Activity proposal guidance
Thank you for your interest in proposing an activity to the Royal Society of Edinburgh (RSE). This guidance outlines key information and procedures to help you successfully submit your proposal.
The RSE invites Fellows to contribute by submitting an activity proposal, whether for establishing a community of interest on a particular issue, one-off events or conferences, or other initiatives.
All proposals for new activities are submitted to the Programme Committee for review using the activity proposal form. The committee reviews proposals for new activities, whether from Fellows, Office-Bearers, Council, Young Academy of Scotland (YAS) members, or external organisations or individuals.
The RSE is particularly interested in activities that align with the RSE’s strategic plan in addressing the key societal challenges of climate change and environmental sustainability, economic prosperity, and social cohesion and inclusion; however, this does not exclude other critical issues. The RSE’s diverse expertise and membership enables us to bring multidisciplinary perspectives to a wide range of issues of significance for Scotland, the UK, and internationally.
If you require any support completing the form or have any questions about the next deadline for submission, please contact programmes@therse.org.uk
Download template activity proposal form (77KB, Word document) – used for preparation only
Activity proposal online form (web link)
Contents:
- Application and assessment process
- Key points to note
- Pricing toolkit
- Equality, diversity, inclusion, and accessbility
- GDPR and personal data
- Useful resources and policies
- Contact information
1. Application and assessment process
The proposal template form is provided for preparation purposes only.
Please note that Word document submissions will not be accepted.
All proposals must be submitted via the RSE’s online application form. Submissions should be completed by one proposer only. Once your proposal has been submitted through CiviCRM, you will receive an email confirmation.
If you need assistance completing the form or have any questions about the application process on CiviCRM, please contact: programmes@therse.org.uk.
Your proposal will be reviewed by the RSE Programme Committee, which consists of RSE Fellows, RSE Staff, and is chaired by the General Secretary. The Committee will assess your proposal and make one of the following decisions: Approve the proposal, request amendments or further details, decline the proposal.
All decisions made by the RSE Programme Committee are final. Whilst every submission is carefully considered, feedback cannot be guaranteed for all submissions.
2. Key points to note
Below are some important considerations to keep in mind when preparing and submitting your proposal.
- We aim to communicate the decisions to proposers within three weeks of the Programme Committee meeting.
- Proposals submitted less than three months before the proposed activity date will not normally be considered. Three months represents the minimum notice period, although six months or more is strongly recommended for most activities.
- The following are not accepted through this process: book launches or promotional activities; podcasts; venue hire requests (these should be directed to venue@therse.org.uk); requests solely for event organisation or event management support; provide letters of support (however, exception may be considered if the proposed activity benefits Scotland as a whole).
- Value add: The mission of the RSE, as Scotland’s National Academy, is the advancement of learning and useful knowledge for public good. Please consider why the RSE is the appropriate organisation to deliver or convene this activity. Proposals are more likely to be supported where they clearly demonstrate the added value of the RSE – for example through its independence, convening power, Fellowship, cross-sector reach, or ability to inform policy and public debate in Scotland. (refers to question 9b)
- Impact: The RSE aims to evaluate all its activities to help understand the impact of the activity, improve the way we work and help plan future activities. Please consider the different types of impact and how you will assess the impact of your activity:
- Purpose and intended impact (e.g. knowledge exchange, policy influence, network-building)
- Anticipated outcomes (short-, medium-, and longer-term where possible)
- Indicators of success (quantitative and/or qualitative)
- Methods of measuring success
If the proposal is approved, RSE colleagues will work with proposer to develop a detailed evaluation plan for all activities.
The RSE may request a short report following the activity to capture learning and evidence of impact (refers to question 9c)
- The RSE’s Communications team actively supports the promotion and publication of approved activities. However, please note that proposers will not have full control over the communications plan and all activities will adhere to RSE’s established style, branding, and communications approach, and the level of support is subject to the availability of team resources.
- Community of Interest definition: a member-led RSE group established to explore a defined topic within the Society’s remit that is not currently addressed by an existing Committee or Community of Interest. Community of Interests are open to eligible Fellow and YAS members with relevant expertise and interest in the subject area. External participants can also be invited where they enhance the Community of Interest’s expertise and overall impact.
