The Education and Industry Business Forum (EIBF) has announced an expansion of its MBA scholarship programme, aimed at promoting business education among UK scientists. Starting this year, the charity will provide five MBA scholarships worth £50,000 each, with plans to increase this number to eight scholarships annually by 2025/26.
Established in 1987 by Lord Sainsbury of Turville, the Sainsbury Management Fellows (SMF) MBA scholarship programme was initially designed to help engineers acquire essential business skills. Lord Sainsbury’s vision was to empower engineers to establish their own high-tech businesses or to ascend to leadership roles within large UK companies. Since its inception, the programme has successfully graduated over 400 engineers from prestigious international business schools, resulting in the creation of more than 300 companies that have collectively generated approximately £5 billion and created over 21,000 jobs across the UK.
The decision to broaden the scholarship initiative to include scientists comes as part of EIBF’s commitment to enhancing the UK’s economic prosperity and maintaining its reputation as a leader in scientific research. The newly established programme, named the Sainsbury Science Management Fellows Scholarship, aims to equip scientists with the necessary business acumen to translate their innovations into commercial ventures.
This year, the scholarship will be available to five exceptional scientists who can demonstrate strong leadership capabilities and a commitment to the economic development of the UK. The scholarships will fund full-time MBA studies at several esteemed business schools closely linked to top scientific research universities in the UK. These institutions include:
- 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 be eligible for the scholarships, applicants must hold a first degree in a science discipline and be UK nationals residing in the country. They must also demonstrate a clear commitment to contributing to the UK economy.
EIBF will collaborate with the National Physical Laboratory to oversee the scholarship application process. Interested candidates can find more information and obtain applications by visiting the National Physical Laboratory’s website at www.npl.co.uk/sainsbury-management-fellowships.
Successful applicants will gain access to the SMF alumni network, which includes prominent business leaders from the UK and around the world. The networking opportunities provided through this community will enable Sainsbury Management Fellows to collaborate and engage in business ventures, enhancing their professional development.
Lord Sainsbury of Turville expressed his enthusiasm for the new programme, stating, “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, echoed this sentiment, expressing gratitude to Lord Sainsbury for funding the new scholarship programme. He stated, “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.”
