The Carnegie Trust for the Universities of Scotland, the first of the three Trusts that Andrew Carnegie established in the United Kingdom, was created by a Deed which he signed on 7 June 1901, and was incorporated by Royal Charter on 21 August 1902. The Trust was funded by a gift of $10 million (a then unprecedented sum: at the time, total government assistance to all four Scottish universities was about £50,000 a year) and its aim was to improve and extend the opportunities for scientific research in the Scottish universities and to enable the deserving and qualified youth of Scotland to attend a university from which they might be barred by their inability to pay university fees.

When the Trust was established there were then only the four ancient universities – Aberdeen, Edinburgh, Glasgow and St. Andrews; there are now thirteen universities, so the funds are much more thinly spread. Since its foundation in 1901, approximately 100,000 people have received grants for research or for their tuition fees. The number who have benefited indirectly from the Trust through the provision of buildings, libraries, residences, and other facilities can only be conjectured but it must be large. In the early years it was possible to fund the erection of complete buildings but now it is only possible to make grants to contribute towards such projects.

There are 14 nominated Trustees, who are elected or re-elected at the Annual Meeting of Trustees. The ex-officio Trustees are the Principals of the Universities of Scotland, the First Minister and the Lord Provosts of Edinburgh and Glasgow. In accordance with the provisions of the Royal Charter and its By-Laws, the administration and management of the Trust are the responsibility of the Executive Committee, which consists of five nominated Trustees and the Principals of the 13 Scottish Universities, with only four of the Principals in rotation having voting rights.

By its Royal Charter, one half of the net income of the Trust is to be applied to the improvement and expansion of the Universities of Scotland and one half, or such portion as was needed, to go to the support of the ‘qualified and deserving’ youth of Scotland to help with the payment of University fees and thereby enable them to have the chance of a University education in circumstances where hardship might prevent attendance. If the two provisions were satisfied, any surplus could be used for almost any other purpose the Trustees deemed proper to further the usefulness of the Universities in accordance with the purposes expressed in the Trust Deed.

In 2006 the net assets of the Trust stood at £63.9 million, an increase of nearly ten per cent over the previous year. As a result the Trust was able to increase its support of the Universities of Scotland and their students and the Executive Committee approved the award of a total of £1.888 million to fulfil its programme of support through the following schemes:

The Fee Assistance scheme for Scottish students (Scottish, by birth, extraction or schooling) towards the tuition fees for a first degree at a Scottish University.

The Vacations Scholarships designed to encourage undergraduate students of high academic merit to undertake a piece of research during the summer vacation.

Undergraduate groups from Scottish universities can apply for support with Expeditions.

At the postgraduate level, a prestige scheme of Scholarships supports a limited number of graduates with first class honours degrees from Scottish Universities who will pursue three years of postgraduate research leading to a PhD at a University within the UK.

Members of staff and graduates of Scottish Universities are eligible to apply for Research Grants which are awarded for travel and accommodation while undertaking personal research, and support towards illustration and publication costs.

A competitive Larger Grant Scheme encourages applications for joint programmes of collaborative research projects from groups within the Scottish Universities.

Development Grants are awarded to each of the Scottish Universities in support of projects aimed at the improvement of facilities for students and research.

To mark the centenary of the founding of the Trust in 1901, the Executive Committee established a Centenary Fund to support one or two Centenary Professorships per year to encourage World Class scholars to spend a sabbatical period in Scotland.

Further details of the Trust’s work can be found on our Web-site: www.carnegie-trust.org.