Public Understanding of Science & Technology Grant - YouTube & TikTok

Public Understanding of Science & Technology Grant - YouTube & TikTok

Status: ACTIVE
Funder: Alfred P Sloan Foundation
Last Updated: February 24, 2026

Summary

The Public Understanding of Science & Technology Grant focuses on enhancing public engagement with science through platforms like YouTube and TikTok. This initiative supports innovative creators who produce content that tackles scientific and technological themes, aiming to diversify voices in the media landscape. By providing resources to underrepresented creators and fostering high-quality science communication, the grant seeks to combat misinformation and reach younger audiences, ultimately bridging the gap between science and the public.

Overview

NOTE: The Sloan Foundation has several program areas (Books, New Media, Special Initiatives, Radio & Television) in addition to this one within the Public Understanding of Science & Technology Program - YouTube & TikTok:Letter of Inquiry - Interested grantseekers with a relevant project idea should email a one-page letter of inquiry to VP and Program Director. Due to the volume of inquires we receive, it can take up to 8 weeks to receive a Foundation response to a letter of inquiry.Full Proposal - Invite Only - Grantseekers that submit promising letters of inquiry will be invited to submit a formal grant proposal.The Alfred P. Sloan Foundation makes grants year-round, though major grants (>$250K) are approved only quarterly. Grantseekers should take care to work with their program director to ensure there is sufficient time for submission, redrafting, independent review, and amendments subsequent to review. Public Understanding of Science & Technology This long-standing multifaceted program aims to give people a keener appreciation for the increasingly scientific and technological world in which we live and to convey some of the challenges and rewards of the scientific and technological enterprise. The program's primary aim is to build bridges between the two cultures of science and the humanities and to develop a common language so that they can better understand and speak to one another--and ultimately to grasp that they belong to a single common culture. The Foundation has established a nationwide strategy that focuses on books, theater, film, television, radio, and new media to commission, develop, produce, and distribute new work mainstreaming science and technology for the lay public. YouTube & TikTok Program goal: To advance public understanding and engagement with science by supporting innovative content creators on YouTube, as well as TikTok and other major long and short-form video platforms. Strategy - YouTube and other social media platforms far exceed traditional media in audience reach and engagement. Grants in this program seek to reach this growing audience by supporting a talented pool of creators who produce fiction and nonfiction content that tackles science, technology, and economics on YouTube and TikTok. The goals of this program are:​Honor and celebrate exceptional content creators; Provide resources to up-and-coming content creators who lack the support to build their platform; Support new voices, including more women, people of color, and LGBTQ+ people, to diversify the YouTube and TikTok space; Encourage innovative new approaches to science storytelling, both fiction and nonfiction; Increase the quality and accuracy of science programming on YouTube and social media while combatting misinformation and disinformation; Reach new and younger audiences, including those who do not engage with traditional media; Disseminate and engage with other Sloan-supported projects.

Eligibility

You can learn more about this opportunity by visiting the funder's website.

Ineligibility

The YouTube and TikTok program also does not support:Science fiction or science fantasy; Content aimed at children or K-12 students; Content intended as a study or exam aide.What We Do Not Fund:The Foundation does not make grants to individuals except through its Books program. Except in rare circumstances, the Foundation does not make grants to for-profit institutions. The Foundation does not make grants in religion, medical research, or for research in the humanities. The Foundation does not make grants to projects aimed at pre-college students except through its Civic Initiatives program. The Foundation does not make grants to projects in the creative or performing arts except when those projects are related to educating the public about science, technology, or economics. The Foundation does not make grants for endowments or fundraising drives, including fundraising dinners. The Foundation does not make grants in support of buildings, laboratories, equipment, or instruments unless it can be demonstrated that such capital expenditures are essential to the success of a Foundation-supported research project, research program or educational initiative. The Foundation does not make grants to political campaigns, to support political activities, or to lobby for or against particular pieces of legislation.