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EIBF, the charity dedicated to promoting business education for engineers, has announced today that it will expand its reach by offering eight £50,000 MBA scholarships to UK-based scientists each year.
The Sainsbury Management Fellows MBA scholarship programme was originally established in 1987 by Lord Sainsbury of Turville, with the goal of providing engineers with business skills to help them establish high-tech companies or advance to senior roles within major UK corporations.
The programme has seen tremendous success, with more than 400 engineers completing their MBAs at leading international business schools. Known as Sainsbury Management Fellows, these graduates have created over 300 companies, contributing nearly £5 billion to the UK economy and generating over 21,000 jobs.
To further support the UK’s economic growth and build upon its strength in scientific research, the Sainsbury MBA scholarship programme is now being expanded to scientists. This new initiative will be called the Sainsbury Science Management Fellows Scholarship.
This year, five scholarships will be available to scientists who demonstrate strong leadership qualities and a clear commitment to the UK economy. From 2025/26 onwards, the number of scholarships will increase to eight annually. Recipients will study for their MBAs at top UK business schools, including:
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
Applicants must hold a degree in a science discipline, show a clear commitment to the economic development of the UK, and be UK nationals residing in the country.
EIBF will partner with the National Physical Laboratory to oversee the scholarship application process. For more information or to apply, visit www.npl.co.uk/sainsbury-management-fellowships.
Successful applicants will join the SMF alumni network, a community of senior UK and global business leaders. Sainsbury Management Fellows are encouraged to participate in networking events and collaborate on business initiatives.
Lord Sainsbury of Turville, founder of EIBF, stated: “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, added: “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.”
