*This funding has now been fully committed*
In 2021/2022 SUPA was delighted to provide a new funding opportunity: SUPA Saltire Emerging Researcher Visits.
SUPA welcomed applications from doctoral students and early career researchers for short-term academic or industry visits either:
- from Scotland to any country in the EU; or
- from any country in the EU to Scotland.
The visits were intended to promote mobility between Scotland and European research partners with the aim of strengthening existing, and seeding future, research relationships. Early career researchers are defined as being within 7 years (full time equivalent) of graduating from a doctorate.
Eligible costs
Each successful candidate may be the recipient of a single award only, up to a maximum value of £10,000 and each visit must be for up to a maximum of 6 months. The funding cannot be used for covering the cost of visas, attendance at conferences and training seminars, research costs and the like.
Eligible costs are restricted to:
- economy travel
- accommodation
- subsistence at the agreed institutional rate
- reasonable adjustments relating to equality, diversity, and inclusion considerations
The Saltire Exchange funding includes allowance and consideration for reasonable adjustments relating to equality, diversity, and inclusion considerations. For example, splitting an exchange into two visits to return home for a medical appointment that cannot be moved.
Application process
The SUPA Graduate School will be responsible for selecting the best candidates in an open competition which will be judged by the SUPA Theme Leaders and experts in the sub disciplines. Criteria for selection will include:
- evidence of the ability of the candidate (output, leadership);
- likely benefits to the research of the candidate (new skills, techniques likely to be acquired) as result of the visit;
- likely benefits to the longer-term career of the researcher as a result of the visit;
- evidence of wider benefits to SUPA as a result of the visit;
- the potential for sustained collaboration as a result of the visit;
- the potential for academic and/or social impact.
Applicants will also be asked to consider alternative arrangements for if travelling to the visit is not possible, applications are therefore also welcome from those who are unable to travel, for reasons including but not limited to Covid-19 restrictions, disability, caring responsibilities, pregnancy, or LGBT+ safety.
Permission of 1st or 2nd supervisors will be required plus confirmation that the host organisation is willing to accept and host the visit for the proposed period. Participants must agree to attend online cohort meetings to share experiences.
Within two months of returning, successful candidates must provide to SUPA a report covering:
- the aims, objectives or themes that the visit relates to;
- a lay person (non-scientific) summary of no more than 400 words;
- a brief scientific report (no more than two A4 pages);
- a list of outputs (publications/other); and
- detailed costs involved.
The reports will be reviewed by SUPA, with a summary placed on the SUPA website - if you would rather we did not publicise the work, please note that on your application.
Team Saltire
There are multiple schemes across Scotland offering this funding, made possible by the Scottish Government and Scottish Funding Council. There will therefore also be cohort-wide events and communications to all those who are going on a visit, under the banner "Team Saltire". SUPA will share your contact information with the central team running these cohort-wide activities.
Information sessions
We ran a number of information sessions on Zoom for applicants to find out more and ask any questions, the slides for these sessions are viewable online.
Here are answers to some FAQs.
Your data
Your application will be shared with the judging panel and sub-discipline experts, and will be stored on the SUPA storage drive, based at the University of Glasgow School of Physics & Astronomy. Applications will be kept on file for 3 years before being removed.
SUPA is grateful for this funding from the Scottish Funding Council and the Scottish Government.
