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2025-09-30-accounts

Annual Report Financial Statements and Auditor’s Report 1 October 2024 – 30 September 2025 ecpr.eu

2024–2025

2024–2025

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Who we are, and Report of our Executive ECPR Chair Daniela Irrera A year in review: what we do: ECPR’s Committee for the period and Director Tanja Munro membership, groups and full mission statement. ending 30 September 2025. on ‘fairness and relevance’. networks, event participation.

Contents

ECPR Annual Report covering the period 1 October 2024 – 30 September 2025

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Monitoring impact: event Event calendar – fees, membership fees, chronology of conferences and publications royalties. and teaching events.

Prizes – recognising service and achievement across ECPR’s community.

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25

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Operating responsibly: Gender: representation Financial review: income risk management, staff wellof male vs female / other and expenditure; surplus being, handling complaints. across all ECPR’s activities. and deficit.

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Data tables for all Key Performance Indicators – see Appendix for headline stats.

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Administrative details, staff at Harbour House, Executive Committee.

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Structure, governance Independent Auditor’s Primary financial Notes to the financial and management: trustees’ Report by Sumer Auditco statements for the year statements. responsibilities. Limited, Statutory Auditor. ended 30 September 2025.

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ECPR | Annual Report

ECPR | Annual Report

Founded in 1970, ECPR is the leading European academic association with a mission to advance political science.

We bring scholars together across our global network to develop research and grow the discipline.

Our members are universities, and the communities within them, engaged in the research and teaching of social sciences.

Through our events, publications and research groups, we foster scholarly collaboration across borders.

We support academics at every stage of their career, providing training, research opportunities and professional development.

ECPR helps make sense of the world’s complex and changing political landscape for the benefit of all.

2024–2025

2024–2025

Report of the Executive Committee

The European Consortium for Political Research (ECPR) is pleased to present the Trustees’ Report together with the financial statements of the Charity for the twelve months ending 30 September 2025

The financial statements comply with the requirements of ECPR’s Constitution, the Charity’s trust deed, the Charities Act 2011 and ‘Accounting

and Reporting by Charities: Statement

UK and Republic of Ireland, published in October 2019.

of Recommended Practice’, in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the

About us

PhD student to senior professor, all of whom benefit directly from ECPR membership. While the ECPR is a membership association, our activities are open to all.

the purpose of strengthening the discipline and growing the volume and impact of its output worldwide; and

ECPR is a learned society and a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO) registered in the UK that supports the advancement of political science.

Our members are universities and research institutes concerned with the teaching and research of political science and related disciplines.

Our mission is to advance political science. We do this in two ways:

Within these institutions is a community of tens of thousands of scholars, from

skills-based training to scholars;

significant annual budget on which

across Europe and the rest of the world, and supporting all scholars working within the discipline.

they can draw to support their event activities. This funding is available for internal events organised by the Group or Network which would otherwise run at a deficit. In 2024–25 we provided £5k of funding for this purpose. In addition, ECPR provides ‘seedcorn funding’ to any SG or RN working on developing a bid to a major funder for a significant research project. In 2024–25, we were pleased to provide over £2k worth of funding for this purpose.

This report provides a summary of these activities carried out in the 2024–25 financial year.

Grant-making policy

As a membership association, we provide project. In 2024–25, we were pleased a range of funding opportunities to to provide over £2k worth of funding individual scholars and to groups affiliated for this purpose. with ECPR. This provision of funding and financial support to our affiliates and � ECPR affiliates can apply for funding Standing Groups (SGs) and Research to support their attendance at our Networks (RNs) is one of the primary events in the form of fee waivers and ways in which we achieve our charitable travel and accommodation grants. objectives. The EC continually reviews The grants are available to students ECPR’s funding provision with the aim and early career researchers who of increasing and improving the value to cannot access funding elsewhere. In affiliates and, in turn, their institution. 2024–25 we provided £33k worth of travel and accommodation grants, The funding we provide is listed below: and waived £15k worth of registration fees, which supported 64 scholars.

