Policing Academic Centre of Excellence

Lancaster University’s Policing Academic Centre of Excellence (L-PACE) is based on its world leading reputation for the application of social and behavioural sciences to enduring and emerging policing challenges

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Become an L-PACE Associate

L-PACE brings together researchers across the social, behavioural and technical sciences to tackle real-world policing challenges through innovative, interdisciplinary research. We take a broad and inclusive approach to policing problems, including research in public safety, health and well-being, legal, ethical, psychological, criminological, linguistic, computational, AI, engineering and design domains. Through close work with police forces and industry partners, L-PACE aims to turn high-quality research into practical impact.

Alongside the Centre’s funded core team, the Associate scheme recognises Lancaster staff, including academic, early-career researchers and research students working on policing and related topics, and connects them to a wider interdisciplinary community. Above all, L-PACE is intended to be a community: a place where people working on policing and related challenges can collaborate, exchange ideas and support one another with their research and impact ambitions.

What are the benefits?

As an L-PACE Associate, you join a supportive and collaborative research community focussed on developing impactful policing research. Associates may be invited to contribute to Centre activities, including events, knowledge exchange, networking, sandpits, workshops, and partnership building activities. L-PACE also offers opportunities to connect with colleagues across disciplines, to engage with operational policing priorities, and to build relationships with relevant external partners.

The Centre can share funding opportunities, support the development of grant applications, provide letters of support where appropriate, offer mentorship and guidance from senior academics, and help facilitate connections with stakeholders. In some cases, Associates may also be able to access small grants, proof-of-concept funding, rapid-response funding for emerging issues, conference travel support, or funding to develop external collaborations. These forms of support may be particularly valuable for early-career academics, PhD researchers, Master’s students and others at the earlier stages of their research trajectory.

Expression of Interest

To become an Associate member of Lancasters Policing Centre of Excellence (L-PACE), please complete the form below with a brief summary of your police-related activities aligned to L-PACE's theme areas or the Policing Areas of Research Interest (ARi's).

This may include examples of:

  • Your areas of research interest, ongoing activity and career aspirations.
  • Your record of publications and funding capture (if applicable).
  • Demonstrable interest in engaging with L-PACE agenda and other researchers; including collaboration, mentorship and advice to colleagues.

Fields marked with an asterisk (*) are required.

Your details

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