University of Bath
Our funding relationship with the University of Bath was more concentrated than at some other institutions, but it was also one of the most coherent and strategically focused. Over the lifetime of the programme, we awarded
just over £173,000 across 10 grants, almost all of which were connected to the development of SMART bandage technology for burns and wound care.
This work represented one of the clearest examples within our programme of sustained support for a single research idea as it evolved over time. We funded PhD studentships, research nurses and research staff posts, enabling the work to progress from early‑stage discovery through pre‑clinical development and into Phase I clinical activity. Rather than treating each award in isolation, we adapted our funding to meet what the research needed at different stages.
Early grants focused on foundational concepts, materials and feasibility, drawing on Bath’s strengths in engineering and applied science. As the work matured, later grants supported clinical infrastructure and staff capacity, helping to bridge the gap between laboratory development and patient‑facing research. This progression was central to the programme’s momentum and demonstrated the value of flexible, responsive funding.
The SMART bandage work focused particularly on burns, wound healing and paediatric applications. As with much applied research, not all outcomes were immediate or easily quantifiable. However, the programme generated sustained research activity, trained doctoral students and clinical researchers, and advanced a novel technology significantly further than would likely have been possible without long‑term philanthropic support.
Looking back, our investment at the University of Bath illustrated how relatively modest but consistent funding could underpin substantial progress when aligned to a clear research vision. It stood as a strong example of how we sought to support translation over time, recognising that movement from concept to clinic is rarely linear and often depends on sustained commitment rather than scale alone.
