Research
Research is critical to meeting the great economic, social, and environmental challenges. The RSE enables the growth of knowledge by funding through the RSE research awards programme and nurturing a positive research culture in Scotland.
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Funding opportunities
Research Leadership scheme
News
Case studies
Projects
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The RSE plays a crucial role in advancing research excellence in Scotland through its Research Awards Programme. This programme fosters research capacity and leadership, positioning Scotland at the forefront of emerging research opportunities. By harnessing Scotland’s diverse research talent, the RSE contributes to the greater public good, both domestically and on the global stage.
The RSE commits substantial resources to its Research Awards Programme, providing types and amounts of funding unavailable from UKRI or other sources. These small-scale awards are critical for early career researchers before attracting larger funding from UK, European and international sources. The RSE also supports and promotes related Scottish Government research programmes and emphasises inclusion and the importance of early career researchers.
The Research Awards Programme underscores our commitment to promoting research excellence, facilitating international collaboration, and addressing critical societal challenges, positioning Scotland as a leader in cutting-edge research.
- Attract and retain those with outstanding potential to establish their careers in Scotland.
- Encourage enterprise, innovation and the commercialisation of technology-based ideas coming from academic research.
- Develop international collaboration and enable participation in international research programmes.
- Over 90 awards worth £1.3 million
- Collaborations with 18 countries
- 18 leading researchers supported through Personal Research Fellowships
- 26 Research Collaboration Grants, 41 Small Research Grants, seven International Joint Projects and five International Bilateral Visits funded
- Engagement with 154 principal investigators and collaborators
- Commitment to research excellence and international research partnerships
The RSE adopts the UK Research Integrity Office Code of Practice:
Good conduct/Accepted procedures
Accepted procedures include but are not limited to the following:
- Gaining informed consent where required
- Gaining formal approval from relevant organisations where required
- Any protocols for research contained in any formal approval that has been given for the research
- Any protocols for research as defined in contracts or agreements with funding bodies and sponsors
- Any protocols approved by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Authority (MHRA) for a trial of medicinal products
- Any protocols for research set out in the guidelines of the employing institution and other relevant partner organisations
- Any protocols for research set out in the guidelines of appropriate recognised professional, academic, scientific, governmental, national and international bodies
- Any procedures that are aimed at avoiding unreasonable risk or harm to humans, animals or the environment
- Good practice for the proper preservation and management of primary data, artefacts and materials
- Any existing guidance on good practice on research
Note: As well as complying with accepted procedures, researchers must comply with all legislation that applies to their research.
Accepted procedures do not include:
- Un-consented to/unapproved variations of the above
- Any procedures that would encourage, or would lead to, breaches in the law.
Misconduct
Can include, but is not limited to the following:
- Fabrication
- Falsification
- Misrepresentation of data and/or interests and or involvement
- Plagiarism
- Failures to follow accepted procedures or to exercise due care in carrying out responsibilities for avoiding unreasonable risk or harm to: humans, animals used in research, the environment and the proper handling of privileged or private information on individuals collected during the research.
For the avoidance of doubt, misconduct in research includes acts of omission as well as acts of commission.
Funding opportunities
Advancing research excellence in Scotland through the RSE Research Awards programme. This programme fosters research capacity and leadership, positioning Scotland at the forefront of emerging research opportunities.
Research Leadership scheme
A unique new scheme from the RSE, supporting Scotland’s next generation of research leaders. The call opens on Monday 27 October 2025.
Case studies
Early Scottish archaeology has long overlooked textiles because they rarely survive. RSE Personal Research Fellowship awardee Dr Susanna Harris’s research reveals that Bronze Age communities were producing sophisticated fabrics from plant fibres, wool, and horsehair. Discoveries such as a 3,000-year-old horsehair hat—the earliest known garment in Scotland—highlight textiles as a vital part of the nation’s prehistoric heritage.
The 8th Scotland-Norway Waves & Marine Hydrodynamics Symposium was held at the Royal Society of Edinburgh on 22 and 23 October this year.
Work experience: Ways of remembering (a) working life is an RSE Small Research Grant-supported project led by Professor Suzanne Ewing, which challenges how working lives—particularly those of women in Scottish architecture—are recognised, remembered, and valued.
Projects
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Rethinking policy impact
Read MoreGathering experts across higher education institutions, funding organisations and government for a UK-wide conversation on the principles, goals and approaches that should guide the policy…
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Tapping all our talents 2018
Read MoreA progress review of women in science, technology, engineering and mathematics in Scotland
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Tertiary Education Futures
Read MoreThe Tertiary Education Futures project was a ‘blue-skies’ thought experiment to stimulate continued creative thinking about how post-school education might evolve over the next few…
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Funding of tertiary education in Scotland conference
Read MoreThe RSE held an evidence-based conference about the future of the funding of tertiary education in Scotland.
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Contact us
For more information regarding the research programme, please contact the Research Awards team on:
Other RSE programmes you might be interested in
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Policy advice
Read MoreOur knowledge provides independent and authoritative evidence to help shape public policy decisions and legislation.
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International
Read MoreWe promote Scotland’s international reputation in research, innovation and culture through our events, partnerships and publications.
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