The third round of SCAF Pump-Priming Awards sees five new projects funded across Scotland, bringing together a diverse group of researchers and practitioners across 9 institutions (five higher education institutions, and four community and industry partners).

We are particularly thankful to the 23 SCAF members who volunteered their time and expertise to support the peer-reviewing of the seven applications made this round. With a high success rate, we are encouraging all SCAF members to explore the potential of these seed awards to de-risk new ideas and new collaborations and apply for funding in our next round, opening in June for a September deadline.

The projects supported include:

  • Building a Knowledge Exchange Partnership between an Academic Partner and a Sustainable Community Food Growing Project led by Prof Nicola Holden, Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC) with Dr Robin Walker (Sustainable Kirriemuir) and Amandla Taylor (SRUC)
  • The Food Research Communication Playbook: Supporting Clearer Communication, Engagement and Collaboration Between Food Researchers, Stakeholders and Citizens led by Professor Cindy Gray (University of Glasgow) with Dr Michael Pierre Johnson and Sophie Gardiner (Glasgow School of Art), and Prof Emilie Combet (University of Glasgow)
  • Evaluating The Effectiveness of Communication Strategies in Alternative Food Networks: Lessons from Selected European Countries for Enhancing Local Food Systems in Northeast Scotland led by Nsongurua Inyang (University of Aberdeen) with Rachel Gambro and Mhairi Player (FoodLink NE), and Dr Katrin Prager (University of Aberdeen)
  • SpudCows: Can Potatoes Provide a Valuable Nutritional Supplement for Ruminants? Led by Rheinallt Jones (University of Glasgow) with Prof Barbara Mable and Prof Emilie Combet (University of Glasgow), and Prof Ingo Hein and Dr Ashleigh Holmes (James Hutton Institute)

SCAF Director, Prof Emilie Combet, said

There’s a huge amount of creative potential in Scotland when it comes to food, health, equity, and sustainability. These small awards can unlock big ideas and fast-track the kinds of collaborations that are ready to scale. The aim is that these early-stage projects help researchers get traction and go on to win larger funding with stronger, more inclusive foundations. SCAF is ready to implement strategies to support teams moving in this direction, and we look forward to discussing these strategies are our annual event in September.

We extend our gratitude to the Scottish Funding Council for supporting SCAF members and these awards, and we look forward to hearing about the progress from the research teams at the annual event in September.

Learn more about the projects on our showcase website.

First published: 6 June 2025

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