PhD student wins national award for rural care economy research
SRUC PhD student Emma Margaret Currie has won the Planned Impact Award at the 2026 Scottish Graduate School of Social Sciences (SGSSS) Impact Competition.
The national competition recognises social science PhD research with the potential to deliver meaningful societal impact and is open to postgraduate researchers from universities across Scotland.
Emma, who is based at SRUC’s Rural Policy Centre, was selected as the winner following a public vote which attracted more than 900 responses.
Her research, Addressing Workforce Shortages in the Care Economy in Rural and Island Areas of Scotland, examines how rural and island communities understand, experience, and sustain local care economies under growing workforce pressures and demographic change.
The project explores both childcare and eldercare and is designed to generate evidence which can directly inform place-sensitive policy and support the sustainability of rural communities.
Feedback from voters highlighted the importance and relevance of the work, describing it as “a critical, under-researched policy challenge with clear real-world consequences, using an inclusive, participatory approach.”
On winning the competition Emma said: “I am so pleased to have won the Planned Impact Award at the SGSSS Collaboration and Impact Showcase. Winning this award has served as an important reminder that research on workforce shortages in rural and island care economies is both relevant and urgently needed. It is incredibly encouraging to see recognition for research that aims to support the sustainability of rural and island communities and place-based policymaking.”
Emma’s lead supervisor Dr Francis Naab, said: “This is a fantastic achievement for Emma and a well-deserved recognition of the quality and importance of her research. Workforce shortages in rural and island care economies are a pressing challenge for communities across Scotland and Emma’s work is helping to generate evidence that can support more effective and place-sensitive policy responses.”
The award was presented at the SGSSS Collaboration and Impact Showcase at the Royal Society of Edinburgh.
Posted by SRUC on 19/05/2026
