funding

The Science Media Centre’s funding model is designed to reflect its position as an independent press office that is not linked to any specific institution or institutional agenda. As such the Centre seeks donations from a wide variety of organisations with an interest in the accurate reporting of science in the media. We have over 100 funders including scientific bodies, science-based companies, science publishers, universities, patient research charities, media organisations, research funders and government. See below for the list.

The Centre is independent from its funders who do not gain influence over the SMC’s work in return for their financial support. To protect the Centre from any undue influence the SMC caps contributions from any one institution at 5% of prior year income. The SMC’s Trustees and Advisory Committee have agreed on two exceptions to the 5% upper limit: the Wellcome Trust and UK Research and Innovation (UKRI). UKRI’s contribution is over the 5% cap as this represents the consolidated amounts from several Research Councils which is now paid via the umbrella organisation set up in 2019.

A copy of our annual report and accounts (2020-21) can be found here.

The total income for the Science Media Centre for 2020-21 was £722,170. The upper limit for donations for 2021-22 is £35,000.

If you would like to support the SMC please contact us on:

t: +44 (0)20 7611 8300

New funders

Funders April 2020 – March 2021

£2,000 and under

Personal donations from 6 individuals, each donation not exceeding £2,000

£2,001 – £4,999

Grant from Global SMC Initiative (wholly-owned subsidiary of AusSMC) for COVID-19 Vaccine Media Hub project

£5,000 – £9,999

£10,000 – £19,999

£20,000 – £30,000

Diageo Plc
DMG Media, including Daily Mail, The Mail on Sunday, Metro and MailOnline
Full Fact – from a Google grant *
GlaskoSmithKline (GSK)
The Gatsby Charitable Foundation
National Institute for Health Research (NHIR)

* Full Fact were given a block grant from Google to distribute around Europe. Full Fact made the decision to give money to SMC, but the money was sourced from Google.

Over £30,000

Previous Funders

AAAS and the magazine Science
Abbott Laboratories
Airwave Solutions
Alcohol Research UK
Allied Domecq
ARM Holdings Plc
Association for Science Education
Astellas
Baxter
BBC Worldwide
Beeson Gregory
Biotechnology & Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC)
BNP Paribas Foundation
Boeing
Boots UK Ltd
British Computer Society (BCS)
British Embassy in Washington
British Energy Plc
British Geological Survey (BGS)
British In Vitro Diagnostics Association
British Land Plc
British Neuroscience Association
British Psychological Society (BPS)
British Retail Consortium
British Transplantation Society Council
Cadbury Plc
Cardiff University
Celgene
Charlie Waller Memorial Trust
Chilled Food Association (CFA)
Chiron Vaccines
CNAP Artemisia Research Project
Coalition for Medical Progress (CMP)
Coca-Cola
Colgate – Palmolive
Confederation of the Food and Drink Industries of the European Union (CIAA)
Conoco (UK) Ltd
Conoco-Phillips
Co-operative Group (CWS) Limited
Copus
Corteva Agriscience
CropLife International
Daily Express
Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy (BEIS)
Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC)
Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford
Diamond Light Source
Dixons Group Plc
The Dow Chemical Company
The Drayson Foundation
Du Pont (UK) Ltd
Economic & Social Research Council (ESRC)
EDF Energy
Eli Lilly & Company
Emergent Biosolutions Inc
EnergySolutions
Engineering & Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC)
Engineering UK
Envigo
Environment Agency
European College of Neuropsychopharmacology (ECNP)
European Science Foundation (ESF)
ExxonMobil
EUK Consulting
Government Office for Science (GO-S)
Horizon Nuclear Power
Human Fertilisation & Embryology Authority (HFEA)
Human Tissue Authority (HTA)
Illumina
International AIDS Vaccine Initiative (IAVI)
Independent Climate Change Email Review
Innovate UK
Institution of Civil Engineers
Institute of Food Science & Technology (IFST)
Institute of Marine Engineering, Science and Techology (IMarEST)
Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE)
Institute of Mental Health
JH Ritblat Charitable Trust
Johnson and Johnson
Keele University
Kraft Foods Inc
Lancaster University
Lever Faberge
Life Technologies
L’Oreal UK
Marks & Spencer (M&S)
The Marmot Review
Marshall UK
Marshall Bio
Maudsley Charity
McPin Foundation
Medical Research Council
Mental Health Foundation
Mental Health Research Network
Mental Health Research Network Cymru
Mental Health Research UK (MHRUK)
Merlin Biosciences
Mobile Manufacturers Forum
Mobile Operators Association (MOA)
Motor Neurone Disease (MND) Association
Monsanto UK Ltd
MQ: Transforming Mental Health
Natural Environment Research Council (NERC)
The Naji Foundation
National Grid
National Physical Laboratory (NPL)
New Scientist
News International Ltd
Northern Foods
Novartis
Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA)
The Nuclear Institute
Open University
Orsted UK Ltd
Oxitec Ltd
Parkinson’s Disease Society
Pfizer Limited
Philips UK
The Posen Foundation
Powderject
QinetiQ
Queen’s University Belfast
Quintessa
Rathbones
RDS
Re-Solv
Regenesys
Rethink
Rotary Club of Milton Keynes Grand Union
Rothamsted Research
Royal Astronomical Society (RAS)
Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution (RCEP)
Royal College of Pathologists
Royal Pharmaceutical Society
Royal College of Physicians
Royal Society of Chemistry
Royal Society of Medicine
SAGE
Sanofi Pasteur MSD
Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC)
Science Council
Scottish Mental Health Research Network
Shell UK Limited
Siemens Plc
Simon Best
Smith & Nephew Plc
Society for General Microbiology (SGM)
Springer
Syngenta
Tate & Lyle Plc
Tesco Limited
The PR Works Ltd
Trinity Mirror Plc
UCB
UCL Institute of Health Equity
UK Energy Research Centre
Unilever UK
University of Strathclyde
University of Teesside
Urenco
Vodafone Group
Weizmann UK
Wi-Fi Alliance
World Health Organisation (WHO)
Wyeth