SULSA Resources
Explore the various SULSA resources available to you including up to date news, useful databases and topical reports
SULSA Reports
Read the various SULSA Reports and Policy Responses covering a wide range of areas written by the SULSA team
SULSA Colouring Book
Inspire your future scientists with our Colouring-in Book packed full of exciting jobs in STEM
SULSA Blogs
Hear from the researchers directly involved in our projects and funding calls via our collection of SULSA Blogs
Microscopy Database
Explore our Scottish Microscopy Facilities Database created in conjunction with the Scottish Microscopy Society
Careers Database
Explore our Post-Academic Careers Database raising awareness of alternative career paths for early career researchers
SULSA NEWS
IndAc 2022
Date: August 2022
You can now register your interest for our industry-academia networking event on 25th October at Pollocks Hall, Edinburgh. Organised by SULSA Industry Engagement Ambassadors, the day will include networking, success stories of industry-academic collaborations, and a panel discussion on creating successful collaborations.
WPC Natural Products Summer School
Date: August 2022
You can now Register your interest to learn about emerging techniques and technologies in natural products research at our Natural Products Summer School which will run as a satellite meeting to the World Pharmacology Congress from 27th-30th June at the University of Strathclyde.
Post Doctoral Appreciation Week
Date: August 2022
SULSA have teamed up with Pint of Science to co-ordinate seminars across all of our member universities to celebrate Post Doctoral Appreciation Week from 19th-23rd September. We are still looking for volunteers from UWS, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh Napier University, University of Aberdeen, and RGU – if interested, please contact alison.hughes@glasgow.ac.uk
SULSA Recruitment Day
Date: June 2022
SULSA are organising a Life Sciences Recruitment Day on 15th June 2022 at the Technology and Innovation Centre Glasgow. This event is open to all who are interested to transition into the Scottish life sciences industry. The event will bring together college students, university graduates and career changers with life sciences companies from all over Scotland. Recruiters will be available to talk to attendees about career options, current entry-level positions and the transferable skills needed to succeed in this industry.
Our Future Health Funding
Date: June 2022
SULSA are delighted to award two awardees under Our Future Health Innovation Seed Funding totalling £30,000 with an additional £35,000 in industry-match funding. This was a cross-Pool funding call and we thank IBioIC and CENSIS for their support and funding contribution. This funding aims to support researchers in the development of their independent research and their affiliation with industry.
SULSA Blogs
Date: June 2022
Check out our new SULSA Blogs page packed full of informative and inspiring blogs written by our Graduate Employability Masterclass participants and Forging Futures Scheme Ambassadors. The perfect place to hear from the researchers directly involved in our projects!
SULSA Network Support
Date: April 2022
SULSA are excited to launch our SULSA Network Support. This fund aims to support new and existing Life Sciences 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. We are receving applications on a rolling basis between now and the end of June 2022.
SULSA-RLP Research Collaboration Funding
Date: April 2022
Following the success of our First Scotland-RLP Life Sciences and Biotechnology Conference run in collaboration with Johannes Gutenberg-Universität Mainz in March 2022, SULSA are delighted to launch a funding call to support research collaborations between Scotland and the Rheinland-Pfalz region of Germany. Sponsored by the Scottish Government and the State Government of Rheinland-Pfalz (Germany), researchers can apply for up to €10,000 to travel to a University or Research Institute in Rheinland-Pfalz to undertake a collaborative research project.
Breaking Barriers in STEM Event
Date: April 2022
Join us in Edinburgh on Friday 29th April for an Equality, Diversity and Inclusivity knowledge exchange event with talks on the Global Citizenship Framework, The Anti-Racist Curriculum, UKRI’s EDI Strategy, and The University Mental Health Charter. This event is free to attend and targeted for those wanting to make positive changes within their research groups, departments, and universities.
Microscopy Facility Funding Round 2
Date: March 2022
SULSA are delighted to award three more facilities under the SULSA Microscopy Facility Funding Award (Round 2) totalling £37,310. The successful facilities are Glasgow Imaging Facility, Aberdeen’s Microscopy and Histology Core Facility, and GCU’s Department of Biological and Biomedical Sciences. This funding is for the enhancement of the facilities via purchasing of new equipment (hardware or software).
SULSA ECR Prize
Date: March 2022
Congratulations to our 2022 ECR Prize winners Dr Jessica Clark (University of Glasgow), Dr Didier Devaurs (University of Edinburgh), Dr Laura Glendinning (University of Edinburgh), and Dr Matthew Walker (University of Glasgow). Each winner has received £3,000 towards a seminar tour of three Scottish Universities and flexible funding. Watch their winning presentations.
Coffee Break @ SULSA
Date: March 2022
Our international coffee breaks are back! We pair researchers from Scotland, Germany, and France for an informal coffee break (online) to strengthen international networking and collaboration. Check out the link below for full details of our updated topics.
