The Scottish Government Rural and Environment Research and Analysis Directorate (RERAD) provides around £70 million of funding each year towards a wide range of environmental, biological and agricultural research.
The current research strategy, which runs until 2010, aims to ensure that all research funded is of high quality and relevant to the continuing challenges faced in agriculture and the environment.
A large proportion of this research is carried out through RERAD's Main Research Providers (MRP) who are also collaborating on a new initiative, knowledgescotland, to help deliver key outputs from the scientific community to policymakers in Scotland and beyond. The knowledgescotland website can be found at www.knowledgescotland.org.
A consultation on a Coordinated Agenda for Marine, Environment and Rural Affairs Science (CAMERAS) was launched on January 23, 2009. The outcomes of this consultation will have a significant influence on the future research for the period 2011-2016. The consultation document can be found at CAMERAS.