EIBF, the charity promoting business education for engineers, has announced today that it will now extend its support to scientists. Each year, the charity will offer eight MBA scholarships worth £50,000 to UK scientists.
The Sainsbury Management Fellows MBA programme, initiated by Lord Sainsbury of Turville in 1987, was originally designed to provide engineers with the business skills necessary to start their own tech businesses or achieve senior roles in major UK firms.
The programme has achieved great success, with more than 400 engineers completing their MBAs at top international business schools. These graduates, known as Sainsbury Management Fellows, have founded over 300 companies, contributing nearly £5 billion to the UK economy and creating over 21,000 jobs.
Now, the programme is being extended to scientists in order to support the UK’s economic growth and build on its global reputation in scientific research. The new initiative, called the Sainsbury Science Management Fellows Scholarship, will offer UK scientists the chance to gain essential business skills through an MBA.
This year, five scholarships will be awarded to scientists demonstrating leadership potential and commitment to the UK economy. The programme will increase to eight scholarships annually from 2025/26 onwards. Recipients will study at the following business schools, each linked to leading UK science universities:
- Saïd Business School, University of Oxford
- Cambridge Judge Business School
- Imperial College Business School
- Warwick Business School
- Alliance Manchester Business School
- Cranfield School of Management
To apply, candidates must hold a degree in a scientific field, show a strong commitment to the economic development of the UK, and be UK nationals living in the country.
The scholarship application process will be managed by the National Physical Laboratory in collaboration with EIBF. For more details or to apply, visit www.npl.co.uk/sainsbury-management-fellowships.
Successful applicants will join the SMF alumni network, which includes prominent business leaders in the UK and internationally. Sainsbury Management Fellows regularly participate in networking activities and collaborate on business ventures.
Lord Sainsbury of Turville, the founder of EIBF, commented: “The success of the Sainsbury Engineering Management Fellows has led me to believe that we should widen the impact of the scholarship scheme by helping those who have scientific degrees to also acquire business skills. An MBA will provide scientists with credible business skills, allowing them to transform their innovations into commercial products.”
David Falzani MBE, Chair of EIBF, said: “We are grateful to Lord Sainsbury for providing the funding for the Sainsbury Science Management Fellowship Programme. We look forward to working with the National Physical Laboratory to provide this excellent opportunity to UK scientists. Along with all the Sainsbury Engineering Management Fellows, we look forward to welcoming the scientists who will add inestimable value and diversity to our networking community.”