SULSA wish to support new and existing Life Sciences Networks with our SULSA Network Support. This funding aims to support new and existing networks 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 at least two SULSA members but can include co-applicants from across the UK and internationally. Co-applicants can be from the public or private sector.

The funds must be used towards the costs associated with running a network event such as:

• Venue hire and catering
• Travel and accommodation costs
• Speaker costs
• Registration costs
• Conference materials

Networks are invited to apply for up to £1,000 and we will fund up to three networks.

Eligibility:

• This call is open to the following SULSA members only: University of Aberdeen, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh Napier University, University of Glasgow, Glasgow Caledonian University, Heriot-Watt University, University of the Highlands and Islands, James Hutton Institute, Robert Gordon University, University of St Andrews, University of Strathclyde, University of the West of Scotland. Please refer to our SULSA Funding Eligibility Key at the end of this document to confirm you are eligible for this call.
• This bursary is open to applicants at all levels (please see eligibility key).
• The Lead and Co-applicant must be from SULSA members. The application can include additional collaborators from across the UK and internationally. Collaborators can be from the public or private sector. The lead and co-applicant must be employed by a SULSA member and work within life sciences.
• The network must be cross-university and should promote cross-university working through its activities. Applications exclusively between only two universities, will not be viewed favourably.
• The network event must be an open meeting that shows clear benefit to the life sciences community in Scotland.
• Awarded networks must include SULSA logo in promotional material and invite a SULSA representative to the event. Invitations should be sent at least 4-weeks before the event takes place.
• The event must take place after the awarding date to ensure all funding conditions can be met.
• If a network has previously received funding through SULSA Network Support, they will not be eligible to apply for funding again until 12-months after the date that the funding activity has taken place. After 12-months have passed, the network can apply for the Network Support again, but it cannot be for the same activity that was previously funded, and the lead applicant must come from a different SULSA member than the previous application.

Funding Information and Conditions:

• Events must have a clear benefit to life sciences research or researchers in Scotland. This includes events that are not specific to life sciences but offer networking, training, or career development support to researchers within life sciences.
• This call will run twice per year with a max. of 3 networks being awarded per round.
• Round one will open in September 2026 and close in February 2027 (with the event taking place between 1st March and 31st August 2027).
• Round two will open in March 2027 and close in August 2027 (with the event taking place between 1st September 2027 and 29th February 2028).
• Awarded networks must include SULSA logo in promotional material and invite a SULSA representative to the event. Invitations should be sent at least 4-weeks before the event takes place.

Judging Criteria

• Benefit of the event to the life sciences community in Scotland
• Collaborative nature of the event
• Creation of new opportunities for life scientists in Scotland
• Sustainability of the network long-term

Use of Generative AI
SULSA does not encourage the use of generative AI in applications but permits the use of such tools for language refinement, editing and formatting, in alignment with UKRI’s Policy.

Key Dates

• Call Opens: Monday 2nd March 2026
• Application Deadline: Monday 10th August 2026
• Applicants Informed of Outcome: End of August 2026
• Funding End Date: event must take place by 28th February 2027

Submitting Your Application
Please submit your application (a single PDF) to jill.inkster@glasgow.ac.uk at SULSA by 5pm on Monday 10th August 2026.

Notification of Outcome
Applicants will be notified by email by the end of August 2026.

Payment of Funds
If successful, funds will be transferred to the institution of the lead applicant. Funds must be spent by the end of February 2027. If your event takes place later than this, you should apply for a later round of funding.

Awardee Reporting
You must provide the SULSA administration with project updates and outcomes when requested for reporting purposes. Post-event, SULSA will request attendee numbers and a breakdown of what university attendees were from. You must also supply a ~250 word LinkedIn post summarising the event. If this event leads to a published article, or leverages grant funding, please contact the SULSA administration to make them aware.

Download a copy of the Network Support Guidelines.

Who is eligible to apply for this funding?
PhD students, postdoctoral researchers, technicians and technical staff, and academic staff that have secured less than £500k in research funding can apply for this award.

This call is open to the following SULSA members only: University of Aberdeen, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh Napier University, University of Glasgow, Glasgow Caledonian University, Heriot-Watt University, University of the Highlands and Islands, James Hutton Institute, Robert Gordon University, University of St Andrews, University of Strathclyde, University of the West of Scotland.

The lead and co-applicant must be employed by a SULSA member and work within life sciences.

Who can act as co-applicant and collaborator?
The lead applicant and SULSA member co-applicant must be from different SULSA members. Additional collaborators can be included from across the UK and internationally. Co-applicant scan be from the public or private sector. The lead applicants must be employed by a SULSA member and work within life sciences. Applications with additional collaborators or include attendees from a range of universities/organisations will be viewed favourably.

What can the funds be used for?
The funds must be used towards the costs associated with running a network event such as:

• Venue hire and catering
• Travel and accommodation costs
• Speaker costs
• Registration costs
• Conference materials

Can I apply for the same event if it has previously been funded by SULSA’s Network Support?
If a network has previously received funding through the Network Support, they will not be eligible to apply for funding again until 12-months after the date that the funding activity has taken place. After 12-months have passed, the network can apply for the Network Support again, but it cannot be for the same activity that was previously funded, and the lead applicant must come from a different SULSA member than the previous application.

What types of networks and events can be awarded?
The Network Support can be used to fund any type of event once it meets the judging criteria:

• Benefit of the event to the life sciences community in Scotland
• Collaborative nature of the event
• Creation of new opportunities for life scientists in Scotland
• Sustainability of the network long-term

The event can have a focus on scientific content, skills, training, or networking and can include international, cross-sectoral, and cross-disciplinary partners or attendees.

Application Deadline: Monday 10th August 2026 at 5pm

How to Apply: Please submit your Network Support Application Form to jill.inkster@glasgow.ac.uk at SULSA by the above deadline.

Eligibility Enquiries: Alison.Hughes@glasgow.ac.uk 

All Other Enquiries and Post-Award Communication: Jill.Inkster@glasgow.ac.uk