Current projects

CLAN Knowledge Exchange Strategy

Dr Bobby Macaulay - Principal Investigator

January 2023 – July 2023

The Community Landownership Academic Network (CLAN) brings together researchers, policymakers and community organisations to strategically plan and coordinate research in the area of community landownership. One of CLAN’s core tenets is the commitment to conduct useful, relevant and impactful research driven by communities themselves. This project, funded by the Scottish Funding Council’s University Innovation Fund, seeks to understand community organisations’ experiences of engaging in research, and how they would seek to improve it for their benefit. In collaboration with representative body, Community Land Scotland, this project will undertake an online survey, stakeholder interviews and collaborative workshops to develop a community-led research agenda and ethical engagement protocol.

CULTIVATE: Co-creating cultural narratives for sustainable rural development

See project website for full information: CULTIVATE

Dr Rosalind Bryce - Principal Investigator

May 2021 - October 2024

CULTIVATE seeks to understand the role of cultural heritage in shaping sustainable landscapes and communities in the context of societal challenges such as the Covid-19 pandemic, the climate emergency and transitions required to meet the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

This research will explore how cultural narratives are co-created, contested and negotiated at community, regional and national scales using methods that bring to the fore cultural values, identity and relationships between people and land. CULTIVATE aims to make conceptual advances by integrating cultural heritage paradigms with socio-ecological systems (SES) to design a methodology to analyse how cultural narratives emerge in relation to stakeholder dynamics, landscape features and drivers of change.

CULTIVATE will explore different meaning of heritage through a participatory co-creation approach thereby contributing to JPICH CHIP project and also informing progress towards SDGs. Cultural narratives will be reshaped using the 'Seeds of a good Anthropocene' methodology which focuses on using inspirational visions and stories to achieve transformations to sustainability. CULTIVATE will have valuable impact in real world socio-ecological systems by conducting research across 4 Biosphere Reserves which represent a diverse spectrum of rural cultural landscapes with an ethos of scientific-based management and community engagement. Cultural narratives in the BR communities will be contrasted with those at regional and national level to explore how cultural heritage is conceptualised in different parts of SES.

Findings will be synthesised for dissemination both regionally/nationally and internationally. A bank of narratives expressed in written and arts-based forms will be produced as a resource and other outcomes will include policy recommendation for the integration of intangible heritage into planning and management.

CULTIVATE will have lasting impact on communities through the empowering nature of its co-creation approach. The role of Biosphere Reserves as demonstration regions will lead to international impact through global Biosphere networks.

HIGHLANDS.3

The HIGHLANDS.3’ goal is to contribute to Inclusive Sustainable Development in Highlands (ISDH) through collective and impact-driven Research & Innovation (R&I), based on capacity building, sharing of local-global knowledge, experience, and tools. It will drive a co-innovation process through secondments and research and innovative sessions (R&IS) involving public/private and non-academic partners, to build a shared vision of ISDH, enhance the capacities of researchers, managers, users, policymakers, thus bridging the gap between research and development.

The project consists of a network of 41 institutions including 30 partners from Europe (~35% non-academic), and skilled and motivated researchers and local stakeholders. The work plan will run 8 successive R&IS (5 in Europe, 3 outside) to promote the exchange among participants as a foundation for innovation. Each R&IS will build upon collective learning principles and a holistic systemic approach, exposing participants to a wide range of world views that will encourage experimentation with practice. Each R&IS will focus on a particular aspect of sustainable highland development and will include collective learning, collaborative research, and capacity building on data collection/analysis, modelling. To complement the R&IS, long-term secondments will be implemented for researchers and practitioners to deeply train and work together on specific issues identified by the consortium.

Collected data on ISDHs will be stored in an online collaborative and interactive decision-support platform that will then be transferred to existing mountain networks.

Visit the HIGHLANDS.3 website for more information

Rural Assets: Policy and Practice Insights from the Devolved Nations

Rural Assets: Policy and Practice Insights from the Devolved Nations

Dr Bobby Macaulay - Co-Investigator

April 2022 – March 2024

Funded by the British Academy and Nuffield Foundation’s Collaboration on ‘Understanding Communities’, The ‘Rural Assets’ Project comprises a partnership between Glasgow Caledonian University, the University of the Highlands and Islands, The James Hutton Institute, Bangor University and Anglia Ruskin University, as well as policy and practice partners. It seeks to understand how the Community Asset Transfer process affects rural communities, and how different UK policy contexts can mediate impacts on resilience, empowerment and wellbeing in rural settings. Through multiple case studies and coproduced methods, this project seeks to inform best practice in this strategic policy objective.

