Category: Funding, Studentships & Awards

Conception X Programme – Turn Your Research into a Start-up (Deadline 16 Dec 2025)

Conception X – Apply now to start in March 2026
UK and Europe’s leading cross-university programme for PhD students interested in starting their own startup from their research.

Apply today to join Conception X, launching in Spring 2026. Whether you’re just starting to explore how to commercialise your research or already building a deeptech venture, we’re here to meet you where you are.

Participants can expect:

  • Part-time, flexible entrepreneurship training for scientists
  • Access to Europe’s largest community of researchers, founders and ecosystem builders
  • Top mentorship, coaching and direct access to industry decision-makers
  • No cost to scientists & no equity taken – we’re a not-for-profit
  • Free legal advice and support from our partner Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP
  • A chance to be considered for up to £250k/ €350k in founder-friendly investment
  • Open to individuals or teams of researchers

Have questions? Come meet the Conception X team on the 9th of December at their offices: Register here
Can’t make that join online instead on the 15th
Ready to apply? Head to the CX website for further details.

Application deadline: 16 December 2025.

If you need any more details, please reach out to hello@conceptionx.org

KAUST Global Postdoctoral Fellowship (15 January 2026 deadline)

The KAUST Global Postdoctoral Fellowship Program is accepting application.  This is an opportunity for early-career researchers to advance their work at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) with funding, mentorship, and access to world-class facilities.

📅Application deadline: 15th January 2026

🔗Application information: https://kgfp.kaust.edu.sa/how-to-apply

The Collaboration Kickstarter Seed Fund (Application deadline: 12 Dec 2025)

One of the successful projects part of ‘Collaboration Kickstarter’ which seed funded participatory research projects. This project was by the Interaction Foundry in the Dyson School exploring ‘Psychological Ownership’ amongst refugees and asylum seekers.

The Public and Community Engagement team are very pleased to announce the return of the Collaboration Kickstarter, a seed fund that brings together Imperial researchers and community groups to collaboratively design and deliver research.

This year the fund will be open to applications from 3rd of November until 12th of December 2025 and will award grants of up to £10,000.

Applications should demonstrate that they are use participatory research approaches and be submitted jointly with a Northwest London community partner(s).

If you have an idea for a Kickstarter project, we recommend booking a one-to-one support and advice session to discuss it with our team before applying.

If you would like to know more about whether the fund is right for you, you can join our online information and Q&A webinar on Wednesday the 5th of November, 12pm – 1pm.

GOT A PLAN FOR A COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH PROJECT? 

The Collaboration Kickstarter brings together researchers and community groups to collaboratively design and deliver research. If you want to know if the fund is right for you, come along to our online Q&A webinar.

Already got an idea? We recommend booking a one-to-one advice session before applying.

MIT-Imperial Seed Fund 2025-26 applications (Deadline 16 December 2025)

Now in its 11th year, the MIT-Imperial Seed Fund aims to help kick-start early-stage projects that lead to high-impact research, discovery science and the deployment of frontier technologies.  Grants between $30k to $50k are available, and our 2025 round is now open for applications!

MIT is one of Imperial’s top partners for research collaborations, publishing over 400 joint papers each year. Since the fund launched a decade ago, it has invested over $1 million in pioneering science and bluesky collaborations across artificial intelligence, climate adaptation, precision medicine, sustainable materials, space systems, and more.

The Fund is open to MIT and Imperial academics representing all disciplines and departments.  The grants can be used for kick-starter activities such as supporting exploratory research, enabling visits and workshops between the two universities, running hackathons, and/or facilitating exchanges for students and staff. 

Proposals must be submitted jointly by either the lead PI for Imperial or MIT through this portal MIT Global Seed Funds 2025-2026 – MIT International Science and Technology Initiatives (MISTI)

More information is here: MIT-Imperial Seed Fund | Administration and support services | Imperial College London

Closing date: 16 December 2025 (23.59 Boston, EST time)

Become a Scientist Founder with Wilbe (BSF) – Now Live!

Become a Scientist Founder by Wilbe is live!

A free, open-access platform to help scientists and engineers move from research to enduring real-world impact with speed and precision.
Inside you’ll find:

  • A guided path to explore entrepreneurship, lay foundations, or build a company in 10 days.
  • A private community + weekly office hourswith the Wilbe team.
  • Access to curated events, lab space, and the wider Wilbe ecosystem.

Start now: wilbe.com

X
Become a Scientist Founder by @wilbe_science is live!

A free, open-access platform helping scientists + engineers turn research into real-world impact with speed and precision.

  • 10-day guided path
  • Community + office hours
  • Events, labs, ecosystem

wilbe.com

Postgraduate Climate-Conscious Travel Fund

Postgraduate Climate-Conscious Travel Fund 

Postgraduate climate-conscious travel fund guidance document

The Postgraduate climate-conscious travel fund is designed to help postgraduate students make more sustainable travel choices by compensating for the higher costs involved. If you are a postgraduate student and wish to apply, please review the guidance document linked above which provides more detail on what the fund covers, and complete the application form. 

Find out more about sustainable travel on the Imperial website: Sustainable travel | About | Imperial College London

Merck Research Grants

2021 Merck research grants – Merck Research Grants

This year we are offering research grants of 40k€ – 450k€ per year for up to 3 years in the areas of: drug discovery, real time testing and sensors, nanoparticles for nucleic acid delivery, digital innovation, bioelectronics, sustainability, media recycling for cultured meat, organoids

Find out more details and apply today at:

http://researchgrants.merckgroup.com (for world except U.S. and Canada)
http://researchgrants.emdgroup.com (for U.S. and Canada)

 

 

Advanced Research Opportunities Program (AROP)

We have recently established a new scholarship which can be used for PhD students and Post-Docs wanting to conduct research stays at RWTH Aachen University. The “Advanced Research Opportunities Program (AROP)” offers a travel grant of 1.000€ (lump sum) and a monthly stipend of 1.800€ for a period of up to 6 months.
The goal of the program is to strengthen and intensify bilateral relations between RWTH Aachen University and international universities and research institutions of strategic relevance. Among other purposes, the research stays may be used to prepare joint research projects and publications, initiate joint projects in the field of capacity building, develop teaching projects at the partner university, and organize future visits and student exchange programs.

More information on the program can be found here. If you have any further questions, please get in touch with Dr. Daniel Holder.