SUSTAIN - women in research

SUSTAIN round 12 participants:

Dr Hee-Kyung Ahn, University of Edinburgh
Dr Ysobel Baker, University of Southampton
Dr Emily Bowen, University of Bristol
Dr Alice Bowen, University of Manchester
Dr Rosalin Cooper, University of Oxford
Dr Jennifer Cowan, University College London
Dr Belen Fadrique Jimenez, University of Liverpool
Dr Darya Frank, University of Manchester
Dr Rebecca Geddes, Royal Veterinary College
Dr Avital Hahamy, University College London
Dr Courtney Hanna, University of Cambridge
Dr Heli Hietala, Queen Mary University of London
Dr Laura Kudrna, University of Birmingham
Dr Marcela Lipovsek, University College London
Dr Vicki Metzis, Imperial College London
Dr Sophie Pain, University of Warwick
Dr Laura Maria Peralta Pereira, King's College London
Dr Sarah Robinson, Sainsbury Laboratory
Dr Jo Saul, University College London
Dr Maitreyi Shivkumar, De Montfort University
Dr Amy Sweeny, University of Edinburgh
Dr Matilde Vaghi, Birkbeck College, University of London

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 will be by default paired with an Academy Fellow. However, if a participant prefers not to be paired with an Academy Fellow, they will have the option of being paired with a SUSTAIN alum only.  We are also trialling a new process where all participants will have the option to have an additional mentor, a SUSTAIN alum, should they wish to take advantage of this opportunity. Bespoke training and ongoing support will be 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.

Royal Society

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

Academy of Medical Sciences

• 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 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