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 donations from any one institution at 5% of annual income. The SMC’s Trustees and Advisory Committee have agreed on two exceptions to the 5% upper limit on donations: the Wellcome Trust and UK Research and Innovation (UKRI). The UKRI donation is over the 5% cap because the separate donations we used to receive from several Research Councils are now added together and paid via the new umbrella organisation set up in 2019.
A copy of our annual report and accounts (2019-20) can be found here.
The total income for the Science Media Centre for 2019-20 was £584,908. The upper limit for donations for 2019-20 was £30,000.
If you would like to support the SMC please contact us on:
t: +44 (0)20 7611 8300
Funders 2019-20
£2,000 and under
- Association of Medical Research Charities (AMRC)
- British Ecological Society
- British Pharmacological Society
- British Society for Immunology
- Chartered Institute of Building Services Engineers (CIBSE)
- Durham University
- European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology (ESHRE)
- Health Data Research UK (HDRUK)
- Institution of Chemical Engineers (IChemE)
- Institute of Physics and Engineering in Medicine (IPEM)
- John Innes Centre
- Keele University
- Lancaster University
- London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (LSHTM)
- Marshall Bio
- McPin Foundation
- Microbiology Society
- MQ: Transforming Mental Health
- Nuclear Industry Association (NIA)
- Quadram Institute Bioscience
- Royal Society of Biology
- Society for Radiological Protection (SRP)
- The Institute of Cancer Research, London
- The PR Works Ltd
- UK Cleaning Products Industry Association (UKPCI)
- University of Birmingham
- University of Exeter
- University of Leeds
- University of Portsmouth
- University of Reading
- University of Sheffield
- University of York
£2,001 – £4,999
- Alzheimer’s Research UK
- Alzheimer’s Society
- Biochemical Society
- BioIndustry Association (BIA)
- British Pharmacological Society (BPS)
- Cochrane
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford
- Elsevier
- European College of Neurosychopharmacology (ECNP)
- Francis Crick Institute
- Genomics England
- Institute of Physics (IOP)
- Johnson and Johnson
- King’s College London
- Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA)
- National Nuclear Laboratory (NNL)
- Nestle UK Ltd
- Newcastle University
- Proctor & Gamble (P&G)
- Queen Mary University of London (QMUL)
- Queens University Belfast
- Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH)
- Royal College of Psychiatrists (RCPsych)
- The Royal Society
- Society for Applied Microbiology (SFAM)
- Society for Endocrinology
- Taylor and Francis (Informa)
- The Physiological Society
- University of Bristol
- University of East Anglia (UEA)
- University of Manchester
- University of Nottingham
£5,000 – £9,999
- Abbott Laboratories
- Academy of Medical Sciences (AMS)
- Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry (ABPI)
- BASF Plc
- Bayer Plc
- BP International Ltd
- Chemical Industries Association (CIA)
- Covestro
- Danone
- Diageo
- EDF Energy
- GE Healthcare
- Institution of Engineering and Technology (The IET)
- Imperial College London
- LifeArc
- National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE)
- National Institute for Health Research (NHIR)
- Nutrition Society
- Rolls-Royce
- Royal Academy of Engineering
- Sellafield Ltd
- UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology (UKCEH)
- University College London (UCL)
- University of Cambridge
- University of Edinburgh
- University of Oxford
£10,000 – £19,999
- AstraZeneca
- British Heart Foundation
- CropLife International
- Food Standards Agency (FSA)
- Merck Sharp & Dohme (MSD) Limited
- Nature
- Sanofi
£20,000 – £30,000
Over £30,000
Previous Funders
- AAAS and the magazine Science
- AbbVie Ltd
- Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board
- Airwave Solutions
- Alcohol Research UK
- Allied Domecq
- ARM Holdings Plc
- Association for Science Education
- Astellas
- BASF Plc
- 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
- Cancer Research UK (CRUK)
- Cardiff University
- Celgene
- Charlie Waller Memorial Trust
- Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers
- 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
- Daily Express
- Deepmind
- Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy
- Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC)
- Diamond Light Source
- Dixons Group Plc
- DMG Media, including Daily Mail, The Mail on Sunday, Metro and MailOnline
- The Dow Chemical Company
- The Drayson Foundation
- Du Pont (UK) Ltd
- Economic & Social Research Council (ESRC)
- Eli Lilly & Company
- Emergent Biosolutions Inc
- EnergySolutions
- Engineering & Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC)
- Engineering UK
- Envigo
- Environment Agency
- European College of Neuropsychopharmacology
- European Science Foundation (ESF)
- ExxonMobil
- EUK Consulting
- Food and Drink Federation
- GE Healthcare
- The 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
- Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience (IoPPN)
- JH Ritblat Charitable Trust
- Kraft Foods Inc
- Lever Faberge
- Life Technologies
- L’Oreal UK
- Marks & Spencer (M&S)
- The Marmot Review
- Marshall UK
- Maudsley Charity
- Medical Research Council
- Mental Health Foundation
- Mental Health Research Network
- Mental Health Research Network Cymru
- Mental Health Research UK (MHRUK)
- Merlin Biosciences
- Met Office
- Mobile Manufacturers Forum
- Mobile Operators Association (MOA)
- Motor Neurone Disease (MND) Association
- Monsanto UK Ltd
- 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
- Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust
- 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
- Trinity Mirror Plc
- UCB
- UCL Institute of Health Equity
- UK Energy Research Centre
- Unilever UK
- University of Glasgow
- University of Strathclyde
- University of Teesside
- Urenco
- Vodafone Group
- Weizmann UK
- Wi-Fi Alliance
- World Health Organisation (WHO)
- Wyeth