Research and knowledge exchange

Industrial Secondment Fund

In early 2018 the University launched a new initiative to create opportunities for Sussex faculty to engage with UK industry.

Industrial Secondment Fund

The Industrial Secondment Fund ran in 2018 and provided the opportunity for secondments for Sussex faculty and employees of UK companies.  The purpose of the scheme was to build and develop relationships with industrial partners and undertake activity which may potentially lead to funding.  From a business perspective, partners would have access to Sussex expertise and intellectual property (both current and future) and could work with Sussex faculty to develop and enhance their company’s productivity.  Secondments could either be short and discontinuous or the first steps in building a long-term collaborative partnership.   Funds could be used for both inward (to the University) and outward (to the Company) secondments and an application could be a single one-way secondment or include both. The scope of the secondment was purposely broad to enable applicants to express what was best for their particular need and activity.  Applicants were particularly encouraged which addressed the challenge areas of the Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund.

The Fund had an allocation of £50k and two awards were made:

Professor Ann Light was seconded to Wired Sussexa Brighton-based membership organisation for companies and freelancers operating in the digital, media and technology sector in Sussex. Prof Light facilitated discussions with SMEs to look fo greater opportunities for Sussex academics to particpate in Brighton businesses and industrial activity.  The secondment focused on the appreciation of commercial and competitive applications for Quantum Computing.

Professor Margaretta Jolly was seconded to Myriad Editions, a highly distinctive and successful independent publisher. The secondment will extend the School of Media, Film and Music's developing programme in Cultural and Creative Industries and will provide a vital connection to industry for Jolly's Leverhulme Trust funded research project The Business of Women's Words: Purpose and Profit in Feminist Publishing.

 

Scheme contact

Debbie Foy-Everett, Sussex Research Initiatives Manager