Funding FUNding Opportunities

A selection of the latest calls for funding

lead the way with AAA

Our selection of funding opportunities, from current calls with deadlines approaching or no closing date to industry collaborations and fellowships, have particular emphasis on the AAA sector - Animal Health, Agritech and Aquaculture. 

This is a growing sector and represents three of the Scottish Life Sciences sectors (including Digital Healthcare), having a distinct crossover with biotech, gene modification, gene editing etc. for food security and in crop science and environmental research.

Scotland is the ideal environment to carry out research and development in the area of domestic livestock, companion animals, aquaculture and plant science. We offer a truly world–leading scientific expertise, access to state of the art research facilities, a pool of highly skilled personnel and a growing cluster of innovative bioscience companies.

current with deadlines approaching

The Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra) and Innovate UK (IUK), part of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), will invest up to £5 million in innovation projects. This partnership funding is part of the Innovation in Environmental Monitoring programme.

The aim of this competition is to fund collaborative projects that develop environmental monitoring solutions to enable improved monitoring of environmental variables, with projects designed to:

  • Support the development of new sensing systems and monitoring capabilities that will either improve existing approaches or introduce new ones
  • Support the testing of these products, including ‘ground-truthing’ with existing monitoring regimes, verifying their accuracy and reliability, and potential for deployment at scale
  • Help the UK environmental monitoring sector in anticipating and responding to growing markets for environmental sensing, delivering economic growth to the UK
  • Deliver new and strengthened partnerships between academia, public and private sectors, and across disciplines, stimulating innovative approaches

Your project must focus on one or more of the following challenge areas:

  • Biodiversity and natural capital
  • Soil health (including measuring soil carbon)
  • Water quality
  • Greenhouse gas (GHG) and ammonia emissions from Defra sectors

DEFRA

Competition opens: 22 January 2024

Competition closes: 6 March 2024, 11am

Scottish EDGE is a funding competition aimed at identifying and supporting Scotland’s innovative, high growth potential entrepreneurial talent.

Funded by the Hunter Foundation, the Royal Bank of Scotland, the Scottish Government, Scottish Enterprise and private donors, the competition is delivered twice per year and has supported 569 early-stage Scottish businesses with over £25m in award funding.

There are four categories of awards in this year’s competition: Scottish EDGE, Young EDGE, Wild Card EDGE and Social Enterprise EDGE. You can only submit one application per round to be entered into one of the categories, where eligibility permits. All applications must be submitted using the Scottish EDGE Online Application Portal.


Innovate UK, Scottish EDGE

Competition opens: 7 February 2024

Competition closes: 6 March 2024, 2pm

UK registered businesses can apply for a share of up to £7.8 million for large R&D partnership projects, from the industry-led R&D Partnerships Fund. This funding is part of the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra) Farming Innovation Programme, which is a partnership with UKRI’s Transforming Food Production Challenge and delivered by Innovate UK.

The aim of this competition is to:

  • Fund industrial research and experimental development projects that will address major on-farm or immediate post farmgate challenges or opportunities
  • Drive the development and demonstration of commercially relevant solutions with the potential to substantially improve overall productivity, profitability, and environmental sustainability
  • Support the development of scalable solutions that can be taken up widely, be integrated into existing production systems, and have widespread impact
  • Accelerate research development of new solutions by actively engaging collaboration between the agri-food sector and wider UK research community in the innovation process
Your proposal must be able to demonstrate how the project will benefit farmers, growers or foresters in England.

DEFRA, UKRI

Competition opens: 15 January 2024

Competition closes: 13 March 2024, 11am

current & Upcoming opportunities

Food & Agriculture Science Transformer (FAST) is an agricultural technology venture studio in partnership between Deep Science Ventures and the Roslin Institute. 

The programme is a first in Scotland and will provide scientists with opportunities to research, design and then start their own science startups at the intersection of agriculture, food security and ecological sustainability.

Entrepreneurial scientists are being recruited to join, develop technology company concepts, and receive seed investment of up to £500,000 from Deep Science Ventures  to develop technology company concepts around three Opportunity Areas: Regenerative Aquaculture, Pollinator Reinforcement and Controlled Environment Agriculture.


Food & Agriculture Science Transformer (FAST) 

Programme in partnership with Deep Science Ventures (DSV) and the University of Edinburgh’s Roslin Institute.

