BU Research Blog

 

BBSRC, Defra and NERC, in partnership with the Sustainable Intensification Research Network (SIRN), are holding a workshop for researchers with interests in or expertise relevant to the sustainable intensification (SI) of agriculture. This workshop aims to build on the legacy of Defra’s Sustainable Intensification and provide opportunities to link with other current sustainable intensification activities. The aims of the workshop are:

• To bring together the wider UK SI community with researchers involved in SIP to facilitate networking and the identification of opportunities for collaboration, building on the legacy of SIP.
• To stimulate the development of high quality research proposals related to SI that address relevant research challenges and explore new ways of approaching SI.
• To raise awareness of relevant Government and Research Council interests and potential funding opportunities.

There is no cost to attend the workshop, overnight accommodation (on 28 February 2018) and meals will be provided free of charge. Attendees will be expected to cover their own travel costs.

The workshop will include:

• The legacy of SIP
• Research challenges (and gaps) to address policy and practice needs for SI
• Scientific opportunities to address those challenges
• Defra and Research Council perspectives and priorities for SI research
• Facilitated networking to explore collaborative opportunities
• Subsequent access (limited to applications led by workshop participants) to modest funding opportunities from SIRN and Defra to facilitate the further development of collaborative proposals

The Sustainable Intensification Research Platform

The SIP is a Defra and Welsh Government funded initiative that was established to identify ways of increasing farm productivity, while reducing negative environmental impacts and enhancing ecosystem services. SIP is a multi-partner research programme including farmers, industry experts, academia, environmental organisations and policymakers. The Platform consists of three linked and transdisciplinary research projects designed to explore opportunities and risks for sustainable intensification at the farm and landscape scale. The SIP will end in November 2017 and through this workshop BBSRC, Defra, NERC and SIRN hope to help the SIP community and others to build on its legacy.   That legacy is a broad one, which includes data, tools, resources, experimental sites and capabilities, and a large and well-connected community of practice.

How to attend

This workshop is for research leaders currently working on or with interests relevant to SI.

Please fill in the from below and return to sustainable.agriculture@bbsrc.ac.uk by 5 January 2018, 4pm. If you have any questions, please use the above email address. Successful applicants will be informed by email during the week beginning 15 January 2018.