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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.

January 1, 2023
Research increasingly asserts that biodiversity enhancement and conservation will be more inclusive and effective if we pay serious and analytical attention to narratives. An understanding of how narratives and stories work to marginalise (or not...
September 9, 2021
Dr Rebekka Artz, a senior research scientist within the James Hutton Institute’s Ecological Sciences department, has contributed evidence to an inquiry by the Science and Technology Committee of the House of Lords into the role of nature-...
July 7, 2021
A new website which brings together thousands of research publications, dating back centuries to the present day, has been launched by six Scottish Government funded partners.  
May 5, 2021
The historical ‘forest gardens’ of Guadeloupe, an overseas region of France, have provided the inspiration for a research group studying the feasibility of small-scale production systems in the area. The region is one of the world...
May 5, 2021
A new research project involving 39 partners from 19 countries and including James Hutton Institute scientists has received €10 million from the European Union. The Horizon 2020 funded project FireEUrisk, launching this month, aims to shift...
February 2, 2021
To mark the International Day of Women and Girls in Science, the James Hutton Institute is highlighting its ‘Women in Science’ booklet, which spotlights the roles of 21 of its 204 female scientists. The collection illustrates some of...
February 2, 2021
Scotland's Climate Change Plan update was published on 16 December 2020 and is currently undergoing scrutiny from parliamentary committees. The update includes new targets for Scotland’s agriculture and forestry sectors and suggestions...
February 2, 2021
Professor Lorna Dawson, Head of Soil Forensics at the James Hutton Institute, has been recognised as Soil Forensic Expert Witness of the Year in the Corporate INTL 2021 Global Awards.  The awards are the result of an extensive review,...
July 7, 2020
Professor Lorna Dawson of the James Hutton Institute has been recognised as Soil Forensic Expert Witness of the Year at Global Law Experts (GLE) Awards. Professor Dawson has more than 30 years’ experience in managing and conducting research...
May 5, 2019
The James Hutton Institute is teaming up with Soil Association Scotland and Scotland's Rural College for a special crofting meeting of the Plant Teams Field Lab event series on the Isle of Lismore, looking at how intercropping can help...
November 11, 2018
The James Hutton Institute has won a VIBES – Scottish Environment Business award in the Adaptation to Climate Change category, on account of the work of Hutton researchers in farm innovations to protect the environment, renewable energy...
September 9, 2018
Hutton scientist Peter Orrell and his product MycoNourish have been announced as runners-up in the 2018 Converge Challenge, Scotland's leading higher education company creation programme, at a ceremony held yesterday in Edinburgh’s...
September 9, 2018
The transformational power of the first-ever dedicated design museum in Scotland and the only other V&A museum anywhere in the world outside London was beyond doubt, even before it opened. The James Hutton Institute would like to commend and...
September 9, 2018
Over 300 members of the conservation community will meet at the Nature of Scotland Awards 2018 ceremony to celebrate the people and projects that are going the extra mile to support Scottish nature conservation, with the James Hutton Institute...
September 9, 2018
The James Hutton Institute is teaming with Soil Association Scotland and Scotland's Rural College to work with farmers in a Field Lab to trial crop mixtures or ‘plant teams’. Field Labs are free to attend and open to all land...
September 9, 2018
Work by James Hutton Institute water researchers has been reflected in the latest Scotland: The Hydro Nation Annual Report, which provides an outline of activities carried out by the Scottish Government and partners under the Hydro Nation agenda...
September 9, 2018
A Memorandum of Understanding has been signed between the Shandong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, China, and the James Hutton Institute, during the 2018 UK-China Potato Science and Technology Innovation Cooperation Conference, held in Shandong...
September 9, 2018
MycoNourish, a product designed by Hutton scientist Peter Orrell, has been announced as finalist of the Converge Challenge 2018, Scotland's leading higher education company creation programme.
September 9, 2018
Scientists from the James Hutton Institute have found that waters in Scottish rivers are reaching record-breaking warm temperatures, which may have implications for rural economies across the country. By comparing historical records kept by the...
September 9, 2018
The James Hutton Institute and its commercial subsidiary, James Hutton Limited, have welcomed a deal which will allow the UK to export seed potato to China. The agreement, signed by International Trade Secretary Dr Liam Fox during a recent...
September 9, 2017
Research projects aiming to provide land managers with alternatives for efficient land management of upland systems will be presented at an event titled "The Challenge of Marginal Land: efficient utilisation of the managed natural...
May 5, 2017
Managing ecosystems to avoid exceeding national, and ultimately planetary, boundaries will inevitably involve trade-offs and synergies between different ecosystem services. Maximising one benefit (e.g. provision of food) may be traded-off against...
March 3, 2017
Our natural resources benefit society in many ways. Therefore, to achieve economic, social and environmental sustainability, management of natural resources must connect and consider multiple goals and issues.  However, many existing...
February 2, 2017
Significant efforts and resources have been deployed to mitigate rural diffuse pollution through regulatory, guidance and voluntary measures. Despite these ongoing efforts, rural diffuse pollution remains a persisten problem. In Scotland, the...
May 5, 2016
March 3, 2016
Scotland will remain at the forefront of ground-breaking advances in farming and food production as a result of continued Scottish Government funding for scientific research, Rural Affairs Secretary Richard Lochhead has said. More than £...
November 11, 2015
Researchers in SEGS often create a short research notes or briefings, to communicate the findings of research projects. Please click on the titles below to view a selection of research notes and briefings.
January 1, 2015
The briefs described on this page are either hosted on the knowledgescotland website, or are available for direct download (pdf format).
January 1, 2014