Applications ongoing. Reviewed within 10 working days of receipt and if the candidacy successful, it normally takes no more than 2-3 weeks to get started.

Innovate UK, part of UK Research and Innovation, is investing up to £2.5 million to fund collaborative research and development (CR&D) projects focused on industrial research. The aim of this competition is for international collaboration on R&D projects that create innovative products, processes or services for commercialisation.

This competition is open in theme and we will fund projects from all sectors which meet eligibility criteria. Your project must have high market potential and develop one or more of the following:

  • innovative products
  • technology-based applications
  • technology-based services
Projects must include at least one partner from the Eurostars network.

Eureka

Competition opens: 12 January 2024

Competition closes: 14 March 2024, 11am

BBSRC ICURe Explore trains, funds, and supports research teams to determine whether there is a market for products or services that utilise their bioscience-based ideas, research, science, and technologies. Funding is available to ‘get out of the lab’ and validate commercially promising ideas in the marketplace. The training and support activities are carried out in a blended online and in-person format, providing accessibility to a wide range of applicants.

Applications are welcomed from across the biosciences, including:

  • Agriculture and Food
  • Engineering Biology
  • Healthy Ageing
  • Industrial Biotechnology
  • Innovative Tools and Technologies underpinning biological research

Applications based on medical or clinical devices and therapeutics being developed solely for a specific end-point clinical utility (including diagnostics) will not be accepted.


BBSRC

BBSRC ICURe Explore is open to research teams in all UK universities, BBSRC-funded institutes and approved public sector research enterprises (PSREs). The research underpinning the bioscience innovation, products or services being carried forward for market exploration by the team must be building on a previous BBSRC or other UK Research and Innovation grant.

Competition opens: 17 January 2024

Competition closes: 19 March 2024, 5pm

The UK’s just-in-time global food system, where food is produced, processed, distributed, and consumed as it is needed, is highly efficient but prone to shocks with the potential to undermine national food security. Apply for funding to strengthen the resilience of the UK food system, by taking a food systems approach and considering cascading risks.

You must be based at a UK research organisation eligible for BBSRC funding, who will administer the funding on behalf of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI). Applicants who are not based at eligible UK institutions are not eligible to apply for this opportunity but can be project partners.

UKRI

UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) invests in research and innovation to enrich lives, drive economic growth, and create jobs and high-quality public services across the UK.

Competition closes: 19 March 2024, 4pm

Innovate UK is inviting ambitious companies to participate in the Global Business Innovation Programme. This programme consists of a preparation phase in the UK, a tailored innovation visit to Canada, a post-visit exploitation workshop and follow-up support from an Innovate UK EDGE Innovation and Growth Specialist, helping your business maximise the opportunities identified, including developing innovation projects with partners in the region.

Focus themes include:

  • Aquaculture
  • Fisheries
  • Marine Energy
  • Marine Environmental Monitoring
  • Marine Net Zero
  • Marine Observations
  • Marine Robotics
  • Marine Transportation
To apply for this initiative, you must be a UK based company, with fewer than 500 employees, and have a focus on ocean technology.


Innovate UK

Please note: This opportunity is fully funded support and not monetary funding.

Registration opens: 21 February 2024

Registration closes: 24 March 2024

The Converge Challenge is for novel, high-calibre projects with the potential to become successful, sustainable companies that will have a positive impact in Scotland. Applications are welcomed from across all industry sectors and enterprise types, for both product and service-based ideas.

The competition is open to all staff, students and recent graduates (up to 36 months after graduation from the initial application date) from Scottish Higher Education Institutions. Applicants must plan to have their business headquartered in Scotland and need to demonstrate validation of their product/service, early customer engagement, a viable route to market and be ready to start operating within twelve months of the Converge annual Awards in October.


Converge

If you do have an existing company, it must be dormant, non-trading or trading for no longer than 24 months with a secured income not higher than £150,000 (including but not limited to grants, investment, loans, revenue, prizes).

Application deadline: 3 April 2024

UK registered academic institutions, RTOs or Catapults can apply for a share of up to £9 million to fund innovation projects with businesses or not for profits.

The Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) programme allows a UK registered business or not for profit organisation, (which will be referred to collectively as the ‘business partner’ from now on) to partner with a ‘knowledge base partner’, which is either a UK higher education (HE) or further education (FE) institution, research and technology organisation (RTO) or Catapult.

