Evolution Education Trust

EET funds life-sciences research and evolution education for both the public and formal teaching. It supports nature conservation initiatives that build research capacity or deliver novel interventions, and evolutionary applications in healthcare and therapeutics. Beneficiaries include UK universities, conservation bodies such as the Royal Botanic Gardens Kew, educational charities like the Cambridge Science Centre, and early-career researchers. Examples of funded work include seed funding for a major natural history documentary via WWF-UK, programmes at the Milner Therapeutics Institute, and international biodiversity education in the Galapagos and Cape Verde tied to UK expertise.

Eligible organisations are UK-registered charities or academic institutions. The Trust favours medium-to-large organisations with robust track records; no strict income thresholds apply, but grassroots groups are unlikely to be supported unless they are part of a consortium. Early-career researchers are a priority beneficiary group. Applications are invite-only, meaning the Trust approaches organisations directly through its network rather than accepting unsolicited proposals.

EET does not fund general operational support unrelated to its mission. It excludes projects that are not focused on evolutionary science or that lack an evidence-driven approach. Unsolicited applications are not accepted; the Trust works exclusively by invitation.

EET provides seed funding, project grants, and capacity-building support. Funding is typically awarded as one-off grants, though the Trust values long-term partnerships with grantees. It proactively identifies organisations through its network and works by invitation, making ad hoc board decisions. The Trust emphasises catalytic interventions that can attract further investment, prioritising proof-of-concept work with scalable ambition.