Our charitable status

Public benefit

The Executive Committee (EC) has a duty to ensure that the activities undertaken by ECPR fulfil its charitable objectives and provide a public benefit. Our public is the academic institutions which make up our membership and the scholars who study

the aim of producing the best quality research. These activities include:

and teach within them. It is also the wider

general public, whose lives are influenced research. These activities include: by the resulting research. The EC ensures this public benefit is met through the � an annual programme of creation and continued development of a international workshops, conferences range of activities and initiatives to foster and training events designed deeper and more productive collaboration to develop ongoing research between scholars worldwide, with and provide professional and

ECPR | Annual Report 7

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ECPR | Annual Report

Political science depends on the ability to ask critical questions, to work across borders, and to pursue knowledge without fear or constraint

Stewardship, continuity and shared purpose

The 2024/25 year was marked by consolidation, care, and steady stewardship for ECPR. In a global environment shaped by political instability, institutional uncertainty, and sustained pressure on higher education, our shared priority was clear: to provide continuity and reassurance for our community while strengthening the organisation’s foundations for the future.

Adapting to change

We are acutely aware that many political scientists are working under increasingly difficult conditions. Funding is more constrained, workloads are heavier, and the space for critical, independent scholarship is under strain in many parts of the world. These pressures are felt across career stages and geographies. In this context, ECPR’s role as a dependable, well-governed institution matters deeply.

During the year, we focused on financial recovery and organisational resilience. Following earlier deficits, ECPR returned to a more stable position through disciplined budget management, careful cost control, and realistic planning. This recovery was achieved not by retreating from our mission, but by strengthening internal systems and ensuring that activities are delivered responsibly and sustainably. These foundations are essential as we continue to adapt to longer-term changes in our operating environment.

Space for academic exchange

Alongside this work, ECPR maintained a full and diverse programme of core activities that continued to provide vital spaces for scholarly exchange and professional development. The Methods School remains a key point of engagement for early-career researchers, with ongoing work to refine its structure and content to ensure long‑term quality and relevance. Publishing, too, remains central to ECPR’s mission to advance political science. During 2024/25, we continued to manage the transition of our journals to a fully Open Access model with care and responsibility, ensuring continuity for authors, editors, and readers. This work reflects our commitment to access, research excellence, and academic freedom, while recognising the need for careful financial and operational planning.

Sustaining scholarly communities

We continued to invest in the discipline’s infrastructure. Our Standing Groups and Research Networks, digital platforms, and training provision play a crucial role in sustaining scholarly communities at a time when institutional support is uneven, and opportunities are increasingly constrained. Our aim is not expansion for its own sake, but long-term value, fairness, and relevance for our members and affiliates. This year was also about clarity and trust. We have been deliberate in setting priorities, strengthening governance arrangements, and being transparent about the choices facing the organisation. In an environment where uncertainty is often the norm, predictability, accountability, and good stewardship are forms of reassurance in themselves.

None of this work would be possible without the many individuals who contribute their time, expertise, and commitment to ECPR’s activities, nor without the staff at Harbour House. Their professionalism, institutional knowledge, and care ensure that ECPR remains reliable and responsive, even under pressure.

Looking ahead, we are realistic about the challenges facing political science, but confident in ECPR’s capacity to navigate them. We have a clear sense of direction, we are strengthening our foundations, and we remain committed to protecting academic freedom, supporting our community, and providing a safe, well-governed home for political science. Quietly, carefully, and with shared purpose, we are preparing ECPR for the years to come.