Each application must be led by a knowledge base, working with a business partner and supported by a knowledge transfer adviser. Business applicants must have two or more full time equivalent employees and be UK registered.


Innovate UK

Typically, a project’s total costs are £8,500 per month. Projects must be between 12 and 36 months. Innovate UK will fund up to 67% of costs for SMEs (75% for non-profits/charities), with the remainder funded by the business partner.


Registration opens: 13 February 2024

Registration closes: 10 April 2024

Innovate UK, part of UK Research and Innovation, is investing up to £25 million in the best game-changing and world-leading ideas, designed for swift, successful commercialisation. The Innovate UK Smart grant has focused scope and eligibility criteria to support SMEs (small and medium sized enterprises) and their partners in developing genuinely new innovations with significant potential for rapid economic return to the UK.

Proposals must be business focused, and show deliverable, realistic, adequately resourced plans to achieve return on investment, growth and market share following project completion. Applications can come from any area of technology and be applied to any part of the economy.


Innovate UK

The eligibility criteria for the Smart January 2024 round of the competition are different to previous rounds of the Smart grant. Please read the guidelines carefully before submitting your application.

Registration opens: 18 January 2024

Registration closes: 24 April 2024, 11am

This funding opportunity aims to enhance research and innovation capacity and capability that is driven by local needs in SE Asia to meet sustainable, resilient and productive aquaculture system challenges. Projects should specifically aim to promote economic development and welfare with tangible benefits to one or more of the eligible SE Asia beneficiary countries for this programme (Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam).

Projects should contribute to sustainable, resilient and productive aquaculture systems which enhance food and nutrition security, the natural environment and climate, local community wellbeing, livelihoods and economic development.

You must be based at a UK research organisation eligible for BBSRC funding.


UKRI

UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) invests in research and innovation to enrich lives, drive economic growth, and create jobs and high-quality public services across the UK.

Closing date: 9 May 2024, 4pm

cALlS with no closing date

Our standard research grants are for researchers at eligible organisations that include:

  • higher education institutions
  • research council institutes
  • approved independent research organisations
  • public sector research establishments
We will award 80% of the full economic costs of your research, and your organisation must agree to find the balance. Projects can range in size up to £2 million and last up to 5 years. Funding can support a range of activities from research projects to technology development, new infrastructure and equipment, use of equipment and facilities, networks, and summer schools.


BBSRC

You can apply if you:

  • are resident in the UK for at least 183 days in a tax year
  • hold a lecturer or lecturer-equivalent position at a UK higher education institution, research council institute or UK Research and Innovation approved independent research organisation
Principal applicants must be employed at the submitting research organisation at lecturer level, or equivalent, or due to move to the organisation before the start date of the grant. Or if not employed, applicants must have an agreement that the research will be conducted at the submitting research organisation as if they were an employee at lecturer level, or equivalent.

Co-applicants must be employed at an eligible organisation and meet the same employment criteria.

We are looking for partnerships that help businesses to innovate, develop, grow and become more productive by employing academic expertise that they do not have in-house.

Your project can focus on any type of innovation in any sector but it must aim to deliver results that your business would not otherwise be able to deliver. As a business, you may be looking for an academic partner to help you to address a particular innovation challenge.

Partnerships are part-funded by a grant. Your business will have to contribute to the costs of the project, including the salary of the graduate, known as the associate, and the cost of a supervisor to oversee the project. The associate is employed by the academic partner but works in the business and brings new skills and thinking to deliver a specific innovation project. The project will last between 12 and 36 months.

Project costs vary greatly but typically a small or medium sized business might expect to contribute £35,000 a year and a large company in excess of £50,000. Your company may have additional costs such as purchasing capital equipment, which are not covered by this grant.


UKRI

Key features of a UKRI Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) are that:

  • they are open to businesses or not-for-profit organisations, research organisations and graduates to work on an innovation project
  • partnerships can last between 12 and 36 months
  • funding is provided to support the total cost of the project – businesses provide around one-third to half of the project costs depending on their size
Scottish Enterprise research and development (R&D) grants help you with researching and developing your big ideas. If you’re looking to research and develop a new product, process or service – or significantly improve an existing one – their R&D grants can offer a range of support to help with project costs and financing your research.

