professor iain gordon - james hutton institute
DESCRIPTION
TRANSCRIPT
“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