The Institution of Structural Engineers

Registered charity 233392 · since 1964istructe.org·International·Updated 31 October 2026

At a glance

Open to applications

Rolling, no deadlines · unsolicited applications welcome

Key takeaways

The Research Fund suits projects on structural engineering research that can be linked to industry, and its themes include construction materials, building loads, global solutions, resilience and digital engineering, though other topics are welcome.
Typical single grants are £800 for an undergraduate or MSc project and £6,000 for a Research Award, so a modest, project-sized request fits best.
The undergraduate and MSc grants must be applied for by an academic project supervisor on behalf of a student, with one application per supervisor per year, so a small nonprofit would need a supervisor to lead on those.
The Research Award must be completed and signed by both an academic partner and an industry partner, and funds going to the industry partner cannot cover staff costs, so a small charity without those partners should not apply for it.
Applications are rolling, so there is no deadline to work to, and the Research Award assesses technical quality, industry collaboration, impact and value for money.

Overview

The Institution of Structural Engineers is a charity registered with the Charity Commission for England and Wales (charity number 233392).

The Institution of Structural Engineers is a registered charity whose purpose is to promote for the public benefit the general advancement of the science and art of structural engineering in any or all of its branches. It also aims to facilitate the exchange of information and ideas on structural engineering among members and others. Its research giving includes three grants: the Undergraduate Research Grant, the MSc Research Grant and the Research Award, each connected to research themes developed in partnership with industry. The undergraduate and MSc grants are £800 each, and the Research Award is £6,000.

What they fund

Priority Areas

The Institution's Research Fund supports research in structural engineering and aims to connect research with industry. Its grants cover projects undertaken by undergraduate and MSc students, as well as research involving university and industrial partners. Academic project supervisors apply on behalf of students for the undergraduate and MSc routes; the Research Award requires both an academic and an industry partner. Research themes include construction materials, building loads, global solutions, resilience and digital engineering, though other topics may be proposed. The EEFIT scheme supports short-term projects benefiting earthquake disaster mitigation and post-disaster reconnaissance, and welcomes applicants from any country or organisation. Its assessments consider qualities such as innovation, technical merit, feasibility and practical or industry benefit.

Themes

Structural engineering research
Construction materials
Loading on buildings
Global solutions
Systems and resilience thinking
Digital engineering
Earthquake disaster mitigation

Geographic Focus

Any country.

What they don't fund

MSc Research Grant only:
- Applications must be made by academic project supervisors on behalf of students
- Each supervisor may only make one application per year
- Projects must be carried out as part of a full time or part-time MSc degree programme
Undergraduate Research Grants only:
- Projects must be undertaken in the last or penultimate year of undergraduate study
- Applications must be made by academic project supervisors on behalf of students
- Each supervisor may only make one application per year
- Applications should be made for a project to be carried out in the next academic year
EEFIT Research Grants only: Applicants must either be a current EEFIT member or join EEFIT to apply
Research Award only:
- A portion of the research must be conducted within a university
- Applications must be completed and signed by both an industry and academic partner
- Funds going to an industry partner cannot be spent on staff costs

How to apply

Organisations can apply through the Research Award: a university researcher or industrial partner may apply, and the application form must be completed and signed by both an industry and academic partner.

Who can apply:

MSc Research Grant: Applications should be made by academic project supervisors on behalf of students. Each supervisor may only make one application per year
Undergraduate Research Grant: Applications should be made by academic project supervisors on behalf of students. Each supervisor may only make one application per year.
Research Award
- Either a university researcher or industrial partner may apply
- Your application form must be completed and signed by both an industry and academic partner

What to send:

Research Award
- The application form must be completed and signed by both an industry and academic partner.
- If the application is for work that forms part of a larger project, state exactly what part of the project the grant will fund.

Application success factors

What the charity says:

MSc applications are assessed on the scope for further research, innovation, practical relevance and feasibility.
Applicants are encouraged to address the Institution's industry-focused research themes, although other topics are welcome.
The Research Award assesses technical quality, industry collaboration, impact, benefit to members and society, and value for money.
The Research Award encourages pilot studies that may not attract conventional Research Council funding.
EEFIT assesses benefit to its membership, innovation, research quality and feasibility.

Where they fund

Where it says it funds

International

Similar funders

Funders supporting work similar to The Institution of Structural Engineers.

Institution of Mechanical EngineersFixed deadlinesGave £293k Lloyd’s Register FoundationMixed deadlinesGave £14.1M Advance HENo public processGave £105k The Royal SocietyFixed deadlinesGave £3.3M ElrhaFixed deadlinesGave £7.7M Royal Academy of EngineeringFixed deadlinesGave £31.2M Sir Halley Stewart TrustInvitation onlyGave £1.1M The British AcademyFixed deadlinesGave £85M The ERM FoundationNo public processGave $151k BJS FoundationFixed deadlinesGave £311k

Five years of accounts

Financial year	Income	Expenditure	Grants paid	Accounts document
year to 31 December 2021	£8,115,000	£6,975,300	—	Accounts for year to 31 December 2021
year to 31 December 2022	£8,602,300	£7,983,200	—	Accounts for year to 31 December 2022
year to 31 December 2023	£8,919,700	£8,821,000	£102,177	Accounts for year to 31 December 2023
year to 31 December 2024	£9,081,200	£9,151,700	—	Accounts for year to 31 December 2024
year to 31 December 2025	£9,259,900	£9,443,900	—	Accounts for year to 31 December 2025

Grants paid, year to 31 December 2023: grants to institutions, as reported on the charity register (Part B).

— 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.