1st Scottish - Rheinland-Pfalz Life Sciences and Biotechnology Conference
Date: February 2022
SULSA are delighted to present the First Scotland-RLP Life Sciences and Biotechnology Conference in collaboration with Johannes Gutenberg-Universität Mainz. This event is primarily aimed at Early Career Researchers in RLP and Scotland to support their international network development and research progression. We are now accepting abstracts from ECRs to present at the online conference on 15th March 2022. An exciting opportunity for Scottish researchers to travel to Germany to undertake collaborative research will also be announced at the conference!
Our Future Health Innovation Seed Funding
Date: February 2022
SULSA will launch Our Future Health Innovation Seed funding award on the 25th February 2022. To learn more about this fund, join us on 25th February at 1-3 pm for our online workshop. Learn about challenges facing life sciences industry, pitch your expertise, and connect with industrial co-applicants for up to £15,000 available through our joint funding call with ScotCHEM, SUPA, SICSA, IBioIC, and CENSIS.
Industry Insights Webinars
Date: February 2022
SULSA in collaboration with IBioIC are hosting a series of ‘Industry Insights’ events to showcase some leading companies. Join us to hear more about their business and the research and innovations they need. The webinars will run on Thursday lunchtimes (12:30 to 13:30) during February and March 2022.
Graduate Employability Masterclasses
Date: February 2022
It’s all go for this years Graduate Employability Masterclasses – our industry-led masterclass series with 8 workshops running for undergraduate and postgraduate students across Scotland. These workshops raise awareness of the opportunities available in Scotland with a life science degree and connect students with potential employers.
ATSTN (Advanced Therapies Skills Training Network)
Date: February 2022
We have coordinated two courses on ‘fundamental advanced therapies laboratory in biosafety’ delivered by Ayrshire College and Merck Life Science, and an ‘introduction to bioprocessing’ course with IBioIC, which will run in February.
Saltire Emerging Researcher Award
Date: December 2021
SULSA are delighted to award 13 researchers for our Saltire Emerging Researcher Funding Call, totalling £53,330. This funding aims to promote mobility between Scotland and European research partners with the aim of strengthening existing, and seeding future, research relationships. Funding must be used to support Postgraduate or Early Career Researcher exchanges in Scotland, EU Member States, EEA and EFTA countries.
SULSA Launch ECR Prize
Date: November 2021
SULSA are delighted to launch the third year of our SULSA ECR Prize. This prize allows exceptional postdocs to raise their profile in Scotland and have a prestigious award on their CV. It includes a fully-funded tour of three Scottish Universities where the awardee will deliver a seminar and meet with staff in order to raise their profile around Scotland, and develop their independent networks, plus £2,000 of flexible funding. The application deadline is 8th December 2021.
SULSA Launch a New Programme of Training Opportunities to Improve Practical Experience within the Life and Chemical Sciences
Date: November 2021
Funded by the Scottish Government’s National Transition Training Fund (NTTF), which aims to support people at risk of redundancy as a result of Covid-19 or Brexit or those who seek to align their skill set with industry needs or the ‘Transition to Net Zero’, we are excited to offer tailored training courses that provide in-demand laboratory and manufacturing skills for the Life and Chemical sciences sectors.
Our NTTF training courses will be designed to upskill new entrants and reskill career changers from at-risk areas to make their skill set compatible with industry needs, thereby improving employability prospects in the Life and Chemical Sciences sectors.
SULSA Launches International Coffee Break @ SULSA
Date: October 2021
SULSA are delighted to launch our International Coffee Break @ SULSA which is a new initiative to help build international collaborations between Scotland and Europe (initially France and Germany) via short, informal coffee breaks facilitated by SULSA.
SULSA Launches Saltire Emerging Researcher Scheme
Date: September 2021
SULSA have opened applications for our Saltire Emerging Researcher Scheme. This funding aims to promote mobility between Scotland and European research partners with the aim of strengthening existing, and seeding future, research relationships. Funding must be used to support Postgraduate or Early Career Researcher exchanges in Scotland, EU Member States, EEA and EFTA countries.
SULSA Launches Forging Futures Scheme
Date: September 2021
SULSA have launched our 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. Recipients of this scheme will receive group coaching sessions with both Skillfluence and MyFuturePlan, receive £500 towards professional development, enjoy access to industry connections via Interface and become SULSA Ambassadors for Industry Engagement.
SULSA Résumé for Researchers Training
Date: September 2021
SULSA have opened registration for our Résumé for Researchers workshop with My Consultants. The Résumé for Researchers is an initiative which aims to capture individuals varied contributions to research in a narrative format and UKRI have announced that they plan to use it as a standard format for assessing track record information.
