Nur Kocaturk awarded AMS Cross-Sector Experience Award

These awards allow the recipient to spend up to a year working outside their usual sectors, forging partnerships between industry, academia, government and charities to break down research silos and accelerate solutions to major health challenges. 

For Nur, a postdoctoral researcher in the Farnaby lab in the Centre for Targeted Protein Degradation, they will partner with Promega Corporation. They aim to co-develop a new cellular ligand finding platform for intractable disease related proteins.   

Now in its second year, the Cross-Sector Experience Awards provide up to £100,000 per recipient for three- to 12-month placements in a sector different from their own. This is designed to create time, space and resources for professionals to step outside their usual environment, absorb new ways of thinking, and spark collaborations that wouldn’t otherwise be possible. In this round, the Academy awarded over £930,000 to 13 professionals. 

Professor Jackie Hunter CBE FMedSci, Chair of the Cross-Sector Awards Panel, said: 

“Too often, innovation is limited by structural barriers between sectors. These awards help break those down, bringing together people with different skills, experiences and ways of thinking. This round shows just how varied and impactful cross-sector partnerships can be. 

“Whether it’s developing new therapies, designing data systems to reduce health inequalities, or strengthening community healthcare, each project is a chance to spark ideas that wouldn’t emerge within traditional silos.” 

Delivered in partnership with Wellcome and the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), the awards support professionals working in any role or discipline, so long as their work contributes to improving human health. 

By enabling cross-sector mobility, the Academy of Medical Sciences is supporting the development of a future-proofed health system that values flexibility, nurtures diverse talent, and strengthens coordination across all parts of the innovation pipeline. 

Professor James Naismith FRS FRSE FMedSci, Vice President (Non-Clinical) at the Academy of Medical Sciences, added:

“Cross-sector collaboration isn’t a luxury – it’s essential. If we want real-world impact, we need real-world partnerships. By enabling these flexible placements, we’re supporting professionals to learn from other sectors, share their expertise, and return with new tools to tackle the biggest health and societal challenges. 

“By investing in people, embedding collaboration into career paths, and building the kind of agile, inclusive workforce needed to deliver both health improvements and national prosperity, we can future-proof the UK research system. These goals are strongly aligned with the UK’s long-term Industrial Strategy, which rightly places life sciences at the heart of our country’s economic and social renewal.” 

The Cross-Sector Experience Awards are open to applicants at any career stage. Whether based in academia, the NHS, charities, or private enterprise, awardees are given the flexibility to undertake a placement and return to their original role with fresh perspectives, expanded networks and valuable new capabilities. 

Applications for the next round of Cross-Sector Experience Awards are expected to open in late autumn 2025. More information, including eligibility and how to apply, is available on the Academy of Medical Sciences website: www.acmedsci.ac.uk