Daniela Irrera, Chair,

ECPR Executive Committee, 2024 – 2027 Tanja Munro, ECPR Director

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ECPR | Annual Report

Value, fairness and relevance for our members

ECPR is strengthening its foundations. We remain committed to protecting academic freedom, to supporting our community, and to providing a safe, well-governed home for political science

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ECPR | Annual Report

2024–2025

2024–2025

Global membership distribution

A year in review

Members are at the heart of all ECPR activities. We have grown our membership so that more scholars than ever enjoy career‑enhancing benefits; we have expanded our events programme to reflect the changing world; and we are dismantling barriers to reading and publishing new research

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Ukraine - Full Associate Member Non-
Membership for OECD, 3, 1% Associate Member OECD,
Ukrainian Institutions, 8, 36, 11%
3%
Full Member - Mid- and
lower income Europe, 7,
2%
Full Member - Central
and Eastern Europe, 33,
10%
Full Member, 239, 73%
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Membership

Membership remains the foundation of our activities and their capacity to support political science research and training. In 2024/25, we had 326 institutional members across 43 countries, supporting a community of c.40,500 users.

Membership income totalled £745,870, all of which was reinvested into the academic community through substantial subsidies and fee waivers that enabled participation in training, conferences, workshops, and publishing activities, delivering clear value to member institutions.

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Member numbers
1 59
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All other member countries,
2024/5
Belgium, Poland, 8
Czech Republic, Ukraine
Portugal, Israel 7
France, Austria 6
Denmark, Finland, Ireland 5
Hungary, Australia 4
Cyprus, Greece, Croatia, 3
Estonia, Japan
Latvia, Lithuania, 2
Bosnia and Herzegovina,
Chile, Serbia, Turkey
Iceland, Luxembourg, 1
Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia,
Bulgaria, Argentina,
Singapore, Taiwan
Member countries Members per country
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Top ten member countries, 2024/5

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Canada, 9
Switzerland, 9
Netherlands, 11
Germany, 59
Norway, 12
USA, 14
UK, 46
Sweden, 14
Italy, 21
Spain, 14
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2024–2025

2024–2025

Groups and Networks: reflecting the discipline

Standing Groups and Research Networks form the core academic engine of ECPR, translating institutional membership into sustained scholarly activity and engagement across the discipline. In 2024/25, we supported 71 Groups and Networks, comprising 19,444 memberships and 5,256 unique members worldwide. Together, they provide comprehensive coverage across political science subfields and underpin the delivery of ECPR events, research development activities, and international collaboration. This generates significant value for individual scholars and member institutions.

Academic coverage and scholarly activity

Groups and Networks play a pivotal role in shaping ECPR’s scholarly output and event programmes. They accounted for 94% of all academic content at the General Conference and 47% of Workshops at the Joint Sessions, underlining their importance as the primary generators of conference activity and intellectual exchange within the organisation.

In addition to their contribution to flagship ECPR events, Groups and Networks deliver a wide range of independent scholarly activities throughout the year. During the reporting period, nine external events,

including summer schools, workshops, and conferences, were organised, alongside seven regular seminar series and two early career researcher–focused events. All activities are supported by our professional staff, ensuring organisational continuity, administrative support, and alignment with ECPR’s strategic objectives.

Supporting research communities and institutions

Groups and Networks operate as ready-made, institutionally supported international research communities, open to scholars at all career stages. They play a vital role in fostering research development, facilitating collaboration, and supporting academic careers. Through these activities, Groups and Networks deliver clear value not only to individual members but also to ECPR member institutions, by strengthening research cultures, generating new outputs, and enhancing institutional visibility within the international political science community.

Membership profile and renewal

Group and Network memberships are renewed biannually at the start of ECPR’s membership year, ensuring accurate

and up-to-date participation records; this process took place in 2025. As of 1 February 2025, the largest Groups and Networks by membership were:

These figures reflect the scale of engagement across the Groups and Networks programme, and the breadth of scholarly interests represented within the ECPR community.

Overall, Groups and Networks remain essential to the vitality and sustainability of our academic community. By providing stable, institutionally supported international research networks, they enable continuous scholarly exchange, generate new research activity, and support career development throughout the year. Groups and Networks extend the value of institutional membership beyond events alone, delivering ongoing benefits to both individual scholars and member universities.

