Announcing the Amber Young Burns Research Fellowship

The Amber Young Burns Research Fellowship is a new pump-priming burns research fellowship intended to support early career burns researchers. This fellowship is for pump-priming, feasibility studies, and proof of principle projects. There is no disciplinary requirement - we encourage innovation from all fields, so long as the project improves the quality of care of paediatric burns patients.

This year, there is one fellowship of £20,000 available. More information on the requirements and the application form can be found on our 'Funding' page.

This fellowship is only possible because of the generous gift from the estate of Professor Amber Young, an inspirational and much-missed researcher and clinician. Amber was an incredible burns researcher and friend of The Scar Free Foundation, who sadly passed away in 2022.

The Scar Free Foundation was only a small part of Amber's extensive research portfolio, but her impact on our organisation, and the field of burns research, cannot be overstated. She was the Clinical Lead of The Scar Free Foundation Children’s Burns Centre. With Scar Free funding, Amber helped to develop the SPACE Smart dressing, brought together the global burns community to create a burns core outcome set, and conducted a feasibility study for the establishment of a much needed children’s burns cohort and gene bank - among many many others.

Despite her many research projects, Amber was always generous with her time. She always supported our cause and lent her expertise and energies freely and passionately to support Ambassadors, mentor the next generation of burns researchers and generally inspire all she encountered with her enthusiasm and compassion.

She left The Scar Free Foundation a generous legacy, along with instructions for how it should be used. We are honoured to carry out her wishes and foster the next generation of burns researchers.

Amber was a dedicated, curious, and passionate children’s burns researcher. She loved what she did. Towards the end, that’s what kept her going.

Even though she had published papers, led ground-breaking projects, and changed the landscape of paediatric burns, she knew there was still more to do. She wanted to continue her work - even if she wasn’t able to see it through.

The Amber Young Burns Research Fellowship is her gift. When she offered this legacy to The Scar Free Foundation, Amber wanted 3 things:

She wanted the money to be used for small pump-priming grants, which could get the ball rolling on innovative projects and foster the next generation of paediatric burns researchers.

She wanted anyone to be able to apply, from any discipline.

And she wanted the funded projects to improve the quality of care for paediatric burns patients. It didn’t matter what field, so long as it made people’s lives better.

Amber never did something tomorrow when it could be done today. She would be so proud knowing her legacy was bringing the future closer, and improving the lives of children with burns.

Norman Heckington, Amber's husband