Edinburgh Law School academics awarded Royal Society of Edinburgh research funding
Mon 27 July 2026
Three Edinburgh Law School academics have received funding from the Royal Society of Edinburgh as part of its spring 2026 Research Awards Programme.
Dr Andrew McLean, Dr Deval Desai and Dr Gail Lythgoe were among 61 researchers selected through the RSE’s latest open call, which awarded more than £661,000 to projects across Scotland’s research sector.
The awards will fund two Edinburgh Law School projects exploring major questions in law and society, from competition law and democratic politics to decolonising legal education and practice.
Dr McLean was awarded a Small Research Grant for 'Competition Law and the Left'. His project examines the relationship between competition law and left-wing politics, with a particular focus on labour and corporate power. The award will enable archival research in Chicago, New York City and Washington, DC.
Dr McLean said: “I am honoured to receive support from the Royal Society of Edinburgh for my 'Competition Law and the Left' research project. The project explores the role of competition law in the fight for economic and political democracy, and I would like to extend my gratitude to colleagues in Edinburgh Law School for their help in securing this funding.”
Dr Desai and Dr Lythgoe were awarded a Research Collaboration Grant for the 'Scottish Decolonising Law Network', in partnership with Professor Maria Fletcher of the University of Glasgow. The network will bring together scholars, practitioners and communities across Scotland to examine the relationships between Scots law and colonialism, and to develop more inclusive approaches to legal scholarship, education and practice.
Dr Desai and Dr Lythgoe said: “We are delighted to receive support from the Royal Society of Edinburgh for the 'Scottish Decolonising Law Network'. By bringing together people working across the Scottish legal academy and beyond, we hope to create a collaborative space for critical reflection, shared learning and practical change.”
The awards underline Edinburgh Law School’s continuing research excellence and its commitment to scholarship that addresses pressing legal, political and social questions in Scotland and beyond.
Find out more about the RSE Research Awards Programme