Your project must be new and innovative – something that your company hasn’t done before. It could be something you’re working on independently or with a commercial partner, or you could be carrying out technical work as part of a collaboration. Scottish Enterprise offer funding for innovation that could improve business competitiveness, encourage further R&D for your company and benefit the Scottish economy.

Scottish Enterprise

All sectors are eligible. You may be eligible if:

  • Your business is based in or planning to locate in Scotland, in the area served by Scottish Enterprise (SE)
  • Your project represents a significant innovation for your company
  • You can demonstrate that your idea has commercial prospects
  • You have the necessary management and technical expertise and resources, either in-house or brought-in, to make the project a success
  • The project cannot go ahead without the R&D grant or would proceed on a slower timescale or with a significantly reduced scope, which would have a detrimental impact on the commercial opportunity
  • Both the project and the business are financially viable
Small or medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) working independently on innovative projects may receive a grant to cover between 35% and 50% of their eligible project costs. Large companies working independently on innovative projects may receive a grant to cover between 25% and 40% of their eligible project costs. SE can also support consortiums (consisting of two to six companies) that are carrying out eligible R&D. The same levels of support can be provided as stated above.

The SMART: SCOTLAND grant is a research and development (R&D) grants that aims to support high-risk, highly ambitious projects. If you a small or medium-sized business seeking to develop a new product, process or service, you can apply for a SMART: SCOTLAND grant to support technically focused feasibility studies to help discover if your idea will work in the real world.

The grant can support up to 70% of the eligible costs for a small enterprise and up to 60% of the eligible costs for a medium enterprise. Studies must last between 6 and 18 months, and the maximum grant is £100,000. Feasibility is paid with a third of the grant in an upfront instalment and the rest is quarterly in arrears.

Scottish Enterprise

You may be eligible if:

  • You’re a small or medium-sized business, university spin-out or an individual
  • You’re based, or planning to set up, in Scotland
  • Your project represents an advance in technological innovation for the UK industry or sector concerned
  • There are technical risks and challenges associated with defining and developing the technology
  • You own, or have rights to use, the intellectual property required to undertake the project
  • You’ll own all intellectual property developed during the project
  • You have the necessary management and technical expertise and resources (either in-house or brought-in) to make the project a success
  • Both the project and the business are financially viable
  • Financial assistance from SMART: SCOTLAND is essential for the project to go ahead
There is no closing date - SMART:SCOTLAND accepts new applications all-year round.

Funding for Industry Collaborations

The Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) is  one of seven Research Councils that work together as Research Councils UK (RCUK). Funded by the Government's Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS).

BBSRC provide a range of funding opportunities to enable individuals and groups to pursue world-class bioscience research. This includes joint opportunities with other Research Councils and organisations.  

The BBSRC Grants Guide covers all aspects of research grant funding, including: eligibility, research equipment and application procedures. 

If you can't find what you're looking for please contact: 

Research grant submission: jeshelp@rcuk.ac.uk t: 01793 444164 

Grant eligibility: eligibility@bbsrc.ukri.org 

Remit: remit@bbsrc.ukri.org

UK Research and Innovation is a new body which works in partnership with universities, research organisations, businesses, charities, and government to create the best possible environment for research and innovation to flourish. Operating across the whole of the UK, working with many partners to benefit everyone through knowledge, talent and ideas, with a combined budget of more than £7 billion.

UKRI provides a range of funding opportunities to enable individuals and groups to pursue world-class research and innovation. 


Innovate UK is part of UKRI, a non-departmental public body funded by a grant-in-aid from the UK government.

As the UK's innovation agency, Innovate UK works with people, companies and partner organisations to fund business and research collaborations to accelerate innovation and drive business investment into research and development and realise the potential of new ideas that grow the economy, including those from the UK’s world-class research base.


The Knowledge Transfer Network is Innovate UK’s network partner and also provides innovation networking for other funders in line with its mission to drive UK growth. 

Knowledge Transfer Partnerships (KTPs) accelerate business innovation by supporting knowledge exchange with academic institutions. KTP operates through an open call which includes the entirety of BBSRC's remit. 

As part of a UK-wide programme, these partnerships serve as a mechanism to transfer knowledge and to develop graduate and postgraduate personnel for industrial careers.Each partnership, lasting between 1 and 3 years, employs 1 or more high-calibre KTP Associates (early-career researchers) to work on an innovative project within industry.

