In 2017, the RSA launched a new policy research initiative worth £15,000 (c. $20,000; c. €17,800) for successful teams aiming to connect their work and wider communities to societal questions and policy needs. Expos will normally run for no more than 18 months from commissioning to the submission of the book and RSRS article for review.
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 full Terms and Conditions governing the grant are available in the RSA Policy Expo Handbook 2023.
Please send your queries and your application to policyexpo@regionalstudies.org
The two key deliverables from the Expo are:
- an article for Regional Studies, Regional Science with the APC sponsored by the Association from the withheld portion of the grant (articles will be subject to peer review)
- a policy-facing book in the new Regional Studies Policy Impact Books (25,000-30,000 words). It could be in the form of a report or edited papers with an introduction and conclusion. It must include an executive summary highlighting the policy implications from the work, and it must be accessible to policymakers and practitioners. The RSA will provide advice on book templates to maximise policy impact. This book would normally be expected to be launched by the Association at an appropriate time and venue and will be given in print form to all RSA members and in electronic form to all subscribers to the RSA journals pack. This gives each book a very substantial potential readership footprint. Additional copies will be purchased by the Association for distribution to the policy community directly.
Watch the recording of our webinar and learn more about the Policy Expo grant scheme, Grants and Funding: An Introduction to the Policy Expo Grant by the RSA – Phil Tomlinson (University of Bath, UK) and Neil Lee (London School of Economics, UK):
To see about our grant holder research projects and to watch their videos explaining their research, please click on the Previous and Current Policy Expo Projects on the lower left of this page.
Watch the recording of the webinar: Professional Development: Writing for Policymaker Audiences, where presenters Dr Mariachiara Barzotto and Prof Phil Tomlinson (both School of Management, University of Bath) draw upon their own experiences (and expertise) and offer some useful tips and guidance in engaging with and writing for policymaker audiences.
Watch the recording of the webinar: Policy Expo Global on Value Chains and Regional Innovation.
Watch the recording of the webinar: Policy Expo Levelling Up Left Behind Places: The Scale and Nature of the Economic and Policy Challenge
Support for Authors
Policy Expo authors benefit from global RSA dissemination support:
- support for a project launch event
- social media promotion including Twitter, LinkedIn, RSA e-bulletin, Facebook, WeChat, Instagram
- publication platforms including RSA Regions magazine and the RSA Blog
- free access to e-books provided to up to 50 named policymakers
- global reach via e-book access for all RSA members and any library that is subscribed to the RSA journals
- support to host a webinar
- support to host a book launch
Regional Studies Policy Impact Books
This book series form a series of punchy, policy facing books addressing issues of contemporary concern. There is a consistent focus on the impact of policy research both in terms of its reach to policy, academic and practitioner communities and also in its significance, to show how evidence can inform policy change within regional and urban studies. Members can access these books online via the RSA Lounge, Publications.
Download statistics:
2019 (Policy Expo launch year): 579
2020: 1692
2021: 3731
2022: 6003
