The plan for SCRI and the Macaulay Land Use Research Institute to form a new ‘super-institute’ has been further boosted by news that the Moredun Research Institute is likely to become an “affiliate” of the new organisation.

Moredun Research Institute (MRI) on the outskirts of Edinburgh is internationally recognised for its work on infectious diseases of sheep and other ruminants.

In a statement, its Director, Julie Fitzpatrick, and the Chairman, John Jeffrey, said they were pleased to announce their support of the formation of the New Institute which is likely to come into being in 2011. The news was announced at a briefing for the media held at the Scottish Parliament and hosted by the Environment Minister, Roseanna Cunningham MSP and her Chief Scientific Adviser, Professor Maggie Gill.

It is expected that there will be increased collaborations in the areas of livestock/wildlife interactions; livestock/environmental interactions; delivery systems for novel vaccines and technology platforms in genomics, proteomics and bioinformatics, to name but a few.

These interactions will be funded through the Rural and Environment Research and Analysis Directorate’s (RERAD) research programmes and it is also anticipated that the Institutes will gain through increased external funding income from a wide variety of sources. A panel of scientists from MRI and from the New Institute will meet to prioritise and plan project proposals and delivery.

Staff of the New Institute will also get access to facilities in Edinburgh, Dundee, and Aberdeen so that staff travelling to any of these cities may have a “home office” where they can be based during their visits.

The New Institute and MRI are also expected to establish an “international office” to jointly exploit opportunities and to enhance knowledge exchange activities.

SCRI’s Director and Chief Executive has again stressed that the New Institute project is not about cutting posts. Professor Peter Gregory said: “It is important to stress that this is not a cost-cutting exercise...it is not about cutting posts. We cannot say precisely what the numbers will be and we do know that in the years ahead – because of the global economic problems – public spending will be tight. The New Institute is – emphatically – not being created as a way of cutting the numbers of staff.”

His remarks have been widely reported in the Scottish media.

More information from:

Phil Taylor, Head of Communications, SCRI, Invergowrie, Dundee, DD2 5DA. Tel: 01382 560044 (direct line), Mobile: 07810 860 701 or

Lorraine Wakefield, Information and Online Service Officer, SCRI, Invergowrie, Dundee, DD2 5DA. Tel: 01382 560047 (direct line) or 562731 (switchboard).