Young Academy of Scotland

What Young Academy of Scotland does

Young Academy of Scotland (YAS), also referred to as the RSE Young Academy of Scotland, is a Scottish charity (SC000470) and selective membership organization founded on 29 November 2011 as an activity of the Royal Society of Edinburgh. Operating from 22-26 George Street, Edinburgh, it convenes early to mid-career professionals from across all sectors of Scottish society — arts, business and industry, government, public sector, research and academia, and the third sector — for interdisciplinary collaboration on projects addressing national and global challenges. Membership is non-fee-paying and awarded competitively through annual intake rounds on the basis of demonstrated outstanding talent and ambition, with recent cohorts of 60 members (2022) and 48 members (2024).

YAS does not operate a technology platform or product model; its core offerings are programmatic: interdisciplinary project working groups across five strategic themes (Equity Diversity and Inclusion, Health and Wellbeing, Global Engagement, Environmental and Societal Sustainability, and Enterprise and Innovation); a dedicated ARAR pathway supporting at-risk academics and refugee professionals; international knowledge exchange via ALLEA, ENYA, and the Global Young Academy; the YAS-MSP Pairing Scheme linking members to Members of the Scottish Parliament for evidence-based policy engagement; the Coastal Knowledge Podcast; and research outputs such as the multi-institution report on Scotland's unpaid carers (April 2026). Notable past member outcomes include six alumni elected to the RSE Fellowship in 2024, two RSE Early Career Prize recipients (2014), and individual accolades such as WEF Young Scientist and MIT Technology Review TR35 recognition.

The organization is governed by three Co-Chairs (Gary Kerr, Jamie Cooper-Higgins, Dr Afiya Holder) and supported by a YAS Manager and Senior Officer. YAS is funded as an activity of the Royal Society of Edinburgh; revenue is not publicly disclosed, there are no funding rounds, and there are no commercial customers. A new 2026-2030 Strategic Plan was launched in July 2026 to formalize the organization's national and international impact agenda.

Name

Young Academy of Scotland

Legal name

Young Academy of Scotland

Website

https://youngacademyofscotland.org.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

YAS is a Scottish charity and selective membership organization, founded in 2011 as an activity of the Royal Society of Edinburgh. It convenes early to mid-career professionals from all sectors to drive interdisciplinary projects addressing societal challenges across five strategic themes.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Membership Organization (Nonprofit Academy)

NAICS

Educational Support Services (611710), All Other Schools and Instruction (61169)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Human Resources, Organizational Behavior & Leadership Institutes (EDAHAHAG)

Keywords

• Professional membership organization
• Interdisciplinary collaboration programs
• Policy influence initiatives
• Early career fellowships
• Charitable academy programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Edinburgh

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership and Charitable Activities: As a Scottish charity (SC000470) and activity of the Royal Society of Edinburgh, YAS operates primarily through membership contributions, charitable activities, and grant funding. The organization focuses on generating societal impact through interdisciplinary projects rather than commercial revenue generation.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Young Academy of Scotland is a membership-based, interdisciplinary academy that selects and convenes early to mid-career professionals from across Scottish society (arts, business, government, public sector, research and academia, third sector) to collaborate on projects addressing societal challenges. It runs thematic programmes across Equity Diversity and Inclusion, Health and Wellbeing, Global Engagement, Environmental and Societal Sustainability, and Enterprise and Innovation; facilitates the YAS-MSP Pairing Scheme with Members of the Scottish Parliament; and supports a separate ARAR membership stream for at-risk academics and refugee professionals.

Product overview

Young Academy of Scotland is a membership organization that brings together young professionals from various sectors including arts, business, government, public sector, research, academia, and third sector. The organization focuses on interdisciplinary projects across five strategic themes: Equity Diversity and Inclusion, Health and Wellbeing, Global Engagement, Environmental and Societal Sustainability, and Enterprise and Innovation. Key offerings include standard membership programs, ARAR (At-Risk Academic and Refugee Professional) membership, projects such as Cross-Pollinating Perspectives, the Coastal Knowledge Podcast series, the Charter for Responsible Debate, and various reports and publications addressing societal challenges in Scotland.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Standard YAS Membership Select, free membership programme for early to mid-career professionals across all Scottish sectors, recruited through annual application rounds based on outstanding talent, ambition, and passion for cross-sector collaboration.
• ARAR Membership Dedicated membership stream supporting at-risk academics and refugee professionals in Scotland to release their potential and contribute their talents, experience, and unique perspectives to Scottish society.
• Coastal Knowledge Podcast Podcast series produced by YAS exploring coastal topics, the blue economy, and environmental sustainability themes relevant to Scotland.
• Policy Research Reports Interdisciplinary policy research reports produced by YAS member working groups in collaboration with university and third-sector partners to inform Scottish policy on societal issues such as informal care.
• YAS-MSP Pairing Scheme Structured scheme pairing YAS members with Members of the Scottish Parliament to facilitate evidence-based policy collaboration and mutual learning.

