Paula Smith

I graduated far too long ago from Manchester University with a Geography Degree. Since then, I have had a very varied career which included a couple of years at CERN in Geneva where I ran the tender process for all kinds of equipment, including some of the early parts needed to start building the famous Large Hadron Collider. On returning to the UK I began working in Equity Research for Merrill Lynch – eventually becoming a small cap European equity strategy specialist.

In my early thirties I escaped the City for country life and a new role supporting the founders of two start-up companies; one developing electrolyser technology and the other developing novel polymers for biomedical applications. My time working for these two companies, gave me great insight into the commercialisation of technology, with hands-on experience of R&D fundraising, grant writing and project management. This led to a final change with a new career specialising in R&D grant funding. I particularly enjoy the opportunity to continue to be immersed in the world of innovation, learning of new technologies across multiple sectors, combined with the challenge of telling a strong grant funding story.

Outside of work I enjoy spending family time with my husband, two teenage sons (before they fly the nest) and the dog. I am currently working on a redesign of the garden – a slightly over ambitious and therefore over running lockdown project.