Dr Rosie Steege has been awarded £125,000 by the Academy of Medical Sciences’ Springboard programme for exceptional early-career researchers to investigate the impacts of climate change on sexual and reproductive health.
Dr Steege’s research will focus on vulnerable young people in Bangladesh who have been displaced by urban informal settlements due to climate disasters, in one of the world’s most climate-vulnerable countries.
She is one of 62 scientists across 41 UK institutions to receive funding from the Academy of Medical Sciences’ Springboard programme, supported by the UK Government’s Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, Wellcome and the British Heart Foundation. The total £7.6m investment is the largest ever, tackling urgent health challenges from Alzheimer’s disease, cancer and obesity to addiction and climate change.
The Springboard programme also provides mentoring and career development support to help awardees to establish independent research careers.
Dr Steege, social scientist and Lecturer at Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine said: “Alongside partners at the BRAC James P Grant School of Public Health Bangladesh, I am thrilled to receive this Springboard award.
“This award will centre the voices and lived experiences of adolescents who have been forcibly displaced due to the climate crisis, in relation to their sexual and reproductive health and rights. Partnering with adolescents to develop a conceptual framework, this study will inform locally-developed responses to the climate crisis that centre their nuanced experiences within national policy, practice and teaching curricula.”
UK Science Minister Lord Vallance said: “Research supported by the Springboard programme can help to address some of the most pressing health challenges, like antimicrobial resistance and cancer, by giving early-career researchers across the UK the opportunity to test their ideas.
“Through this programme we are supporting the next generation of researchers to lead their own groundbreaking research so that the UK can continue to be a pioneer in medical science.”
The Academy of Medical Sciences is the independent, expert voice of biomedical and health research in the UK. Its Fellowship comprises the most influential scientists in the UK and worldwide, drawn from the NHS, academia, industry, and the public service. LSTM’s Vice-Chancellor Professor David Lalloo was elected as a Fellow in 2024.
Professor James Naismith FRS FRSE FMedSci, Vice-President (Non-Clinical) at the Academy of Medical Sciences, said: “This record investment demonstrates our unwavering commitment to supporting the next generation of research leaders. By backing these talented early-career researchers, we’re not only addressing today’s urgent health challenges but also strengthening the UK’s position as a global leader in medical research.
“Each Springboard awardee brings fresh perspectives and innovative approaches that will ultimately translate to improved health outcomes for patients and the public. The Academy is proud to provide the financial resources and career development support needed to help these outstanding scientists establish their independent research careers.”