SAMS is a Collaborative Centre of the Natural Environment Research Council, and an Academic Partner in UHI Millennium Institute. We further foster close contacts with our regional development agencies and other stakeholders

The Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) is one of seven UK research councils, that operate under the umbrella of Research Councils UK (RCUK). NERC’s overarching strategy is Science for a Sustainable Future, currently under review, and available at www.nerc.ac.uk. The RCUK strategies, Synthesis of Strategies and Vision for Research may be found at www.rcuk.ac.uk.

NERC supports marine and environment science in the UK through several operational modes; wholly-owned Research Centres, Collaborative Centres, learned societies and the universities. The Proudman Oceanographic Laboratory (POL) is the only wholly-owned Marine Research Centre. Southampton Oceanography Centre (SOC), the Plymouth Marine Laboratory (PML), the Sea Mammal Research Unit (SMRU) and SAMS are Collaborative Centres implying institutional ownership rests with a non-NERC organisation. The learned societies include the Marine Biological Association (MBA, our sister aquatic association, with the Freshwater Biological Association, FBA), and the Sir Alistair Hardy Foundation for Ocean Science (SAHFOS).

The office of Science and Technology has defined the criteria for the purpose of Research Council Institutes (Research Centres).

Quinquennial Review of the Grant Awarding Research Councils,(2000)
Criteria defined for the variety of purposes for Research Council Institutes or Research Centres

• To provide national capability and a source of advice to Government.
• To create a critical mass of research capability, effort and expertise; to provide enhanced research productivity, visibility , exploitability; or rapidly to strengthen an undeveloped area.
• To foster coordinated and cooperative multidisciplinary approaches to a research area.
• To encourage long-term research vision and strategy.
• To enable long-term survey, monitoring and data management activities underpinned by research.
• To provide a full-time research-centred environment.
• To open up scientific career paths and opportunities which may not be available within university or faculty structures.
• To develop and provide facilities and services.
• To allow greater investment in capital equipment and the skills of research staff because of a more stable capital environment. www.ost.gov.uk

NERC has defined the operation of its research centres in the Randall Report:

The Randall Report of the Council Working Group on Research Centres and Financial Flexibility (June 2001), which recommended that the defining characteristics of Research Centres are to provide: (1) excellent scientific research, monitoring and survey, not obtainable elsewhere in the UK market at competitive quality, timelines and cost; (ii) an integrated, well-managed national capability to provide reliable and independent policy advice to government and other interested organisations; and (ii) a focus for international cooperation, for technology expensive projects, and for coordinating distributed major programmes solving complex scientific problems.

Both the OST and Randall definitions of a research centre are reflected in the mission, vision and strategy for SAMS.

The primary research delivery mode of NERC-funded science to its Research Centres and Collaborative Centres is the Core Strategic Research Programme (CSRP), usually defined to include Science Budget (SB) and Infrastructure costs, awarded on a 5-year cycle and subject to international peer review. The current CSRP at SAMS is the Northern Seas Programme, 2001-6 (see below). SAMS, like the university sector, also wins Responsive-Mode commissioned research from NERC.

Higher Education

The UHI Millennium Institute (UHI) is a designated HEI, currently a university in waiting. SAMS is a full Academic Partner of the UHI, along with thirteen other institutions bound together under the Academic Partnership Agreement. Through the UHI, SAMS is eligible for SHEFC funding support for undergraduate teaching, research (QR mode), and infrastructure (e.g. Science Research Infrastructure Fund, SRIF) funding with the Principal, UHI, acting as the Reporting Officer. SAMS participated in the 2001 Research Assessment Exercise (Unit of Assessment 21, Environmental Sciences), and is currently graded 4. The University of Aberdeen has accredited the SAMS postgraduate programme from 2004, taking over from the Open University.

The Regional Development Agencies

SAMS and the SAMSgroup has a close relationship with Highlands and Islands Enterprise, and, in particular, with two of its local enterprise companies, Argyll and the Islands Enterprise and Lochaber Enterprise. By working in concert, the goals of economic and social development, training and environmental renewal in the Highlands and Islands may be achieved. In a wider context, interaction with Scottish Enterprise and the developing Intermediary Technology Institutes (ITIs) provides a national framework for the regional science agenda. The support and financial contribution from HIE has made possible much of the implementation of the SAMS vision, to date.

Other stakeholders

SAMS carries no regulatory or statutory role. Contribution in areas such as marine monitoring, occur where there is good fit to our science programme objectives. SAMS has a close working relationship with the regulator (principally the Scottish Environmental Protection Agency) for environmental protection, and with Scottish Natural Heritage, which is responsible for habitat and species protection. Increasingly, SAMS is trying to raise the awareness of two very separate Departments in the Scottish Executive (Enterprise and Life Long Learning, and the Environment and Rural Affairs Departments) regarding SAMS’ operation and the benefits of working in close liaison. Currently, the Scottish Executive procures much of its marine advice from the Fisheries Research Services, Aberdeen. NERC has a Concordat with the Scottish Executive and meets on an annual basis.