Research Funding cycle: 2022-27
The effect of shellfish, kelp and sea grass beds on flood risk and coastal erosion in Scotland
Coastal flooding and erosion are increasing problems around the Scottish coastline resulting from climatic changes such as increased storm frequency and intensity, as well as rising sea levels. These pose risks to human life, infrastructure and properties, with negative consequences for the national economy. Besides ecosystem services such as habitat for threatened and commercial species, fisheries production, nutrient cycling, sediment stabilisation, water purification and carbon storage, marine vegetation canopies and shellfish habitats can dampen waves and currents, with the possibility of reducing risk of coastal flooding and erosion. However, there is a lack of consolidated information relating to the distribution and extent of such habitats at a national scale. In addition, evaluation of the potential for Natural Flood Management (NFM) by these habitats in a Scottish context has not been done. The project set out to address these knowledge gaps by focusing on 4 key habitats: kelp forests; seagrass beds; oyster reefs; and blue mussel beds.
The project aimed to evaluate how well selected shallow marine habitats (specifically kelp forests, seagrass beds, oyster reefs and blue mussel beds) protect the Scottish coastline from erosion and flooding. Consequently, a secondary aim was to assess the need and feasibility for protection and/or restoration of these habitats in relation to their potential role in Natural Flood Management (NFM) and erosion control. The following research tasks were undertaken:
1. Gathering and standardising available information on the location and extent around Scotland’s coast of the 4 habitats.
2. Predicting the reduction of waves and wave run-up by the 4 habitats using recently developed computer simulations.
3. Applying these predictions to specific Scottish locations to assess the degree of flood and erosion control by these habitats.
4. Acquiring information from stakeholders through a workshop to inform the project direction.
5. Assessing the effects of harvesting on the 4 habitats.
6. Assessing the potential for coastal protection through restoration of the 4 habitats.
CRW2025_01 Household flood plans in Scotland – applying behavioural learnings to inform best practice and uptake
Type of project: Capacity Building Project
Overview: CREW invites proposals for a capacity building project which applies behavioural science evidence to produce a household flood plan template and considers future actions to support uptake.
Budget: Funding available: £95,000 exclusive of VAT (where applicable).
Project Status: Project in procurement.
Call dates: Thursday 5th June – Wednesday 9th July, midday.
For more details, please view the project specification.
If you would like to submit a proposal, please use the CREW capacity building application form.
GUIDANCE & DOCUMENTATION
- All feedback and queries related to CREW calls should be emailed to procurement@crew.ac.uk
- All non-confidential queries and answers will be published on this website.
- All applications should be submitted by email to procurement@crew.ac.uk before the deadline.
- CREW Funding Terms and Conditions have been provided to all eligible Higher Education Institutes and Research Institutes.
- Please see FAQs for further information.
News
CRW2024_04 Natural Capital and River Basin Management Planning: Protecting and Improving Scotland’s Water Environment
Title: Natural Capital and River Basin Management Planning: Protecting and Improving Scotland’s Water Environment
Type of project: Capacity Building Project
Overview: This c. 9-month capacity building project will conduct an evidence synthesis to assess the current state of knowledge of how investments in protecting and improving natural capital influence the state of the water environment. The synthesis will also explore the wider benefits these investments provide for nature, climate adaptation, public health, net zero targets and agriculture.
Project Status: Project in procurement. Call closed.
News
Review of psychoactive substances wastewater monitoring approaches and recommendations for the feasibility of applying different approaches in Scotland
Scotland faces a critical public health crisis with one of the highest drug-related death rates in the developed world. Polysubstance use further complicates this issue, creating unpredictable health risks for users. Efforts to address this crisis include the National Drugs Mission Plan (2022–2026), which emphasizes reducing drug-related deaths through improved data collection and harm reduction strategies. The RADAR system (Rapid Action Drug Alerts and Response) plays a pivotal role in providing early warnings about emerging drug trends, such as the rise of potent synthetic opioids like nitazenes, enabling timely policy responses. However, existing approaches to monitor psychoactive substance use are limited by their time-consuming nature and inability to provide real-time data on drug consumption dynamics. Wastewater-Based Epidemiology (WWBE) offers a promising solution by analysing psychoactive substance residues in wastewater to deliver robust, dynamic, and timely insights into drug use patterns. This project explored the feasibility of leveraging Scotland’s existing wastewater monitoring infrastructure to enhance early warning systems like RADAR and support public health initiatives.
Objectives and Approach
The objectives of the project were to address the following questions:
- Which specific target substances should be monitored to address the highest public health threats for Scotland? For which are there recognised analytical strategies internationally?
- What are the characteristics of (a) existing infrastructure and (b) different analytical approaches available internationally and in Scotland for supporting the monitoring of target psychoactive substances and their metabolites?
- What are the characteristics of existing early warning reporting systems on drug use – internationally and in Scotland – that the different monitoring activities feed into?
- What are the options for monitoring and reporting of target psychoactive substances and their metabolites that are currently a) feasible and b) infeasible to do in Scotland and why, based on: - existing infrastructure for influent sampling of wastewater and its capacities - speed of turnaround to fit in with current reporting times (e.g. in RADAR updates) - availability of licenced laboratories with the appropriate skillset and technology in Scotland and the UK - restricted funding environment - capacities in relation to laboratory analysis - existing reporting systems?
