The Regional Studies Association encourages submissions of abstracts to our annual Early Career conference, to be held in Sheffield in October 2014. This exciting conference, sponsored by new open access journal Regional Studies, Regional Science, will provide early career researchers with the opportunity to network, collaborate and socialise with others working in regional studies and science. The objective of the conference is bring together students and early career researchers* to present and debate their work in a welcoming and stimulating environment, with a view to getting invaluable feedback and new ideas and learning more about how and where to publish their research results. One session will focus on how the publishing environment is changing and the new opportunities it creates. A number of distinguished Plenary Speakers will be in attendance, in addition to the Editors-in-Chief of Regional Studies, Regional Science. Participants working in the following areas are invited to submit an abstract, though we welcome all submissions with a regional studies or regional science focus.