Awards, Prizes, & Bursaries

BSPRM Research Grant 2026

BSPRM, through its RCS Committee, is offering a research grant of up to £10,000 to support aspiring clinicians and researchers with impactful project ideas in Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine (PRM).

This grant aims to fund high-quality clinical research with the potential to inform routine practice and advance the PRM specialty within the UK.

Eligibility:

• Early-career PRM physician (trainees or within 5 years of consultant appointment), and
• Full or Trainee BSPRM member

Application:

• Cover letter outlining the relevance and potential impact of the project
• CV of the main applicant
• Detailed project proposal (maximum 1,500 words)

Application Deadline: 30 June 2026

Take a look at the 2025 BSPRM Research Grant awardee’s progress report to learn more about their research journey, experience, and the benefits of receiving BSPRM funding:

Medical Student Essay Prize 2026

The BSPRM Medical Student Essay Prize is awarded annually on a competitive basis. All UK Medical Students are eligible to apply.

Medical students are invited to submit a 2,500-word essay on a subject relating to Physical & Rehabilitation Medicine from a medical, biological or sociological point of view, including a review of relevant literature. Original thoughts and accounts of personal experience receive particular credit.

The 2026 Medical Student Essay Prize will be awarded at the 2026 BSPRM Annual Scientific Conference, 29-30 September 2026.

Prize: £250 and Certificate.

All medical student essay submissions will be published on the BSPRM website.

Applications Close: 30th June 2026

Be inspired! View the submissions from last year's competition:

BSPRM Collaborative Research Network Best Research Paper Award 2026

The BSPRM Collaborative Research Network’s Best Paper Award is awarded annually and is open to all BSPRM Members.

Submissions for the 2026 round are now open! The winner will be announced at the 2026 BSPRM Annual Scientific Conference, taking place on 29–30 September 2026.

Eligible papers may report on research, quality improvement, or audit work in rehabilitation. The paper must have been published in a peer-reviewed journal, with the online publication date falling within 2025.

Any author listed on the paper is welcome to submit an entry, regardless of authorship position.

Prize: £500 and Certificate

Submissions Close: 30th June 2026.

BSPRM RCS Committee Travel Award

The BSPRM Research and Clinical Standards (RCS) Committee award travel awards, up to £1,000 each, for BSPRM Trainee Members and Full Members to attend a conference for which they have an accepted abstract, workshop, or presentation. Trainees are be given priority for these awards.

The award can support registration fees, economy class travel, accommodation, and subsistence costs (in line with the BSPRM expenses policy) and be reimbursed once receipts are received post conference.

Awardees are be required to submit a written report to the RCS Committee within two months of the conference.