Durham University secures €3.5 million grant for farming projects

This month Durham University has been granted €3.5 million (around £3.04 million) to fund two farming projects, FARMAR and NEWBEE. This was awarded through the Marie Skłodowska‑Curie Actions Staff Exchanges programme.

These projects will be boosting sustainable and efficient farming methods using AI and robotic tools. The projects are also associated with the CSU (Centre for the Study of Ukraine). According to the university, this will “play a central role in shaping the international collaboration, mobility, and cultural heritage dimensions of the research.”

The Marie Skłodowska‑Curie Actions Staff Exchanges programme (MSCA) mainly funds exchanges of staff members in participating research organisations. This helps link academic and non-academic sectors internationally to develop sustainable projects. Both projects also have a wide range of international partnerships across Europe and beyond.

FARMAR was granted €1.79 million and is managed by Durham University’s Computer Science Department. This innovative project will use AI and robotics to preserve cultural heritage and skills cultivated for particular farming environments. This will allow new digital technology to come equipped with specific knowledge about the area in which it’s deployed. It will also document and share farming practices that have largely been restricted to rural families and communities.

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NEWBEE has been awarded €1.77 million and will be coordinated by the Department of Biosciences. The fund will go towards protecting wild bees, a key aim in biodiversity. The project is developing camera systems to track free-flying specimens and using AI to identify species and behavioural patterns. It will also be testing ways to attract pollinators and creating legal and economic advice from its findings. It aims to protect ecological health while helping growers enhance pollination.

Professor Janet Stewart, executive dean at the Faculty of Arts and Humanities, wrote for the faculty’s website: “Securing two major Horizon Europe grants at the same time is an outstanding achievement for Durham and a testament to the strength of our international research partnerships. FARMAR and NEWBEE embody the best of what collaborative, interdisciplinary research can deliver – combining innovation with deep cultural and environmental understanding.

“I am especially pleased to see the involvement of our Centre for the Study of Ukraine, whose contributions reinforce our commitment to global engagement and support for researchers across regions facing profound challenges.  These projects demonstrate the impact that shared knowledge and mobility can have in addressing some of the world’s most urgent agricultural and ecological issues.”

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