On Tuesday 30th September, two of Scotland’s Alliances for Research Challenges (ARCs), the Scottish Alliance for Food (SCAF) and the Scottish Research Alliance for Energy, Homes and Livelihoods (SRAEHL), were represented in showcase panels at the Tackling the Climate Emergency event hosted by Scotland Beyond Net Zero (SBNZ) and the Scottish Funding Council (SFC), highlighting their collaborative, mission-led approaches to addressing urgent societal challenges. 

Food Futures Rooted in Innovation, Culture and Health 

Joining the first showcase panel, Professor Emilie Combet, SCAF Director, outlined the Alliance’s vision to shape a food future coherent with keeping people and the planet healthy without jeopardising culture and tradition. SCAF brings together expertise across all disciplines and sectors to understand and address the complexity of food as a societal grand challenge.  

With over 700 members from across 200 institutions, SCAF has made significant strides in establishing a tight community of practice invested in bridging traditionally siloed focus on health, sustainability, and equity. This is timely, in the context of the journey toward implementation of the Good Food Nation Act, a critical milestone for food in Scotland.  In just over two years, SCAF has hosted over 30 workshops, panels, and events, funded 19 pump priming projects, and supported early career researchers through training sessions and mentorship travel bursaries. 

Looking ahead, Emilie emphasised key priorities, including leveraging SCAF’s broad membership and building capacity to secure research funding supporting the research plans of members in Scotland and beyond. SCAF has already proven how much can be achieved by bridging disciplines and fostering creative thinking about the future of food. Keeping that momentum going will be key to sustaining what has been built. 

Energy, Homes and Livelihoods in a Changing Climate 

Speaking on the third showcase panel, Professor Mette High, SRAEHL Director, shared the Alliance’s vision to co-create solutions for how we heat our homes, reduce energy demand, and support livelihoods in a changing climate. Bringing academics and local authorities together with voices from industry, charities, and communities, ensuring that research is grounded in lived experience and local realities.  
 
This work is especially timely as Local Heat and Energy Efficiency Strategies (LHEES) across Scotland move from planning into delivery and implementation. The Alliance is actively supporting these efforts, working closely with local authorities and partners to help translate strategic ambitions into practical, place-based action. 

Since its inception, SRAEHL has hosted events that engage a wide range of stakeholders from local communities across the Scottish Isles to industry leaders, government departments, universities, and social enterprises and beyond. Supporting early career researchers across Scotland, SRAEHL runs an Emerging Research Leaders Programme, which offers expertly facilitated workshops. It has also launched six seed funds aligned with the themes of Decarbonising Heat, Financial Pathways, and Sustainable Households with additional funding opportunities being announced soon!

Through its collaborative, cross-sector, and task-focused approach, SRAEHL has successfully leveraged significant external funding, delivering an exceptional return on investment: every £1 of SFC funding has generated £34 in collaborative research value—a clear demonstration of the Alliance’s catalytic impact. 

SRAEHL has also contributed to the Scottish Government’s consultations including those on Community Benefits from Net Zero Energy Developments, the Heat in Buildings plan and the Climate Change Plan. Drawing on insights from its network to highlight how local strategies and lived experiences could inform fair and effective climate policy, reflecting a strong commitment to ensuring that community voices and cross-sector collaboration shape Scotland’s net zero transition.

Shared Purpose, Complementary Strengths 

Together, SCAF and SRAEHL exemplify the purpose of Scotland’s ARCs: connecting research excellence to national priorities through collaboration, innovation, and public engagement. As Mette concluded, the challenges we face are not abstract and theoretical, they are lived, local, and immediate. And, through the work of the ARCs, Scotland is better equipped to meet them. 

First published: 22 October 2025

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