Salmon Scotland Education & Research Fund
Introduction & Purpose
The Scottish Salmon Education and Research Fund (SSERF) is designed to foster innovation and support emerging talent in fields relevant to our members activities. This program organised by Salmon Scotland, will provide financial assistance to students, as well as access to industry professionals, with the aim of contributing to the academic and professional development of the next generation of “salmon farmers” and scientists by supporting emerging and targeted research in areas of sector interest.
Grant Details
Up to three grants will be awarded each year (acknowledging differences in the timing of postgraduate projects). Each grant will provide a one-time award of up to £2,500 to assist post-graduate students in completing their projects. Grants can be used to support direct project costs only and any equipment purchases will require specific approval from Salmon Scotland. Grants will be paid following receipt of invoice, detailing the costs incurred in delivering the project.
NB: Projects in excess of £2,500 will be considered upon prior engagement with the Salmon Scotland technical team and an appropriate business case.
Industry links:
In addition to financial support, the fund offers valuable introductions and contacts to relevant companies and professionals within Salmon Scotland’s membership, which would benefit the proposed project and its delivery/completion.
Eligibility Criteria
- Applicants must be enrolled in a recognised university or college.
- The project must demonstrate clear relevance to the Scottish salmon farming sector and be focused on one of the below areas:
- Sea lice, inc. biology, management, dispersal modelling
- Oceanography and farm connectivity
- Salmon health and welfare
- Scottish planning system, as relevant to salmon farming.
- Communities and social licence
- Environmental impacts, including their monitoring and mitigation
- The project must be a post-graduate academic or research-based endeavour that will result in the production of a report or thesis. Where appropriate, peer-reviewed publication of outputs will be encouraged, although commercial confidentiality issues may require separate consideration.
Application Process
- Project title and abstract: A brief, clear summary of the project's purpose and goals. (250 words).
- Project description: An explanation of the project, including its objectives, methodology, and expected outcomes. (500 words).
- Relevance statement: A brief outline of how the project aims to be of benefit to the Scottish salmon farming industry (250 words).
- Budget overview: A breakdown of expected incurred costs and how the grant funds would be used to support the project.
- Output/deliverable format: The intended output of the project (report, thesis, dataset).
- Timeline: The proposed timeline for project commencement and delivery/completion.
- Student information: Name, university, and contact information.
- Student supervisory team: Name, university/organisation and contact information.
Selection & Review Process
Grant recipients will be determined by a Salmon Scotland review committee. The committee will evaluate proposals based on the following criteria:
- Relevance: to contemporary and emerging areas of interest across the industry.
- Feasibility: The practicality of the project's goals and timeline.
- Impact: The positive effects of the project, whether academic, commercial social, or environmental.
- Clarity and Quality of Proposal: The overall professionalism and coherence of the submitted materials.
Timelines
Projects will be considered on receipt of each proposal, with the fund refreshing for new applications on the first of January each year.
Submissions
Project submissions should be made to Johnny Coyle at [email protected] including the detail specified above
