This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
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Five year strategy for SEERAD research
14/01/2005
A five-year strategy to strengthen the relevance of SEERAD's future research programme to policy development has been set out.
The Strategic Research for SEERAD 2005-10: Environment, Biology and Agriculture will ensure publicly funded research is linked directly to the development of policy in the key areas of environment, agriculture and land use.
The strategy will be backed by £7 million in extra funding over the next three years to add to the present funding of £50 million per year for environmental, biological and agricultural research.
Research will be carried out on sustainable crop and livestock agriculture, environment and land use issues, in order to tackle the challenges and opportunities facing Scotland regarding climate change, biodiversity and the environmental, social and economic sustainability of rural Scotland.
Research will also address the important issues of dietary and environmental impacts on human health.
Deputy Environment and Rural Development Minister Lewis Macdonald said:
"We are fortunate in Scotland to have a range of top quality researchers regularly contributing to science and assisting in the development of many of our policies.
"Our strategy is an ambitious programme of change which will ensure that we continue to fund research of high quality and relevance.
"An additional seven million pounds over three years will help ensure we retain our strong research base in the agricultural and biological sciences and continue to make an important contribution to the UK science base.
"Our main research providers also make an important contribution to the international science base and I know our highly regarded scientists are more than able to meet this new challenge."
A large proportion of SEERAD research is carried out by the main research providers of Moredun, Macaulay Land Use, Scottish Crop, Rowett and Hannah Research Institutes, Scottish Agricultural College and Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh.