Underpinning National Capacity

The Scottish Government’s Underpinning National Capacity (UNC) programme supports essential national research infrastructure that underlies innovation in agriculture and environmental science. This includes long-term resources such as biological collections, research farms, analytical laboratories, and internationally significant data sets for crops and livestock. UNC also invests in future research capacity by funding PhD studentships, postdoctoral appointments, and fostering strategic partnerships with universities and other research organisations. In addition, it provides a rapid-response mechanism for policy support, connecting a network of scientific experts with RESAS (Rural and Environment Science and Analytical Services Division) analysts and Scottish Government officials to inform evidence-based decision making.