SULSA, alongside Research Innovation Scotland partners, are supporting the German Research Foundation (Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, DFG) with their networking initiative to support the internationalisation of German Universities of Applied Sciences (Hochschule Angewandte Wissenschaft). The theme selected for this programme is Health and Environment.

German Universities of Applied Sciences are akin to technical universities which focus on applied research and vocational training across all disciplines. More information can be found of the DFG website.

For this initiative, Health and Environment serves as an umbrella term to capture research on humans, animals and/or the environment which will benefit the future health of the planet and those that inhabit it. Below, some key topics are listed as examples, however, we welcome submissions from researchers in any discipline working to improve human health, animal health, environmental health or food security:

• Human health: antimicrobial resistance, pandemic preparedness and recovery, healthy ageing, diagnostics, imaging;
• Animal health: zoonoses, intervention strategies, vector-borne disease, animal welfare, conservation;
• Environmental health: water safety, sanitation, pollution, air quality, infrastructure, biodiversity;
• Food security: alternative foods, agritech, crop resilience to climate change, sustainability.

A virtual matchmaking event will take place on 24th April 2024 to support networking on topics that fit within the theme of Health and Environment. Researchers will present specific research projects or their research focus in 5-minute pitches. This will be followed by 10-minute discussions. Researchers from all topic-related disciplines and subject areas are invited to participate.

A follow up event will be hosted online on 8th May 2024 to provide information on funding available to support the initiation of research collaborations. Please note there will not be a specific funding call accompanying the matchmaking event but we will signpost to sources of funding, including DFG grants. Check out our Funding for Scotland-Germany Research Collaborations page for more information.

There are two ways to get involved in the matchmaking event on 24th April:

1. Present your Project (idea)
   If you would like to present your research project in a 5-minute slot followed by 10 minutes of discussion with other participants at the fair on 24th April, or if you have a concrete project idea and are looking for potential cooperation partners, we kindly ask you to submit:
   • An abstract that briefly describes your project
   • A poster that will be displayed during the fair (The poster should not exceed one page and contain as little text as possible. Please use charts, infographics, diagrams etc. to illustrate your presentation.)
2. Present your Research Focus
   If you do not have a concrete project idea but are interested in expanding your network, meeting other researchers in your field and looking for potential project partners for future cooperation, please submit a brief description of your work focus. You will have the opportunity to present yourself and your research focus and to connect with your peers in a dedicated networking room.

Registration and abstract submission can be completed through the DFG website.

The deadline for registering and submitting abstracts/posters is 6th March 2024 at 11:59 pm (UTC+1).

Please contact a.hughes@sulsa.ac.uk or udif-haw@dfg.de with any enquiries.