The Nuffield Farming Scholarships Trust has announced the appointment of 24 new Scholars for 2025, two of whom are livestock veterinarians.
Yorkshire-based Charlotte Cole is a poultry vet committed to advancing the health and welfare of laying hens and improving sustainability of the poultry industry. She believes that a focus on pullet rearing is crucial to effectively addressing issues in laying hens and that collaboration is urgently needed in this area to improve success. Through her Nuffield Farming Scholarship, she hopes to study international practices in pullet rearing to promote disease resilience and improve the overall productivity and sustainability of the UK egg industry.
- Study title: Preparing pullets for the future of the UK egg industry
- Generously supported by the BEMB Research and Education Trust
Yorkshire-based farm vet Laura Eden has a keen interest in the small ruminant sector and has overseen a significant increase in sheep and goat health planning at her practice. She would like to increase awareness and appreciation of goats as valuable production animals within British agriculture. During her Scholarship, she will explore the factors that contribute to a more resilient dairy goat and learn how the goat dairy industry can utilise these factors to improve efficiency, sustainability and health.
- Study title: Exploring the factors that contribute to improving the overall resilience of our dairy goats.
- Generously supported jointly by the Milking Goat Association and British Goat Society.
Over the course of their Scholarships, they will travel internationally to gain an in-depth understanding of their study topic from global experts and leaders.
“Applications this year were incredibly strong, which made the job of our selection committee particularly challenging,” says Rupert Alers-Hankey, Director of the Nuffield Farming Scholarships Trust.
“This is my first year as director and I have been so impressed by the cohort of 2025 Scholars, who come from a wide variety of backgrounds and sectors. The list of topics the Scholars have chosen to explore is inspiring and reflects some of our industry’s most pressing challenges. Nuffield Farming Scholarships help develop future leaders in the UK’s agriculture and rural sectors. There is no doubt in my mind that the 2025 Nuffield Farming scholars will lead positive change in Agriculture”.
The trust will officially introduce their latest cohort at the Nuffield Farming Conference, to be held in Belfast in November.
The 2025 Nuffield Farming Scholars are:
Ben Andrews (Leominster, Herefordshire)
- Flooding and diffuse agricultural pollution: agriculture’s role in the causes and solutions
- Generously supported by the NFU Mutual Charitable Trust
Sam Brook (Chichester, West Sussex)
- Biology based Agronomy: How can Horticulture grow in a more nature friendly way?
- Generously supported jointly by the Worshipful Company of Gardeners and East Sussex NFU
Gregor Bruce (Ellon, Aberdeenshire)
- The last generation of Pig Farmers boosted Sow Productivity 50%. Can we do the same? And should we?
- Generously supported by the John Oldacre Foundation
Charlotte Cole (Richmond, North Yorkshire)
- Preparing Pullets for the Future of the UK Egg Industry
- Generously supported by the BEMB Research and Education Trust
Alex Crawley (Lydney, Gloucestershire)
- ‘Precision Ranching’ How can new innovations support UK extensive grazing?
- Generously supported by McDonald’s UK & Ireland
Sioned Davies (Builth Wells, Powys)
- Scaling insect protein production from a range of substrates, including on-farm chicken litter
- Generously supported by Royal Welsh Agricultural Society supported by the Eira Francis Davies Bursary
Laura Eden (Ripon, North Yorkshire)
- Exploring the factors that contribute to improving the overall resilience of our dairy goats
- Generously supported jointly by the Milking Goat Association and British Goat Society
Natasha Edwards (Sandown, Isle of Wight)
- Farm certifications for farm profitability & promotion of agroecological practices
- Generously supported jointly by the Studley College Trust and the Journal of Horticultural Science and Biotechnology
Edward Fane Trefusis (Sidmouth, Devon)
- How can agricultural businesses manage risk in a risky operating environment?
- Generously supported by AHDB
Awal Fuseini (Gloucester, Gloucestershire)
- Developing a resilient UK Halal meat production system for domestic and export markets
- Generously supported jointly by the Central Region Farmers Trust and Three Counties Agricultural Society
Peter Green (Truro, Cornwall)
- The challenge of getting value from our farming story
- Generously supported by the Food Chain Scholarship
Mollie Gupta (Woking, Surrey)
- How do we move British seaweed farming to commercial scale and reach its full potential?
- Generously supported by the Richard Lawes Foundation
Laura James (Chipping Norton, Oxfordshire)
- Pathways to participation: reducing barriers for farmers in biodiversity markets
- Generously supported by the Worshipful Company of Farmers with Savills
Ben Lowe (Foveran, Aberdeenshire)
- Closing the loop – Driving a circular farming system in a mixed pig farm
- Generously supported by McDonald’s UK & Ireland
Sharon May (Tadley, Hampshire)
- No farmer is an island – Supporting the mental health of farm families
- Generously supported by FCN / Len’s Light
Tom McVeigh (Debenham, Suffolk)
- A study of nut production, propagation, processing and marketing in the UK
- Generously supported by the Beckett Award
Andy Moore (Bristol, Somerset)
- How has automation affected the dairy landscape and where do we go from here?
- Generously supported by The Trehane Trust
Dave Oates (Helston, Cornwall)
- Stacking land uses for business and environmental sustainability
- Generously supported by the CHK Foundation
Stuart Oates (Helston, Cornwall)
- Fossil free farming
- Generously supported by the Dartington Cattle Breeding Trust
Andrew Richardson (Uddingston, South Lanarkshire)
- Young professional networks: comparing agriculture to aquaculture, with a view to support growth
- Generously supported by the Elizabeth Creak Charitable Trust (a Clyde Higgs Scholarship)
Peter Roe (Dumfries, Dumfriesshire)
- Aspen: a hybridised approach to economic forestry in the UK
- Generously supported by the MacRobert Trust
Archie Ruggles-Brise (Braintree, Essex)
- Balancing the books. Does multifunctional productivity represent optimal land use?
- Generously supported by Royal Norfolk Agricultural Association
Lucia Slack (Penrith, Cumbria)
- Addressing suicide in agriculture: supporting and preventing the biggest hidden danger today
- Generously supported by the Yorkshire Agricultural Society
Ali Warren-Walker (Aberystwyth, Ceredigion)
- Valorising waste/surplus streams from fruit and vegetable growing through encapsulation
- Generously supported by The Alastair and Margaret Miller Charitable Trust
Applications for 2026 Nuffield Farming Scholarships will open in January 2025.
Tickets for the 2024 Nuffield Farming Conference in Belfast are now available to purchase. The conference is open to all and a connection to Nuffield Farming is not required. Ticketing and further details can be found on the Nuffield Farming website.
