Research has the greatest impact when it reaches the people who can use and benefit from it. Alongside informing policy and practice, CREW is committed to ensuring that its research delivers tangible benefits for communities, businesses and the next generation of researchers.
Developing future skills is an important part of that work. Early career researchers have been embedded across a range of CREW projects, gaining first-hand experience of applied research, stakeholder engagement and working at the science-policy interface. These opportunities have supported career development, with researchers progressing into roles including CREW Project Manager and Policy Officer within the Hydro Nation Scholars Programme. CREW has also contributed to postgraduate training through workshops, talks and networking opportunities at events including the MASTS Postgraduate Retreat and Hydro Nation Scholars Programme Residentials, helping to build interdisciplinary skills across Scotland's water sector.
Bridget Bennett PhD researcher with HNSP (Glasgow Caledonian University) – “Working on the CREW project “Household flood plans in Scotland – applying behavioural learnings to inform best practice and uptake” was a hugely valuable experience. I had the opportunity to collaborate with a fantastic, interdisciplinary team and to gain firsthand insight into the processes, partnerships, and coordination involved in producing a CREW report. The project enabled me to build meaningful connections with researchers and organisations beyond my university and funding programme, expanding my professional and support network. Most rewarding of all was working directly with communities and community groups affected by flooding, which provided invaluable insight into ethical, effective, and collaborative community engagement that will strongly inform my future work.”
CREW also works to make research accessible to the widest possible audience. Alongside technical reports, projects produce practical resources including guidance documents, infographics, videos, podcasts and interactive visualisations, designed for non-specialist audiences. Accessibility is considered throughout the development process, with some resources being independently reviewed where appropriate, including by Disability Equality Scotland. The CREW River Restoration and Biodiversity report has also been translated into Mandarin and is currently also being translated into Thai to support wider use.
Recent outputs demonstrate CREW’s commitment to practical action. Planning for Water Scarcity: Practical Guidance for Scottish Farmers and Growers provides practical tools to help improve resilience to future water shortages, while Household Flood Plans in Scotland offers guidance to help households prepare for flooding before it happens. Together, these resources support informed decision-making and strengthen community resilience.
Front cover of Planning for Water Scarcity: Practical Guidance for Scottish farmers and growers (left). Example infographics by transform from the Household Flood Plan (right).
Engagement with communities is another important part of CREW's approach. Community workshops, public lectures and open events provide opportunities to share research, learn from lived experience and encourage practical action. Feedback from participants in household flood planning workshops helped to shape the project and indicated an increased awareness of flood risk and greater confidence in taking practical preparedness measures, such as using SEPA's flood maps. CREW's influence has also extended into the cultural sector, with artwork commissioned as part of its flooding research featuring in the National Galleries of Scotland's Rain exhibition (2026–27), helping to engage new audiences in conversations about Scotland's changing relationship with water.
Illustrations by Jenny Capon produced for the Centre of Expertise for Waters (CREW), 2024. The Building Public Health Resilience to Pluvial Flooding in Scotland image is featured in the National Library of Scotland ‘Rain’ exhibition.
Behind these activities, CREW continues to invest in its own capability through training in science communication and knowledge mobilisation, ensuring research is communicated clearly, reaches the right audiences and can inform action.
Main Image: CREW:CXC Climate Change, Flooding and Mental Health event. Image credit: Amy Cooper
News article: Amy Cooper