What we do

We raise funds in Scotland to support early stage medical research and young researchers across all fields of medical science and in institutions across Scotland. With our rigorous scientific review processes, we ensure that funds go only to the best medical and biomedical science projects we can find.

We award:

Small Pilot grants of up to £20,000

Our main focus is on awarding small grants to allow researchers, usually at the start of their research career, to produce preliminary data in a new area of scientific research. This then allows them to apply for funding from larger research funding organisations, further developing exciting medical possibilities.  

Each of the four regions (Edinburgh, Grampian Highlands and Islands, Strathclyde and Tayside & NE Fife) raises its own funds to support research within its region.

Recent projects funded have included: research into the development of novel approaches to reduce vascular diseases, a potential new drug target for resolving sepsis and investigating new therapies for osteoarthritis.

Large grants of up to £100,000

A small number of larger awards (between £50,000 and £100,000) are available only in the Tayside & NE Fife  region. This level of support is aimed at more ambitious research projects than the small research grants as they require a higher level of funding and a project duration of two to three years. These awards, however, are still primarily aimed at early career researchers or pilot projects that have potential to lead to more ambitious programmes of research than can be supported by major Research Councils or Chariites.

Recent projects funded have included: research into enzyme inhibitors in asthma, investigation into the causes of kidney cancer and research into the inflammation effect on heart and blood vessel disease.

Medical research PhD scholarships

The Princess Royal Tenovus Scotland Medical Research Scholarship Scheme gives scholarships to support young researchers through a three-year programme of training and research activity towards a PhD degree. We aim to offer at least one scholarship a year.

The Moulton-Barrett Research Scholarship is a Grampian region initiative to fund talented PhD medical students for four years of full-time study

Recent scholarship holders include: Anna Muriano, studying the debilitating condition of Huntingdon's Disease at the University of Dundee; Angela Ianniciello at the University of Glasgow studying Chronic Myeloid Leukaemia; and Vasiliki Mallikourti, researching non-invasive mapping of lipid and metabolite profiles in breast cancer, involving MRI methods, at the University of Aberdeen.

Researcher awards

We make one-off awards to researchers in recognition of the quality and importance of their work and to support further research, including awards for:

• Most outstanding final research report
• Best research in Scotland in a nominated field
• Pathology intercalated degree students at the University of Glasgow
• Contribution to the understanding of the disabilities affecting elderly people

Find out more about applying for our grants in our Researchers section.

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