About the fund

The Bristol Centre for Agricultural Innovation is generously supported by funding from the Lady Emily Smyth Trust, established in the University of Bristol in 2003. To continue the legacy of Lady Emily Smyth, the Bristol Centre for Agricultural Innovation will be at the cutting edge of agricultural research.

The intention is to provide financial assistance to University of Bristol academic and research staff to promote and support agricultural research, but with particular reference to arable, fruit and vegetable systems, although strong applications in all areas of agricultural science will also be considered.

The fund can offer grants in the following areas:

• The collection of proof of principle studies to facilitate the award of further funding.
• Novel cutting edge research projects.
• Match funding to underpin research and studentship applications.
• Pump priming new research proposals.
• Development of formal links and collaborations between University of Bristol staff with a shared interest in agricultural research.
• Research equipment relating to agricultural research and agricultural related grant applications.
• Meetings that facilitate future research collaborations with external partners or industry.
• Promotion of agricultural research in the form of workshops, lectures, educational outreach among other activities.

Most awards are between £1,000-10,000. Larger awards will be considered should proposals have strategic relevance and there is potential to add value, such as those matched by external funding, that pump prime large external awards, complete publications relevant to the REF, or contribute to longer-term goals of impact cases. 

History of the fund

Situated in Long Ashton on the outskirts of Bristol, the initial aim of the NIFC was to help fruit farmers and cider-makers in the South-West improve their practices and hence productivity. Their success is clear to see today with Somerset cider arguably the best in the world.

In 1912 The NIFC became part of the University of Bristol, forming their Agricultural and Horticultural Research Department and so its name was changed to The Long Ashton Research Station. At that time Lady Emily Smyth provided further land, allowing expansion of the research conducted at the site, work in which she maintained an interest until her death in 1913.

The research conducted at Long Ashton has always been world class, with some very familiar developments along the way. When oranges became scarce during the Second World War the British government turned to the Long Ashton scientists to discover an alternative homegrown source of vitamin C. Their response was a blackcurrant drink sold the world over; Ribena. In the intervening years, the scope of research was further expanded to non-fruit crops such as wheat, research which continues to this day.

In 2003 Long Ashton Research Station closed, but the legacy and interests of Lady Smyth live on in the form of an endowed fund established from the sale of the original Lady Smyth land. In recognition of the desires of Lady Smyth, the School of Biological Sciences has established a 'primary unit' (Ordinance 9), called the Lady Emily Smyth Agricultural Research Station (LESARS): the creation of this primary unit will enable formal links to be developed between University of Bristol staff with shared research interests in agricultural science.