Funding awarded for new national research programme on gambling harms
We’re pleased to share that the University of St Andrews has been awarded funding to deliver one of nineteen projects under the new national programme on gambling harms from UK Research and Innovation (UKRI).
Research in Innovation in Gambling and Substance Use (RIGS) St Andrews, led by Prof Alex Baldacchino and Mr Joe Schofield from the School of Medicine and Dr Gosia Mitka from the Business School, will explore the intersection of addiction, innovation, public health, and behavioural research. The interdisciplinary team spans the School of Medicine and Business School – Prof Peter Donnelly, Dr Samuel Warne, Dr Sandra Romenska, and Dr Tugce Cuhadaroglu – and is supported by Research Fellows Dr Janis Petzinger and Dr Dagmar der Weduwen.
This funding forms part of a major UKRI investment announced in May 2026 to establish the UK’s largest independent Gambling Harms Research (GHR‑UK) network, including a central Evidence Centre and a cohort of Innovation Partnerships across the UK. The St Andrews team have received £150,000 for a 1-year phase 1 study which aims to develop a phase 2 bid for a 4-year, £5 million research and innovation project. This research and innovation project aligns with the University’s strategic pillars for World-leading and Entrepreneurial work.
The programme is funded through the UK Government’s Gambling Levy and aims to generate high-quality, independent evidence to better understand, prevent and respond to gambling related harms.
RIGS St Andrews will contribute to this national effort by advancing innovative, interdisciplinary research and partnerships for innovation at the intersection of gambling and substance use. Through collaboration with partners across the GHR‑UK network and beyond, including national and international inter-governmental organisations, the project will help address key evidence gaps and support the development of effective policy, innovation, and practice. The team will co-design the project with people experiencing problematic gambling and substance use, identifying gaps and co-creating proposals for intervention that will improve policy and practice to advance prevention, treatment, and care of those most at risk of harm.
This award places St Andrews within a UK‑wide portfolio of Innovation Partnerships designed to tackle complex challenges around gambling harms, working closely with policymakers, health bodies, and people with lived experience. The project is part of the IDEAS Hub for Addiction Medicine St Andrews, and will leverage local, national, and international partnerships to co-create a wider research and innovation programme on addiction comorbidity.