Fifteen community organization have been awarded a total of €175,000 through the 2026 Community STEAM Engagement Fund, which supports projects bringing science closer to communities across Malta.
The fund, administered by Esplora Interactive Science Centre on behalf of Xjenza Malta, supports initiatives promoting public engagement in science through research, education, science communication, citizen engagement and citizen science.
Each beneficiary will work with a STEAM professional on a year-long project addressing a real community need through science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics.
Justice, Research and Innovation Minister Clifton Grima said the fund's budget had increased from €100,000 to €175,000.
He said the projects demonstrated how science could connect people with their environment, culture and communities, while reinforcing the message that science was all around us.
The 2026 call attracted 50 applications by the 19 August deadline, compared with 18 applications in 2025. Funding of up to €12,000 was available for each project.
Applications were assessed by independent external evaluators against the fund's published criteria. The selected beneficiaries include both first-time applicants and organisations that had received funding in previous years, with each application assessed on its own merits.
Esplora senior director Mary Ann Cauchi said the fund recognised communities as active partners in connecting science with everyday life.
By combining local knowledge and ideas with STEAM expertise, the projects would give people opportunities to investigate shared challenges, develop skills and create solutions relevant to their communities, she said.
Cauchi added that the initiative reflected the direction of Esplora's draft Strategy 2030, which aims to extend its reach across Malta and Gozo through partnerships, inclusive participation and lasting community impact.
The funded projects cover a range of areas, including environmental sustainability, biodiversity, education, cultural heritage, health and social inclusion.
Among them are Żibel's SCYLLA: Investigating the Hidden Dangers of Ghost Nets, Kopin's Cool Cities and Green House's ROOTS: Researching Orchid Occurrence Through Soil.
Educational initiatives include NatureLab SCHS by St Catherine's High School and Growing Minds: An Outdoor STEAM Discovery Garden by Rabat Primary School.
Cultural heritage projects include an initiative by the La Stella Levantina Musical Society focusing on the digital preservation of historic festa decorations, and a project by the St Andrew's Musical Society investigating the science behind band music.
Other initiatives address health and social inclusion. These include With or Without a Prosthesis? by Siġġiewi Rowing Club and a project by TAMA raising awareness of sexual and gender-based violence within migrant and refugee communities.
The remaining beneficiaries are the Missionary Society of St Paul, with The Living Pond Project and the SparkLab STEAM Mission Programme; the 1st Sliema Scout Group; Rabat Primary School within the Gozo College, with The Happy School; the Foundation for the Conservation of the Maltese Honey Bee; and the Imtarfa Local Council.