The opportunities below provide members with the chance to apply for financial help to support their work, run networking events, receive awards for excellence, help towards the costs of travel to attend non-RSA events, and present their work to international audiences.
We hope that you will have a look through these opportunities – for a summary, please see Funding Flyer 2023.
In case of any questions, please get in touch with Lesa Reynolds.
Our Funds
Value: up to £5,000 (c. $6,600; c. €5,900)
Application Deadline (Expression of Interest): 10th May 2023
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): 10th May 2023
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): 10th May 2023
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 £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.
Value: up to £15,000 (c. $20,000; c. €17,800)
The Association seeks a leading and impactful role for its community, to inform and influence policy and practice in creative and ambitious ways. The aim is 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.
The maximum funding for Research Network is:
- £10,000 (c. $13,300; c. €11,800) for newly established networks
- £7,500 (c. $10,000; c. €8,900) for renewing networks.
Application Deadline: 26th October 2023
In 1985, the RSA Board agreed to introduce Research Networks (formerly referred to as Working Groups) to our activity portfolio. In 2015, the Research Network funding award was increased as part of the 50th Anniversary celebrations of the Association.
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 a non-RSA event within the field of regional studies and/or regional science.
2023 application deadlines: 25th May, 28th September and 23rd November.
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.