SEFARI Fellowship with Cairngorms National Park Authority: Cairngorms 2030

Catriona Mallows, Research Associate

• January 2025 - September 2025

Catriona’s fellowship is to work with the Community Landownership Academic Network (CLAN) to develop practical guidance which can be used by researchers, community organisations and other stakeholders to promote and encourage improved robust research practice in this area. This work will run until September 2025 and includes two phases: a review of existing best practice for engaged research with communities, and consultations with stakeholders including community landowners, students and researchers.

FORADVISE, Horizon Europe

Professor Anna Lawrence

Foradvise will establish a European network of forest advisory organisations, actors, and networks. The 5-year project started on January 1, 2025, and is coordinated by the European Forest Institute (EFI). The FORADVISE consortium brings together the key players in forest advisory services across Europe. The Agency for Renewable Resources (FNR) supports the exchange with actors from the Standing Committee on Agricultural Research (SCAR), particularly with the Strategic Working Group on Forest Research.

The goal of FORADVISE is to support the modernisation of the forestry sector and contribute to the achievement of EU and national policy targets. The project aims to accelerate knowledge exchange, enhance the competencies of forest advisors beyond traditional areas of advice, and develop pathways for a future Forest Knowledge and Innovation System (FOKIS) in Europe. The ultimate goal is to promote resilient, multifunctional, and productive forests in Europe.

To achieve this, FORADVISE will create a pan-European forest advisory network and initiate a knowledge-sharing process between European actors. Additionally, knowledge transfer pilots will be implemented to adapt advisory practices to new contexts. Training modules will be developed to contextualise proven approaches and materials. A Cost-Benefit-Analysis toolkit will be created to enhance advisors’ capacity to assess the social and economic impacts of forestry actions. The insights gained will form the basis for the systematic engagement of policymakers to create actionable and desirable pathways for the development of forest advisory systems in Europe and integrate forest advisors into the AKIS (Agricultural Knowledge and Innovation Systems) of the member states.

Project activities will be supported by targeted communication measures. Over the course of the project, a smooth transition to a self-sustaining network will be prepared. A dedicated task will identify working modalities and business models for the long-term continuation of the network.

Project partners are:

• European Forest Institute (FI)
• Forestry Commission Research Agency (UK)
• Teagasc - Agriculture and Food Development Authority (IE)
• Skogsstyrelsen (SE)
• Suomen metsäkeskus - Finlands skogscentral (FI)
• Viešoji įstaiga Lietuvos žemės ūkio konsultavimo tarnyba (LT)
• Centre de la Propietat Forestal (ES)
• Centre National de la Propriété Forestière (FR)
• Landesbetrieb Wald und Holz Nordrhein-Westfalen  (DE)
• Latvijas Lauku konsultāciju un izglītības centrs (LV)
• Skogkurs (NO)
• 2BForest Lda. (PT)
• Basilicon Szolgáltató és Tanácsadó Korlátolt Felelősségű Társaság (HU)
• Luonnonvarakeskus (FI)
• Geoponiko Panepistimion Athinon (EL)
• Universität für Bodenkultur Wien (AT)
• Česká zemědělská univerzita v Praze (CZ)
• Uniwersytet Przyrodniczy w Poznaniu (PL)
• Sveriges Lantbruksuniversitet (SE)
• Itä-Suomen yliopisto (FI)
• Universidad de Santiago de Compostela (ES)
• Národné lesnícke centrum (SK)
• Perth College (UK)
• Moragues And Scade Abogados S.a. (ES)
• Centar kompetencija d.o.o. za istraživanje i razvoj (HR)
• Universidade de Aveiro (PT)
• Badawcza Łukasiewicz - Poznański Instytut Technologiczny (PL)
• Fundación Centro de Servicios y promoción Forestal y de su Industria de Castilla y León (ES)
• Institut Européen de la Forêt Cultivée (FR)
• South East Technological University (IE)
• Union de Selvicultores del sur de Europa - AEIE (ES)
• Fachagentur Nachwachsende Rohstoffe e.V. (DE)
• Landeskammer für Land- und Forstwirtschaft in Steiermark (AT)
• Agroecology Innovation Advisory SL (ES)

Community Led Local Development Policy Review, led by SRUC

Dr Bobby Macaulay, Catriona Mallows

SRUC is leading a review of three core elements of the Scottish Government’s existing funding and support: Community Led Local Development (CLLD), Scottish Rural Action (SRA), and the Scottish Rural Network (SRN). CMS is a partner in this research.

