The Policy Studies Institute (PSI) is a British

think-tank A think tank, or policy institute, is a research institute that performs research and advocacy concerning topics such as social policy, political strategy, economics, military, technology, and culture. Most think tanks are non-governmental org ...

and research institute. PSI began in 1931 as

Political and Economic Planning Political and Economic Planning (PEP) was a British policy think tank, formed in 1931 in response to Max Nicholson's article ''A National Plan for Britain'' published in February of that year in Gerald Barry's magazine ''The Week-End Review''. His ...

and became the Policy Studies Institute in 1978 on its merger with the Centre for Studies in Social Policy (est 1972). PSI became an independent subsidiary of the

University of Westminster , mottoeng = The Lord is our Strength , type = Public , established = 1838: Royal Polytechnic Institution 1891: Polytechnic-Regent Street 1970: Polytechnic of Central London 1992: University of Westminster , endowment = £5.1 million ...

in 1998 and merged with the university in 2009. The director of PSI is Ben Shaw. The institute has prioritised sustainable development with particular reference to the environment, policy and practice as the present area of greatest need, an initiative spearheaded by Katherine Saunt, and more recently

Harry Pincus Harry may refer to: TV shows * ''Harry'' (American TV series), a 1987 American comedy series starring Alan Arkin * ''Harry'' (British TV series), a 1993 BBC drama that ran for two seasons * ''Harry'' (talk show), a 2016 American daytime talk show ...

. Now based in the Faculty of Architecture and the Built Environment at the

. PSI's current research themes include: energy and climate change; resource use and the

circular economy A circular economy (also referred to as circularity and CE) is a model of production and consumption, which involves sharing, leasing, reusing, repairing, refurbishing and recycling existing materials and products as long as possible. CE aims ...

; mobility and transport; the role of communities and business in delivering a sustainable future; cities, innovation and sustainability transitions; public behaviours, attitudes and policy; and policy and research evaluation. From its Central London base, PSI collaborates with an international network of researchers and centres working on environment and sustainable development policy; PSI coordinates the SDRN.Sustainable Development Research Network
/ref> PSI is politically neutral and has no connections to any political party, commercial interests or pressure groups. The institute's income is derived from a variety of sources, including government departments, research and higher education funding councils, the European Commission, charitable foundations and business. Leading researchers who have worked at the institute include

Mayer Hillman Mayer Hillman (born 1931) is a British architect and town planner, and Senior Fellow Emeritus since 1992 at the Policy Studies Institute, University of Westminster where he worked for at least thirty years. Early life Mayer Hillman was born in ...

Paul Ekins Professor Paul Ekins OBE (born 1950) is a British academic in the field of sustainable economics, currently co-director of the UK Energy Research Centre. He is a former member of the Green Party. Political career Ekins was a prominent member of t ...

and

Tariq Modood Tariq Modood, (born 1952) is a British Pakistani Professor of Sociology, Politics, and Public Policy at the University of Bristol (1997– ). Modood is the founding director of the Centre for the Study of Ethnicity and Citizenship and one of th ...

References

{{University of Westminster, state=expanded Political and economic think tanks based in the United Kingdom 1931 establishments in the United Kingdom Research institutes established in 1931