Regional Studies Association - 2 Board positions available for PhD students and early researchers

Two opportunities have arisen for a PhD Student and an Early Career Researcher to join the Board of the Regional Studies Association from 1^st November 2023.

The RSA is an established globally engaged Association and a place on the Board will enable successful candidates to engage with colleagues from students and early career researchers through to high profile academics and policymakers internationally at meetings, conferences and social events. For more information on the RSA, please go to www.regionalstudies.org

The successful candidates will be actively involved and participate not only in the discussion and exchanges among the Board members at their (normally) three meetings per annum but will be expected to participate with them in the delivery of the Association’s aims and objects. These posts are observer posts and carry no right to vote and no associated liabilities but in practice post holders will be encouraged to participate openly in meetings.

During the term of office, the post holders will meet distinguished scholars, develop their organisational and interpersonal communication abilities and benefit from our Board Members’ experience. These positions offer a unique opportunity for career and network development.

Reasonable travel and accommodation expenses will be covered by the Association to attend the Board meetings two of which are normally held in London and third is usually linked to the Association’s annual conference which moves around Europe.

Student and Early Career Representatives have the following deliverables:

• to actively engage in RSA Board meetings either in person, online or by sending in papers for discussion;
• to proactively develop ideas on how to strengthen the RSA’s student & early career networks and how to engage those communities;
• to work strategically with the RSA office and Board to improve and refine the membership benefits for student & early career members;
• to proactively post, and encourage others to post, on the RSA Student and Early Career Facebook platform facebook.com/groups/156406957851069;
• to write a minimum of one short article per year for the RSA Blog https://blog.regionalstudies.org/
• to proactively, with support of the RSA office team, develop student/ECR sessions at RSA conferences or online sessions;
• to champion the RSA to suitable networks and individuals to help the RSA grow its network and reach globally.

The Student Representative position is open to current PhD Students who are members of the RSA. The Early Career Representative position is open to Early Career members of the Regional Studies Association who are within 5 years of the date on their PhD certificate or equivalent.

Additional information

Candidates are more likely to be successful if they have already engaged with the Association i.e. through attendance at an event, applications for grants or through publication in any of our channels including Facebook and the blog. 

The RSA runs three Board Meetings per year and the successful candidate will be invited to attend (in person or online) the Board & AGM on 8^th November 2023 in London, UK. 

Each appointment is for a one-year term with the option to extend for a second term depending on the deliverables being met. To learn more about the current RSA Board,  visit: www.regionalstudies.org/about/committee/rsa-board

Application process

Please send a letter of application (up to 500 words) in which you describe why you would be the ideal Student or Early Career Representative on the RSA Board, what initiatives you would plan to undertake to promote the RSA and engage with the regional studies/ regional science community, your CV  and a reference from your line manager to Daniela Carl at daniela.carl@regionalstudies.org.

The deadline for applications is 5^th September 2023, 10.00 am BST.