RSE Sabbatical Research Grants

Funding area: Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics (STEM), Social Sciences

These Grants offer academic staff on open-ended or continuing contracts of employment in Scottish Higher Education Institutions the opportunity to take up to twelve months sabbatical to focus on a research project of their choice.

In addition to funding the salary for the replacement member of staff, this Grant funds research costs for the awardee of up to £10,000.

These Grants are supported by funding from the Scottish Government and research projects proposed must align to one or more of the Scottish Government National Outcomes, as detailed in the National Performance Framework.

Sabbatical Grants

Fund opens

July 15, 2019

Fund value

For the salary of a replacement staff member up to scale point 37, £39,992 and research costs up to £10,000.

Fund duration

Awards will be made for projects up to a maximum of 12 months.

Additional Information

Applicants MUST be existing members of academic staff – on open ended or continuing contracts of employment – in a Scottish Higher Education Institution (HEI) who have held a teaching appointment for up to a maximum of 7 years since acquiring their PhD at the time of the application closing date. Please note that these grants are for academic members of staff on open-ended or long-term contracts, rather than postdoctoral Research Fellows.

Applicants are required to pursue their research in a HEI or Research Institute (RI) in Scotland. Only these are acceptable as Host Institutions.

The Grant must be in one of the STEM disciplines as defined in Section C of the guidelines, including inter-disciplinary areas: Biomedical Sciences, Engineering, Mathematical and Computational Sciences, Physical Sciences, Environmental Sciences, Social Sciences, and Health and Life Sciences. Please note that subjects in the Arts & Humanities are not eligible for this scheme. The RSE uses the AHRC definition of Arts and Humanities, available here.

The research projects proposed must align to one or more of the Scottish Government National Outcomes, as detailed in the National Performance Framework.

Once appointed, the awardees will be required to devote their full time to the research project specified in the application form.

Awardees must not hold other paid appointments without the express permission of the RSE.

Due to a recent review of the RSE Awards programme, please note that RSE Committee members are not permitted to apply for funding from an award scheme for which they serve on the Committee.  Committee members who wish to apply should step down from their post first.

Applications of the next round of Sabbatical Research Grants will open on the 15th of July 2019. Please check back here closer to the time.

If you have any questions in the meantime, please contact us.