FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES
Explore our funding opportunities and learn about previously funded calls and their impact. Be sure to check out our SULSA Activity Planner to plan for the year ahead.
01
SULSA Network Support
SULSA wish to support new and existing Life Sciences Networks with our SULSA Network Support by providing funds towards the running of a network event. The Network must fall within the SULSA Life Sciences remit which includes everything from human health to animals, plants, and microbes. Networks must be led by a Scottish University(ies) but can include members from across the UK and internationally.
The funds must be used towards the costs associated with running a network event.
Funds Available: Networks are invited to apply for up to £1,000 with a maximum of 3 networks being awarded per round.
Open to: All levels but the lead applicant must work within the Life Sciences.
Call Opens: Monday 2nd September 2024
Call Closes: Monday 3rd February 2025
Comments: This call will open in September 2024 and close in February 2025 with the event taking place by 31st July 2025. Round two will open in March 2025 and close in August 2025 with the event taking place by 31st January 2026.
02
RS Macdonald Facility Access
SINAPSE (Scottish Imaging Network: A Platform for Scientific Excellence) and SULSA (Scottish Universities Life Sciences Alliance) wish to support access to Scottish facilities and support research projects within the RS Macdonald scope of neurological conditions and retinal disease.
Funds Available: Applicants are invited to apply for up to £10,000 for research projects within the scope, we will fund between 8-10 applications.
Open to: Various depending on Research Pool. Please see full guidelines for more information.
Call Opens: Monday 23rd September 2024
Call Closes: Monday 16th December 2024
03
SULSA - Rheinland-Pfalz Research Collaboration Funding
This funding aims to support the development of PhD and Postdoctoral Researchers with building their international networks, research outputs and technical skills and knowledge. This fund has been jointly created by Scottish Government, the State Government of Rheinland-Pfalz, and SULSA to support research collaborations between Scotland and the Rheinland-Pfalz (RLP) state of Germany.
Why not start making some connections now via our RIS Coffee Break?
Funds Available: Maximum of €10,000.
Open to: Lead applicant must be a PhD student or Postdoctoral Researcher at a SULSA University or Institute.
Status: Call now closed. Opening date predicted for late Autumn 2024.
04
SULSA Early Career Development
This funding aims to support researchers in their endeavours to develop their own independent academic research track. The funds can be used for a variety of activities such as travel, training in new techniques/skills, consumable costs, and facility access.
Projects should aim to build a new collaboration, upskill the applicant or generate pilot data/develop a pathway to commercialisation.
Funds Available: Applicants are invited to apply for up to £4,000 and we hope to award a minimum of 5 projects.
Open to: Postdoctoral Researchers, Research Assistants, Technical Staff Member or Teaching Fellow actively pursuing an independent academic career trajectory and employed within a SULSA university or institute.
Status: Call now closed and will re-open Monday 13th January 2025.
Comments: This call is likely to run again in the future.
05
SULSA Postdoctoral Prize
SULSA wish to award outstanding Postdoctoral Researchers whose work shows excellent potential to make an impact in the field of life sciences.
Formerly known as the SULSA ECR Prize, this prize allows exceptional Postdoctoral Researchers to raise their profile in Scotland and have a prestigious award on their CV. It includes a fully funded tour (worth £1,000) of three Scottish universities where the awardee will deliver a seminar and meet with staff to raise their profile around Scotland and develop their independent networks. In addition, the awardee will receive £1,000 of flexible funding to be used at their discretion for attending conferences, buying consumables, attending training courses or visiting collaborators etc.
Funds Available: £2,000 will be awarded to a maximum of four ECRs.
Open to: Postdoctoral Researchers in the Life Sciences holding a PhD.
Status: Call will open Monday 3rd March 2025.
Comments: This call is likely to run again.
06
SULSA Pump-Prime Industry Collaboration
This funding aims to foster new projects and collaborations across the academic and industrial sector and drive novel and exciting research and innovation. Applications must focus on a topic that belongs to or is for the benefit of life sciences.
Funding can be used for research costs or facilities access, it cannot be used to employ staff. The amount requested must be match-funded through cash or in-kind contributions from industry. Projects should have significant consideration for sustainability post-award and show demonstrable potential for securing further funding. This scheme is not for continued funding of existing projects.
Fund Available: Up to £5,000 available for 3 projects.
Open to: Postdoctoral Researchers / Principal Investigators.
Status: Call now closed. A new Innovation Seed funding call will open Monday 5th May 2025.
Comments: This call is replacing our SULSA Innovation Seed Funding Call which is not running in 2024-25.
07
Forging Futures Scheme
SULSA, in collaboration with Interface, SkillFluence and MyFuture Plan have created the Forging Futures scheme to support and develop a cohort of researchers by enabling them to explore the opportunities available to them in academia and industry and equipping them with the tools to work effectively between the two. After training, recipients of this scheme will become SULSA Ambassadors for Industry Engagement.
Date: This scheme is currently closed for applications.
Target Audience: Post Docs and PhD Researchers.
Status: This call will re-open for a new cohort on Monday 25th August 2025.
08
Scotland-Germany Research Collaborations
Visit this page to learn more about the funding opportunities available for Scotland-Germany research collaborations from the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD), the German Research Foundation (DFG) and SULSA.
Open to: Postgraduate Students, Postdoctoral Researchers and Academic Staff.
Status: Ongoing.