Quantifiable outcome

• Six YAS alumni were elected as Fellows of the Royal Society of Edinburgh in 2024, demonstrating successful talent pipeline to senior academy

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

18 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• European Network of Young Academies (ENYA)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 22 May 2024YAS participates in ENYA annual meetings as a member academy, collaborating with young academies across Europe. Co-Chairs Gary Kerr and Jamie Cooper-Higgins attended the 2024 Berlin meeting, delivering a presentation on ALLEA membership benefits.
• German Young AcademycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 22 May 2024Co-hosted the 2024 ENYA annual meeting with the Global Young Academy at the Berlin-Bradenburg Academy of Sciences and Humanities.
• ALLEA (All European Academies)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 8 June 2023YAS was welcomed as a member of ALLEA, the European Federation of Academies of Sciences and Humanities. This membership opens new opportunities for international knowledge exchange and collaboration, amplifying the voice of young researchers within eminent bodies.
• University of StrathclydecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered with YAS to design and conduct an online survey gathering stories from Scotland's unpaid carers. Researchers from YAS analyzed survey data to produce a narrative report on informal care in Scotland.
• University of GlasgowcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered with YAS on the unpaid carers survey and report, contributing to research analyzing patterns and themes from informal carer experiences across Scotland.
• University of the West of ScotlandminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered with YAS on the unpaid carers survey research project.
• Atlantic Technological UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered with YAS on the unpaid carers survey research initiative.
• The ALLIANCEcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHealth and Social Care Alliance Scotland partnered with YAS on the unpaid carers survey, contributing to the report amplifying voices of unpaid carers.
• Carers ScotlandcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered with YAS on the unpaid carers survey designed to give Scotland's 759,000+ unpaid carers a voice in informing government policy.
• Carers UKcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered with YAS on the unpaid carers survey and research report on informal care in Scotland.
• Royal Academy of EngineeringcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAwarded YAS the Ingenious Grant to the Computing in Schools working group for co-running the First Lego League in Scotland with Lambda Jam.
• Lambda JamminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartnered with YAS to deliver the First Lego League in Scotland using the Royal Academy of Engineering Ingenious Grant.
• Global Young AcademycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerYAS collaborates with the Global Young Academy through ENYA membership and international knowledge exchange.
• Royal Society of EdinburghcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerParent organization. YAS is an activity of the Royal Society of Edinburgh, Scottish Charity No. SC000470. RSE provides institutional support and pathway to fellowship for YAS alumni.
• Council for At-Risk Academics (CARA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint event partner for lectures on human rights and demographic topics, supporting academics at risk.
• Institute for Advanced Studies in the Humanities at University of Edinburgh (IASH)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint partner with RSE and YAS for events including lectures on human rights, co-hosting with Professor Lesley McAra CBE FRSE.
• Glasgow School of ArtminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on the 'Ways of Seeing Invisible Illness' Crossover project exploring experiences of living and working with invisible conditions.
• YAS-MSP Pairing Scheme PartnerscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOngoing pairing scheme linking YAS members with Members of the Scottish Parliament for evidence-based policymaking collaboration and mutual learning.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Young Academy of Norway: Norway's young academy for outstanding researchers and professionals across disciplines. Direct peer in structure and mission, serving as a comparable Scandinavian young academy model.
• Global Young Academy: An international academy of early-career researchers and professionals analogous to YAS but operating globally. Directly comparable as a peer young academy with similar membership, policy influence, and interdisciplinary project focus.
• Young Academy of Belgium: Belgium's young academy, representing early-career academics and professionals in policy and societal dialogue. Direct peer at a similar national-young-academy scale and interdisciplinary remit.
• Die Junge Akademie (German Young Academy): Germany's national young academy for outstanding early-career scholars, jointly run by the German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina and the Berlin-Brandenburg Academy. Direct structural and functional peer to YAS, co-hosting the 2024 ENYA meeting with YAS.
• Young Academy of Sweden: Sweden's young academy, an independent platform for young researchers across disciplines. Directly comparable as a European national young academy in ENYA's network.
• De Jonge Akademie (Royal Netherlands Academy): The Dutch young academy, part of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences (KNAW). Directly comparable as a national-level young academy combining interdisciplinary collaboration, policy engagement, and societal themes.

Regional players

• Scottish Council for Development and Industry: An independent Scottish policy and economic development membership network connecting business, government, and academia. Adjacent regional peer that operates in Scotland's interdisciplinary policy space with a different sectoral focus.

Broad incumbents

• Royal Irish Academy: Ireland's premier learned institution encompassing humanities, social sciences, and sciences. Comparable as a broader national academy that convenes senior expertise, in contrast to YAS's early-career focus.
• Royal Society of Edinburgh: Scotland's national academy and YAS's parent organization. Comparable as the parent body whose Fellowship serves as the senior destination for YAS alumni.
• British Academy: The UK's national academy for the humanities and social sciences. A broad incumbent in the same learned-society space, with overlapping policy and interdisciplinary remits at UK level.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/YoungAcademySco
• Facebookfacebook.com/YoungAcademySco
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/rse-young-academy-of-scotland

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Young Academy of Scotland