Do Nuffields Trust scholars become more narrow minded rather than open minded after their studies?

[Regenerator1]

Whilst we all accept that The Nuffield Trust is supposed to be a good thing for the farming community.. I am starting to see on a first hand basis how farmer focused scholars end up doing their sponsors bidding once they publish their reports...i.e. they start out supporting grass root farmers but end up promoting their non farmer's party line at our expense? Does Nuffield need a kick up the arse or are they a Varsity clique?? Discuss plse...

 

[ski]

You've answered your own question, Nuffield, Worshipful Co of Farmers and just about all the organisations will have an inbuilt tendency to bend to the current paradigm as they all want to continue to exist and not rocking the boat is the first rule. How many breakthrough ideas can anyone name that have come via these type of groups. I don't think the Hosiers, Cherringtons etc got their ideas from a group?

 

[Suffolk Serf]

Why not apply for a Nuffield farming scholarship and find out?
You will find it a very broad, open minded and welcoming organisation.

 

[Regenerator1]

Why not apply for a Nuffield farming scholarship and find out?
You will find it a very broad, open minded and welcoming organisation.

I once tried to sponsor nuffield but nobody came back to me so i gave up... i am much to old for Nuffield now... Travelling the world for broadening( partying) and then writing a peer reviewed disertation in order to humour my less than impartial sponsors is for those who have not been lucky enough to enjoy those things in life yet.. i am supportive of Nuffield but less supportive when certain sponsors train their own staff to then use their knowledge in a negative way against the industry who selected them?

 

[Oldmacdonald]

Whilst we all accept that The Nuffield Trust is supposed to be a good thing for the farming community.. I am starting to see on a first hand basis how farmer focused scholars end up doing their sponsors bidding once they publish their reports...i.e. they start out supporting grass root farmers but end up promoting their non farmer's party line at our expense? Does Nuffield need a kick up the arse or are they a Varsity clique?? Discuss plse...

Care to give an example of what you mean?

 

[Regenerator1]

Care to give an example of what you mean?

Well i was rather hoping forum members could point out a few examples linking sponsors to their prodegy but if no one can think of any then no probs...

 

[SteveHants]

As far as I am aware, you apply for a funded scholarship based on your project idea. They decide if they are going to fund it or not and you go off and do it.

Pretty sure that's all there is to it, so you find out what you find out.

 

[yellow belly]

Whilst we all accept that The Nuffield Trust is supposed to be a good thing for the farming community.. I am starting to see on a first hand basis how farmer focused scholars end up doing their sponsors bidding once they publish their reports...i.e. they start out supporting grass root farmers but end up promoting their non farmer's party line at our expense? Does Nuffield need a kick up the arse or are they a Varsity clique?? Discuss plse...

it all depends on what the motivations of the scholar are

is their motivation is to get a nuffield scholar badge

or to genuinly find a different way of farming

the great pioneers get on with it then write about afterwards

 

[The Ruminant]

I was lucky enough to be awarded a scholarship in 2011 to look into mob grazing (I'd been banging on about it for a year or two prior to this, on the now-defunct British Farming Forum). At the time I knew of 3 or maybe 4 other people in the UK who were actually mob grazing. Not sure how much my findings influenced people but it seems to have become more popular since then....

Other than awarding my scholarship and signing off on my travel plans (in order to pay the bursary to cover (some of) the travel costs), neither Nuffield or my sponsor tried to influence me in any way. It was my study topic and it was up to me to do what I wanted.

I still get involved with Nuffield - I helped with mock interviews for the potential scholars only last week - and can assure you that there is still no influence brought to bear on scholars and their studies.

If anyone is interested, here is my report

 

[Regenerator1]

I was lucky enough to be awarded a scholarship in 2011 to look into mob grazing (I'd been banging on about it for a year or two prior to this, on the now-defunct British Farming Forum). At the time I knew of 3 or maybe 4 other people in the UK who were actually mob grazing. Not sure how much my findings influenced people but it seems to have become more popular since then....

Other than awarding my scholarship and signing off on my travel plans (in order to pay the bursary to cover (some of) the travel costs), neither Nuffield or my sponsor tried to influence me in any way. It was my study topic and it was up to me to do what I wanted.

I still get involved with Nuffield - I helped with mock interviews for the potential scholars only last week - and can assure you that there is still no influence brought to bear on scholars and their studies.

