Knowledge Exchange from Scottish

Government Research Programmes

in Rural and Environmental Science

Ron Stagg
Research and Science Division
Scottish Government
ron.stagg@scotland.gsi.gov.uk

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RERAD Research
Strategic Research
main research providers
programmes of research
strategic partnerships

Centres of expertise
EPIC

Contract research fund

Competitive
Largely policy led
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Providers
Macaulay
Scottish Crop
Moredun
SAC
Rowett
[RBGE]

Current Programmed Research

Sustainable
and
profitable
agriculture:
plants

Sustainable
and
profitable
agriculture:
animals

Environm
ent, land
use and
rural
stewardship

Impacts
on
human
health

Responding to climate change

Cross cutting
themes

Protecting biodiversity

Environmental, social and economic sustainability

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Strategic Partnerships

Co- funded projects with DEFRA LINK

EU co-funded projects through ERANETS
LWEC projects
Contribution to BBSRC food security
programme
Rural land use study exemplar for
integrated research
Technology Strategy Board
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Role of science
Evidence improving policy and public
services
Innovation improving existing business
and spinning out new ones
Improved skills
Attracting inward R&D investment

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Landscape

Global context
Financial challenges
Policy need
Governments agenda

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Global Challenges
Pressure

Environmental
and climate
change
Population
growth
Technological
change
Increased
consumption

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State
Food, energy and
water securities
Ecosystem
infrastructure and
biodiversity
Infectious disease
Equity and poverty
alleviation

Scotland Performs
A single purpose
To focus government and public services on
creating a more successful country, with
opportunities for all of Scotland to flourish,
through increasing sustainable economic
growth
http://www.scotland.gov.uk/About/scotPerforms/performance

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Purpose Targets

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The evidence highway

cameras

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Headline Themes
Local responses to global
change
Optimising the potential of
Scotlands natural assets
National Capability

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Partners
Deer Commission Scotland
Food Standards Agency in
Scotland
Forestry Commission
Scotland
Quality Meat Scotland
Scottish Environment
Protection Agency
Scottish Government
Scottish Natural Heritage
Scottish Water

Cameras Board
Effective co-ordination of science and research activities by:
Identifying opportunities for joint working;
Facilitating effective communication between the partners
and suppliers
Joint working and knowledge exchange to increase
efficiency and effectiveness;
Developing coordinated science and research strategies;
Joint horizon scanning and foresight

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http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Re
search/About/EBAR/CAMERASsite

Monitoring Strategy

Better use of
Observations
& evidence

Overarching vision
and science framework
Rural/Environment Strategy
Marine Strategy
CAMERAS
Community

Communication
and networking
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Better commissioning
decisions

CAMERAS conference
Briefings

Innovation

Drugs for inflammatory bowel disease

DNA fingerprinting and water quality
Vaccines for livestock diseases
Novel grazing solutions for worm control
3D landscape visualisation

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Route to Impact
Licensing e.g. new vaccines or crop varieties;
Partnership working
private companies to develop new market-ready
products,
academic sector to advance research;

Stakeholder engagement
proactive engagement with target beneficiaries,
knowledge exchange and awareness raising

Policy advice
evidence to inform policy development
local, regional and national
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Case Studies
Licensing Transmission

Policy Transmission

MRP: Scottish Crop Research Institute

MRP: Macaulay Land Use Institute

Research Area: Improved varieties of

potatoes

Research Area: Water management and

diffuse pollution control e.g. nutrients

Transmission: Licensed via spin out

company to UK and international
propagators and growers taking it the
varieties to market

Transmission: Knowledge exchange by

providing expert inputs into political
decision making e.g. Scottish soils
strategy, EU water framework directive,
CAP
Impact: Environmental benefits through
improved understanding of how pollution
impacts on water quality and effective
strategies to mitigate.

Impact: Generating new growth,

safeguarding existing activity. Estimated
contribution 11M to scotland in 2008

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Case Studies
Actual Impact

Potential Impact

MRP: Moredun Research Institute

MRP: Rowett Institute

Research Area: Development of a vaccine

for Pasteurella which accounts for 55% of
pneumonia cases in cattle

Research Area: Protein versus

carbohydrate diets

Transmission: Commercial partner and

licence

Transmission: Knowledge exchange via

policy, parliamentary committees and
public engagement

Impact: Prevention of fatality and losses in

livestock. Cattle: 1.5M Sheep 16M pa

Impact: Potential reduction in the rate of

certain conditions such as colorectal
cancer and inflammatory disease currently
affecting 1 in 500 Scots

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Future Research context

2011 - 2016

Integrated approach to food, diet and health

Food, water and energy security
Sustainable and efficient use of land
Opportunities and risks posed by
environmental change
Productive and sustainable farming
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Evolution from current position

Governments single purpose
Need for better co-ordination across government
CAMERAS
Develop the capacity for integrated policy advice
Multidisciplinary and cross provider working

Widening the end user community

Centres of expertise

Knowledge Exchange
Policy, Education and Innovation
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Research Programmes
Scientific evidence to meet policy needs in
the longer term 5-25 years
Multidisciplinary, integrated and
collaborative
Crossing boundaries between natural
science, social science and economics
Builds on progress made through cross
cutting themes in current programmes
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Programme Themes
LWEC
Local Response to
Global Change

Food Security
Optimising the Potential of
Scotlands natural Assets

Environment

Rural Industries & Food

Scotlands environmental assets

are managed effectively to
optimise resilience and adaptation
to local and global change.
Resilient and efficient supply
chains for water and energy.
Technologies and management
tools to deliver greater benefits
from rural land use and increased
resilience to change.
Rural industries resilient to global
and local change

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Resilient and efficient supply

chains for food
Animal and Plant Health and
Disease
Healthy safe diets
Vibrant rural communities

Citations per paper in Agricultural

Sciences (From THE 2009)

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22

Annual % change in Agricultural GDP

1995-2005 (OECD)

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23

Pasteurs quadrant
High
Quest for
fundamental
understanding

Bohr quadrant

Pasteur quadrant

Low
Common person quadrant

Edison quadrant

Low
Consideration of use
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High

Thank you and questions

Detail at:
http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Research
/About/EBAR/StrategicResearch/future-resea
rch-strategy

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