article / 8 December 2020

FIS Call for Expressions of Interest (closed)

WILDLABS community members are invited to submit an Expression of Interest to Fisheries Innovation Scotland (FIS) to participate in two research projects involving conservation tech's role in the future of sustainable fishing. Apply now!

Fisheries Innovation Scotland (FIS) invites Expressions of Interest (EOI) from applicants to address specific research requirements outlined below. The EoI period will close on Monday 14th December 2020. A request for a full proposal will be sent to shortlisted partners by the end of December 2020. 

FIS connects the seafood supply chain around shared opportunities for innovation to add value to Scottish businesses and communities. We commission projects which will make the greatest positive change for Scotland’s seafood industry and the people driving it. These projects must have a clear pathway to impact, with stakeholder expertise and peer review built into every stage. Please read What Makes a FIS Project before contacting us. 

Who can apply?

FIS encourages applications from all types of organisation capable of generating new knowledge relevant to sustainable Scottish fisheries, and ensuring this knowledge can be used to generate change ‘on the water’. There is no restriction on the geographic location of applicants. FIS encourages and welcomes collaborative teams from different sectors. Applicants may express interest in one or both projects detailed here. 

FIS creates a pre-competitive environment for collaboration. Applicants should ensure that their organisation and project partners can comply with the terms of the standard FIS contract, which is available here

If applicants wish to discuss project requirements and ideas in more detail, they can do so confidentially by contacting Kara Brydson at [email protected]

Project FIS035

An inventory of Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Scottish fishing vessels 

How should GHG emissions from Scottish fishing vessels be measured and quantified?

What are the most effective means to reduce these emissions? 

FIS seeks to commission an inventory of the Scottish fleet to understand specific emission issues for each sector – for example the elements in each fleet segment that are the greatest contributors, as well as the greatest contributors by fleet segment. The inventory will also inform the development of a practical tool to measure and validate changes in carbon use at an individual vessel level. 

FIS believes this knowledge will help promote industry action to reduce GHG emissions, safeguard sector and business reputation, and allow businesses to maintain and access new markets. 

The inventory should support FIS in identifying targeted technological solutions and pathways to transition, and explore the potential for practical adaptation projects. It must utilise and complement existing resources, and learn from other sectors and nations.

View the full project description here.

The EoI period will close on Monday 14th December 2020.

Download the application here.

Project FIS036 

A Digitalisation Roadmap for Scotland’s fisheries 

What digital tools will the most sustainable and prosperous fishing vessels of the future use?

How can the Scottish fleet progress to this level of digitalisation? 

What value will this add to our seafood industry? 

FIS believes that digitalisation of the Scottish fleet will provide invaluable business and research intelligence to fishers, scientists and managers. FIS seeks to commission an analysis of these issues, including an audit of the fleet’s current and future digital capabilities. 

A Digitalisation Roadmap for Scotland’s fisheries should consider: 

What SHOULD Scottish fishing digitalisation look like? 

What COULD Scottish fishing digitalisation look like? 

What TIMELINES are predicted for each fleet segment to achieve this? 

The roadmap must reflect stakeholder priorities, and clearly communicate potential benefits to those stakeholders. Consideration should be given to all parts of the Scottish fishing fleet, from the in-shore sector through to the largest vessels, and should consider the potential and practicalities of retro-fitting new technological solutions to existing vessels as well as their incorporation into new and future builds. This project must utilise and complement existing resources, and learn from other sectors and nations, to support FIS in identifying practical digitalisation projects. 

View the full project description here.

The EoI period will close on Monday 14th December 2020.

Download the application here.

Further Details

Approach: Applicants invited to submit a full proposal will be asked to provide a detailed and measurable research plan that addresses FIS’ pathway to impact requirements. It is anticipated that this project will involve desk-based reviews, stakeholder discussions and interviews with key contacts in the UK and other countries. 

Project Management: FIS Expert Groups will act as the Steering Groups for these projects. A Steering Group meeting will be held towards the end of the projects to comment on a draft report. 

Deliverables: A report with Executive Summary and costed timeline of proposed next steps. Anticipated Duration: 4-5 weeks, starting in March 2021 

Apply now!


Add the first post in this thread.

Want to share your own conservation tech experiences and expertise with our growing global community? Login or register to start posting!