Associates are jointly supervised by the participating industrial and academic partners. Government support is delivered through a grant to the academic partner. In addition, a contribution from the participating company fully covers an HEI’s cost of participation.

BBSRC seeks to promote KTP in industrial sectors that are able to benefit from the UK's excellent bioscience research base and encourages the appointment of KTP Associates at post-doctoral level. 

Applications are particularly welcomed from:
  • Small and medium sized biotechnology companies requiring access to advanced technology
  • Academic partners who have received BBSRC support

How to Apply:

Contact your local KTP Adviser or Office or call +44 (0) 300 321 4357.

A KTP can last between 12 and 36 months depending on the project and the needs of the business. It is part-funded by a grant. The amount businesses need to contribute is different for SMEs and larger companies.

The KTP programme runs continuously throughout the year.

Find out about the latest Knowledge Transfer Network (KTN) funding calls of relevance to the agriculture and food & drink manufacturing sectors.



The aim of the Medical Research Council (MRC) is to improve human health through world-class medical research, from fundamental science to early clinical trials and preventive medicine. The MRC works in partnership across UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) and with the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) and devolved administrations, the NHS, charities and industry.


The Biomedical Catalyst (BMC) is a unique partnership between the MRC and UKRI, providing responsive and effective support to the most innovative life sciences opportunities regardless of scientific approach.

The BMC aims to de-risk innovative science and commercialise ideas arising out of academia and industry helping UK SMEs to develop into competitive and sustainable organisations. This accelerates the progress of novel products to market, facilitates onward investment and bridges “the valley of death”.

MRC supports academically-led feasibility research through the Confidence in Concept which is open to institutions but not individual researchers. Academic-led applications for Early and Late Stage awards are primarily administered through the Developmental Pathway Funding Scheme (DPFS).

Since BMC launched in April 2012, the scheme has awarded more than £250m funding, matched by £150m of private finance, to over 300 projects seeking to develop a wide range of therapies, diagnostics and devices.

UKRI

This is an ongoing funding opportunity. Application rounds close every March, July and November.

The RSE International Joint Projects aims to facilitate international collaboration between researchers based in Scotland with researchers overseas. Applications for two-year joint projects are invited from Scottish-based researchers to include an overseas Higher Education Institution (HEI), Research Institute (RI) or Cultural Institution of your choice (open to all countries).

The RSE provides up to a maximum of £6,000 per year and up to a maximum of £12,000 over two years. The collaborating institution is expected to provide the equivalent level of funding per two-year joint project. Funding areas: Arts and Humanities, Career Development, International, Science, Technology, Engineering, Maths and Medicine (STEMM), Social Sciences.

Eligibility for Scotland-based researchers:

  • The Principal Investigator (PI) must be of at least postdoctoral status or equivalent
  • PI and Scottish-based collaborators must be employed by a employed by a Scottish HEI, further education institution (FEI), RI or CI
  • Unrestricted number of participants per team. PhD students may be included; however, their international activities (travel, subsistence, etc.) cannot be funded with project money
  • Visits must take place in both directions

Eligibility for international researchers:

  • PI must hold a postdoctoral or equivalent degree
  • PI and overseas based collaborators must be employed by an HEI, RI or CI
  • An unlimited number of participants per team. PhD students may be included: however, their international activities (e.g., travel, subsistence costs etc.) while visiting in Scotland cannot be funded with Scottish PI project money
  • Visits must take place in both directions
An applicant can only apply once per deadline. Current Scotland-based holders of an RSE International Joint Project award are not eligible to apply. Holders of other RSE awards are eligible to apply. Applicants on short or fixed-term contracts should ensure their contracts extend for at least 3 months after the end of the proposed project. Early Career Researchers (ECRs) on staged contracts to permanent lectureship positions are eligible for an RSE International Joint Project award but must be in contract for the duration of the award.

RSE

Project eligibility:

  • RSE International Joint Projects can be held in all academic disciplines
  • Applications will only be considered for bilateral, not multilateral, projects. The collaboration should be based on a single project, with two teams or individuals based in Scotland and in the partner institution. The collaboration should involve bilateral exchanges between Scotland and the partner institution
  • A statement of support from the Scottish PI’s head of department, an institutional statement of support and a letter of invitation from the collaborator will be required as part of the application

FEllowships

Through their Fellowship scheme, BBSRC will invest in researchers who are seeking to conduct their own independent research within a host laboratory. This scheme supports excellent investigator-led research across the breadth of BBSRC's scientific remit.

