The RES invites proposals from institutions who wish to host the Royal Economic Society’s Annual Public Lecture for the periods 2020-2022 or 2021-2023. The below sets out the expected division of labour between the RES and the host institution; the RES’s process for making a decision; and the timeline in which it expects to make and communicate this decision.
About the Annual Public Lecture
The RES Annual Public Lecture (APL), first established in 2001, aims to bring the best communicators in the economics profession into contact with a wide public and to show the importance of top-quality economic research. Aimed principally at sixth form students of Economics and related subjects, the APL has become an established part of the senior school calendar. Over recent years, the APL has been filmed to maximise its audience. A list of previous APLs is provided on the Society’s website.
The APL is free to attend, with schools registering for places on a first come, first served basis. The APLs are traditionally sell-out events, with audiences in the range of 300-400.
The APL is given twice in November of each year and in separate locations. The Royal Institution and the University of York are contracted to host the APL until 2019 and 2020 respectively; this process is to decide which institutions will succeed them.
Arrangements
The Society now seeks proposals from institutions wishing to host the Annual Public Lecture from 2020 to 2022 or 2021 to 2023.
1. Responsibilities of RES
The Society will:
- Select the speaker and topic
- Coordinate with both hosting institutions to agree lecture dates
- Provide a dedicated contact point at the Society office
- Promote the APL through the Society’s communication channels, including website and social media
- Pay for the for the cost of travel and (as necessary) accommodation for the speaker and RES representatives.
2. Responsibilities of the host institution
- Administrate ticket allocations
- Local staffing arrangements and associated costs (including building attendants, reception, security etc)
- Advertise to schools within its region
- Local IT support, including filming the event and the option of live-streaming
- Room booking
- Dinner with speaker (RES will meet the cost of Society representatives attending the dinner)
- Car parking arrangements
- Refreshments for attendees
- A post-event report to the Society, detailing the number of attendees, the number and type of schools attending, and other relevant information
Proposal
Institutions are invited to provide a proposal addressing each of the points above. The RES strategy places emphasis on improving diversity in the discipline. Institutions are asked to specifically comment on how they will advertise the APL to ensure attendance from a diverse range of schools. Where an institution intends to conduct other Widening Participation activities around the APL, it should describe these in the proposal.
Institutions should state whether they have a preference for hosting the APL from 2020-2022 or 2021-2023.
The Society welcomes joint proposals from institutions. Where joint proposals are submitted, institutions should provide a central point of contact.
Submitting your proposal
Proposals should be submitted via email to resoffice@res.org.uk by 5pm on Friday 29 November. Any questions should be directed to the Secretary-General Denise Osborn, or the Chief Executive Leighton Chipperfield.
Process for decision-making
Proposals will be considered by a small working group including the RES Secretary-General, Chief Executive and Head of Operations. It is expected that a decision will be made by mid December 2019, and that all bidding institutions will be notified shortly afterwards.
The Society office will work with the selected institutions to develop a formal agreement confirming the arrangements.