LandSFACTS (Research Page)

LANDscape Scale Functional Allocation of Crops Temporally and Spatially
January 1, 2014
Environmental, economic and social issues associated with agriculture are often fundamental for rural prosperity and sustainability, with consequent implications for any debate about future land use. A key to supporting the planning of change is...
January 1, 2014
Stakeholder engagement events relating to theme topics Health and wellbeing conferences and workshops Date Title Theme role Venue 25 November 2013
January 1, 2014
Soil mapping
December 12, 2013
Project aim The aim of this project was to explore the relationship between green space and human health using a range of methods and disciplinary approaches at different scales. It was funded by the Scottish Government and ran from 2009-2012.
December 12, 2013
Project aims This project looks at the management of conflicts:
December 12, 2013
Project aim Orkney Community Empowerment Project (OrkCEmP) is part of the RESAS Theme 8 (Work Package 8.2) work on 'Governance and Decision-making for community empowerment in rural communities', running from 2011-2016. It aims to...
December 12, 2013
Despite the emerging emphasis on the roles that (local) communities can play in public service reform and attempts to ‘empower’ communities (or allow them to ‘empower themselves’) in rural areas, the tensions or synergies...
December 12, 2013
Project aim  This project aims to understand the relationship between gender, wellbeing and greenspace. It is funded through the Scottish Government and runs from 2011 until 2016. It is part of the RESAS Theme 8 WP8.3 work on ‘...
July 7, 2013
March 3, 2013

Chen Wang (Member of Staff)

Dr Chen Wang is a Landscape and Visualisation Scientist, who joined the Information and Computational Sciences group at the James Hutton Institute in 2010.
April 4, 2011
Publications in which the VLT is presented or discussed Wang, C., Miller, D., Brown, I. and Jiang, Y. 2016. Public Participation to Support Wind Energy Development: The Role of 3D GIS and Virtual Reality. In: Proceedings of 24th...
April 4, 2011
The Virtual Landscape Theatre is operated by a team at the Aberdeen offices of the James Hutton Institute. They have been responsible for designing, developing and implementing the theatre, 3D models, and programmes of surveys and community and...
March 3, 2011
A development and demonstration virtual reality theatre has been constructed to compliment the mobile Virtual Landscape Theatre. The dimensions and capabilities of the development theatre are the same as the VLT enabling the preparation and...
March 3, 2011
What is it? The Virtual Landscape Theatre (VLT) is a mobile curved screen projection facility, in which people can be 'immersed' in computer models of their environment to explore landscapes of the past, present and future. It is used...
March 3, 2011

David Miller (Member of Staff)


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The James Hutton Research Institute is the result of the merger in April 2011 of MLURI and SCRI. This merger formed a new powerhouse for research into food, land use, and climate change.