Latest Briefing for 2016
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How investment in fundamental scientific research leads to practical outcomes
The societal benefits of funding applied scientific research – research which addresses a question that is immediately and directly relevant to an end user such as a farmer or policy maker – are clear. It is nearly always relatively straightforward to identify practical outcomes that emerge from such projects, making them highly attractive to funding bodies and industrial collaborations, particularly at a time of financial constraint. However, these applied outcomes frequently rely upon and develop previous fundamental research programmes for which practical outcomes were not immediately or obviously apparent at the time. This article describes how Scottish Government (SG) investment in a number of fundamental scientific areas at Main Research Providers (MRP), through the Strategic Research Programme has underpinned research which is now yielding practical outcomes that are making a difference in Scotland and beyond.
Read morePublished on 8 March 2016 in Food, health and wellbeing
Briefings for 2016
Future Land Use Change - Working locally, thinking globally
This briefing summarises the main findings from research done in two Local Focus Areas (Ballater and Huntly) as part of the Aberdeenshire Land Use Strategy Pilot. Read more
Published on 25 February 2016 in Sustainability and Communities , Ecosystems and biodiversity
Aberdeenshire Regional Land Use Pilot: Mapping the consEquences of LanD use Change (MELODiC)
Researchers from the James Hutton Institute have developed an interactive web-based mapping tool that allows users to explore the consequences of following different policy priorities on land use change and ecosystem service delivery using native woodland expansion as a lens. Read more
Published on 25 February 2016 in Sustainability and Communities
Identifying ecosystem services provided by freshwater insects
Biodiversity conservation is increasingly framed within the ecosystem services concept. Consideration of insect-related ecosystem services has largely focussed on terrestrial taxa while those inhabiting freshwater have been neglected. Read more
Published on 8 February 2016 in Ecosystems and biodiversity
