Royal Society of Edinburgh

The Society awards grants for research, equipment, training, and events. Programmes include Small Research Grants for personally conducted work and Research Collaboration Grants that encourage collaborations between disciplines and/or institutions to advance exploration of an important topic. Funding is available to organisations based in Scotland, with projects typically focused on the region. Supported activities encompass direct research costs and capacity-building, enabling researchers to develop bids for larger grants.

Both registered charities and community groups based in Scotland may apply. The Society funds researchers and collaborative teams at Scottish organisations—primarily academic, research, or cultural institutions. Applicants should have grant management experience. The funds support individual researchers and teams, with no strict income limits but a preference for small to medium entities. There is no religious restriction.

The Society does not fund salaries, capital works, bench fees, laboratory costs, or departmental costs. Expenses related to accompanying dependents are generally excluded, with exceptions for carers. Replacement staff time is also not covered. These exclusions mean grants are for direct research costs and capacity-building rather than institutional overheads or staffing.

The Society offers both one-off Small Research Grants and multi-year Research Collaboration Grants. Funding style supports direct project costs, equipment, training, and events. Unsolicited applications are welcomed when programmes are open. The grants are designed to enable future bids for larger funding and to foster academic innovation and interdisciplinary collaboration.