You must provide strong evidence of working towards this goal, demonstrating an upward trajectory to pursuing independent work within a host organisation, and show high potential to become future research leaders.


BBSRC

BBSRC invests to push back the frontiers of biology and deliver a healthy, prosperous and sustainable future.

Call closes: 2 May 2024, 4pm

Funding to support ambitious research and innovation across UK Research and Innovation (UKRI)’s remit. You must be an early career researcher or innovator who is either:

  • looking to establish or transition to independence
  • developing their own original and ambitious plans within a commercial setting
You do not need to hold a PhD and there are no eligibility rules based on the number of years since your PhD. However, if you do not hold a PhD, you must be able to demonstrate equivalent research or innovation experience or training.

UKRI MRC

Call closes: 18 June 2024, 4pm

The University of Edinburgh and Edinburgh Innovations are looking to appoint up to three Innovation Fellows, who will have a track record of innovative research and/or translation, and will develop a novel research and translation programme, incorporating strong pathways likely to produce impact of reach and significance.

The Fellow will be expected to develop an academic career based on a signature technology or distinct societal need/benefit (e.g. commercialisation of research through business engagement or spin-out). There is particular interest for applicants with potential to make a key contribution to interdisciplinary research and innovation in one or more of the three University priority research areas:

  • Digital Data
  • Health & Well-Being
  • Sustainability & Climate Change
Applications from candidates who are likely to be under-represented in the workforce and from those with non-traditional career paths are encouraged. This includes those returning from a period of parental leave or those who have moved, or will move, to academia from a career in another sector.


Edinburgh Innovations

Deadline: 15 March 2024, 11:59pm

Industrial Fellowships are awarded to graduates with the potential to make an outstanding contribution to industry, for research supported by a company, leading to a patent, product or process improvement and a postgraduate award.

With these Industrial Fellowships, companies get the chance to craft a bespoke PhD from the ground up that supports company ambitions as well as employee interests, and forge strong links with leading academics, to share access to expertise, facilities and knowledge.

  • Fellows receive significant funding towards their fees and salary, enabling employers to offer exciting personal development opportunities for their brightest employees
  • Fellows pursue a PhD whilst working, allowing companies to conduct innovative research that furthers their business objectives, and accelerates the creation of IP
  • Fellows and their sponsoring companies will work closely with the PhD institution, forging strong and lasting links with leading academics
The aim of the scheme is to encourage profitable innovation and creativity in British Industry – to the mutual benefit of the Fellow and his or her sponsoring company. Projects in any science or engineering discipline will be considered.


The Royal Commission 1851

The next application round opens in July 2024, for Fellowships commencing in October 2025.

This long-standing scheme enables the mobility of talented scientists and engineers from industry and academia in order to move between the sectors. These secondments support the researcher's development, foster exchange of knowledge, stimulate longer-term collaborations, and establish personal, scientific and corporate links between sectors.

The Industry Fellowship, part of the Royal Society's Industry programme, aims to enhance knowledge transfer in science and technology between those in industry and those in academia in the UK.

The scheme provides a basic salary for the researcher and a contribution towards research costs.


The Royal Society

Application deadline: 10 April 2024, 3pm

This scheme, part of the Royal Society's Industry programme, enables scientists employed in industry or academia and/or their postdoctoral researcher to have shorter more dynamic engagements between academia and industry, working on a mutually beneficial and collaborative project.

Collaborations between academia and early-stage companies are particularly encouraged. It is anticipated that the personal and corporate links established by the researcher between the two sectors in the UK will seed longer-term collaborations and contribute to their long-term future development.


The Royal Society

Scheme opens: 3 April 2024

This scheme is for outstanding scientists who are in the early stages of their research career and have the potential to become leaders in their field. These long term fellowships provide the opportunity and freedom to build an independent research career in the UK or Republic of Ireland and pursue cutting-edge scientific research.


The Royal Society 

Scheme opens: 11 July 2024

Scheme closes: TBA

The Royal Society of Edinburgh Enterprise Fellowships enable promising science and technology researchers to grow into successful entrepreneurs.

