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, environmental 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.

To get an understanding of the academic research landscape in RLP, visit the Forschungs Landekarte for a list of Universities and Universities of Applied Sciences.

SULSA co-hosts a biennial research conference for PhD students and early career researchers in Scotland and Rhineland-Palatinate.

Our first Scotland-RLP Life Sciences and Biotechnology Conference in 2022 was co-hosted with the Johannes Gutenberg University of Mainz and focused on five strategically selected topics:
1) biology of mental health and resilience
2) novel approaches to understanding, diagnosing, and treating disease
3)development of vaccines and advanced therapies
4) understanding the molecular mechanisms of cancer
5) understanding the molecular mechanisms of neurodegeneration.

Opening remarks were given by Scottish Minister for Higher Education and Further Education, Jamie Hepburn, and RLP Minister for Science and Health, Clemens Hoch. With a plenary talk from biotechnology giants, BioNTech, and 20 talks from ECRs, the conference attracted 133 attendees.

“I was impressed by the breadth of research presented at the event, and almost immediately after have made new research connections. Great experience!” – Attendee testimonial

Our second conference, co-hosted with the RLP Technical University of Kaiserslautern-Landau in 2024 focused on the topics of:

1) Sustainability in Biotechnology
2) AI and Data in Healthcare
3) Engineering Biology
4) Biotechnology for Advanced Therapies
5) Neurodegeneration and Healthy Ageing

Senior academics and early career researchers from both regions presented their research. The plenary address was given by BASF and included a panel discussion on collaborative funding with SULSA, DFG, DAAD, and the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation. This conference was attended by 139 attendees, 60% of which were early career researchers.

In April 2025, to mark the launch of our Life Sciences, Environmental Sciences and Biotechnology Hub, we will host an online research showcase event to highlight the cutting-edge research happening across SULSA members and research institutes in RLP.

SULSA’s Rhineland-Palatinate Research Exchange Funding (Mobility) 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 Rhineland-Palatinate, and SULSA to support bilateral research exchanges between Scotland and the Rhineland-Palatinate (RLP) state of Germany.

Visit our Collaborative Research and Mobility Funding Opportunities with Germany page to explore other mobility and research funding opportunities. 

In January 2024, SULSA hit the road with a delegation of 16 academics from 11 SULSA members including 3 early career researchers for a week-long visit to Rhineland-Palatinate. 

Throughout the visit, the delegation was hosted by the RLP Minister for Science and Health, Clemens Hoch, networked with 40 academics from six universities, visited the TRON research institute and Boehringer-Ingelheim pharmaceutical giants. The trip concluded with a Burns Supper celebration at the University of Mainz.

During this visit, over 50 connections were made between academics with shared research interests, and we secured approval to establish a life sciences, environmental sciences and biotechnology hub with the Scotland Hub at the University of Mainz.

In June 2024, we welcomed the RLP State Secretary for Science and Health to Dundee alongside a delegation from the ministry and academics from RLP where we officially announced the development of the Hub and signed a Cooperation Agreement with our partners at the Scotland Hub at the University of Mainz confirming that the Hub will launch in April 2025.

In June 204, SULSA entered a Cooperation Agreement with the Scotland Hub at the University of Mainz to develop a life sciences, environmental sciences and biotechnology hub supported by the Scottish Government Office in Berlin and the Rhineland-Palatinate Ministry for Science and Health.

This Hub will support research collaboration, network building and researcher mobility to build upon the work we have been doing for the last 3 years. We are beyond excited to bring this opportunity to SULSA members and colleagues in Rheinland-Pfalz and to scope for future opportunities to feed the appetite for collaborative research projects with strong socioeconomic impacts.

Some of the activity we will deliver includes:
– Biennial research conference for PhD students and Early Career Researchers
– Bilateral research exchange funding
– Biennial Research Showcase for SULSA members and Rheinland-Pfalz universities and research institutes
– Scoping for funding for joint MSc and PhD projects

The Hub will officially launch in April 2025.