Stirling researchers secure share of £729,000 in RSE awards

Six exceptional research projects have been funded by the Royal Society of Edinburgh.

The projects which span three faculties are among 73 selected at the spring 2025 Research Awards open call.

RSE has allocated £729,000 to enable innovative research across a range of academic disciplines.

Funded Stirling projects include research into environmental policies; conservation of stained glass; causal cognition in bumblebees; and threats facing journalists covering conflicts.

Professor Paul A. Townsend, Deputy Principal (Research and Innovation), University of Stirling said: “Congratulations to University of Stirling researchers who have been successful in securing funding from the Royal Society of Edinburgh.

“These awards are a testament to the talent in our academic community and the drive to transform lives through our missions-orientated research platform, by deriving tangible benefit through interdisciplinary research.

“As we prepare for the Research Excellence Framework 2029, we will build on existing success to further develop our reputation as a university that makes a difference in the world.”  

Meaningful contributions

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.

Professor Anne Anderson, RSE Vice President, Research, said: “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.”

The autumn 2025 RSE Research Awards Programme will open at noon on September 4, 2025, and will run until noon on October 22, 2025.

The call will include eight different funding opportunities covering all career stages and academic disciplines. Visit the RSE website to find out more.

University of Stirling RSE Research Awardees

Faculty of Arts and Humanities

•    Professor Adrian Hadland, with collaborators Dr Tara Pixley, Temple University, USA and Dr Martin Smith-Rodden, Ball State University, USA
Conflict journalism: New conditions, new threats

•    Professor Michael Penman, with collaborator Dr Craig Kennedy, Heriot-Watt University
Developing a multidisciplinary approach to evidence-led conservation of stained glass

•    Professor Crispin Wright, with collaborator Dr Aidan McGlynn, University of Edinburgh                                 
Responsible trusting without prejudice

Faculty of Natural Sciences

•    Dr Gema Martin-Ordas
Curious minds: Causal cognition in bumblebees

•    Dr Amina Moss, with collaborator Professor Iordania Constantinou, Technische Universität Braunschweig
Microfluidic encapsulation for carotenoid stability under climate stress

Stirling Management School

•    Professor Leonhard Lades, with collaborator Professor Johannes Lohse, Leuphana University of Luneburg
Acceptability of environmental policies - lessons from Scotland and Lower Saxony