Fellowships funded by Scottish Enterprise comprise the bulk of the programme. These awards are designed to encourage and enable the development of a new business based in Scotland around a technological idea developed by the Enterprise Fellow, either individually or with others, and within which the Enterprise Fellow would be expected to play a leading, though not necessarily the leading, role.


The Royal Society of Edinburgh

The RSE is taking the opportunity to refresh its Enterprise Fellowship programme to take account of changes in the entrepreneurial landscape since its inception in 1997 and ensure it remains at the cutting edge of entrepreneurial support. The programme is currently in review whilst work is carried out with the business sector, funders, RSE Fellows and Enterprise Fellow alumni to refresh the RSE’s offering so that it can fully embrace new opportunities.

RSE Personal Research Fellowships provide eligible applicants with the opportunity to take between three to twelve months to focus on a research project of their choice. The award provides funding for the appointment of a temporary replacement to enable the awardee to take research leave, either in their own institution or elsewhere, whilst remaining in continuous employment with their present employer.

In addition to funding the salary for the replacement member of staff (including on costs), this grant funds research costs for the awardee.

Funding areas: Arts and Humanities, Career Development, Science, Technology, Engineering, Maths and Medicine (STEMM), Social Science.


The Royal Society of Edinburgh

There are currently no open fellowships.

STUDENTSHIPS 

PhD and MScR opportunities are available at The Roslin Institute and Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies.

A number of studentships for taught and research postgraduates are offered each year.

PhD and MScR opportunities are available at The Roslin Institute and Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies.

A number of studentships for taught and research postgraduates are offered each year.

Click here for further information and details of open studentship calls at Easter Bush Campus.

AHDB fund a wide variety of PhD students to support the increase of new talent and ideas into our agricultural and horticultural sectors.

Requests for further information should be sent to studentships@ahdb.org.uk indicating to which sector(s) your question is addressed. 


There are currently no open studentships.

currently closed

Check direct with the funding organisation for information and any updates.

AgriFood Africa Connect brings innovative people and organisations across the UK and Africa together to address key AgriFood challenges in Africa. They build diverse connections across the UK and Africa to drive positive change that aligns with the UK’s Overseas Development Assistance goals.


Target long term outcomes of the programme include:

  • Developing sustainable intensification of African agriculture
  • Improving human health and diversity of diets and nutrition
  • Impacting positively on rural income and food security
  • Facilitating increased trade activity in agricultural products

The virtual missions are the next stage in the delivery of the GCRF AgriFood Africa programme, and continue the effort to build a community of stakeholders from numerous African countries and the UK.


The goal is to realise sustainable management of the food production systems in Africa in a way that alleviates poverty, enhances economic prosperity and delivers improved well-being.



Sign up to become a member of the GCRF Agrifood Africa Network.

We are a worldwide network of public, private and third sector organisations spanning the GovTech, CivTech and CivicTech spectrum to support and nurture an ecosystem developing products and services which make citizens’ lives better.


CivTech Alliance

There are currently no open challenges.

The Moredun Foundation Award recognises the value of education, collaboration, experience and travel in improving knowledge of farming and livestock industries.

As part of its charitable activities, the Moredun Foundation established an award scheme to provide an opportunity for individuals in the UK to pursue a short term project to broaden their education and experience in areas relating to livestock health and welfare and the agricultural industry.

The Moredun Foundation Award supports personal development and encourages innovative and diverse contributions to our mission to prevent and control infectious diseases of livestock.


The RSE grants funding and awards to recognise excellence and support leading research that benefits Scotland's cultural, economic and social wellbeing.


The Global Challenges Research Fund (GCRF) is a five year £1.5 billion resource funding stream, announced as part of the 2015 spending review, to ensure that UK research takes a leading role in addressing the problems faced by developing countries.

The GCRF will deploy the UK’s world-class research capability to address the challenges faced by the developing world. 


Pathfinder is a fully funded opportunity for entrepreneurs to accelerate their new product or business in only six months. Participants will be taught practical tools and techniques to interrogate their idea, plan for opportunities and optimise for marketplace success.

To help you execute your idea, Pathfinder delegates are coached directly by experts across a range of disciplines including new product development, innovation, business strategy, finance, investment and more. The programme includes a “Dragon’s Den” style pitching session in front of real investors in a safe environment to help to you prepare for just about anything in the commercial world.