- What are the potential benefits afforded by such a recommended monitoring approach to support the existing systems of early warning surveillance data to inform Public Health Scotland action and international public health organisations?
- What is the most feasible recommended approach to implement post-project (through limited trials or nationwide use of all appropriate Scottish Water sampling sites)?
Objectives were addressed through systematic literature review, evidence mapping, engagement of key stakeholders (Scottish Water, Public Health Scotland, European Drugs Agency) and experts through informal discussion, and a formal focus group.
Project Outputs
CRW2023_10 Psychoactive substances wastewater monitoring approaches - Main report and appendices
CRW2023_10 Psychoactive substances wastewater monitoring approaches - Appendix 7- CRW2023_10 Psychoactive substances wastewater monitoring approaches - Policy Brief
- CRW2023_10 Psychoactive substances wastewater monitoring approaches - Project Summary
Review of monitoring approaches to deliver healthy ecosystems for Scotland's protected fresh waters and wetlands
NatureScot is committed to reversing the decline in freshwater biodiversity by protecting and improving ecosystem health in protected areas. This effort aligns with Scotland’s goal to safeguard 30% of its land and sea by 2030. This project makes recommendations on a monitoring framework that would inform management decisions to deliver healthy ecosystems. To achieve this, monitoring efforts must shift toward a broader landscape or catchment-scale approach, providing a more comprehensive understanding of freshwater and wetland ecosystems.
The project recommends developing a multi-index ecosystem assessment framework that will:
- Use indicators of pressures, physicochemical state and biological impact to assess ecosystem health.
- Help decision-makers allocate monitoring resources appropriately to inform the delivery of healthy ecosystems.
- Facilitate data sharing and inter-organisational collaboration to create practical conservation strategies.
The project found that to support this transition, NatureScot can leverage existing tools while exploring new, innovative approaches. The key steps in this transition include:
- Working with monitoring partners to assess the availability, format, and accessibility of existing healthy ecosystem indicator data.
- Building the necessary skills to collate, interpret and apply a wider ecosystems dataset.
- Developing a data integration approach that will synthesis ecosystem data across a range of data types and scales.
- Evaluating the policy, resource, and legislative implications of a new monitoring approach.
Project outputs
CRW2024_07 Economic, societal and public health benefits of improving water quality at designated bathing waters to a good or excellent standard in Scotland: Literature review
Type of project: Capacity Building
Project status: Project in procurement. Call closed.
Overview: This project aims to provide information on the benefits to the economy, society and public health to improving bathing water quality in Scotland, and the approaches, investment levels, ambition, achievements in other parts of the UK. This information will support the development of a framework approach to understanding and calculating the benefits of improving bathing water quality in Scotland, with an indicative way of calculating these benefits which can be applied to individual sites.
The key questions to be addressed, via review of academic and grey literature, are:
- What factors should be considered when assessing the economic, societal and public health benefits of improving bathing water quality from sufficient to good or excellent?
- What approaches, investment levels, ambition and achievements have been set/achieved in other parts of the UK and EU of improving bathing water quality beyond the sufficient classification, with values where possible, and who set these (Government, Local Authorities Water Companies or other bodies)?
- What cost benefit analysis, or other method of assessing proportional cost, has been used for any decisions worldwide on water quality improvements to support recreational water use?
News
CRW2024_05 Planning for water scarcity: building resilience and managing water for efficient irrigation
Type of project: Capacity Building Project
Overview: A c. 9-month capacity building project will produce practical guidance for Scottish farmers and growers on how to effectively plan for water scarcity and manage water efficiently for irrigation, to increase resilience to water scarcity.
Project Status: Call for proposals now closed.
News
CRW2024_06 Transitioning surface water collection to surface water reuse systems
Type: Capacity Building
Project Status: Project in procurement. Call closed.
Overview: This Capacity Building project aims to explore the emerging area of interest in surface water reuse before the next regulatory planning period (April 2027-March 2033) and demonstrate clear policy/strategic alignment. The project will focus on non-potable uses, such as non-food agriculture, car washing, and cooling systems, which are less regulated, but may still require adherence to local planning and environmental legislation.
Careful consideration will therefore be given to:
- Where water is captured from, given that rainwater from roofs generally contains a lower pollutant load than surface water from roads, for example.
- What untreated surface water can be used for, within current legislation.
- Feasibility of minor treatment/settlement/screening of surface water to allow captured water to be reused more widely.
- Which legislations exist regarding the reuse of grey water for non-potable uses.
News
CSPF2025_01 Exploring the use of Artificial Intelligence for flood forecasting in Scotland
Type of project: Science Policy Fellowship
Overview: CREW invites proposals for a c.3-month Science Policy Fellowship to undertake a rapid evidence review of the current and emerging capabilities of AI to support and enhance flood forecasting capabilities.
Project Status: Project in progress
News
Utility of wastewater surveillance for detecting and monitoring emerging and re-emerging pathogens and endemic infections
Type of project: Hydro Nation International Centre (HNIC) Call Down
Budget: The anticipated funding available is a maximum of £48,000 exclusive of VAT (where applicable).
Project Status: Call closed.
Overview: This call down project aims to conduct a rapid evidence review and synthesis on the utility of wastewater surveillance for detecting and monitoring emerging and re-emerging pathogens (e.g. measles) and endemic infections, including blood-borne viruses and enteric viruses.
