Briefings > ECRR Story

The Edinburgh Consortium for Rural Research (ECRR) was instituted in 1989 as a facilitating organisation to assist the member organisations to work together for their mutual benefit, by sharing specialised facilities, promoting inter-disciplinary research and relating closely to the University of Edinburgh through its various Faculties, Divisions, Schools and Departments.

Prior to 1989 a more complex structure worked for a similar purpose. This was the Edinburgh Centre for Rural Economy (ECRE). The ECRE was instituted in October 1947 as a result of the vision of the then Professor of Agriculture and Rural Economy of Edinburgh University, Sir Stephen Watson. Sir Stephen conceived the idea of a large Rural Science Park on land acquired by the University for the purpose around the Bush Estate. Thus, in a sense, Sir Stephen's vision pre-dated the current thinking within the University of Edinburgh which is now planning a 'Technopole' on the Bush Estate. Originally the two founder organisations were the East of Scotland College of Agriculture and the University Department of Agriculture, but prior to its formation Sir Stephen had exploratory discussions with the Agriculture Research Council (ARC) and the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries for Scotland (DAFS) who both pledged their support.

Over the years some ten autonomous research organisations set up laboratories and field stations on the Bush Estate near Penicuik, and although some of the organisations have since changed their names all those bodies who still have a major presence in the Edinburgh area remain active members of the ECRR.

The former ECRE undertook factoring duties on behalf of the member Institutes, but in 1989 the decision was taken to restrict the work of the facilitating body to the development of scientific initiatives and to disband the role of factor and estate manager. The University, which still owns most of the original estate, acts as the legal landlord and the tenant organisations now carry out their own managerial activities, or contract with a neighbouring Institute to undertake work on their behalf. Associated status is given to comparable organisations who do not have a physical presence at Bush. However, all members, both Full and Associate, have a seat on the ECRR Board and enjoy equal voting rights.

Since 1989 many such Institutes have become Associated members, even though their main centre of operations is in Dundee or Stirling or in other parts of Edinburgh. The common theme is research closely connected to the use and ecology of the land, whether the land be farmed, under forest, under water, designated as an SSSI or in some other manner for the public good. All the member organisations work very closely with the University of Edinburgh, many undertaking postgraduate supervision of Edinburgh students and some assisting with undergraduate teaching. The ECRR is managed by a Board with the Directors selected from each of the member Institutions. The Board, which meets formally twice a year, is chaired by a senior member of the University nominated by the University Court. The current Chairman is Professor Mary Bownes from from Edinburgh University's Institute of Cell & Molecular Biology.

The day-to-day work of the ECRR is carried out by the Scientific Director and the Secretary/Treasurer. They are guided in their duties by an Executive Committee which meets about six times a year. The Annual General Meeting of the ECRR is held in the Autumn, when reports are presented on past activities, papers discussed about future developments and the audited accounts are formally approved. The Scientific Director and the Secretary/Treasurer are appointed by the ECRR Board, their appointments being reviewed each year, and renewed as appropriate.

The amount of inter-institutional research work has increased dramatically since the formation of ECRR in 1989. It is difficult to distinguish those conjoint research programmes which might have happened in the normal course of events and those which owe their inception to the direct or indirect involvement of ECRR. Suffice to say that, at the present time, over 100 conjoint research programmes are in operation, involving two or more ECRR Institutions, and that the total amount of money involved in these conjoint projects is in excess of 5 million pounds. The total amount of money spent by the member Institutes on R & D is 73 million pounds and the total number of postgraduate research students conducting projects sited in the Associated Institutions of the University of Edinburgh is about 400 at any one time. Other postgraduate students working in ECRR Institutes are postgraduates of Glasgow, Stirling and Dundee Universities.

The ECRR organises a series of monthly meetings when the Directors visit each member Institute in turn for a working lunch. After lunch, the host Institute arranges a programme of visits and presentations about their research priorities so that, in the course of a year or so, all Directors have a good insight into the research work being carried out within the ECRR family. In addition to these monthly lunches, a programme of VIP visits is organised, in order to give people holding important positions in government, the Research Councils and the main organisations in the "Rural Industry" of the UK a detailed knowledge of the scope of work being carried out by ECRR organisations. These visits are not only much appreciated by our guests, but they frequently result in new ideas for research, new research contracts and other tangible benefits to both parties.

The ECRR therefore functions as a low-cost, without-frills "networking" organisation. The total cost of running the ECRR, which is shared between the member Institutions, is about 20,000 pounds a year. This compares very dramatically with the annual cost of the former ECRE which, before it was wound up, was costing the members about 250,000 pounds a year!

In recent times most of our members have been subjected to a number of searching reviews and commissions of enquiry. ECRR has submitted evidence to these enquiries on behalf of all its constituent members. In our evidence we have stressed that, at any rate in the Edinburgh area, there is a high level of collaboration and the sharing of expensive facilities by the member organisations, even though they are funded by different government agencies or research councils, with some in the private (voluntary) sector. There are other networking organisations in different parts of Scotland and elsewhere in the UK, but the ECRR is unique in the large number of Institutions in its membership, and in the low cost structure which strives to keep bureaucracy and paper work to the minimum and the healthy exchange of scientific information and ideas to the maximum.