The work will propose options and recommendations for future community support which will inform the delivery of the Agriculture and Rural Communities (Scotland) Act 2024. Supported by the University of the Highlands and Islands (Perth) and Ipsos Scotland, the SRUC-led research team will be consulting widely across rural Scotland. They are keen to hear from people living and working in rural communities, including those who are familiar with CLLD, SRA and SRN, as well as those who are not.

The team will be drawing on the experience of Science Ceilidh and Impact Hub Inverness to ensure their approach is community-based, equitable and inclusive, with an emphasis on making sure everyone who wants to is able to contribute.

Mairi Gougeon, Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs, Land Reform and Islands, said:

“This is another meaningful step forward in implementing a new rural support system in Scotland. This strong team of research partners, led by Scotland’s Rural College, will generate fresh insights, and create opportunities to get involved in the project in different ways.

“This work will directly inform the shape of the future rural support system as we implement the Agriculture and Rural Communities (Scotland) Act 2024 and I look forward to seeing the results.”

Visit the Rural exchange website to find out more and get involved

ESPON – Non Standard Geographies (NOSTAGEO (2024 – 2025)

Rosalind Bryce, Catriona Mallows and Mike Daniels

The European funded ESPON project Territorial governance of non-standard geographies - Nostageo, studies emerging ‘non-standard geographies’, defined as areas characterised by environmental, natural, or social interrelationships and networks that do not conform to traditional ‘designations’ and are hard to tackle within traditional administrations and governance. The project is looking at water supply in metropolitan regions, ecological connectivity of protected areas, Brown to Just Green Transition and Energy transition and energy saving. As well as inputting overall we are focussing on case studies of ecological connectivity.

Peatlands and Windfarms Knowledge Transfer partnership (KTP) - (March 2025 – March 2027)

Mike Daniels

Mike is one of three UHI supervisors for this project which aims to advance sustainable peatland management in renewable energy. This project will develop innovative techniques for peatland restoration and protection across RWE’s onshore wind farms. Using full lifecycle case studies, it will test new methods for peat re-use and create guidelines for balancing renewable energy development with climate and biodiversity goals.

Assessing dotterel, human and dog interactions in the Cairngorms – (April 2025 – September 2025)

Mike Daniels, Catriona Mallows and Rosalind Bryce

Funded by the Cairngorm National Park Authority and in partnership with the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (RZSS) and the Norwegian Institute for Nature Research (NINA), this study is a Phase 1 scoping exercise to outline population reinforcement option with stakeholders if the positive influences of the management actions outlined in the Capercaillie Emergency Plan are found to be insufficient to reverse population declines.

Capercaillie Reinforcement Feasibility Study (April 2025 – May 2025)

Mike Daniels, Rosalind Bryce

Funded by the Cairngorm National Park Authority and in partnership with the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (RZSS) and the Norwegian Institute for Nature Research (NINA), this study is a Phase 1 scoping exercise to outline population reinforcement option with stakeholders if the positive influences of the management actions outlined in the Capercaillie Emergency Plan are found to be insufficient to reverse population declines.

Biodiversity and community owned land in Scotland – an analysis (October 2024 – March 2025)

Mike Daniels, Catriona Mallows, Bobby Macaulay and Rosalind Bryce

Funded by the Scottish Funding Council Innovation Voucher, this project was a partnership with Community Land Scotland to look at the intersection between community owned land and biodiversity benefits, using public datasets. The information obtained was aimed at helping inform the land reform debate and legislation with respect to public objectives for biodiversity.

Biodiversity and community owned land in Scotland - an analysis

Contemporary Crofting (June 2024 – October 2024)

Catriona mallows and Mike Daniels

Funded by UHI Knowledge Exchange Challenge fund, in partnership with the Scottish Crofting Federation (SCF), this project explored research opportunities and knowledge exchange around the potential for delivery of public benefits by contemporary crofting.

Contemporary Crofting: The Potential for Delivering Public Benefits