Research Funding & Awards

Value: up to £5,000 (c. $6,600; c. €5,900)

Application Deadline (Expression of Interest): Spring 2026

This grant aims to reward excellence and support outstanding individual researchers on a topic related to regional studies and regional science. It is intended primarily to provide opportunities for scholars who have already published in the field of regional studies and/or regional science and who are currently individual members of the RSA. The award has a maximum time span of 18 months and reporting conditions apply. The full Terms and Conditions governing the grant are available in the MeRSA Handbook.

Value: up to £7,500 (c. $10,000; c. €8,900)

Application Deadline (Expression of Interest): Spring 2026

The RSA Fellowship Research Grants (FeRSA) are provided to support a discrete piece of regional studies and/or regional science research. The award has a maximum time span of 18 months and reporting conditions apply. This award is open to Fellows of the RSA only. The FeRSA was introduced to support the research of established researchers and long-term RSA members. RSA Fellows are individual members who have been continuous members for a minimum of 5 years and who have contributed to the life of the Association.

Value: up to £10,000 (c. $13,300; c. €11,800)

Application Deadline (Expression of Interest): Spring 2026

This award is open to individual applicants in their early career (five years maximum between the date showing on the certificate and the application deadline). Applicants must be based within an eligible higher education institution. This funding is provided to support a discrete piece of regional studies and/or regional science research. The grant has a maximum time span of 18 months and reporting conditions apply.

Value: up to £1000 (c. $1338)

Application Deadline: 1st September 2025

The Regional Studies Association (RSA) is dedicated to supporting regional and urban research efforts globally and to disseminating research evidence. As part of these commitments and in celebration of its 60^th anniversary year, the RSA has launched the Start-Up Grant Scheme to build research capacity in emerging economies and the global south. These grants are available to regional and urban researchers in RSA membership Bands C and D.

Value: up to £15,000 (c. $20,000; c. €17,800)

2025 application deadline: 14th November 2025

The Association seeks to support Expos addressing issues that are important, current and having an impact on society. These Expos will investigate how the communities of regional studies, regional science, urban studies and related fields can respond to new societal challenges and opportunities. Expo teams will produce a policy-facing book of around 30,000 words (and an article) which targets policy-relevant questions and envisages avenues to influence policy and practice.

The maximum funding for Research Network is:

• £10,000 (c. $13,033; c. €11,925) for newly established networks
• £7,500 (c. $9,775; c. €8,944) for renewing networks.

2025 application deadline: 24th October 2025

RSA Research Networks are formed by RSA members interested in collaborating to examine an issue that responds to the aims and goals of the Association, and which is of interest and concern to both members and non-members. These issues need not necessarily to have a direct policy focus, but the examination would normally lead to policy-related conclusions.

Value: up to £500 (c. $660; c. €590)

This grant scheme offers funding towards travel costs when attending an RSA or non-RSA event within the field of regional studies and/or regional science.

Application deadline: 19th September 2025

Conference bursaries take the form of a reduced conference fee or fee waiver and are available for most RSA conferences*. Applicants need to be RSA members and precedence may be given to new researchers or those from countries with recognised funding difficulties.

*Depending on funding availability.

Applying for grants can be a stressful and difficult. One this page, some of our our members who have successfully applied for grants share their top tips for applications.

Value: up to £4,000 (c. $5,300; c. €4,700)

The Regional Studies Association (RSA) is committed to supporting the global community in researching and disseminating evidence on how regions, cities and industry are addressing the impact of the Coronavirus (COVID-19). In offering this funding, the RSA is seeking to promote and encourage research and dissemination activities, both within and across trans-national borders and to further the overall aims and objectives of the Association. The grant scheme closed in 2022.