This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
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Veterinary Training and Research Initiative
05/04/2004
Edinburgh and Glasgow Veterinary Schools are leading
projects which will benefit from a share of a £21.5 million
United Kingdom Veterinary Training and Research Initiative,
Deputy Rural Development Minister Allan Wilson announced
today.
The funding will strengthen clinical research training
at the Universities, building on the excellent science and
research base in animal health and welfare in Scotland.
The Royal Dick School of Veterinary Studies in Edinburgh
will be awarded £5.6 million for research to tackle
infectious diseases in cattle, sheep and goats. A further
£2 million will be awarded to a joint project between the
Glasgow Veterinary School and the Royal Dick School of
Veterinary Studies in Edinburgh to study how animal
diseases spread.
Mr Wilson said:
"Over half of Scottish farming industry is livestock
based. The Animal Health and Welfare Strategy highlights
the importance of a rigorous science base.
"Scotland is particularly favoured in the strength of
its infectious diseases of livestock research. The
veterinary profession have a key role to play in delivering
that strategy.
"This funding can help ensure that Scottish Veterinary
Schools also play a part by building on that science and
research base. The University led teams build on
Scotland's tradition of collaboration in scientific
excellence, especially the world class research carried out
at the Roslin and Moredun Institutes.
"The projects will also mean additional research
training opportunities for undergraduates, graduates and
veterinary scientists in animal health research.
"It is important that animal keepers make the most of
new opportunities and take on board new research,
information and practices to help ensure disease prevention
and, where necessary, that it is dealt with quickly and
effectively."
Lewis Macdonald, Deputy Minister for Enterprise and
Lifelong Learning said:
"I am delighted that our 2 vet schools have won such a
high proportion of this UK initiative, which testifies to
the excellence of the research they carry out".
The five successful projects that will receive funding
through the Defra/Higher Education Funding Council for
England/ Scottish Higher Education Funding Council
partnership are:
- £5.6m towards a proposal from the Royal Dick
School of Veterinary Studies (Edinburgh) on functional
genomics and immunology and their application to
infectious diseases in ruminants (Contract signed)
- £4.5m on a proposal from the Faculty of Veterinary
Science at the University of Liverpool on the
transmission, pathogen evolution and control of
food-borne zoonotic pathogens (Contract signed)
- £2m on a joint proposal from the Royal Dick School
of Veterinary Studies and the University of Glasgow
Veterinary School on research focused on quantitative
epidemiology (Contract signed)
- £5.6m towards a proposal from the Department of
Clinical Veterinary Medicine, Cambridge University on
research programmes on animal influenza (Contract not
completed)
- £3.6m on a proposal from the School of Veterinary
Science at Bristol University on the susceptibility to
infection and diseases and the role of husbandry and
welfare in driving microbial colonisation and immune
development (Contract not completed).
- The Outline GB Animal Health and Welfare Strategy
was launched on July 15, 2003 and the Scottish
Implementation Plan was published on December 12,
2003.