Elective awards 2025

Applications are now open for the Scar Free Foundation Elective Awards 2025! Apply by 5pm 14 March 2025.

Elective Awards 2025 overview

The Scar Free Foundation Electives are worth up to £1,200 each for research in the areas of scarring, wound healing and visible difference-causing conditions.

The awards provide students with the opportunity to broaden their perception and experience of research, during a 4-8 week supervised period in one of the following disciplines: 

• Plastic and reconstructive surgery 
• Burn medicine and care 
• Hand surgery 
• Craniofacial care and treatment 

The four Electives are competitive and are externally assessed by expert Reviewers who look for rigour in research, quality supervision and the potential impact on the student’s future career.

Previous recipients of our funding have gone on to undertake further research training, PhDs, and some have become NIHR Clinical Academic Fellows.  

Not sure what to expect? Read about Poppy and Cara’s 2024 electives here. 

Electives are offered in conjunction with four of our Partner Member Organisations:

Supervision

For novice and early career researchers support from experienced researchers is vital.   

Applicants will need to get Supervisors to agree to support their project idea and sign off their application form. 

The Supervisor will need to provide The Scar Free Foundation with a copy of their CV detailing previous academic experience. This should be submitted along with the application form. 

All supervisors will be expected to provide the following level of support:

• Review and aid the development of the student’s research protocol to ensure methodological issues are dealt with prior to the student beginning their project. 
• Act as a ‘sounding board’ for any issues that emerge during the project, at the analysis or write-up stage. 
• Set a deadline for receipt of a draft final report, review and provide constructive criticism to the student within a timeframe, which enables them to make any necessary changes. 
• Sign off the student’s report and provide a short report to the Scar Free Foundation on their progress. 
• We recommend that 4-6 meetings/phone calls take place between the Supervisor and student during the project and write up phase.

Please read the guidelines below if you are planning to apply:  

• Supervisors are typically busy senior researchers and clinicians with many demands on their time. If you wish to apply to undertake an Elective project supervised by a Foundation Supervisor, it is recommended that you approach them as early as possible to ensure you they have a chance to consider your application. Last minute approaches are generally not favourably reviewed. 

• The upper limit for funding is £1,200. Please do not ask for more than this. If the Elective funding is for part of a larger sum of money, please make this clear in your application and let us know your other sources of funding. 

• It is suggested that you learn more about us as an organisation: what the Scar Free Foundation is trying to achieve, why we have these aspirations, and how we are going to achieve our goals. Much of this can be found on our website. 

• When framing your research question, it is important to consider whether your research questions align to the disciplines the Electives are designed to support. 

• Our expert reviewers will consider the scientific merit and feasibility of your application. Please ensure that what you are proposing is achievable in the Elective timescale of 4-8 weeks. 

When preparing your application, it is important to ask: 

• Have you demonstrated a good knowledge of the subject under investigation and made a case for undertaking a project in this area? 
• Have I described the study methods I am going to use and are they the appropriate for my project? 
• Have I clearly demonstrated that I have thought through all the potential pitfalls and built in contingency plans, if appropriate? 
• Is my Elective application a good fit for the research priorities of the Scar Free Foundation? 

How to apply

To apply, please email a PDF of your application to [email protected] by the deadline of 5pm 14 March 2025. 

If you are having any issues with your application, please allow enough time to contact the Scar Free Foundation, as late, incomplete or unsigned applications will not be processed.

We are very happy to help with queries submitted ahead of the deadline day, but will not be able to respond to questions on the day itself due to the volume of applications received.

Good luck!

Download an application form here