Small Grant Award
A British Skin Foundation Small Grant
About the Small Grant Awards
Key dates
The 2026 Research Awards will open on 3rd March 2026 and close on 23rd April 2026 at 13:00 BST. Please check back for updates.
Grant enquiries
For all general enquiries regarding the British Skin Foundation grants please contact Sarah s.thorne@britishskinfoundation.org.uk.
For finance enquiries please contact admin@britishskinfoundation.org.uk.
Key details
A British Skin Foundation Small Grant is available to anybody wishing to carry out U.K or R.O.I based research into skin disease.
- Only one project to be submitted per person per grant round
- The project should be a small or pilot project
- The maximum amount of funds available for each award is £15,000
- Not more than 50% of the small grant to be used on buying equipment
- If part of another project, the small grant is to make-up at least 30% of the total funding
- Assessment of the grants will take into account requests which are of a more immediate clinical relevance
- Applicants are expected to demonstrate the value of the project to dermatology
- No ‘top-ups’ or extensions are available for any reason
- The maximum duration of the award is one year (although this may be extended by negotiation where there are issues around flexible working or career breaks/maternity leave)
- Successful awards must be activated within 12 months
- Successful applicants will provide the BSF office with a researcher ORCID iD upon activation of the grant
- Awards are claimed by authorised finance departments submitting a single invoice for the full amount
- A scientific and a simple lay report to be submitted upon completion
- The British Skin Foundation’s support to be mentioned in any relevant papers or presentations and copies to be forwarded to the BSF office.
Over the past decade the BSF Small Grants have been an invaluable source of support for our research into the inflammatory skin disease hidradenitis suppurativa (HS). These grants have allowed us to explore novel and timely questions and to generate pilot data to leverage larger grants.
Dr Jean Fletcher, Associate Professor, Trinity College Dublin
The British skin foundation small grant allowed us to generate exciting preliminary data identifying a novel regulator of inflammation in skin. This allowed us to apply for larger project grants. The data generated formed the foundations of a peer reviewed publication. We are extremely grateful for the support provided by BSF.
Dr Chris Wasson, Deputy DPGRS and Postgrad Tutor LIRMM Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Leeds
Funding from the BSF has been instrumental for my research, especially in the early stages of my independent research career. A small grant award enabled the generation of preliminary data, while a PhD studentship provided the first pair of hands for my newly established research group.
Dr Gernot Walko, Barts Charity Senior Lecturer (Associate Professor) in Squamous Cell Carcinogenesis