UHI Archaeology Institute lecturer Dr Ben Elliott is one of 13 academics in Scotland selected for the Royal Society of Edinburgh’s new Research Leadership Scheme.
Aimed at supporting Scotland’s next generation of research leaders, the new scheme will equip participants with the skills to lead major interdisciplinary research bids that address critical scientific and societal challenges.
As part of a two-year pilot, the scheme will provide two small cohorts with structured support to build confidence, skills, and leadership capacity through a mixture of mentoring, seed-corn funding, training, and peer learning.
The first cohort, who represent a variety of disciplines will work collaboratively around the theme of Building Scotland’s Green Future.
Ben said: “I’m absolutely delighted to be a part of this prestigious training scheme and am very much looking forward to building links with exciting researchers from across Scotland. As the only archaeologist in the inaugural cohort, I’ll be looking to see how different understandings of the material past can feed into the building of Scotland’s green future.”
RSE Vice President, Research, Professor Anne Anderson OBE FRSE commented: “The strength of Scotland’s research sector depends on nurturing talented people, and empowering them to lead with confidence, creativity, and ambition. This new Scheme is an important investment in that future.
“By bringing together researchers from diverse disciplines and supporting them to collaborate on some of the most pressing challenges of our time, the RSE hopes to help build the leadership capacity our country needs. I am delighted to see such an exceptional first cohort embark on this journey, and I look forward to following the positive impact they will undoubtedly make.”
The Research Leadership Scheme is funded by the RSE Foundation and Caledonian Research Fund.