The RSE’s Research Awards autumn programme provides funding opportunities for all academic disciplines, across all career stages.

Available for application are eight different research funding opportunities designed to support Scotland’s academics to realise their potential, stimulate research in Scotland, and promote international collaboration.

The Research Awards Programme runs twice a year in spring and autumn.

The SIF programme focuses on delivering longer term, cutting-edge innovation across the seafood sector, and helping to take innovative ideas from early-stage research to commercial viability.


SIF

The UK government’s Seafood Innovation Fund (SIF) is a research and development (R&D) fund that launched in July 2019.

SIF does not currently have any funding calls open to application. For information on projects which have been funded by SIF, please see the (SIF) website for further details.

Professor Steve Bishop was a world-renowned scientist, making an outstanding contribution to the understanding of the impact of genetics on infectious diseases in farm animals. He took up a position at the Roslin Institute in 1988, building up a major research group with international recognition, and was a member of BSAS from 1993 to 2015.


Professor Steve Bishop was a world-renowned scientist, making an outstanding contribution to the understanding of the impact of genetics on infectious diseases in farm animals. He took up a position at the Roslin Institute in 1988, building up a major research group with international recognition, and was a member of BSAS from 1993 to 2015.

Women with exciting, innovative ideas who will inspire others can apply for an award which includes a £50,000 grant and bespoke business support.

Innovate UK, as part of UK Research and Innovation, is offering up to 50 Women in Innovation Awards to women entrepreneurs across the UK. The winners will receive a £50,000 grant and a bespoke package of mentoring, coaching and business support. Applicants must be confident, with the support of an award, that they can make a significant contribution to a pressing societal, environmental or economic challenge through their innovative project.

The competition is split into 2 phases. In the application phase 1, the awards will be assessed by independent experts. In the interview phase 2, the shortlisted applicants will be interviewed by a panel of experts.

This competition is open to single applicants only. To lead a project you must be a woman founder, co-founder or senior decision maker within a UK registered micro or small and medium-sized enterprise business that has been operating for at least one year by the competition closing date.


Innovate UK

Innovate UK is the UK’s national innovation agency. It supports business-led innovation in all sectors, technologies and UK regions. It also helps businesses grow through the development and commercialisation of new products, processes, and services, supported by an outstanding innovation ecosystem that is agile, inclusive, and easy to navigate.

The Grand Challenges family of initiatives fosters innovation to solve key global health and development problems. Each initiative is an experiment in the use of challenges to focus innovation on making an impact. Individual challenges address some of the same problems, but from differing perspectives.


The Grand Challenges family of initiatives fosters innovation to solve key health and development problems. See below for Grand Challenges grant opportunities with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation as sole or contributing funder.


Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

The are currently no open grant opportunities.

The Wellcome Trust has awarded the University of Edinburgh an Institutional Translational Partnership Award (iTPA) to diversify and intensify the support available to engage Wellcome- and non Wellcome-funded researchers across the medical, life and social sciences. 

High potential translational projects will be considered for an award of up to a maximum of £20,000. The funds may be used on a broad range of activities aimed at stimulating future translation of specific early stage research projects. The award will support direct costs only, and be associated with a range of activities including but not limited to:-

Skills development via industry secondments, academic placements or people exchanges, or specialist training.

Some projects that have received funding:-

  • Developing and evaluating museum exhibition paradigm for enhanced science learning
  • Obtaining regulatory advice for a novel therapeutic approach
  • Developing imaging methods for disease progression biomarkers 
  • Developing an animal model of organ injury
  • A drug repositioning project for human and livestock infections
If you are considering applying, or would like to discuss your ideas, please get in touch with the Wellcome Trust Entrepreneur’s-in-Residence to discuss your proposal or email (iTPA@ed.ac.uk). The EiR’s can work with you on your application, and can also offer additional support and guidance in developing translational opportunities. Alternatively, please contact your existing Edinburgh Innovations Business Development Executive contact for your Institute.

Wellcome

Edinburgh Innovations, University of Edinburgh’s commercialisation service. 

Applications are currently closed but please check Edinburgh Innovations for updates. 



LATEST ADDITIONS

New funding calls will be added regularly so please bookmark this page for the latest additions and those with deadlines approaching.