kt scotland conference heriot-watt university knowledge exchange from scottish government research...

KT Scotland Conference Heriot-Watt University

Knowledge Exchange from Scottish Government Research Programmesin Rural and Environmental Science

Ron Stagg

Research and Science DivisionScottish Government

[email protected]


RERAD Research

• Strategic Research – main research providers– programmes of research– strategic partnerships

• Centres of expertise– EPIC

• Contract research fund– Competitive– Largely policy led

Providers– Macaulay– Scottish Crop– Moredun– SAC– Rowett– [RBGE]


Current Programmed Research

Sustainable and

profitableagriculture:

plants

Sustainable and

profitable agriculture:

animals

Environment, land use and

rural steward-

ship

Impacts on

human health

Responding to climate change

Protecting biodiversity

Environmental, social and economic sustainability

Cross cutting

themes


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


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


Landscape

• Global context

• Financial challenges

• Policy need

• Governments agenda


Global Challenges

• Environmental and climate change

• Population growth

• Technological change

• Increased consumption

• Food, energy and water securities

• Ecosystem infrastructure and biodiversity

• Infectious disease• Equity and poverty

alleviation

Pressure State


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


Purpose Targets


The evidence highway

Stakeholder

Community

Research providing science for application in policy

Higher Education

in Scotland, UK and

overseas

Translation of policy context into scientific questions

Policy

GovtResearchInstitutes

Scientists within Govt + Agencies & NDPBs

Govt

A nalysts

Fig. 1 Main communities involved in the pathway linking the academic community with the delivery of policy

cameras

camerasCOORDINATED AGENDA FOR MARINE ENVIRONMENTAND RURAL AFFAIRS SCIENCE



Headline Themes– Local responses to global

change– Optimising the potential of

Scotland’s natural assets– National Capability

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




CAMERAS Community

Overarching vision and science framework

Better use of Observations& evidence

Communication and networking

Better commissioning decisions

Monitoring StrategyRural/Environment StrategyMarine Strategy

CAMERAS conferenceBriefings

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




Innovation

• Drugs for inflammatory bowel disease

• DNA fingerprinting and water quality

• Vaccines for livestock diseases

• Novel grazing solutions for worm control

• 3D landscape visualisation


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


Policy Transmission

MRP: Macaulay Land Use Institute

Research Area: Water management and diffuse pollution control e.g. nutrients

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.

Licensing Transmission

MRP: Scottish Crop Research Institute

Research Area: Improved varieties of potatoes

Transmission: Licensed via spin out company to UK and international propagators and growers taking it the varieties to market

Impact: Generating new growth, safeguarding existing activity. Estimated contribution £11M to scotland in 2008

Case Studies


Potential Impact

MRP: Rowett Institute

Research Area: Protein versus carbohydrate diets

Transmission: Knowledge exchange via policy, parliamentary committees and public engagement

Impact: Potential reduction in the rate of certain conditions such as colorectal cancer and inflammatory disease currently affecting 1 in 500 Scots

Actual Impact

MRP: Moredun Research Institute

Research Area: Development of a vaccine for Pasteurella which accounts for 55% of pneumonia cases in cattle

Transmission: Commercial partner and licence

Impact: Prevention of fatality and losses in livestock. Cattle: £1.5M Sheep £16M pa

Case Studies


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


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


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


Programme Themes

Environment• Scotland’s 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

Rural Industries & Food• Resilient and efficient supply

chains for food

• Animal and Plant Health and Disease

• Healthy safe diets

• Vibrant rural communities

LWECLocal Response to Global Change

Food SecurityOptimising the Potential of

Scotland’s natural Assets


Citations per paper in Agricultural Citations per paper in Agricultural Sciences Sciences (From THE 2009)(From THE 2009)

22


Annual % change in Agricultural GDP Annual % change in Agricultural GDP 1995-2005 1995-2005 (OECD)(OECD)

23


Bohr quadrant

Low

Low

High

High

Quest for fundamental

understanding

Consideration of use

Pasteur quadrant

Edison quadrantCommon person quadrant

Pasteur’s quadrant


Thank you and questions

Detail at:

http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Research/About/EBAR/StrategicResearch/future-research-strategy

kt scotland conference heriot-watt university knowledge exchange from scottish government research...

Documents

foresight slide

research activities

governments agenda slide

inward rd investment

global change

coordinated science

joint working

profitable agriculture