Science MBA leaders scheme extended to Scotland for first time
19 Apr 2026
A scholarship scheme to fund engineers and scientists to develop their commercial acumen at leading business schools is to be extended to Scotland.
The Sainsbury Science Management Fellow Scholarship has provided £50,000 annually for up to eight people to study at seven business schools based in England.
This year the University of Edinburgh Business School joins Imperial, Said Oxford, Cambridge Judge, Warwick, Alliance Manchester, Cranfield and Durham University business schools.
The Engineers and Scientists in Business Fellowship (ESBF) administers the scheme in conjunction with the National Physical Laboratory.
Its executive director Miranda Thomas said: “We support exceptional young British scientists, and I’m delighted that we can now offer them a home in Scotland.
“Situated at the heart of Edinburgh and the wider Scottish enterprise ecosystem, the University of Edinburgh Business School offers our Fellows access to industry alongside an excellent business education, transforming their individual knowledge, skills, and leadership potential.”
Applications for the current scholarship round will close at the end of the month on 30 April and can be accessed here.
Launched in 1987, the scheme has awarded more than 400 fellowships, with recipients responsible for more than 300 startups still operating, also creating £5bn in new business, while nearly half occupy executive board roles. ESBF began its collaboration with the NPL in 2024.
Pic: Thomas Steen Sørensen
