WMCA Areas of Research Interest (ARIs)

Download the WMCA Areas of Research Interest 2026-27

Download the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) Areas of Research Interest (ARIs) 2026-27

WMCA Areas of Research Interest (ARIs) 2026-27

Areas of Research Interest (ARIs) are statements / topics / questions published by organisations that are looking to collaborate with others to inform their policies and fill evidence-gaps. They are intended to help align research evidence from academia with policy development and decision-making; engage academics and research to better understand the evidence gaps faced by policymakers; and enable policymakers to access stronger policy evidence bases.

ARI documents have been created by UK Government departments since 2017; and today, they are being published by a range of policy bodies, including UK Government agencies and arms-length bodies; parliamentary committees; devolved governments; and local government.

The West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA)’s Areas of Research Interest articulate the strategic research needs of the Combined Authority (CA) to the wider academic and research community. This are intended to help the WMCA become more evidence-informed in its decision-making, in line with the WMCA purpose to make the West Midlands the best place to live, work, and visit.