Science Policy Success
The Science Policy Success conference was held at Edinburgh’s Dynamic Earth on Wednesday 7 October and Thursday 8 October 2009.
More than 100 Scottish Government staff, academics, scientists from the Scottish research institutes and individuals from the rural and environment agencies attended.
They were able to watch presentations on the themes of sustainable development, climate change, health and wellbeing and biodiversity. The speakers were drawn from all the participating research organisations which support knowledgescotland: the Macaulay Land Use Research Institute, the Mordedun Research Institute, Scottish Agricultural College, SCRI, the Rowett Research Institute at the University of Aberdeen and the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh.
A keynote address was delivered by the Scottish Environment Minister, Roseanna Cunningham during the Wednesday afternoon session in which she underlined the importance of the contribution made by the rural and environmental research community in Scotland.
One of the main themes of the conference was the importance of improving the linkages between scientific research and the formation of government policy in Scotland – the main goal of the knowledgescotland initiative.
Image: Quentin Cooper, who chaired the first day of the conference, hosting 'Have I got science news for you'
The post-conference evaluation found that more than 70% of the respondents believed it had achieved the aim of improving the links between science and policy. Eighty-nine per cent were interested in attending similar events in the future.
Time was also spent examining the difficulties of communicating complex, science-based information to the public.
The main speaker in a session called “Don’t Shoot the Messenger” was the writer and broadcaster Lesley Riddoch. Here she reflects on the challenge. The views expressed are – of course - her own. Read the article here.
Presentations
Presentations and posters from the conference can be viewed here.
- PDF file: Joining Up Science and Policy (468 KB)
Professor Anne Glover, Chief Scientific Adviser, Scottish Government - PDF file: Don't Shoot the Messenger (19.9 MB)
Lesley Riddoch, Author and Broadcaster
Responding to Climate Change
- PDF file: Responding to Climate Change (947 KB)
Dr Robin Matthews, Macaulay Land Use Research Institute, Aberdeen - PDF file: Climate Change and Livestock Systems - Potential Implications for Animal Health (259 KB)
Poster presentation - PDF file: Adapting our crop and soil systems to climate change (756 KB)
Poster presentation - PDF file: Interactions between climate change, land use, and the provision of ecosystem services (201 KB)
Poster presentation
Health and Wellbeing
- PDF file: Introduction to Health and Wellbeing (161 KB)
Professor Peter Morgan, Rowett Institute of Nutrition and Health, University of Aberdeen - PDF file: Food, Drink, Health and Wellbeing (238 KB)
Dr Ron Stagg, Research and Science Division, Scottish Government - Rural and Environment Research and Analysis Directorate (RERAD) - PDF file: Health and Wellbeing (1 MB)
Professor Harry McArdle, Rowett Institute of Nutrition and Health, University of Aberdeen - PDF file: Cross-Cutting Research on Health and Wellbeing (1 MB)
Poster presentation - PDF file: Diet, heart disease and cancer: how food alters disease risk (1 MB)
Poster presentation - PDF file: Diet, metabolic health and obesity: food for a healthier life (981 KB)
Poster presentation - PDF file: Diet, gut microbes and health: how food maintains and healthy gut (870 KB)
Poster presentation
Environmental, Social and Economic Sustainability
- PDF file: What is our Common Future? (882 KB)
Professor Paul R. van Gardingen, Director, Edinburgh International Development Centre, University of Edinburgh - PDF file: Environmental, Social and Economic Sustainability (2.5 MB)
Professor David Hopkins, SCRI, Invergowrie - PDF file: Balruddery Sustainability Research Platform: a long-term facility for research on arable cropping systems (257 KB)
Poster presentation - PDF file: Sustainable food production through the prevention and control of disease (291 KB)
Poster presentation - PDF file: Examining Trade-Off Issues in the Development of Policies to Promote Sustainability (138 KB)
Poster presentation - PDF file: Modelling Sustainability: Simple Models and Complex Questions (174 KB)
Poster presentation
Protecting Biodiversity
- PDF file: Biodiversity and Scotland's Landscape...bringing science and policy together (1 MB)
Professor Des Thompson, Scottish Natural Heritage - PDF file: Biodiversity and Scotland's Landscapes (2.83 MB)
Dr Rob Brooker, Macaulay Land Use Research Institute, Aberdeen - PDF file: Biodiversity in the Uplands: understanding the implications of environmental change (1 MB)
Poster presentation - PDF file: Genetic Diversity, Animals, Plants and Pathogens: the good, the not so good and the very bad (301 KB)
Poster presentation - PDF file: Informing the development of measures to address lowland biodiversity concerns (1 MB)
Poster presentation
Short film
Watch the short film from the conference 'Climate Change: The Word on the Street' by Gareth Jones, Glasgow Caledonian University.
The full programme for the event is below.
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