St Mary's Development Trust

The trust supports medical and scientific research projects, postgraduate scholarships for doctors and researchers, and capital grants for laboratory upgrades, building improvements, and campus developments. These activities fall within the health and education themes that define the trust's remit. All funded work is based at, or directly serves, the St Mary's Hospital and Imperial College London campus in London. The aim is to strengthen the institutions' research capacity and physical environment, from advanced clinical facilities to upgraded learning spaces. As a result, the trust's portfolio is tightly aligned with the strategic priorities of the two institutions, rather than with wider charitable causes.

Beneficiaries are exclusively postgraduate students, academic researchers, university departments, and research groups directly affiliated with Imperial College or St Mary's Hospital. The trust funds academic institutions and the individuals embedded within them, so applicants must be part of the St Mary's/Imperial community. There are no income size limits for applicants, and the trust has no religious restriction. External charities or organisations without a direct link to these institutions are outside the trust's scope.

The trust does not fund general charitable work or provide unrestricted support. It also excludes any activities beyond its institutional remit, meaning projects or organisations that do not directly serve Imperial College or St Mary's Hospital. External charities and non-affiliated bodies are not considered.

The trust operates by invitation only, with funding decisions made through trustee invitation and internal selection. It does not accept unsolicited applications. Its approach is that of a strategic enabler, making sustained investments in the institutions it supports rather than providing one-off grants to a wide range of causes.