FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES
Explore our funding opportunities and learn about previously funded calls and their impact. Be sure to check out our SULSA Activity Planner to plan for the year ahead.
01
International Collaboration Fund
This funding is intended to promote connectivity between Scotland and European research partners with the aim of strengthening existing and seeding future research relationships, and creating paths to European research funding.
Open to: The lead applicant must be actively undertaking research within a Scottish University or Research Institute i.e., postdoctoral researcher, research fellow or principal investigator.
Funding Available: Applicants are invited to apply for up to £5,000 for research visits, exchanges and collaboration activities. Awards will cover travel, accommodation, subsistence, and reasonable additional costs arising from Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) considerations.
Status: Call opened Friday 19th September and closes Friday 10th October 2025.
02
SULSA Network Support
SULSA is pleased to offer support for both new and existing Life Sciences networks by contributing towards the costs of running a network event. Networks must fall within SULSA’s Life Sciences remit spanning human health, animals, plants, and microbes.
Open to: The lead applicant must work within the Life Sciences sector in a SULSA member university. Applicants at all career stages are welcome.
Funding Available: Networks may apply for up to £1,000. A maximum of three networks will be funded per round.
Call Status: Call opened Monday 1st September 2025 and closes Monday 2nd February 2026.
03
SULSA Early Career Development
This funding is intended to support researchers in developing their own independent academic careers. It can be used for a range of activities, including travel, training in new techniques or skills, consumables, and access to research facilities. Projects should aim to establish a new collaboration, enhance the applicant’s skills, generate pilot data, and/or develop a pathway to commercialisation.
Open to: Postdoctoral Researchers, Research Assistants, Technical Staff Member or Teaching Fellow actively pursuing an independent academic career trajectory and employed within a SULSA university or institute.
Funding Available: Applicants may apply for up to £4,000. Around five projects will be funded per round.
Call Status: Call opens Monday 2nd February and closes Monday 16th March 2026.
04
SULSA Postdoctoral Prize
SULSA’s Postdoctoral Prize recognises outstanding researchers whose work shows strong potential to make an impact in the life sciences. The prize aims to shine a light on these individuals by providing a prestigious award that helps raise their profile in Scotland and supports the development of their independent networks.
The award includes a fully funded tour of three Scottish universities, where the recipient will deliver seminars and engage with academic staff to expand their network. In addition, the winner will receive £1,000 in flexible funding to support activities such as attending conferences, undertaking training, purchasing consumables, or visiting collaborators.
Open to: Postdoctoral Researchers (holding a PhD) in the field of Life Sciences.
Funding Available: £2,000 will be awarded to the winning applicants. There will be four winners per round.
Status: Call opens Monday 16th March and closes Monday 20th April 2026.
05
SULSA Innovation Seed
In partnership with The Data Lab, this funding supports new collaborative projects between academia and industry, driving innovative research and breakthrough solutions. Applications should focus on life and health sciences topics that incorporate a strong data or digital component.
Open to: Senior Postdoctoral Researchers with over £50,000 in independent research funding (excluding fellowship grants), or Principal Investigators with less than £500,000 in independent research funding.
Funding Available: Applicants are invited to apply for between £5,000 – £15,000. Around 2-3 projects will be funded per round.
Status: Call opens Monday 13th April and closes Tuesday 26th May 2026.
06
RS Macdonald Facility Access
SULSA and SINAPSE (Scottish Imaging Network: A Platform for Scientific Excellence) aim to support access to Scottish facilities and fund research projects aligned with the RS Macdonald scope, which includes neurological conditions, diseases of the visual system, spinal cord injury, and stroke.
Open to: Varies by Research Pool. Please refer to the full guidelines for details.
Funding Available: Applicants are invited to apply for up to £10,000. Between 8-10 applications will be funded per round.
Status: This call is currently closed. Keep an eye on SULSA’s website and social media for updates on this call re-opening.
07
Scotland-Germany Research Collaborations
Explore the funding opportunities available for Scotland–Germany research collaborations, offered by the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD), the German Research Foundation (DFG), and SULSA.
Open to: Postgraduate Students, Postdoctoral Researchers and Academic Staff.
Status: These opportunities are available from DAAD and DFG on an ongoing basis.
