Manager, Centre for Effective Innovation in Agriculture (CEIA)

Kate is the manager for the Centre for Effective Innovation in Agriculture (CEIA). The CEIA launched in April 2021 as a collaboration of five of the UK’s top agricultural universities of Harper Adams, Newcastle, Reading, Royal Agricultural and Warwick coming together to focus on increasing the impact of agricultural research and innovation (read more at www.ceiagri.org).

Kate supports the Agricultural Universities Council UK, a collection of 16 universities that have departments and teaching in food and farming. Kate, alongside CEIA colleagues, pump-prime projects on behalf of AUC involving improving collaboration across the sector, and nurturing and developing research talent in agricultural science. Kate chairs the Farmer-Led Innovation Network made up of organisations that work closely with farmers and growers in facilitation, knowledge exchange and innovation. Kate also sits on Defra’s Farming Innovation Programme Expert Panel, and regularly supports Defra and Innovate UK on aspects of their funding schemes where inclusion of producers and routes to impact are a priority.

Previously, Kate led Innovative Farmers, a not-for-profit network of ‘field labs’ supporting farmers and researchers to co-design on-farm research. Heading up the programme over seven years saw field labs go from a niche concept to nationally recognised method of mobilising farmers to innovate.

She has a PhD in agricultural ecology and over 19 years experience delivering projects in sustainable land management and R&D.