SUSTAIN is a programme that enables women in research to thrive in their independent research careers. It provides an innovative programme of training and support to develop participants’ leadership and career potential.
Key dates
Applications for SUSTAIN Round 9 are now closed.
Not enough female researchers are securing senior leadership posts in the UK. A concerted effort is needed to ensure women are appropriately supported along their career trajectory to enable them to secure those senior positions.
Our SUSTAIN programme provides female researchers a fantastic opportunity to benefit from individualised support tailored to their career needs.
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.
“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.
[1] Medical Schools Council, 2013. A Survey of Staffing Levels of Medical Clinical Academics in UK Medical Schools as at 31 July 2012. http://bit.ly/1B7SPEM
[2] UKRC, 2009. Female Attrition, Retention and Barriers to Careers in SET Academic Research. Royal Society of Edinburgh, 2012. Tapping all our talents. NAS, 2010. Gender Differences at Critical Transitions in the Careers of Science, Engineering, and Mathematics Faculty.
[3] Equality Challenge Unit, 2013. Equality in higher education: statistical report 2013: http://bit.ly/1wZg2xU
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
How to apply
Applications for the ninth round of SUSTAIN are now closed. If you have any queries please email us at SUSTAIN@acmedsci.ac.uk
Supporters
SUSTAIN is supported by the Academy of Medical Sciences, the Medical Research Council, the Royal Society, and the Royal Academy of Engineering.