“Science connecting land and people”

Professor Iain GordonChief Executive

Collaborating to increase the impact of science

(Graph of proportion of multicountry papers per year)

Multiauthor Papers Redux: A New Peek at New Peaks - C King (Sciencewatch Nov/Dec 2007)

http://www.leydesdorff.net/cswagner07/index.htm

With a little help from Friends….James Hutton (1726 – 1797)

The founder of modern geology. His work spanned chemistry, medicine, meteorology, geology, botany and zoology and he experimented in plant and animal breeding.

Struggled with translating his work into the public domain. One of his biographers stated that his writings were “almost entirely innocent of rhetorical accomplishments”.

John Playfair - a good friend and himself an accomplished writer, secured the recognition of Hutton’s work it so deserved. In 1802 he published ‘Illustrations of the Huttonian Theory of the Earth’ (http://www.strangescience.net/hutton.htm)

Vision Statement

To be a world leader in research and engagement to deliver evidence-based solutions to the global challenges facing land and natural resource use both now and in the future.

Food50% increase in

demand (FAO)

Energy50% increase in

demand (EIA)

Freshwater30% increase in

demand (FAO)

Land120 million ha needed in

developing countries crop production (FAO)

Global Challenges

Soil erosion & biodiversity lossClimate change

Between 2030 and 2050, the world’s population is estimated to be ~9 billion.

Science Structure

EuropeanInternational

EuropeanInternational

Scottish Government

Scottish Government

IndustryIndustry

RCUKRCUK

AgenciesAgencies

Global Issues ActivitiesThemes

FoodEnergyWater

Environment

"It is hardly possible to overrate the value.., of placing human beings in contact with persons dissimilar to themselves, and with modes of thought and action unlike those with which they are familiar… Such communication has always been, and is peculiarly in the present age, one of the primary sources of progress.“

John Stuart Mill (1848)

Excellence & Impact

Impact is reflected in how society uses and benefits

from the science we do

Responding to requirements of funders

tighter link between research and users of research needs closer links between science and users at the outset

The Research Themes at the James Hutton Institute assist in

Promoting the relevance and impact of our science

Looking for added value and complementarity Enhancing interdisciplinary research where appropriate Strengthening knowledge exchange and engagement

Metrics for Impact Impact on Policy and Practise

Policy briefings, reports for policy audiences, submissions to public consultations.

Scientists on advisory bodies and groups

Stakeholder engagement events and knowledge exchange activities

Support for Innovation and the Economy

Income from activities relevant to industry

Publications for trade audiences (in trade or other technical journals)

Patents granted and licensed

Licensing agreements

Spin-out companies

Consultancies for industry

Scientific Resilience and Sustainability

External Funding for Research

PhD students

Collaborative and Inter/multidisciplinary science

Collaborating institutions and participation in  networks

Peer reviewed publications co-authored by more than one MRP

Peer reviewed publications co-authored by MRPs and non-MRP institutions

Peer reviewed publications co-authored by natural and social scientists

The RESAS Environmental Change Programme of Research: Local Responses to Global Change

Food, Land & People Programme

Environmental Change Programme

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Ecosystemservices

Water &Renewable

Energy

Land use Economicadaption

Food Health &Welfare

Diet &Health

RuralCommunities

CREWClimate Change

EPIC

Food & Drink

Animal Science

ExcellenceStrategic partnerships

CAMERAS

Centres of Expertise

Food security

LWEC

Global conventions/ UK & Scottish legislative targets/local responses & mitigation options

Business

Sector

Research providing science for application in policy and industry

Academiain Scotland,

UK and overseas

Policy

Scientists within Agencies &

NDPBs

Main Research Providers

Centres of Expertise & Strategic Partnerships

Centres of Expertise

“To create a world renowned centre of expertise to deliver objective, independent integrated and authoritative evidence to support the Scottish Government”

Strategic Partnerships

“To enhance closer collaboration between MRPs and Scottish universities in the context of the Scottish Government single purpose and Government Economic Strategy ”

Time horizon

Call Down Service

ResearchActivities

RESASResearch

Programmes

Here and now

UserNeeds

Tactical

Strategic

How does CREW fit with other RESAS Water Research?

Centres of Expertise

5 year +

CREW Delivery Mechanisms

Capacity Building Research ProjectsCREW jointly develops capacity-building research projects with Scottish Government and its agencies to help with the delivery of medium term policy needsconducted and delivered over months to a year

Call Down and Rapid Research • To provide the Scottish Government, SEPA and

Scottish Water with access to rapid, reliable and impartial information from leading experts.