Re-designing the Scottish Tertiary Education Landscape
Date: July 2021
The Scottish Funding Council has published the final report of their review of Scottish Tertiary Education and Research focusing on how best to achieve a responsive, coherent, and sustainable education, skills and research provision.
We particularly note the emphasis put on collaborative research and knowledge exchange as these are topics at the heart of SULSA and the new cross-pool initiative, Research Innovation Scotland. The review states “We have seen concerted action from the Pools to take on more of an interdisciplinary challenge focus […] through the establishment of Research Innovation Scotland which aims to explore where, as a collective and with a shared purpose, the Scottish research system can add value and generate outputs greater than the sum of its parts.”
Dr Alison Dun, Executive Director of SULSA says “We are delighted to see this drive toward a more connected and cohesive approach to research and innovation, something Scotland knows how to do well and we look forward to the opportunity to improve upon our foundations, together, and work toward a green recovery and sustainable future.”
Scottish Research Innovation Futures Workshop One
Date: June 2021
The first workshop under the Scottish Research Innovation Futures workshop series took place in May 2021. This workshop fell under the SULSA theme Health and Wellbeing and focused on Our Future Health in Scotland. The focus was on two key areas within the Health Tech sector: management of existing long-term conditions, and early detection of disease. The workshop featured a wide variety of speakers, flash presentations and case studies.
Microscopy Facility Funding
Date: May 2021
SULSA are delighted to award three facilities for the SULSA Microscopy Facility Funding Award, totalling £48,560. The successful facilities are Mesolab, ESRIC and the Scottish Centre for Macromolecular Imaging/Centre for Virus Research. This funding is for the enhancement of the facilities via purchasing of new equipment (hardware or software). It was requested that all applicants had submitted information to the new SMS Facilities Database to be eligible. This award will run again in Autumn 2021.
Scottish Research Innovation Futures
Date: April 2021
The Scottish Research Pools, Innovation Centres and KTN have launched a new collaborative workshop series entitled Scottish Research Innovation Futures. This series aims to take a closer look at key challenge areas and understand how collaborative research and innovation can contribute to overcoming them in Scotland’s mission to build back better.The first workshop focusing on Health and Wellbeing is being organised by SULSA, SINAPSE and KTN.
Innovation Seed Funding
Date: April 2021
SULSA are delighted to award six researchers for the SULSA Innovation Seed Funding Award, totalling £88,315. This award aims to help early lecturers/PIs support the development of their independent research and their affiliation with the industry sector. A huge thanks goes to IBioIC who are co-funding two of the projects, and to CENSIS who are co-funding one project. Learn more about the funded projects by clicking below.
ECR Development Funding Award
Date: March 2021
SULSA are delighted to award 19 researchers for our ECR Development Funding Call, totalling £72,000. This funding aims to support researchers to develop their own novel research track. Projects either build a new collaboration (international, cross-discipline or cross-sector), up-skill the applicant, generate pilot data or develop a pathway to commercialisation. Learn more about the funded projects by clicking below.
Graduate Employability Masterclasses
Date: March 2021
Graduate Employability Masterclasses have been commended as invaluable to creating the next generation of graduates launching their career in the life sciences sector. In 2020 SULSA, in partnership with the Scottish Universities Chemistry Pool (ScotCHEM) joined the fold.
SNapNet Launch
Date: February 2021
SULSA (in collaboration with ScotCHEM, IBioIC, SAIC and BCB) held the Scottish Natural Products Network (SNaPNet) launch and networking event in February 2021. This new network aims to bring academia and industry together to create a multidisciplinary and cross-sectoral network that can work toward targets such as the Scottish Government’s Net Zero by 2045 pledge and encourage the growth of the bioeconomy. Visit our events page to learn about the network’s upcoming workshops.
Catapult Advanced Therapies Skills Training Network (ATSTN)
Date: January 2021
A Scottish consortium has been selected as 1 of the 3 UK Centres to deliver cell and gene therapy and vaccine manufacturing training, as part of the C> Catapult Advanced Therapies Skills Training Network (ATSTN). SULSA will be coordinating both practical and theoretical training.
Breaking Barriers in STEM: Artwork Competition
Date: December 2020
We’re delighted to announce that the winner of SULSA’s Breaking Barriers in STEM: Artwork Competition is Roxanna Munir who’s entry ‘Everywhere’ really impressed the judges. Check it out now alongside the 1st runner up!
SULSA Funding Call Launch
Date: November 2020
SULSA are excited to launch two new funding calls – our SULSA ECR Development Fund and SULSA Innovation Seed Funding Call. Learn more about these calls and the application deadline now!
Launch of new website: Research Innovation Scotland
DATE: September 2020
SULSA are excited to launch the Research Innovation Scotland website which is a joint-initiative between SULSA and our fellow research pools. This website aims to showcase the wide range of activities happening across the Scottish R&I landscape and highlight opportunities for collaboration.