Freelance Space Engagement Project Evaluator

The Association for Science and Discovery Centres (ASDC) invites you to submit a brief proposal to undertake the external evaluation of a rapid-turnaround project taking place October 2025-March 2026. This project, and its evaluation, is funded through a grant from the UK Space Agency, Space to Inspire programme.

Project summary

From 2023-2025, ASDC developed and ran Our World From Space, a strategic two-year, national STEM programme funded by the UK Space Agency in partnership with the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC, part of UKRI). To date, the programme has had a significant national reach, engaging with over 263,847 individual participants across the UK. From schools in the Outer Hebrides to community groups in coastal towns of Devon, Our World From Space nurtured a new understanding of space science’s role in our everyday lives and for the future health and sustainability of our planet.

Of the 263,847 participants engaged 71% were families and public whereas only 2% came from community groups. In this next phase, delivery partners will be encouraged to deepen their work with their regional communities, working with marginalised audiences traditionally underrepresented in STEM and space industry and research. A short but impactful grant programme will run from October 2025 to February 2026 calling on the expertise of the Our World From Space cohort, to continue delivering and evaluating these high-quality space engagement activities and their impact for UK communities.

Evaluation approach

We are looking for an external evaluator who can build on the learning from the first phase of Our World From Space with a focus on enhancing participant data collection and feedback. We will be asking our science and discovery centres to capture the below which aligns with the first phase of Our World From Space:

• Metrics e.g., numbers, gender %, IMD data,
• Description of activity e.g., workshops, venue, dwell time
• Perceived relevance of content to everyday life
• Value of UK space science and careers for the future sustainability of planet Earth

Download the full job specification with further details and how to apply:
Evaluating Our World From Space Phase 2 2025-2026