Partnerships

Some of our work involves developing long-term partnerships with others to achieve common goals. This type of work is particularly rewarding for our team and we are always seeking opportunities to develop longterm partnerships. The following are examples of current partnerships.


Collaborative Crop Research Programme of the McKnight Foundation (CCRP)

The McKnight Foundation Collaborative Crop Research Program  seeks to increase food security in developing countries. The program supports the agricultural research which is aimed at improving both the food production and the nutritional content of crops which are so important to the developing world.

The SSC provides CCRP with help and advice on research methods. For more information about our joint work click here.

Climate Change Agriculture & Food Security (CCAFS)

The SSC works with the Climate Change Agriculture and Food Security programme of the CGIAR providing advice on data management strategy, data management, establishment of baselines as well as in moving ahead on the challenge of using historical weather information in conjunction with climate and crop models to inform better decision making.

The Walker Institute, University of Reading

The Walker Institute at the University of Reading draws together a number of internationally renowned research groups, in order to deliver better knowledge and understanding of the future climate and its impacts for the benefit of society. In particular it brings together expertise in meteorology, climate science, water, agriculture, the built environment, biodiversity, energy, soil, socio-economics and international development. The Statistical Services Centre works closely with the Walker Institute, providing advice and support across its projects and focusing especially on their 'Africa' research program.

Rockefeller Foundation

The Walker Institute and the Statistical Services Centre are supporting eight Rockefeller Climate Change Units in East and Central Africa. The aim of the work is to help develop climate change adaptation strategies for agriculture based on scientific evidence.

The Rockefeller Foundation, a charitable organisation which has strong interests in climate change, has established eight Climate Change Units within five countries: Rwanda, Uganda, Kenya, Ethiopia and Tanzania. The aim of these Units, which are located in agricultural research institutions and universities in the region, is to develop climate change adaptation strategies and technologies that will build the resilience of rural rain-fed farming communities in the face of anticipated climate change. The University of Reading is providing the scientific and technical support for these Units in order to achieve this goal.

International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI)

The International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) works at the crossroads of livestock and poverty, bringing high-quality science and capacity-building to bear on poverty reduction and sustainable development. ILRI is a non-profit-making and non-governmental organization with headquarters in Nairobi, Kenya, a second principal campus in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia and works in all tropical regions of Africa and Asia. ILRI is a member of the Consortium of CGIAR centres that conducts food and environmental research to help alleviate poverty and increase food security while protecting the natural resource base. ILRI works in partnerships and alliances with other organizations, national and international, in livestock research, training and information. The SSC works together with ILRI via the CCAFS programme and through formal and informal interactions with the ICRAF-ILRI Research Methods Group.

World Agroforestry Centre (ICRAF)

The World Agroforestry Centre is one of 15 research and development centres of the CGIAR that collectively aim to increase the sustainability of agriculture in developing countries through scientific research. ICRAF focuses on the role of trees in farms and farm landscapes, bring together livelihood and environmental concerns. The SSC has a long term relationship with ICRAF and its Research Methods Group that includes a shared appointment. Over the years we have worked together on training, on research design, data analysis and management. Current activities include building on joint experiences in data archiving, and streamlining analysis and presentation of ranking data.

The Met Office

The Met Office, <www.metoffice.gov.uk>, the UK's National Weather Service, and the SSC have had a long-standing working relationship in the field of climatic data management and analysis. Primarily through training programmes and consultancies, we assist developing-country meteorological services and their clients make better use of climatic records for practical applications such as agriculture. The potential impact of climate change has raised the importance of this work.

The SSC's innovative online "Statistics in Applied Climatology" course (e-SIAC), which runs twice yearly, evolved from face-to-face training workshops held at Reading and in regional organisations in Africa, notably Institute for Meteorological Training and Research (IMTR) in Kenya and African Centre for Meteorological Applications in Development (ACMAD) in Niger. The Met Office sponsors many national met service personnel, either directly or through the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO), to enable them to follow the courses.

Under the auspices of WMO and ACMAD, and in partnership with the Met Office, the SSC has been closely involved in projects to develop software for digitising and managing historical climatic data. The first generation database system, called "Clicom", is still used in some countries. Supported by the Met Office, a second generation system "Climsoft" has been developed, largely by personnel from African meteorological services, with input from the SSC on programming and documentation.

 



Last updated: 21 February, 2012