Community of Interests focus on knowledge exchange, policy and public engagement, and member-led activity. Communities of Interest may develop proposals for activities. If these activities are smaller with few resource requirements (e.g. advice papers or roundtables) they do not need further approval, however, if they are larger and have significant resource requirements, they should go to the Programme Committee for approval. Members may also be called on when the Society is responding to relevant policy consultations. (refers to question 8)
- Reach across Scotland: The RSE’s national approach to the delivery of programmes consolidates the RSE’s status as Scotland’s National Academy and ensures that the RSE’s purpose stretches across the nation. Ensuring the programme has a national reach also assists with engaging Fellows throughout Scotland and further afield. (refers to question 14)
- Partnership: We would expect any organisation involved to enter into a Partnership Agreement to ensure clarity in roles and responsibilities. (refers to question 15)
- Risks and mitigating risks: When proposing an activity, it is important to consider whether the subject matter, participants, or intended outputs may be associated with reputational, ethical, political or safety-related risks. This includes topics that may be politically sensitive or controversial in nature, or that could provoke strong public or stakeholder reactions. Proposers are asked to identify such risks clearly in the proposal and to suggest any steps that would be taken to mitigate them. Examples of mitigating actions might include:
- setting clear ground rules or principles for discussion or conduct,
- ensuring a diversity of perspectives are represented,
- working with experienced facilitators,
- undertaking additional stakeholder or community engagement,
- undertaking media or reputational risk planning with the RSE Communications team
The RSE welcomes open and critical discussion of complex issues, and identifying risks does not necessarily count against a proposal; rather, it helps ensure appropriate planning and support. (refers to question 19)
3. Pricing toolkit
We encourage you to discuss potential budget considerations with RSE staff. This includes any funding or resource requirements which may impact your proposal’s feasibility. Please contact programmes@therse.org.uk who will be able to put you in touch with the relevant RSE staff member.
The table below provides indicative costs to support budget planning for your proposal. These figures are a guide and may vary depending on the nature and scale of the activity. All prices are exclusive of VAT unless otherwise specified. (refers to question 17)
| Cost category | Standard rate | Notes for proposers | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Catering expenses | |||
| Tea, coffee, biscuit | £3.50pp | ||
| Tea, coffee, pastries | £5pp | ||
| Buffet lunch with tea, coffee | £20pp | ||
| Sandwich lunch | £15pp | ||
| Hot fork buffet | £30pp | ||
| Drinks Package (2 glasses of wine/beer & soft drinks) | £12.50pp | ||
| Speaker expenses | |||
| Accommodation, transport & subsistence | Depending on number and location | ||
| Venue expenses | |||
| Security (late hours charge) | £23 per hour | After 7pm Mon–Thu; after 6pm Fri. | |
| AV/Technical support | Depending on time | ||
| Comms expenses | |||
| Videography | 1.5 days | £1700 | Includes music, different formats, editing, captions | |
| Photography | 1hr | £250 | Photoshoot or headshots | |
| Photography | 1.5hr | £275 | Typical lecture theatre event | |
| Photography | 2hr | £300 | Event + headshots | |
| Photography | Half day | £400 | Conference | |
| Photography | Full day | £700 | Conference | |
| Illustration (Summary) | £500 | Summary of meeting i.e. workshop, roundtable | |
| Illustration (Bespoke) | £1,00 | Bespoke illustration | |
| Digital advertising | £100-£5,00 | Flexible depending on budget, platforms include Meta, LinkedIn, Google, Youtube | |
| Print advertising i.e Holyrood Magazine | £3,000 | Full page spread | |
| Publications and reports | |||
| RSE report/think piece style | £600 | A4, 10-15 pages | |
| RSE report/think piece style | £1,000 | A4, 25-30 pages | |
| RSE brochure style | £2,000 | A4, 50-60 pages | |
| Copyediting | |||
| Printing | x1 A1 honeycomb cardboard panel | £80 | ||
| Printing | x1 A1 poster | £12 | ||
| Printing | x100 A6 postcards, double sided, 350 gsm | £30 | ||
| Printing | x100 A4 brochure, 150 gsm, saddle stitched | £360 |
Resourcing considerations
The pricing toolkit is intended to support proposers in estimating typical costs for delivering an activity. Many proposals are delivered within existing RSE staff capacity; however, more complex or larger-scale programmes may require additional staff support beyond what can be provided within current resources.
In such cases, this may need to be factored into the proposal and consideration given to the associated costs of this. This would be considered as part of the overall review by the Programme Committee.
4. Equality, diversity, inclusion, and accessibility
The RSE is committed to promoting equality, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) in all its activities. We encourage you to consider these principles when doing your proposal. If you would like to discuss this further, please reach out to RSE staff. For more information on the RSE’s commitment to EDI, please refer to our equality, diversity, and inclusion Policy.
It is also important to consider how your activity can be made accessible to everyone. The RSE staff will support you in making your event as inclusive and accessible as possible. For more information on the RSE’s accessibility policy, please refer to our Accessibility information.
5. GDPR and personal data
All personal data provided will be stored and processed in accordance with the RSE’s Privacy Policy. Information submitted will be shared with the RSE Programme Committee for the purposes of assessing applications. For more information, refer to our RSE privacy policy.
6. Useful resources and policies
For further details on our policies and documents, please refer to the relevant documents available on our website:
RSE strategic plan 2023 – 2028
We encourage you to review these documents to ensure your proposal aligns with the strategic themes and commitments.
7. Contact information
If you need assistance completing the form or have any questions about the application process, please contact: programmes@therse.org.uk.