The Roslin Institute
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Partnerships

Through key strategic partnerships the Roslin Institute is able to grow the impact and reputation of its world-leading science.

Academic

The Institute has partnerships with a range of other academic units, both in the UK and further afield:

  • Centre for Tropical Livestock Genetics and Health (CTLGH): A strategic alliance of the Roslin Institute at the University of Edinburgh, Scotland's Rural College and the International Livestock Research Institute.
  • Scotland's Rural College (SRUC): SRUC and Roslin collaborate extensively and submitted joint returns to recent Research Excellence Framework exercises. The Institute's building is home to SRUC's research division.
  • Global Academy of Agriculture and Food Systems: The research of the Global Academy, where it applies to animal agriculture, genetics and health, takes place in the Roslin Institute. There are joint efforts to provide teaching and training for sustainable agriculture.
  • Edinburgh Infectious Diseases (EID): The Roslin Institute is a major contributor to EID, a University of Edinburgh-led body that represents hundreds of researchers studying infectious diseases across 19 organisations in the Edinburgh area.
  • Edinburgh Neuroscience: Roslin is an active member of Edinburgh Neuroscience, which is home to one of the largest neuroscience groupings in Europe.
  • Euan MacDonald Centre for Motor Neuron Disease Research: Based at the University of Edinburgh, the Centre is a not-for-profit, charitable network of over 200 researchers across Scotland, including Roslin scientists.
  • Centre for Comparative Pathology: Roslin is one of the partner organisations in this centre, which brings together a wide range of pathology professionals from across the University of Edinburgh.
  • Centre for Dementia Prevention: This brings together clinical, basic and social sciences from across the University of Edinburgh, including Roslin, to advance the understanding of the biological and environmental risk factors that contribute to dementia.
  • UK Dementia Research Institute (UK DRI): A nationwide network representing a £250 million investment into dementia research, for which Roslin scientists contribute.
  • Institute of Genetics and Cancer (IGC): Roslin works closely with the University of Edinburgh's IGC, based at the University's Western General Hospital Campus.
  • UK-International Coronavirus Network: Researchers in animal and human coronaviruses aim to further understanding in fields such as disease transmission and immunity.

  • Pirbright Institute: We have numerous collaborations with Pirbright including a joint studentship scheme and our Immunological Toolbox initiative, which seeks to develop reagents for immunology in farmed animals.

  • International Veterinary Vaccinology Network: Researchers from Roslin and Pirbright lead this initiative to facilitate collaborations across the range of disciplines that can contribute to vaccine development.

Industrial

The Institute collaborates with world-leading organisations in agriculture, pharmaceuticals and genetics:

  • Centre of Innovation Excellence in Livestock: An Agri-Tech Centre that brings together 12 UK research providers from across the livestock production and supply chain. The Roslin Institute received £11.3 million from CIEL’s budget towards the Large Animal Research and Imaging Facility (LARIF) and to host CIEL’s Informatics Hub.
  • Agri-EPI Centre: Delivering research, development, demonstration and training on precision agriculture and engineering for the livestock, arable, horticulture and aquaculture sectors.
  • Roslin Technologies: Launched to facilitate the commercialisation of research from the Roslin Institute and Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, it offers one of the world’s largest investment opportunities in research projects aimed at improving animal health and raising agricultural productivity. 
  • The Institute has strategic partnerships with both the animal health and animal breeding sectors including Zoetis, Cobb Vantress, Genus and Hendrix Genetics. For details on what we offer to commercial partners, visit our Industry pages.

Regional

The Institute has strong ties to the local community through two regional partnerships:

  • Easter Bush Research Consortium (EBRC): Brings together the Roslin Institute, SRUC’s Animal Sciences researchers, the Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies (R(D)SVS) and the Moredun Research Institute.
  • Midlothian Science Zone: The Institute, R(D)SVS, SRUC, Moredun Research Institute, Edinburgh Technopole and Midlothian Council have come together to form the Midlothian Science Zone. In addition to being one of the largest employers in Midlothian, the Institute, together with other parts of the Easter Bush Campus, are members of the Easter Bush Development Board, which is facilitated by Midlothian Council.

Strategic

The Roslin Institute receives strategic funding from the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC), part of UK Research and Innovation. BBSRC is funded by the UK Government's Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy.

BBSRC has awarded £29.3 million in strategic funding between 2017 and 2022 to support research and facilities at the Institute and separate competitive funding from BBSRC accounts for around one-quarter of Institute income.