The Royal Society of Edinburgh (RSE) has announced that 73 exceptional research projects were selected at the spring 2025 Research Awards open call – including 11 recipients from the University of Glasgow.

Over £729K will enable innovative research across a range of academic disciplines, with projects including charting the spread of marine invasive non-natives in Scotland, developing a multidisciplinary approach to evidence-led conservation of stained glass, rethinking criminal responsibility in the age of neurodiversity, and investigating minimally invasive robotic total hip replacements.

In this latest round, lead investigators represent 16 of the 19 Scottish universities; however, the reach of these awards extends beyond Scotland, with collaborators representing 39 institutions in total, including international institutions in the USA, Australia, Italy, Rwanda, Germany, Portugal, and Brazil.

The RSE’s Research Awards Programme runs twice a year in spring and autumn. It aims to support Scotland’s research sector by nurturing promising talent, stimulating research in Scotland, and promoting international collaboration.

RSE Vice President, Research, Professor Anne Anderson OBE FRSE, commented: "The RSE's Research Awards Programme plays a vital role in strengthening Scotland's dynamic research community. I do not doubt that the recipients of these prestigious RSE awards will advance knowledge and make meaningful contributions to Scottish society. On behalf of the RSE, I congratulate these exceptional researchers and their international partners, and I eagerly anticipate the impact of their work."

RSE Awards made to the University of Glasgow

Small Research Grants

Dr Davina Derous, University of Aberdeen with collaborators Dr Andrew Brownlow, School of Biodiversity, One Health & Veterinary Medicine, University of Glasgow and Dr Jo Moore, Moredun Research Institute: Liver dysfunction in harbour porpoises: A step towards measuring resilience of a key species in our changing ocean

Dr Jonathan Evans, School of Health & Wellbeing with collaborator Dr Ting Guo, University of Liverpool: International counterculture in the 1970s: Glasgow and Hong Kong

Dr Chunxiao Hu, James Watt School of Engineering: Miniaturized urine collection system integrated with a drainage bag for ICU patients

Dr Leping Mou, School of Education: Internationalization or indigenization: Liberal arts education curriculum in East Asia

Dr Alessia Zinnari, School of Modern Languages & Cultures: Leonora Carrington’s Mexican legacy between art and activism

Research Collaboration Grants

Dr Catriona Cannon and Professor Nicole Busby, School of Law: Closing the gap: The public sector equality duty between law and implementation

Personal Research Fellowships

Dr Louise Kennefick, School of Law: Guilt on a spectrum: Rethinking criminal responsibility in the age of neurodiversity

Dr Chun Hean Lee, James Watt School of Engineering: Advancing phase change modelling with a unified conservation-law framework

Dr Kirsteen Paton, School of Social & Political Sciences: Build from below: Archiving tenants’ pasts, shaping housing futures

International Joint Projects

Dr Christopher Berry, School of Physics & Astronomy with collaborator Dr Riccardo Buscicchio, University of Milano-Bicocca, Italy: Gravity under the lens: Preparing for the era of space-based gravitational-wave astronomy


First published: 23 July 2025