Both Scotland and Germany are renowned for their cutting-edge research and expertise across a wide breadth of disciplines.  It is no surprise therefore that Germany remains our top European research partner. 

The most famous example of Scotland’s mark on science is the discovery of the world’s first antibiotic, penicillin, by Scottish microbiologist Dr Alexander Fleming. The story of penicillin’s journey to the clinic also demonstrates the rich collaborative history between Scottish and German researchers. Whilst Alexander Fleming discovered the mould that produced penicillin, it was German biochemist Dr Ernst Chain, working in the laboratory of Dr Howard Florey at Oxford, that isolated the active antibiotic pencillin, a drug that has revolutionised human health.

This long history of research excellency and connectivity between Scotland and Germany has continued to grow despite challenges and SULSA, alongside Research Innovation Scotland, welcomed a delegation from DFG and German Universities of Applied Sciences for a week-long visit in 2024, showcasing the best Scotland has to offer under the theme of Health and Environment.

SULSA’s work with Germany, and specifically the Rhineland-Palatinate State, can be found in our International Report published in August 2023.

German Research Foundation (Deutsches Forschungsgemeinschaft, DFG): DFG is the central self-governing research funding organisation in Germany. The DFG serves the sciences and humanities and promotes research of the highest quality in all its forms and disciplines at universities and non-university research institutions. The focus is on funding projects developed by the academic community itself in the area of knowledge-driven research.

The DFG funds research projects, creates competitive opportunities and conducts procedures for the review, evaluation, selection and decision of research proposals. It helps shape the overall conditions and standards of academic research. The DFG maintains dialogue with society, politics and business and supports the transfer of knowledge. It advises state institutions and institutions working in the public interest on issues relating to academic research and research policy.

Moreover, the DFG takes particular care to promote international cooperation, early career researchers, gender equality and diversity in science and the humanities.

German Academic Exchange Service (Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst, DAAD): Founded in Heidelberg in 1925 on the initiative of a single student, the DAAD has since become one of the most important funding organisations in the world for the international exchange of students and researchers. Their motto “change by exchange” promotes understanding between countries and individuals and helps secure new scientific findings imperative to addressing global challenges.

The DAAD stimulates internationalisation and global responsibility. It acts as an independent intermediary between various partners and their interests. The real motors of change, however, are students and researchers who cross borders every day through their work, and the institutions of higher education which support them in their commitment.

Alexander von Humboldt (AvH) Foundation: The AvH Foundation sponsor scientists and scholars, irrespective of academic discipline and nationality. They strengthen Germany as a research location through international research exchanges and support sponsorship recipients during their entire lifetimes as well as actively promoting international understanding, scientific progress and development. The Alexander von Humboldt Foundation wants to recruit the world’s best minds for a research stay in Germany as well as for its international network of outstanding researchers.

Learn more about these organisations and the funding schemes they offer from our recorded webinar:

The German Research Foundation (Deutches Forschungsgemeinschaft, DFG) has selected Scotland as their European partner for a targeted matchmaking initiative for Universities of Applied Sciences that have more focus on applied, practical, and vocational training.

The topic for this matchmaking is Health and the Environment and encompasses all disciplines.

Website: https://www.dfg.de/en/news/news-topics/announcements-proposals/2024/ifr-24-06

In 2021, the Scottish Government signed a letter of intent with Rhineland-Palatinate (RLP) Ministry detailing their intent to forge cooperations in a number of key areas including education, culture and research. SULSA has taken responsibility for delivering on the life sciences and biotechnology research portion of this agreement as there are key areas of collaborative interest including, but not limited to, Red and Green Biotechnology, Microbiology, Neurodegeneration, Drug Discovery and Engineering Biology.

The partnership between SULSA and the RLP Ministry of Science and Health began in 2022 through the 1st Scotland – RLP Life Sciences and Biotechnology Conference which had welcoming speeches from RLP Minister for Science and Health Clemens Hoch and Scottish Minister for Higher Education, Further Education and Youth Employment Jamie Hepburn, and a plenary talk from RLP biotechnology giants BioNTech.

Following this event, a pot of €90,000 was established for collaborative research projects between SULSA universities and RLP universities, jointly funded by the RLP Ministry for Science and Health, Scottish Government and SULSA. This funding call has now run twice (in 2022 and 2023) with a total of 10 awardees. In May 2024, the 2nd Scotland-RLP Life Sciences and Biotechnology Conference took place with BASF as the plenary speaker.

In January 2024, SULSA brought a delegation to RLP where the group visited university partners, industry, and the Ministry. During this visit, approval was given for the establishment of a joint RLP-Scotland Life Sciences, Biotechnology and Environmental Sciences Hub that will solidify the ongoing cooperative work between the two regions. This Hub will further support mobility and research collaboration, as well as working towards securing additional funding and opportunities for researchers.