Science Education

Finding innovative ways to engage a wider audience is an ongoing challenge for researchers. Here at SEFARI, we are no less prone to these challenges and strive to ensure that our work generates valuable insights and reaches everyone in engaging ways. In this blog, read about one of our latest Innovative Knowledge Exchange (IKE) funded projects, the CROPsim Project, a tool that uses gaming technology to bridge the gap between cutting-edge agriculture research and those interested in sustainable farming practices.

What do hemp, barley, antimicrobial resistance and soft fruits have in common? They are the episode themes for a series of podcasts that SEFARI and SEFARI Gateway has created in partnership with OnFARM. So, if you’re a farmer, grower, food producer or simply interested in the science behind what we eat and where it comes from, then this is the 4-part series for you. Enjoy!

Hope, positivity, and optimism were the takeaways from the 2024 Edinburgh Conservation Film Festival, hosted by the Edinburgh Science Festival and supported by SEFARI Gateway.

For the past three years, the festival has invited the submission of short films to shine a light on the work of people, communities, and organisations from all over the world that are working to protect, restore and enhance the biodiversity of our shared planet.

Over 600 school children aged 11 to 18 years old from 9 council areas in Scotland attended the ‘Your Plant-Your Future’ event at Our Dynamic Earth, Edinburgh on 5^th March 2024. The aim of the event was to engage young people, raise awareness of the many environmental issues facing Scotland today, and inspire them to consider a future in a STEM related career- in an attempt to address the skills gap that currently exists. Pupils explored the amazing opportunities that can be unlocked through STEM pathways at school and beyond.

In this blog, hear more about the event which bought together >20 partners across research, industry, further and higher education to showcase exhibits and inspire the next generation of scientists through enthusiastic discussion and interactive displays.

Here at SEFARI, we strive to make the world more sustainable, greener, and equal and we’ve got an amazing team of people who make this possible. As its International Women’s Day, we’ve decided to highlight some of the work done by our female researchers and/or our research that is addressing key issues affecting women.

From supporting rural women in the Arctic in making low carbon transitions, to closing the gender pay gaps, to sector-leading research - we cover it all in this blog post.

To help a group of scientists and experts across Scotland’s Scottish Environment, Food and Agriculture Research Institutions (SEFARI) build their skills around media engagement, SEFARI Gateway recently funded two media training sessions with former senior editors who now specialise in media training and strategic content at Second City Creative.

The sessions were organised by Elaine Maslin (from The James Hutton Institute) and in this blog Elaine talks about the training and shares some useful practical tips.

We are well into the summer holidays and you might be dreaming of a desert island getaway. Well, look no further. It’s time to pack your bags and join us on Solarpunk Island!

In this blog, Education Scotland (the national body for education) and Daydream Believers (a not-for-profit organisation putting creativity at the heart of education) describe how they are working with over 25 schools to pilot a challenge based learning experience called Solarpunk Island. We are currently looking to organise links with partners and we are delighted that SEFARI Gateway is keen to help us to do this. We hope there will be many of you who can share your expertise with learners and the helpful skills for life on a desert island. Interested? Then please keep reading for more information and how you can get involved…

One important and often overlooked aspect of PhD training is the chance to meet other researchers in the same or similar field as you, allowing for knowledge exchange and the forging of new connections.

Therefore, when the opportunity to visit other institutes across SEFARI arose, Karen wanted to capitalize on this. In this blog, find out about Karen’s experience as part of the SEFARI Gateway PhD Exchange Scheme - SEFARI’s second student to make the most of this opportunity.

Serious gaming is a growing field in which games are used to provide a fun and educational method of science communication. Gaming offers opportunities in communicating challenging and complex issues to stakeholders and communities to improve land management practices.

Delivering a sustainable food system is one of the key challenges of our generation and requires ambition to think beyond traditional production models. There is already no doubt we will need to produce our food in a more efficient and environmentally friendly way and my PhD project at the Rowett Institute (University of Aberdeen) is investigating the potential to scale-up production of climate resilient Scottish wild species in three novel agri-systems: forestry, vertical soil-based urban farming and pasture.

My research spans a number of topics, so as part of my PhD experience, and to broaden my understanding, I recently took part in the SEFARI PhD exchange program (funded by SEFARI Gateway) and visited colleagues at the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh (RBGE).

In this blog, Scott Grant, the marketing manager at James Hutton Limited, offers his advice and suggestions to help your article to stand out.

