The Policy Studies Institute (PSI) is a British

think-tank A think tank, or public 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-governme ...

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''. Hi ...

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 The University of Westminster is a public university, public university based in London, United Kingdom. Founded in 1838 as the Royal Polytechnic Institution, it was the first Polytechnic (United Kingdom), polytechnic to open in London. The Po ...

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. 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 or CE) is a model of resource Production (economics), production and Resource consumption, consumption in any economy that involves sharing, leasing, Reuse, reusing, repairing, refurbishing, and ...

; 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,

Paul Ekins Professor Paul Ekins OBE (born 1950) is a British academic in the field of sustainable economics, currently Professor of Resources and Environment Policy at University College London. He was formerly co-director of the UK Energy Research Centre ...

and Tariq Modood.

References

{{Authority control Political and economic think tanks based in the United Kingdom 1931 establishments in the United Kingdom Research institutes established in 1931