Funding and recognition opportunities

All the latest Fellowships, Grants and Bursaries from RCSEd

The James Weir Research Grants

The College is delighted to announce that applications are open for the NEW James Weir Foundation Research Grants.

Applications are welcomed from UK and international members, who are trainees or are within five years of their consultancy appointment and whose research focus is within the following four specialties: general surgery, ENT surgery, orthopaedic surgery and dentistry.

The James Weir Scottish Research Grant in all surgical and dental specialities also welcomes applications from RCSEd Members who will undertake their research in Scotland. Up to £10,000 of funding will be available for each specialty area.

**James George Weir**

**James George Weir**

Application deadline | 2 November 2025

MacLeod McLaren Medal in Patient Safety

The MacLeod McLaren Medal strives to celebrate the efforts of multidisciplinary teams, from the UK or overseas, that focus on improving patient safety in either clinical settings or through research. This medal has been made possible by Professor Stephen MacLeod, who hopes that this award will celebrate the contributions of the larger surgical workforce in improvements of patient safety. Professor MacLeod also created the award to commemorate those who inspired him in medicine, including his late aunts, Muriel MacLeod and Elizabeth McLaren, the two dedicated NHS nurses after whom the medal is named.

Application deadline | 5 January 2026

Small Pump Priming Grants in Cancer Research

The Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh aims to support research at every stage and so is delighted to offer Members and Fellows the exciting opportunity of the Small Pump Priming Grants in Cancer Research.

Up to £10,000 is available for a pump priming project that focuses on cancer research in any surgical, academic or
dental form.

Application deadline | 1 November 2025

Binks Medical Student Elective in Africa and Internationally

RCSEd warmly invites medical students to apply for one of two Binks bursaries. These awards support medical students undertaking an elective to experience different healthcare systems, solidify their interest in a specific specialty or take part in philanthropic endeavours. Up to £500 is available to assist with travel, visa or accommodation costs, dependent on the location of the elective.

Application deadline | 31 January 2026

Ethicon Foundation Fund Travel Grant

The Ethicon Foundation Fund Travel Grant supports Members and Fellows in training-grade appointments to undertake medical training electives abroad. Electives must provide education in an area that directly relates to their home specialty or provides relevant surgical experience that is not available in their home country. Up to £1000 of funding is available to support travel costs.

Application deadline | 1 February 2026

The Sir James Fraser Travelling Fellowship in General Surgery

For the final time, RCSEd is pleased to welcome applications for The Sir James Fraser Travelling Fellowship in General Surgery. Up to £2000 is available to higher surgical trainees in general surgery to enable them to travel to gain further experience by working with world-renowned specialists or in specialist centres. This opportunity has been made possible by the generous support of Lady Fraser in honour of her late husband Sir James.

Application deadline | 31 January 2026

Saleem Khwaja Memorial Travelling Fellowship in Paediatric Surgery

Applications for the Saleem Khwaja Memorial Travelling Fellowship are open to paediatric surgery trainees and junior consultants globally to assist them in travelling to learn specialist techniques and offer charitable service to another centre. Up to £5000 of funding is available. This Memorial Fellowship honours the life of Professor Saleem Khwaja, who worked across Africa, the UK and the Middle East in neonatal surgery and dedicated his life to training the next generation of neonatal surgeons. RCSEd is indebted to his family for their support of this funding opportunity.

Application deadline | 1 March 2026

**Professor Stephen MacLeod**

**Professor Stephen MacLeod**

Congratulations to the following Awardees

Elizabeth Anita Mathew Thalanany ENT Travelling Grant

Mr Ding Ji Yang | Royal Preston Hospital. Clinical observership: Groote Schuur Hospital, Cape Town, under Professor Darlene Lubbe.

Li Shu Fan Professorship

Dr Steffi Kar Kei Yuen | The Chinese University of Hong Kong.

Research title: FLEXible Ureteroscopy with Flexible and Navigable Suction Ureteral Access Sheaths – a prospective global treatment outcomes registry in treatment of nephrolithiasis (FLEXOR-FANS).

Cardiothoracic Immersion Programme and Bursary

Cutner Travelling Fellowship in Orthopaedic Surgery

Aditya Malik | Woodend Hospital, NHS Grampian.

Clinical observership: Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, USA.

How to apply

Funding and recognition opportunities selected through open application should be applied for via Good Grants by scanning the QR code or visiting https://rcsed.grantplatform.com/. Individual eligibility and guidance notes for each opportunity can be found on their application forms.

