2021 RSA & RSA Europe Opportunities and Support for Students and Early Career Researchers

The RSA is committed to supporting students and early career researchers via career development training and opportunities, knowledge exchange, webinars, publications and micro grant funding. Below are some of the many initiatives that we offer to develop students and early career researchers’ careers, influence and research.

To  stay up to date with RSA and RSA Europe activities, we recommend to sign up for our monthly e-Bulletin at www.jiscmail.ac.uk/cgi-bin/webadmin?SUBED1=REGIONAL-STUDIES-COMMUNITY&A=1

Free events and training

Past webinars are available on demand, to access these, the #RinR21 festival recordings and networking opportunities please download the RSA Mobile App – RSA Hub (you can find this on your usual app store or access the desktop version by clicking here).

Professional Development Webinar Series

This webinar series offers training and support for skills, knowledge and professional development on a variety of topics. Run by experts in their field, this ‘how to’ best practice webinar series aims to support RSA members and interested participants at different career stages. Forthcoming Webinars:

Regions Cities Industry Webinar Series

November 30 – December 1, 2021, Online. The RSA Europe’s Winter College has been established to focus on how ideas, theories, methods and data can be leveraged across disciplines for the purpose of scientific advancement. Applications are welcome from PhD candidates and post-docs/researchers who have been awarded a PhD in the past 5 years, from a variety of disciplines and institutional backgrounds. For more details on the application process, please click here.

RSA Europe – 2021 #EURegionsWeekCollege

The following sessions will run as part of the 2021 #EURegionsWeek:

• Cohesion Policy and Academic Debate, 12/10/2021, 11:30 – 13:00 CEST
• A Conversation with…. – Discussion on European Cohesion Policy with PhD Students and Early Career Researchers, 13/10/2021, 14:30 – 16:00, CEST
• Research for Policy Impact: The European Parliament, 13/10/2021, 11:30 – 13:00 CEST
• Research for Policy Impact: The European Parliament, 13/10/2021, 11:30 – 13:00 CEST

The further details and how to register will be published in due course here. The event is free to attend, but pre-registration is necessary.

Funding & Awards

RSA Early Career Grant Scheme

This funding 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 and must be a current, early career member of the RSA. This grant aims to support a discrete piece of regional studies and/or regional science research.

• Value: up to £10,000 (c. €11,500; $12,000)
• Application deadline (Expression of Interest): 15^th  September 2021

RSA Awards

Nominations (both self-nominations and third-party nominations) of current members are being sought for the following awards in regional studies and related fields:

• Nathaniel Lichfield Award – this award is for recent Masters graduate who have graduated within the previous year.
• Paul Benneworth PhD Student Award – this award is for registered PhD students who have not yet received their PhD certificate. This name change recognises the enormous contribution of Paul Benneworth to the field of Regional Studies and his strong commitment to supporting students in our subject areas.
• RSA Routledge Early Career Award – this award is for early career researchers (defined as being within five years of the date on their PhD certificate or equivalent).

The prize for each Award is: a cheque for £500; and a certificate. Deadline: April 2022 (TBC)

Small Grant Scheme on Pandemics, Cities, Regions & Industry

This Scheme aims to support a discrete piece of regional studies and/or regional science research on the impact of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) on regions cities and industry. This award is open to single applicants or team of researchers. All applicants must be based within an eligible higher education institution (HEI) and must be a current individual (non-corporate) member of the Regional Studies Association and remain a member throughout the duration of the grant and reporting period.

• Value: up to £4,000 (c. €4,500; $5,000)
• Forthcoming deadline:  June 2022 (TBC)

Publishing

Call for editors:

• Call for Book Review/Regular Editor and Early Career Editor for REGIONAL STUDIES
• Call for Early Career Editor for TERRITORY, POLITICS, GOVERNANCE
• Call for Early Career Editor for SPATIAL ECONOMIC ANALYSIS
• Call for Digital Editor for AREA DEVELOPMENT AND POLICY

Regional Studies Regional Science: Early Careers Papers Section

The editors of the Early Career Papers section are seeking submissions of paper proposals for short articles. Contributions are welcomed from any discipline in the field of regional studies or regional science and with any geographical focus. Authors (and co-authors) should be PhD students or early career researchers that have completed their PhD in the last five years. If selected for publication, the RSA will cover the article processing charge and the author will work with a mentor to develop the paper. There are two calls for paper proposals each year with deadlines for submissions on 31 March and 30 September.

Regions e-Zine

The Regions e-Zine is our online and open access digital magazine and has become a vital tool to showcase the excellent regional-based research carried out by all members and friends of the Regional Studies Association. Regions e-Zine has three issues a year, in March, September and December. If you would like to contribute or discuss an article suggestions, please email the Editorial team via office@regionalstudies.org using the subject line “Regions eZine”.

The RSA Blog

The RSA Blog has been running since 2010, providing an online platform for the RSA community to share short, engaging articles on research and the latest developments in the field. The writing style within the Blog is less academic than academic journal articles. Guidelines for writing a blog can be found here. If you wish to discuss an idea for a Blog article, please contact the Blog Editor at RSABlog@regionalstudies.org.

Taylor & Francis Author Services

Taylor & Francis Author Services is a dedicated website offering support and guidance for every step of the research publishing journey, from researching potential journals for publication, through to drafting an article and the reviewing process. Visit their website for more details.

 Networking

• International territorial networks: Link up and extend your networks via the RSA’s International divisions, country sections and UK-Sub national branches & sections
• Women’s Early Career and Mid Career Researchers Network (with both in-person and online meetings, an active WhatsApp group and closed Facebook group)
• Active Student and Early Career Facebook group
• RSA APP – Search for RSA Hub (or Regional Studies Association) in your app store to download
• Connect with us with our active social media channels: Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter – @regstud @RSAEurope

Other Opportunities

The RSA lists vacancies, scholarships, postgraduate courses and non-RSA events online at www.regionalstudies.org/about/opportunities/.

These are regularly updated. Please reach out to alex.holmes@regionalstudies.org in case you have a posting that we should add.

These initiatives are in addition to the many membership benefits we offer. The full list of benefits can be found under each membership category at www.regionalstudies.org/about/memberships/ If you like to have a discussion on membership benefits most suitable to you and how the RSA can support you, please get in touch and we will arrange a phone call or zoom meeting with you.