Small Research Grants

📖 About Small Research Grants

The Small Research Grants program is designed to support high-quality research and academic innovation. These awards cover eligible costs arising from defined research projects and aim to integrate with the overall program of awards. Successful applications may lead to future bids for RSE Research Collaboration Grants or act as preliminary investigations for other larger research awards.

Opportunity Details:

• Date Published: September 08, 2025
• Application Deadline: October 22, 2025
• Category:
  • Postgraduate
  • Masters
  • PhD
  • Fully Funded
  • Grants
  • Postdoctoral

Sponsor Organisation:

The Royal Society

🎁 Benefits of Small Research Grants

• Grant Amount: £500–£5,000

✅ Eligibility Criteria

Principal Investigator Requirements:

• Open to applicants from all academic disciplines and career stages who meet one of the following criteria:
  • Academics: Full or part-time tenured or salaried staff of a higher education institution (HEI), further education institute (FEI), research institution (RI), or cultural institution (CI) in Scotland. Applicants must have contracts extending at least three months beyond the award period. The award cannot be used to extend an applicant’s contract.
  • Retired Academics: Academics who retain demonstrable links with a Scottish HEI, FEI, RI, or CI and have a commitment to teaching and research within that institution.
  • Practitioners or Research-Active Staff: Full or part-time staff employed by a Scottish Cultural Institution with a commitment to teaching and research.

Additional Requirements:

• Applicants on short or fixed-term contracts must ensure their contracts extend at least three months after the project ends. Early career researchers on staged contracts to permanent lectureship positions are eligible but must be in contract for the duration of the award.
• Collaborations may include Scottish or overseas HEIs, practitioners, policymakers, research institutions, and cultural institutions. The lead applicant must be based in Scotland.
• Co-applicants may be based in or outside Scotland but must meet the eligibility criteria for the Principal Investigator. Collaborators are not bound by the same eligibility requirements.
• A new application will not be considered if a report on a previous RSE award is overdue.

Project Eligibility:

• Applicants may submit only one proposal per funding round.
• Grants can be held in any discipline or subject area.
• Funded projects must be completed within 12 months.
• Successful applications should have a start date between 1 March 2026 – 31 August 2026.

📝 Application Date and Process

Timeline:

• Opening Date: September 4, 2025 (noon)
• Closing Date: October 22, 2025 (noon)

Steps to Apply:

1. Create a Profile or Log In: Access your profile here.
2. Complete the Online Application: Fill out the application form. Note: Access to the form is only available when logged in. Google Chrome is the recommended browser.

📅 Application Deadline

Deadline: October 22, 2025

🔗 Scholarship Application Portal

• View details of the Small Research Grants.
• Apply for the Small Research Grants.

This opportunity is an excellent chance for researchers to secure funding for innovative projects and advance their academic careers. Don't miss the deadline!

• Grant up to £500-£5,000