The RTPI is now inviting entries for the 2026 Awards for Research Excellence, which provide an opportunity to celebrate leading research across the planning community.   

Now in their twelfth year, these prestigious awards celebrate the best spatial planning research from RTPI-accredited planning schools. They also highlight the implications of academic research for policy and practice, recognise the valuable contribution of planning consultancies to planning research and promote planning research generally. 

There are five categories: 

• Patsy Healey Award for Academic Excellence 
• Sir Peter Hall Award for Wider Engagement  
• Tony Crook Award for Early Career Research  
• Student Dissertation Award 
• Practitioner Research Award 

The awards are open from 17 March until 10 May. Judging will take place in May ahead of a finalists announcement in July.   

The winners will be revealed at the UK-Ireland Planning Research Conference at Cardiff University on 7 September. The awards will be presented by RTPI President Jan Bessell. 

For more information, including eligibility criteria visit https://www.rtpi.org.uk/researchawards