If anyone is interested, here is my report

The John Oldacre Foundation has a worthy reputation too.. you had a sponsor without an angle and your report is top notch...

 

[rusty]

My scholarship was sponsored by the NFU Mutual charitable trust but they had no influence on my study or report. Never actually met anyone from there organisation. Study topics do tend to follow trends . There has been a lot on soils-regen over the last 10 years.

 

[Regenerator1]

My scholarship was sponsored by the NFU Mutual charitable trust but they had no influence on my study or report. Never actually met anyone from there organisation. Study topics do tend to follow trends . There has been a lot on soils-regen over the last 10 years.

Ok.. was that in 1970 because they cant afford to sponsor great people in 2024? I am equally pleased you had support and funding from farmers subs.. nothing wrong with soil regen if it is impartial

 

[Regenerator1]

Nuffield are being transparent about who they put forward for extra reward.. This Transparency is highly recommended and avoids difficult conflict with sponsors who do not support farming but lobby through Nuffield.. Thank you..

 

[The Ruminant]

Nuffield are being transparent about who they put forward for extra reward.. This Transparency is highly recommended and avoids difficult conflict with sponsors who do not support farming but lobby through Nuffield.. Thank you..

I'm slightly confused (easily done!) - you've posted a screenshot of an email that is circulated to scholars, so are you a scholar or did someone forward that email to you? If you're a scholar what was the motivation for starting they thread? Just interested to understand the reasoning

 

[Regenerator1]

I'm slightly confused (easily done!) - you've posted a screenshot of an email that is circulated to scholars, so are you a scholar or did someone forward that email to you? If you're a scholar what was the motivation for starting they thread? Just interested to understand the reasoning

I am a farming sponsor and supporter of Nuffield who is keen to see impartiality with scholars reports and without external influence from sponsors. It would be good to see scholars going to African, Asian and Middle Eastern countries in the developing world for example rather than their budgets limiting then to G7 countries all the time with their polarised globalised agendas.. Who knows what little gems they might learn rather than reporting back with info that is often already understood widely by many in the industry? I won't give examples of individual reports published in the last 12 months as that is unfair but many are covering old ground now.. we need exciting dynamic new research please

 

[The Ruminant]

It’s great to hear you are a supporter and sponsor of Nuffield. I am surprised you don’t know that scholars visit all corners of the globe. From my year alone, three scholars went to different parts of China, for example, whilst I went to Argentina and Paraguay as part of my scholarship. As further evidence, I mentioned in an earlier post that I’d been involved in the mock interviews for potential scholars from my region. A quick scan of their proposed travel plans shows that, if selected, they would like to go variously to China, Italy, Turkey, the US, France, NZ, Germany, Belgium, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Bangladesh, Thailand, Poland, South Africa, Kenya, Spain, Peru, India, Bhutan, and the Philippines. Quite a diverse range of countries, as I hope you'll agree.

I would argue that their budgets actually encourage them to go to non-G7 countries as living and travel costs tend to be cheaper once there, meaning their budgets go further. I would agree that some scholars do follow a conventional path, but many (the majority?) don’t.

 

[Regenerator1]

It’s great to hear you are a supporter and sponsor of Nuffield. I am surprised you don’t know that scholars visit all corners of the globe. From my year alone, three scholars went to different parts of China, for example, whilst I went to Argentina and Paraguay as part of my scholarship. As further evidence, I mentioned in an earlier post that I’d been involved in the mock interviews for potential scholars from my region. A quick scan of their proposed travel plans shows that, if selected, they would like to go variously to China, Italy, Turkey, the US, France, NZ, Germany, Belgium, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Bangladesh, Thailand, Poland, South Africa, Kenya, Spain, Peru, India, Bhutan, and the Philippines. Quite a diverse range of countries, as I hope you'll agree.

I would argue that their budgets actually encourage them to go to non-G7 countries as living and travel costs tend to be cheaper once there, meaning their budgets go further. I would agree that some scholars do follow a conventional path, but many (the majority?) don’t.

Prehaps the budget per scholar needs to be raised for those who dont go to G7 type countries then? You have made an important point there? Quality over quantity especially considering how many scientific white papers have already covered many recent topics.. some up to 3 decades ago... If scholars can find those magic holy grails and bring them to us all then the Richness of a Nuffield will be well deserved..