In 1998 she completed an MSc with distinction in Social Research from the University of Northumbria with a dissertation in Relationship Education in Schools. In 1999 she earned promotion to Research Associate and worked on a large research project funded by the Lord Chancellor’s Department and took specific responsibility for three areas of research, conducting in-depth interviews with both members of the public and professionals.

From 2000 until 2004 Sue combined her appointment as an RA with that of being Centre Coordinator and taking on a more administrative role within the Centre including bid development. She moved into full-time administration firstly in 2004, gaining an Assistant Grants and Contracts Officer post in the Science, Agriculture and Engineering Faculty grants and contracts team and more in Humanities and Social Science as Grants and Contracts Officer. From 2007 until recently Sue was a Research Funding Development Manager in the Humanities and Social Science Faculty at Newcastle University. She is now engaged as a Research and Development Consultant at Teesside University.