Vision
SINAPSE is a strategic partnership of 7 universities which aims to drive collaboration across universities as well as the industry sector, the Health Service and across disciplines. SINAPSE supports and enhances research and innovation excellence in Scotland’s imaging sector, ensuring Scotland is recognised globally as a destination for leading imaging research and development. SINAPSE strives to enhance Scotland’s vibrant imaging research community by improving opportunities for crosscutting collaboration, inward investment, lifelong learning and translational research. Next generation SINAPSE builds on the previous successes of SINAPSE and our member institutions while inclusivity and the improvement of our research culture underpins all SINAPSE activities.
Vision
SINAPSE is a Scotland wide, cross-disciplinary imaging network of scientists and clinicians whose shared goal is the development of both novel imaging methodologies and the next generation of scientists to exploit them, with the aim of addressing global Health and Wellbeing challenges. SINAPSE is a collaborative research environment in which world-class expertise and facilities are used to put Scottish Imaging Research on the world stage.
Drive cross-university, multidiscipline and cross-sectoral collaboration in Scotland Improve equal access to opportunity for imaging researchers across Scotland Increase the number of opportunities for imaging researchers, in particular ECRs, to progress in their career Drive investment in imaging research in Scotland Promote the excellent research and innovation in imaging to the rest of the worldObjectives
In alignment with university strategies, SINAPSE aims to achieve our objectives in 3 key areas: International network building Industry engagement ECR training and developmentAims
The Executive Committee and Strategic Advisory Board will support us in achieving our Vision and Objectives and measure our progress against them. We will begin to meet these in the following ways:
SINAPSE activities can assist our partner Universities in meeting their obligations to the Concordat to Support the Career Development of Researchers. We will increase our ECR engagement with direct participation and collaboration in SINAPSE strategy and planning by forming an ECR committee, with ECR and PhD roles on the Executive Committee, and provide cross-network training opportunities including entrepreneurial outcomes. SINAPSE will continue to put EDI at the centre of its policy and practice. We will ensure full representation in decision making, showcasing work, and running the organisation. We will provide training in EDI matters and ensure our funding opportunities are open and accessible to all.
SINAPSE is ideally placed to support competitive bids for funding calls that are increasingly focused on interdisciplinary proposals with cross-site collaboration requiring rapid proposal turn-around times. SINAPSE will actively seek financial support from our commercial partners towards our core-funding and grow our connections by creating a new joint industrial advisory board. It is expected that suitable confidentiality agreements as set out in Part 5 of the Schedule, will be put in place to facilitate the any new joint industrial advisory board. SINAPSE is ideally placed to link industry partners with academic partners to unlock access to industry partnership funding calls and support improving entrepreneurial outcomes across the sector.
SINAPSE will increase its capacity to deliver its goals, by seeking external funding from bodies such as SFC, UKRI and Horizon Europe: The SFC SALTIRE fund, is an opportunity that will increase our capacity to support international exchanges for ECRs to build fruitful collaborations, SFC has put out a call for Alliances for Research Challenges. SINAPSE is focused on using its strengths and reputation to support a relevant application to build a successful Alliance that will attract UK and EU Challenge-led funding. SINAPSE intends to provide an Imaging Research Graduate School, leveraging support from SFC in collaboration with UKRI to form new Graduate Schools. An example of a Horizon Europe opportunity where we could provide leadership and application coordination is:
SINAPSE will actively seek financial support from our commercial partners towards our core-funding and grow our connections by creating a new joint industrial advisory board SINAPSE will refresh our public engagement and advocacy activity, raising awareness of Scottish imaging and its benefits to the nation. SINAPSE will seek new academic, public body, and charity partners.