Royal Microscopical Society

Registered charity 241990 · since 1965rms.org.uk·England, Wales·Updated 30 October 2026

At a glance

£61,892

Annual giving, year to 31 December 2025

From filed accounts

A small fraction of the prior year (£310k in year to 31 December 2022).

Key takeaways

The Society's grants are bursaries for members in microscopy, imaging and flow cytometry, so a request fits best if it involves presenting microscopy research at a conference or workshop, running public engagement or outreach, or meeting caring or childcare costs of attending a meeting.
Requests should stay within the programme caps: travel bursaries are up to £125, £200 or £300 depending on distance, and the outreach, virtual and care grants are up to £100 each, while the grant range is not stated and the annual report's total of £61,892 covers all its giving.
Most bursaries need a member of more than twelve months (outreach needs more than one year), and travel bursaries are for early career researchers within 12 years of graduating or staff in a support role in microscopy or cytometry whose microscopy paper has been accepted, so non-members and those without an accepted paper should not apply for them.
The published route is for eligible members to apply for the outreach bursary, which is considered by the Executive Honorary Secretary and the Honorary Secretary Education, but the process for the other bursaries is not published, so it is worth asking the Society how to apply before you prepare a request.

Overview

Royal Microscopical Society is a charity registered with the Charity Commission for England and Wales (charity number 241990).

The Royal Microscopical Society exists to promote the advancement of microscopical science, including through the discussion and publication of research into improvements in microscopes and into branches of science where microscopy is important. It has been at the forefront of microscopy and imaging since its foundation. Its bursary funds support members attending workshops, conferences and outreach events, and its annual report gives total annual giving of £61,892.

What they fund

Priority Areas

The Royal Microscopical Society advances microscopical science and supports the microscopy, imaging, analysis and flow cytometry communities. Its published bursaries support members presenting microscopy research at conferences and workshops, including virtual events, and members running public engagement and outreach activities. The outreach bursary supports virtual or in-person events and practical extras such as consumables and refreshments. Care and Support Grants help members meet additional caring or childcare costs incurred when attending meetings or conferences. The Society also funds Summer Studentships and its report records grants to institutions, while its wider charitable work includes educational activities for the general public and science community.

Themes

Conference attendance
Public engagement
Caring and childcare
Summer studentships

How to apply

Eligible RMS members apply for the outreach bursary for a virtual or in-person event; applications are considered by the Executive Honorary Secretary and the Honorary Secretary Education.

Who can apply:

RMS Standard Travel Bursaries, RMS Virtual Bursaries: If you are an early career researcher, normally within 12 years of graduating, or are employed in a support role in microscopy or cytometry; membership of the Royal Microscopical Society for more than twelve months at the time of application; and accepted to present a paper involving microscopy at a conference or workshop, orally or as a poster.
Public Engagement and Outreach Bursaries: If you have been a member of the Royal Microscopical Society for more than one year at the time of application, you are eligible to apply for support from this fund.
Care & Support Grants: Care & Support Grants are open to RMS members who have been a member for more than twelve months

What to send:

RMS Standard Travel Bursaries: Title of conference you wish to attend; date of conference; conference location; bursary amount requested; title of paper to be submitted; presentation type; reasons for attending; breakdown of costs; details of other funders approached; length of time you have been a member; RMS Membership number (if known).
Public Engagement and Outreach Bursaries: Title of outreach event being arranged; date and location of event; summary of event; target audience; whether it is a repeat or new event; hoped-for outcomes; type of microscopy; details of other funding sought; breakdown of intended bursary use and amount requested.
Care & Support Grants: Correspondence address; bursary amount requested; breakdown of costs; how attending the conference will benefit you.

Where they fund

Registered area of operation (Charity Commission)

Similar funders

Funders supporting work similar to Royal Microscopical Society.

Mineralogical Society of the UK and IrelandRolling The Society for Radiological ProtectionRollingGave £2,000 The Society for Experimental BiologyFixed deadlinesGave £66,564 The Duncan Wordsworth FoundationNo public processGave £43,257 British Pharmacological SocietyRollingGave £42,141 The Swann-Morton FoundationRollingGave £98,941 The College of RadiographersFixed deadlinesGave £234k The Dr Mortimer and Theresa Sackler FoundationRollingGave £305k Cambridge Philosophical SocietyFixed deadlines Mersey School of AnaesthesiaNo public processGave £12,718

Five years of accounts

Financial year	Income	Expenditure	Grants paid	Accounts document
year to 31 December 2021	£1,159,676	£1,094,764	£17,697	Accounts for year to 31 December 2021
year to 31 December 2022	£1,402,376	£1,525,306	£309,569	Accounts for year to 31 December 2022
year to 31 December 2023	£1,886,206	£1,879,639	—	Accounts for year to 31 December 2023
year to 31 December 2024	£1,680,511	£1,826,425	—	Accounts for year to 31 December 2024
year to 31 December 2025	£1,991,191	£2,026,721	£61,892	Accounts for year to 31 December 2025

Income vs grants paid

IncomeGrants paid

Total value each financial year

YE 2021

£17,697 grants

YE 2022

£310k grants

YE 2025

£61,892 grants

Grants paid stayed within income across the 3 years shown.

Grants paid, year to 31 December 2021; year to 31 December 2022: grants to institutions, as reported on the charity register (Part B).
Grants paid, year to 31 December 2025: the accounts do not say whether this is grants awarded or paid.

— No grants figure for those years.

Figures from the charity’s filed accounts and its register entry. The document icon links to the charity’s entry on the Charity Commission register, where its filed accounts can be found.