• IMDEA Materials’ Miguel Grande Ráez has been accepted into a master’s programme at the prestigious Imperial College London.
• The total cost of the programme, more than €80,000, means he has turned to financial help from the community in order to pursue his dream.

Miguel Grande Ráez, one of the IMDEA Materials researchers involved in the European BIOMET4D project, has turned to the public for support as he aims to further his expertise in advanced materials science at Imperial College London.

As part of BIOMET4D, Grande is working to develop artificial skin for babies, vital research to improve the quality of life of newborns and their families.

It is hoped that these advances will ultimately be used to treat babies born with craniosynostosis, one of the proof-of-concept applications for the BIOMET4D project.

Craniosynostosis is a birth defect which affects normal growth of the skull and brain among newborns. This can result in pressure forming on the brain and further medical complications.

An expert at solving scientific dilemmas, the Technical University of Madrid graduate is now facing an equally difficult challenge to solve. This time, however, the difficulty faced is financial in nature, following his acceptance into a master’s programme in Advanced Materials Science and Engineering at London Imperial College, one of the world’s top universities.

Although he has already secured a partial scholarship of £30,000 (€36,000), the total cost of the program means that he must now find nearly €50,000 if he is to be able to take his place in the course.

In response, Grande has launched a GoFundMe campaign to raise the necessary funds to cover his tuition.

“Acceptance into the master’s program at Imperial College London came with a partial scholarship of £30,000,” explains Grande on his GoFundMe profile.

“However, due to a university error regarding my immigration status because of Brexit, the amount needed to cover the costs has increased significantly. I now need £40,900 to be able to pay the full tuition”.

“This unexpected increase has been a great challenge, but I am determined to move forward and secure the necessary funds to fulfill my dream”.

The effort is now just €3,500 short of its goal, having already raised more than €46,000 since its launch from more than 3,300 individual donations.

Through the master’s programme, Grande aims to specialise in the use of materials to create tissue and artificial organs, with a focus on biomaterials, regenerative medicine and tissue engineering.

This knowledge will enable him to make even more significant contributions in the future to research projects with the same ambitious goals to improve patient health outcomes as BIOMET4D.

“This master’s program is not only a great professional opportunity for me, but it will also allow me to make a significant contribution to the field of bioengineering and regenerative medicine”, Grande added.

You can support Grande’s campaign, here.