Scott has worked in professional services, higher education and loves to write.

Writing is something that a marketing person will do just about every day. Whether that’s creating social content, a new webpage, a landing page, a handout, an e-mail marketing template – we’ll often be writing. As someone who has been writing for around 10 years now, here’s my top 5 tips…..

The climate crisis is a problem of global significance and not everyone has the privilege of accessing resources, or having their voices heard. This includes those for whom climate change will impact the greatest – future generations, as often the views of experts and policy makers seem to be given preference over those of the youth.

In this blog, we explore some of the contributions that the younger generations have made to the discussions and outcomes of the COP26 climate change conference and its aftermath. Highlighted is the importance of continued youth involvement and the different ways SEFARI is actively involving the younger generations in science.

Water is a vital and essential part of our lives, but the impact of climate change is leading to there being too much water in some places and too little in others. This presents challenges that will require sustainable solutions, tailored to not only the issue but also the locality. Consequently, it is important we understand the many and varied benefits of water as a resource, and how we can tackle the issues we face now, and in the future.

Ahead of World Water Day, and as part of other planned activities, we are delighted to announce the publication of a series of educational posters, designed to promote discussion, on four important water topics: ‘The Hydrological Cycle’, ‘Water and Farming in Scotland’, ‘Water and Climate Change in Scotland’ and ‘Water and Global Climate Change’.

The climate emergency affects every part of our lives and collaboration within and across sectors is therefore key to addressing this crisis. With collaboration at their core, Scotland’s five Centres of Expertise (CoE) work together to connect research with, and respond to, policy needs across issues which affect the climate, water, animal and plant health, land and communities.

In this blog, you can learn more about the work of the CoEs - namely Centre of Expertise for Waters (CREW), ClimateXChange (CXC), Epidemiology, Population health and Infectious disease Control (EPIC), Plant Health Centre (PHC) and SEFARI Gateway - and how during COP26 they came together to host a series of events at the University of Glasgow to showcase how they are helping to protect people and the environment from the effects of climate change.

As the recent COP26 Gender Day in Glasgow has highlighted, there is much work to be done in increasing diversity and inclusion in the climate sector. Diverse voices are incredibly important in tackling all aspects of a changing climate, and these voices must be heard and valued. With this and a commitment to achieving a Just Transition to Net Zero in mind, SEFARI have asked me to share my experiences in this blog.

With the UN Climate Change Conference (COP26) underway, there is a spotlight on initiatives being taken by countries to address climate change. Do you want to know what Scotland is doing about it? Then join us on a virtual tour of some of SEFARI’s fascinating climate research.

From exploring windy Aberdeen Bay to visiting Scotland’s marshy peatlands, the tours offer a behind the scenes look at some of our innovative research which is seeking to help Scotland address and adapt to the climate crises. What’s more, you can enjoy the experience from the comfort of your own sofa and at your own pace.

In September, colleagues from the Moredun Research Institute, SEFARI Gateway, the Food and Drink Federation Scotland (FDF Scotland), Royal Highland Educational Trust (RHET) and Quality Meat Scotland (QMS) outlined a wealth of educational resources that cover the sustainability of key resources such as food, water, and energy. A key priority for the younger generation especially with COP26 on the horizon, and on our doorstep!

By joining forces at a continuing professional development (CPD) event, organised by the Scottish Schools Education Resources Centre (SSERC), our session was designed to support teachers with the delivery of National 4, 5 and Higher Environmental Science. The session ended by moving outside of the classroom to see the new mobile laboratory and education bus, created as part of Moredun’s centenary, which is being used to visit schools and engage children with different science topics. Seeing the bus gave us the opportunity to extend discussions in a more relaxed environment out in the autumn sunshine.

In this blog, we investigate how farmers interact on the online platform Twitter, with the aim of helping scientists to better facilitate mutual learning and support good farm practice.

Online spaces offer the advantage of promoting open discussions with a large amount of people in real time. However, as almost anyone can use and participate in these discussions that can sometimes create issues around the credibility, accuracy and useability of the information shared. Our aim is to better understand how to help individual farmers to find and share accurate and practical information from trusted sources.

From waterfalls to lochs, hydroelectric power to fisheries, Scotland is a country shaped by, and built on, its precious water resources. In this exciting campaign we invite researchers, industry, NGOs and the public from across Scotland to share your experiences, knowledge and expertise of our water resources. If you enjoy the water environment for leisure, relaxation, study, or work and want to share your knowledge and experience please read on.