• For example, reviews of existing research, guidance and advice on emerging research results and policy relevant issues

• Outputs provided within short time-scales

Image: think4photop / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Image: think4photop / FreeDigitalPhotos.netImage: Evgeni Dinev / FreeDigitalPhotos.net Image: federico stevanin / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

ClimateXChange

Delivery Mechanisms:

Food and Drink

To provide scientific evidence on food and drink to inform industry and government.Realising the potential of cereal products to benefit human health:

MRPs – James Hutton Institute, RINH University of the Highlands and Islands University of Dundee University of Aberdeen

Improving efficiency and sustainability through local production

MRPs: James Hutton Institute, RINH, SAC, BIOSS University of Aberdeen University of Dundee Strathclyde University

Modelling Long-term Response of Stream Water Chemistry to Atmospheric Pollution and Forestry Practices in Galloway

Aim To assess the role of forestry in acidification and recovery of soils

and surface waters under historical and contemporary acid deposition conditions.

Apply newly enhanced process-based biogeochemical model MAGIC (Model of Acidification of Groundwater in Catchments) with an improved representation of dynamic forestry processes.

Include stochastic model to evaluate parameter uncertainty.

Key findings

All sites were subject to widespread soil and surface water acidification between 1860 and 1970 due to rapid increase in S deposition. Acidification largely predated forest planting.

Since the 1970s, stream SO4 concentrations have drastically decreased in response to ~80% reduction in UK S emissions; expected to return close to baseline levels by 2020.

The moorland control site was the most sensitive to acidification. Despite planned reductions in acid deposition to 2020 and in forest cover to 2050, no site is predicted to recover to the baseline of 1860.

However, all sites are now above the threshold set for protecting fish.

Whilst the complete removal of forestry is predicted to improve water quality the absolute effects are marginal and unlikely to be biologically significant.

Environmental Factors & Johne’s Disease

National Waters Inventory for Scotland (NWIS)

Develop novel monitoring approaches and establish a “quality” baseline for water bodies across different catchment ecosystems

Scoping study to develop and prioritise an agreed sampling regime strategy – Year 1

Administrating a novel analytical framework to add value to routine nationwide monitoring and address research-led hypotheses at smaller spatio-temporal scales – Year 2-4

Determine positive/negative outcomes from the water quality inventory study and assess future work – Year 5

NWIS Conceptualisation

Catchment Attributes

Hea

dwat

ers H

eadwatersTr

ibut

arie

s Tributaries

FIOsDNA Archive

Isotopes OM/Trace

Source tracking

DNA Microchip Moredun RI - Crypto

Sediment survival

Diffuse Poll. (NVZs)

Fingerprinting

POM sources

“DOCspec”

Core DataHMS

Data assimilation & exchange

Novel techniques

Horizon ScanningEmerging Pollutants

Climate ChangeMonitoring-2016

SG Stakeholders

WorkPackages

Alpine ECM fungi in Scotland: Exploring the biogeography of

undiscovered fungal communities (PhD)

2009 - 2013Emily Carroll, Ian Alexander

& Andy Taylor

The hazel gloves fungus in Atlantic hazel woodlands

(PhD)2009 - 2013

Katie Grundy, Steve Woodward, Dave Genney,

& Andy Taylor

Development of a surveillance scheme for priority lichens

and fungi in Scotland2010 - 2013

Andy Taylor, Andrea Britton & Dave Genney

Recent Collaborations across the Research Sector Impact

Benefits of collaboration Draw on a wider pool of science disciplines

Wide range of skills and knowledge needed to address the increasing complex issues and problems

Transfer of knowledge and skills

Greater understanding achieved of the issues and challenges faced from all perspectives

Extend and enhance research network

Build up key contacts with specific skills/knowledge who can contribute to other projects

Wider dissemination of project outcomes

What can we do better?...

Phol & Hadorn 2008 Natures Sciences Sociétés,

Y axis – agree with self/ agree with others

Placebo Testosterone treatment

Wright et al 2012 Proc Roy Soc B

Thank you

www.hutton.ac.uk

Pete Goddard, Wendy Kenyon, Bob Ferrier, Phil Taylor, Matt Ogston, Andy Taylor, Julian Dawson, Rupert Hough, Colin Campbell, Lisa Avery, Geoff Elliott, Charlie Shand, Renate Wendler, Malcolm Coull, Derek Stewart, Rachel Helliwell, Carol Ann Stannard