On 3 October, EPIC attended the third annual ‘Environment, Natural Resources and Agriculture (ENRA) Science, Evidence and Policy Conference’, which focused on the ENRA Research Strategy 2027-2032.
As a Centre of Expertise, EPIC is part of the ENRA Research portfolio and contributes research that delivers impact across Scotland. At this year’s ENRA Conference, EPIC work was featured through an exhibitor stand and poster in the networking space, in addition to a presentation.
EPIC and PHC stand
Visitors to the joint EPIC and Scotland’s Plant Health Centre (PHC) exhibitor stand had the chance to watch and learn about the ‘Don’t Risk It’ animation. The animation warns of the impacts that personal imports of plant and animal products can have on farming communities and the environment in Great Britain. This collaborative project between Scottish Government colleagues, EPIC and PHC, will be placed in airports and ports across Scotland to bring awareness to travellers and prevent the potential spread of pests and diseases.
An EPIC poster win
Grant Henderson, Researcher in inference and learning for complex stochastic systems, for EPIC and Biomathematics and Statistics Scotland (BioSS), won the early career researcher prize. His poster, ‘Tools to track and control pests and infectious diseases’ highlighted an advanced toolkit of statistical methods, which he co-developed. The poster showcased how EPIC uses the toolkit to make best use of limited data to quantify the hidden spread of African swine fever and Avian influenza in Scotland.
Access Grant’s full poster on the SEFARI website.
Presentation
EPIC scientists from the James Hutton Institute and Moredun Research Institute also presented their work, 'The Lewis & Harris Animal Health and Welfare Project.' Attendees learned that this project is a successful example of a living lab approach to control the risk and spread of sheep scab.
Claire Hardy, a Social Researcher for EPIC and The James Hutton Institute, outlined the project's collaborative work with crofters and farmers, from mobile sheep dipping to the Pan Island Initiative, which continue to positively impact livestock practices on the Islands. Details on sheep dipping and related Pan-Island Initiative work are available on EPIC’s Resource and News pages.
