RSTMH Early Career Grants Programme 2025 (Up to £5,000)

Every year, the RSTMH Early Career Grants Programme grants individuals from all over the world who are just starting out in their careers to conduct their first research project in tropical medicine or global health. If you are a researcher or a global health practitioner who is just starting in your research career and is interested in or employed in tropical medicine or international health, you are qualified to apply for a grant.

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About RSTMH Early Career Grants Programme

Opportunity Details

  • Date Published: March 15, 2025
  • Application Deadline: May 14, 2025
  • Category: Grants

The RSTMH Early Career Grants Programme provides grants every year to those early in their career, from anywhere in the world, to carry out their first piece of research into tropical medicine or global health. 

Their grants programme has been established for more than 40 years and has seen significant growth. Since 2017, they have given out more than 800 awards across 66 countries.

Benefits of RSTMH Early Career Grants Programme

  • The maximum award for an RSTMH Early Career Grant is £5,000, which includes any applicable taxes on purchases.

RSTMH Early Career Grants Programme Requirements

Applicants must meet the following requirements:

  • Open to applicants worldwide, of any nationality.
  • Must not have received research funding of £5,000+ in their name before.
  • Must have a clear research plan.
  • If changing affiliation, written permission from RSTMH is required.
  • Must have consistent supervision for the entire project.
  • Must have insurance for research activities.
  • Must submit all documents to RSTMH in English.
  • Research must comply with ethical standards and have necessary approvals.
  • Must hold a personal bank account that accepts GBP (not an institutional account).
  • Must not have received an RSTMH Early Career Grant before.
  • Can submit only one RSTMH grant application per year.
  • Cannot be an RSTMH global assessor in the same year.
  • Cannot apply for funding for an already started or completed project.
  • Cannot be a named referee on an RSTMH grant application in the same year.
  • Encouraged to include costs for diversity, inclusion, and community participation.

Additionally, applicants must meet the following requirements:

  • Applicants can be based in any country and work in any organization.
  • This grant is primarily for early-career professionals, but newcomers to research are also eligible.
  • Both RSTMH members and non-members can apply; awardees receive temporary membership.
  • Existing RSTMH members are also eligible for RSTMH-funded grants.

Thematic Topics

  • Supports research in tropical medicine and global health, including infectious and non-communicable diseases.
  • Funds lab-based, clinical, translational, implementation, and policy research.
  • Covers stand-alone projects or parts of larger studies, including PhD-linked research (excluding tuition fees).
  • Does not fund projects using only secondary data.

Application Date and Process

The application form has 7 sections which the applicant needs to complete. There is further detail within the help text for each question to guide the applicant. Please see below a list of the sections, and the information requested in each.  

1. Applicant Details 

- Key information about the applicant, such as names, contact details, job title, and whether they are a member of RSTMH.  

2. Employment and Experience  

- Information about the applicant’s employing organisation and job history. 

3. Qualifications, Awards and Publications 

- Information about the applicant’s academic experience and how they meet the profile of an ‘early career researcher’.  

4. Project Information  

- Information about the applicant's proposed project, such as where and when it will be conducted, the project title and a detailed project statement.  

- Applicants will need to provide a complete list of academic references to accompany their project statement. 

- The applicant must detail how they have considered community involvement, gender equality and environmental considerations in their project design.  

5. Project Costs 

- Information on the project budget, other funding sources for the work, and detail on how the funding would impact the applicant’s career.  

6. Referees 

- Contact details for the applicant’s two referees: their supervisor and a senior member of their employing organisation. 

- Uploaded PDFs of the reference letters from the two referees. More information on the information requested can be found on the Reference Guidance page

7. Confirmations 

- Confirmations from the applicant about their work and that they have understood the project’s Terms and Conditions.  

Applicants can save their application and return to it at a later date as many times as they would like before submitting, before the application window ends. Please see the Benefactor Guidance page for more information on this. Once all of these sections have been completed, applicants will be asked to review their answers before submitting.  

Once their application has been submitted, an applicant cannot edit it. If, at this stage, an applicant realises that they would like to change one of their answers, the applicant would need to withdraw their application and start a new application form. 

Please carefully review the following information before applying: 

Guidance Webinar on completing an application to the 2025 programme will be hosted on 26 March, 12.00-1.30PM GMT. 
Click here to register attendance for the webinar. A recording of the webinar will be available on the RSTMH website after the event.

Application Deadline

14 May, 2025

Scholarship Application Portal

View details of RSTMH Early Career Grants Programme

Apply for RSTMH Early Career Grants Programme

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