The Eden Centre is pleased to discuss potential projects, and to put departments in contact with academics who have carried out similar projects. Please contact the Eden Centre with enquiries .It would be useful to know the number of students you plan to involve, the timing of the project, the name of the lead staff member and what form of project you envisage.