Scottish Government Strategic Research Programme
The 2016-2021 Environment, Agriculture and Food Strategic Research Programme (SRP) has interdisciplinarity at its core, responding to the need for cross-cutting evidence to inform policy. The Programme involves increased collaboration, co-ordination and networking across scientific disciplines, between Main Research Providers (MRPs) and the Higher Education Institutes (HEIs) of Scotland and through partnership working with other UK funders of research.
There are three Themes to the SRP: Natural Assets, Productive and Sustainable Land Management and Rural Economies, and Food, Health and Wellbeing. Each Theme contains four Work Packages which in turn contain a number of Research Deliverables, developed through discussions between the MRPs, stakeholders, and the Scottish Government. An overview of the structure of the SRP can be found here.
A Programme governance structure assists in the integration of the evidence base to underpin the development and implementation of complex policies in areas such as Climate Change, Land Use and Food & Drink.
Knowledge Exchange (KE) remains a critical deliverable and a responsibility at all levels of the programme funding, and is being managed by a centralised KE function called the SEFARI Gateway.
The principles and processes behind this investment are set out in the Rural Affairs, Food and Environment Research Strategy for 2016 - 2021.