A strong belief in the value of design education has led John McAslan + Partners to establish bursaries in both the UK and the US. In 2004 JMP established the RIBA McAslan Bursary with the aim of promoting and supporting emerging architectural talent for the benefit of communities in the UK or abroad.

Winning individuals or teams have been funded through the RIBA McAslan Bursary to develop original design projects that cultivate positive and real change for the environment and communities involved. To date the bursary has supported 16 successful projects by architecture and engineering students and graduates for locations ranging from Southend-on-Sea to Nairobi and from Transylvania to Buckinghamshire. Project scopes have included innovative housing solutions, ageing communities, disaster reconstruction, biodiversity and the preservation of vernacular buildings in rural Eastern Europe.

More recently John McAslan, in his capacity as an Honorary Fellow of the American Institute of Architects, established the AIA/McAslan Fellowship – a three-year programme of travel bursaries for graduate architects from US universities. As the philanthropic partner of the AIA, the Architects Foundation/McAslan Fellowship attracts, inspires, and invests in a next-generation design community to have positive impact in the world.

Recipients of the 2019 McAslan Fellowship awards, and projects by a selection of recipients of the RIBA McAslan Bursary are illustrated below.