In memory

Companionship

Sir Tom FARMER

Deceased Surgical and Dental Fellows

Khursheed Francis MOOS FRCSEd FDS RCSEd 1981

Deceased Surgical Fellows and Members

Roger Neale BAIRD FRCSEd 11 December 1970

William Lyster BARKER FRCSEd 5 May 1982

Graham Fraser DALL FRCSEd(Tr & Orth) 2006

James Malcolm DRUMMOND FRCSEd 1966

John Alyster HARVEY FRCSEd 1971

Sean Patrick Francis HUGHES FRCSEd 1971

Nasser Mohamed Nasser LAMKI FRCSEd 1964

Kwok-Hung LO FRCSEd 1979

Samuel Thomas Donnan MCKELVEY FRCSEd 1967

William Henry REID FRCSEd 1959

James Christopher Marnan STRACHAN FRCSEd 1972

Bhagwat Swaroop MISRA FRCSEd 1965

Anthony Francis THOMAS FRCSEd 1972

John Kirkland TODD FRCSEd 1963

Brian Harvey VALENTINE FRCSEd 1974

Victor Shee Heung YONG FRCSEd 1974

Deceased Dental Fellows and Members

Peter Nicoll DAVIDSON FDS RCSEd 1970

How RCSEd support helped me

Lucy Harriss | Binks Medical Student Elective Bursary in Africa | 2025 Awardee

“I attended Beit-CURE International Hospital in Blantyre, Malawi, for four weeks to observe paediatric orthopaedics under the supervision of paediatric orthopaedic surgeons
Dr Samuel Maina and

Dr Nicholas Lubega. Beit-CURE is part of CURE International, a charity-funded global organisation that provides emotional, physical and spiritual support for children. In Malawi, Beit-CURE specialises in orthopaedics and plastic and reconstructive surgery …. I chose to visit Beit-CURE because of its comprehensive focus on complex paediatric orthopaedic conditions and its reputation for delivering high-quality care in resource-limited settings.

“Beit-CURE’s role as a tertiary centre for complex orthopaedic disabilities meant that the range of conditions was vast …

I began to recognise recurring presentations - osteogenesis imperfecta, chronic osteomyelitis, Blount’s disease and complications from untreated fractures… I saw many cases of supracondylar fractures that had
been poorly managed acutely. This often resulted in long-term deformity and restricted joint movement, requiring complex corrective surgery. The extent to which a relatively minor injury can impact function and independence was stark and a strong reminder of the importance of timely orthopaedic care.

“I observed and assisted with a variety of procedures such as Rush Rod insertion for osteogenesis imperfecta patients, Taylor spatial frame application for deformity correction, high tibial osteotomies and eight-plate insertion for correcting leg alignment. I was surprised at the number of children who had chronic osteomyelitis and required a knee fusion as the end result to ensure independence. The surgical team, including registrars Mackson and Ulemu, were excellent teachers and keen to involve me in operations.

“My elective was incredibly memorable and it has consolidated my interest in paediatric orthopaedics. I also have a deeper understanding of global health and the challenges faced in low-resource settings. The opportunity to learn from outstanding surgeons and to experience Malawi’s culture and healthcare system was a privilege and something I will never forget.”

Ben Steele | Shanghai Travelling Fellowship in Head and Neck Oncology | 2024 Awardee

“For my Fellowship I was based at both the south (Huangpu district) and north (Baoshan district) campuses of the Ninth People’s Hospital In Shanghai. I also spent six days visiting the Zhejiang Cancer Hospital head and neck department in Hangzhou in Zhejiang province. I was under the supervision of Professor He, and I worked mainly within the teams of Professor Qu at the north campus and Professor Zhang in Hangzho.

“Over the course of six weeks I was involved in excess of 50 major cases with free flaps … This compares with perhaps 35 major cases per year back home. The range included the full extent of maxillofacial resections – mandible, maxilla, all oral sites, orbit and nose. Reconstruction comprised ALT, radial forearm, fibula, DCIA, pectoralis major, coronoid process and other local flaps. Given this range and volume of cases, I inevitably learned a huge amount and picked up a great many tips and techniques to take back and apply and pass on to colleagues.

“This Fellowship has been an immensely valuable experience and provided benefits I think will persist throughout my career.”

Khalis Boksh | RCSEd–ORUK Research Fellowship |
2023 Awardee

Research title: Surgical treatment of meniscal extrusion associated with medial meniscus posterior root tears: an in-vitro biomechanical study comparing centralisation techniques.

“During the one-year period, we aimed to compare two types of centralisation methods in conjunction with an anatomical transtibial pull through repair to restore tibiofemoral contact mechanics (contact area and pressure) and meniscal extrusion in those with a medial meniscus posterior root tear.

“Between the fixation techniques, augmentation with the transtibial centralisation performed better than both an isolated anatomical repair and one with a two-anchor centralisation at certain flexion angles. It was more effective than both techniques in reducing extrusion at the postero-medial edge of the meniscus at 60° and 90° … The results of this research allowed me to begin conducting further biomechanical work to look into the transtibial centralisation technique. This includes whether the number or position of the tunnels have an effect on extrusion and contact mechanics. I am indebted to RCSEd and Orthopaedic Research UK, who provided the fellowship. Without your help, this research may not have been possible. Thank you for enabling it to come to fruition.”

For more information about the College’s awards and grants, contact:

Development, partnership and international administrator, Development and Partnerships Office, Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh, Nicolson Street, Edinburgh EH8 9DW
Tel: +44 (0)131 527 1616 Email: awards@rcsed.ac.uk Web: bit.ly/2wKpRTr

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