Funding and recognition opportunities

Ethicon Foundation Fund Travel Grant

Applications for the Ethicon Foundation Fund Travel Grant are welcomed from Members and Fellows, who are in training-grade appointments and who have pre-planned medical training electives abroad that will 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. Funding of up to £1000 is available for travel costs. 

The closing date for applications is 15 January 2025

The Saleem Khwaja Memorial Fellowship 

The Saleem Khwaja Memorial Fellowship was created to honour the life of Professor Saleem Khwaja, who worked across Africa, the UK and the Middle East in neonatal surgery. He dedicated his life to mentoring the next generation of neonatal surgeons. As such, applications for this memorial fellowship are open to Paediatric Surgery Trainees and Junior Consultants globally to travel overseas to learn specialist techniques and offer charitable services to another centre. Funding of up to £5000 is available. 

The closing date for applications is 27 March 2025

RCSEd–Chennai ITF Scholarship

This scholarship has been made possible by the generous support of the Court of Benefactors, Chennai. 

The Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh is pleased to announce the new RCSEd–Chennai ITF Scholarship. This scholarship aims to provide a career-changing experience in the NHS for applicants from Chennai, or those currently working in Chennai, by providing financial assistance for the registrations required for an NHS International Training Fellowship (ITF). Applicants should arrange their ITF independently with assistance from RCSEd’s IPD if required, and then apply for this scholarship. 

The successful applicant will have the following fees and registrations paid for: GMC registration fee, ISCP registration fee, and MTI visa fee. 

The closing date for applications is 21 July 2025

Tuanku Muhriz Fellowship in Rural Surgery

Applications are open for the Tuanku Muhriz Fellowship, which provides awardees with the opportunity to gain further experience in rural surgery in Malaysia. Applicants should be Higher Surgical Trainees (who are yet to reach consultant grade) or Trainee General Surgeons in the UK. 

Funding of up to £2000 will be awarded for accommodation and flights. 

The closing date for applications is 15 January 2025

Binks Bursary for Student Electives in Africa

Applications are now open for medical students, in the UK and Republic of Ireland, who wish to apply for financial support towards their elective in Africa. The bursary provides up to £500 of support per awardee.  

The closing date for applications is 14 January 2025

Dundas Medal 

The medal is in commemoration of Dr Charles Robert (Bertie) Dundas FFARCS FRCP Glasgow, a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Surgery (Anaesthetics) in Aberdeen and Honorary Consultant Anaesthetist from 1975 to 1995. Bertie Dundas died in 2014 from biliary carcinoma. He was not offered palliative care while he was ill and spent his last months enduring a poor quality of life. His widow, Dr Valerie Dundas, made a donation to PATCH (Palliation And The Caring Hospital) to improve the provision of palliative care in hospital.

In recognition of Bertie Dundas’ lifelong enthusiasm for teaching, research and innovation, this annual award recognises efforts to improve the provision of palliative care for patients while in hospital. The award is open to individuals or teams (medical, nursing or paramedical) working in any hospital in the UK. It is not essential that the applicant should be an FRCSEd. The term ‘hospital’ applies to both acute and community hospitals.

The closing date for applications is 10 April 2025

Binks Bursary for Medical Student Electives 

In association with the Binks Trust 

Applications are now open for medical students in the UK and Republic of Ireland, who wish to apply for financial support towards their elective abroad in surgery. This bursary provides up to £250 of financial support per awardee.  

The closing date for applications is 14 January 2025

Congratulations to the following Fellowship, Grant and Bursary Awardees

FST/ASME Education Research Grant

Joe Norton | University of Edinburgh.

Project: Do We All See it the Same Way? Objective Analysis of Trainer and Trainee Cognitive Load in a Scalable Surgical
Simulation Platform.

Tom Bereznicki Dental Education Grant 

Sarah Fligelstone | Swansea University.

Project: Master of Science in Medical Education (Orthodontics).

Dundas Medal

Paul Keeley | Joanna Prentice | Catherine McCallum | Glasgow Royal Infirmary. 

Project: Postgraduate Taught Programme in Palliative Care, University of Glasgow.

King James IV Professorship

Alexander Heriot | Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, Australia.

Lecture title: Precision Medicine Bridging the Gap to Optimal Management of Peritoneal Colorectal Cancer – a Translational Approach.

Chennai Exam Prize

Shwetha Shyam Kumar 

Highest-scoring MRCS Part B candidate, Chennai, July 2024.

Syme Medal 

Ricky Ellis | University of Aberdeen.

Project: Factors that Predict Success at MRCS.

Bursaries for Medical Electives in Africa 

Archie Ajayi | University of Aberdeen.

Elective: Department of Internal Medicine, Muhimbili National Hospital, Tanzania.

Ruvarashe Ushewokunze | Keele University.

Elective: Parirenyatwa Hospital, Zimbabwe.

RCSEd – Binks Trust Medical Elective Bursary

Lorena Brasnic | University of Aberdeen.

Elective: Royal Adelaide Hospital, Australia.

Jessica Nyon | University College London.

Elective: The Royal Melbourne Hospital, Australia.

Russell Trust Bursary 

Aleksandra Wrobel | University of Glasgow.

Elective: Cardiothoracic Department, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen.