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Fuse Associate awarded prestigious Cross-Sector Experience Award

Emma Adams, a Fuse Associate and NIHR Doctoral Fellow at Newcastle University, has been awarded a prestigious Cross-Sector Experience Award from the Academy of Medical Sciences.
She will collaborate with Gateshead Council and Northumberland County Council, exploring how housing and homelessness data can be better used to inform public health strategy. Her project aims to enable more timely, targeted action to support people experiencing or at risk of homelessness, addressing the deep-rooted health inequalities they face.
Emma, who joined Newcastle University as an NIHR School for Public Health Research Pre-doctoral Fellow through Fuse's membership of the School, said:
"I’m thrilled to receive the Academy’s Cross-Sector Experience Award to partner with Gateshead Council and Northumberland County Council. This creates opportunities to collaboratively develop innovative approaches to strengthen housing and homelessness data - ultimately helping to better address the health needs of people experiencing or at risk of homelessness."
Emma is one of 13 professionals receiving a share of over £930,000 from the Academy of Medical Sciences to spend up to a year working outside their usual sectors. These awards forge partnerships between industry, academia, government and charities to break down silos and accelerate solutions to major health challenges.
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 in the UK and internationally that wouldn’t otherwise be possible.
From using artificial intelligence to transform cataract surgery to addressing homelessness through better use of local authority data, these partnerships target some of society’s most pressing challenges by enabling a research ecosystem that is connected, coordinated and equipped for the future.
The programme plays a vital role in strengthening international ties, reinforcing the UK’s position as a trusted partner in global health innovation and helping to ensure that research insights and solutions transcend borders.
Some individuals this year are also working at more than one host organisation during their placement, reflecting the increasingly interconnected nature of research and the reality that breakthrough solutions often require coordination across several sectors and specialisms.
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, alongside the Academy’s Cross-Sector hub network, the programme supports a future-proofed health system that values flexibility, nurtures diverse talent, and strengthens coordination across all parts of the innovation pipeline.
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.
Last modified: Wed, 13 Aug 2025 17:04:56 BST