SUSTAIN - women in research

We are delighted to announce the 23 SUSTAIN participants starting their year-long programme on Wednesday 21 June. As in previous rounds, applicants were chosen randomly and stratified by location and funder. For SUSTAIN Rounds 8 and 9 we are trialing a new selection process, ensuring a minimum number of places go to those who are further minoritised within academia. All applicants are grant awardees funded by the Academy of Medical Sciences, the Medical Research Council, the Royal Society or the Royal Academy of Engineering. The programme will provide the participants with a range of innovative training and support opportunities to develop and refine their leadership and career potential. 

SUSTAIN round 8 participants: 

Sarah Aitken, MRC Group Leader & Honorary Consultant Pathologist, University of Cambridge

Meena Balasubramanian, Senior Clinical Lecturer and Consultant Clinical Geneticist, University of Sheffield

Margherita Bertuzzi, Lecturer in Molecular Microbiology, University of Manchester

Kirstyn Brunker, Research Fellow, University of Glasgow

Floryne Buishand, Lecturer Small Animal Soft Tissue Surgery, Royal Veterinary College, University of London

Chiara Ciccarelli, Assistant Professor, Royal Society University Research Fellow, University of Cambridge

Marilena Crescente, Senior Lecturer in Haematology, Manchester Metropolitan University

Ellen Garland, Royal Society University Research Fellow, University of St Andrews

Imogen Gingell, Royal Society University Research Fellow, University of Southampton

Georgina Gregory, Royal Society Dorothy Hodgkin Fellow, University of Oxford

Claire Higham, Consultant Endocrinologist, University of Manchester

Helena Knowles, University Assistant Professor and Royal Society University Research Fellow, University of Cambridge

Cerys Manning, Research Fellow, University of Manchester

Sophie Meekings, Royal Society Dorothy Hodgkin Research Fellow, University of York

Beatriz Mingo, Senior Lecturer and RAEng Fellow, University of Manchester

Nicola Paine, Senior Lecturer in Health Psychology, Loughborough University

Reshma Rao, Royal Academy of Engineering Research Fellow, Imperial College London

Michaela Reichmann, Associate Professor, University of Southampton

Gulsen Surmeli, Sir Henry Dale fellow, University of Edinburgh

Paz Tayal, MRC Clinician Scientist and Honorary Consultant Cardiologist, Imperial College London

Teresa Tropea, MRC CDA Research Fellow, University of Manchester

Mie Wong, Group Leader and Sir Henry Dale Fellow, University College London

Joanna Young, MRC Career Development Award Fellow, University of Edinburgh

The year-long programme offers interactive skills training and career development sessions, tailored mentoring and the opportunity to network with research leaders. It is designed so that participants are part of a unique cohort to share learnings and includes:

• Interactive career development workshops

The workshops will be tailored to support attendees through the challenges of combining research, teaching, clinical practice and caring and other responsibilities where relevant. Previous sessions have included topics on:

• Time management
  • Negotiation
  • Setting up a research team for success
  • Developing your leadership style

• A peer support network 

The cohort is small by design and are matched in co-coaching trios to enable ongoing peer support and safe discussion of issues/challenges. Small group work at each workshop helps to embed and put into practice key learning points.

• One-to-one mentoring

Participants are mentored by a Fellow of the Academy. Bespoke training on how to get the most out of mentoring, and ongoing support is provided to both mentees and mentors over the course of the programme.

SUSTAIN supports 24 women for a period of one year. Only award holders from the following partner organisations are eligible.

Medical Research Council 

• Career Development Award
• Clinician Scientist Fellowship
• New Investigator Research Grant (NIRGs)
• Clinical Academic Partnership Grants
• MRC Investigators (Programme Leader Track only)

Royal Society

• Dorothy Hodgkin Fellowship
• Sir Henry Dale Fellowship
• University Research Fellowship

Academy of Medical Sciences

• Academy of Medical Sciences/The Health Foundation Clinician Scientist Fellowship
• Springboard Award
• Starter Grant Award for Clinical Lecturers

Royal Academy of Engineering   

• Research Fellow
• Engineering for Development Research Fellows

In February 2022, we published the findings of an independent evaluation of the SUSTAIN programme, which looked at the lasting impact the programme has had since it first started in 2015. SUSTAIN was found to be strikingly successful, with over 90% of evaluation participants saying the programme was helping them thrive as independent researchers. You can find visual highlights of this report here: 

We also work to support individuals and organisations who are developing their own programmes similar to SUSTAIN. If you are looking to develop your own programme, you can explore our new toolkit here.   

Read case studies of SUSTAIN participants here.

“SUSTAIN is the first programme that is tailored specifically towards women at the beginning stages of their independent careers. By integrating a range of approaches, SUSTAIN enables new PIs to develop their own, personal leadership styles needed for their successful progression as scientists.”

Professor Eva Hoffman, SUSTAIN reference group

“Trying to build a career, deliver high quality science and raise a family can seem daunting. But you are not alone and many of the challenges faced by women in research are shared. SUSTAIN offers a structured programme of training and mentorship coupled with the opportunity to learn from and share with people who have walked (or are walking) in your shoes.”

Professor Elizabeth Sapey, SUSTAIN reference group

A number of reports over the past decade have highlighted the relative paucity of women researchers in science securing senior leadership posts in the UK due to barriers and hidden biases[1][2][3]. Although the number is slowly rising, the Academy believes that a more concerted effort is needed to ensure women are appropriately supported along their career trajectory to enable them to secure those senior positions.

Reference group members

• Professor Christine Harrison FMedSci, Professor of Childhood Cancer Cytogenetics, Newcastle University (chair)
• Professor Eva Hoffman, Professor in Molecular Genetics, University of Copenhagen
• Professor Jim Smith FRS FMedSci, Director of Science, Wellcome and Visiting Group Leader, Francis Crick Institute
• Professor Elizabeth Sapey, Director of the Institute of Inflammation and Ageing, University of Birmingham and FLIER round two participant
• Dr Zania Stamataki, Senior Lecturer in Liver Immunology, University of Birmingham and SUSTAIN round one participant