Name of SpeakerOrganisation

Name of Lecture, date

Centre of Expertise for Waters

connecting Scotland’s water research with policy

The Vision

“To connect research and policy, delivering objective and robust research and professional

opinion to support the development and implementation of water policy in Scotland”

Purpose

• To deliver timely and accurate advice to the SG and implementation partners

• To develop the co-ordination of research, analysis and interpretation

• To stimulate innovative thinking

• To develop a programme of knowledge exchange

Underpinning Philosophy

• Policy as the starting point

• Shortening supply and demand chains

• Collaborations across the supply base– integrated evidence– broadening networks of expertise

• Better use of existing evidence

Strategic Priorities

• Impacts on policy and practice

• Supporting economic growth and innovation

• Collaborative and inter-disciplinary research

• Scientific excellence

• Scientific resilience

Research providing science for application in policy

Translation of policy context into scientific questions

 Policy

Business

Sector

RESAS

Stakeholders

Stakeholders

Scientists within

Agencies & NDPBs

Main Research Providers

Academia

in Scotland, UK and

overseas

SG RESAS Research Portfolio

RESAS Water Research

Working with Scotland’s Universities

Scottish Universities have been involved in delivering all aspects of CREW during the first year of operation including:

• CREW co-ordination • MASTS provide the administrative conduit to the HEI sector

• CREW project scoping• through HEI networks: MASTS, Telford Institute, SAGES, and IHP-HELP Dundee

• Research projects• Capacity building projects have included Heriot-Watt, Stirling, Dundee, St Andrews and UHI

• Call down service for advice –• Dundee, Heriot-Watt and St Andrews University have all provided experts so far

The CREW Register of Expertise (open to all) aims to facilitate access to a wider expert base from more Universities in the future http://www.crew.ac.uk/get-involved

The What• Translation

• Integration

• Synthesis

• Interpretation

• Briefings

• Syntheses

• Think pieces

• Advice

• Expert opinion

Challenges – Policy Environment

• Understanding and translating needs

• Timescales

• Time horizons

• Simplifying complexity

• Politics (democracy!)

CREW• Steering Group

– Strategic direction

• Policy:Research Advisory Group (PRAG)– provides central mechanism for knowledge exchange between science, policy and practice– identify “demand” led priorities through Scoping Activities

• Enquiry service– Access to experts and information

Capacity Building• Projects 2011/12

– Natural flood management

– River functioning and resilience

– Diffuse pollution management

– Coastal flooding

– Mapping of climate change on water demand and supply

– Catchment management planning advice

– Hydro-literacy

– Water, health and well-being

Enhancing Impact

• Communication and engagement

• Policy aware and policy focused

• Relevance and timeliness

• Managing uncertainty

• Holistic / Integrated

• Effective dissemination

Partners