Events: bringing scholars together

Participants at various stages of their careers received intensive training in a range of research methods, to enhance qualitative and quantitative research skills.

In 2024–25, we delivered 43 events (see our Events team, who jointly delivered page 22). Along with the annual Joint a seamless experience for all attendees. Sessions of Workshops and the General Conference, ECPR ran Methods School General Conference courses online and in-person summer schools, and online seminars organised by our Standing Groups and Networks. Aristotle University of Thessaloniki These events attracted a significant hosted the 2025 General Conference in number of registrations from scholars August. A diverse array of Panels and across various disciplines, all managed Roundtables, covered all sub-disciplines of through ECPR’s custom online platform. political science. Our event also included,

Middle East Project

Aristotle University of Thessaloniki hosted the 2025 General Conference in August. A diverse array of Panels and Roundtables, covered all sub-disciplines of political science. Our event also included, for the first time, ECPR’s summer session of the Methods School, offering students the chance to combine learning with experiencing Europe’s largest political science conference. A highlight was the keynote speech by Theodoros Livanios, who serves as Minister of Interior of Greece in the Government of the Hellenic Republic.

Prompted by an open letter to the Council by members of our community, in 2024 we launched a call for Convenors of a project addressing the conflicts in the Middle East. The first event, organised by Convenors Christos Kourtelis and Assem Dandashly, discussing Middle Eastern Policy and EU relations, took place in October 2024. The Convenors delivered five events between October 2024 and September 2025, involving over 300 registered individuals.

Participation levels were strong at the General Conference and the Joint Sessions. Our methods training and seasonal schools also saw considerable involvement, with slightly more participants than the previous year.

Joint Sessions of Workshops

The event was supported by the efforts of the Local Organising Committee led by Theodore Chadjipadelis, working with ECPR’s Events team, whose collaboration was essential to delivering the event.

Jean Blondel Lecture

In December 2024, the second edition of the annual Jean Blondel Lecture took place at the University of Essex. The lecture was delivered by Laura Morales, 2005 winner of the ECPR PhD Prize, precursor to the Jean Blondel PhD Prize. Her lecture, The Polarisation of Immigration in Europe: What Does it Mean for Democracy? was attended by 15 people in person and a further 34 online.

The 2025 Joint Sessions took place in May at Charles University, Prague. Workshops on diverse topics fostered in‑depth exploration of specialist subfields of political science, facilitating meaningful academic exchange. The event’s success was made possible through the coordinated efforts of the Local Organising Committee, including Hana Kubátová and Gabriela Baranyaiová, together with

Methods School

In 2025, ECPR’s Methods School offered a variety of virtual courses throughout the year, designed to meet the evolving needs of the political science community.

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ECPR | Annual Report

2024–2025

2024–2025

Publishing – making research accessible to all

Publishing remains a core pillar of ECPR’s mission, supporting the dissemination of high-quality political science research and enhancing the international visibility of our community’s work. The 2024/25 period marked a significant year of transition. 2025 was the first year of full Open Access for EPSR, and the final year of legacy publishing agreements. During the year, journals completed their transition to Cambridge University Press platforms, with final issues published under Wiley and Springer. This ensured continuity for authors and readers while positioning ECPR publishing for long-term sustainability.

editorial team for EJIR was issued and will close in March 2026. Alex Baturo was appointed to lead the Comparative Politics book series with Nicole Bolleyer, replacing Jonathon Slapin in October 2025. In addition, Robert Huber and Julia SchulteCloos were appointed as Open Science Editors for EJPR, a newly created role reflecting ECPR’s growing commitment to open and transparent research practices.

metrics indicate a generally positive performance across the journal portfolio during a period of structural change and transition to Open Access models.

Editorial support, standards, and policy development

ECPR’s publishing programme continues to be underpinned by strong editorial and professional support. In-house editorial coordinators work closely with journal editors to ensure consistent author service, efficient workflows, and adherence to best practice. This includes close collaboration with publishers and alignment with COPE guidelines and wider industry standards, including those promoted by ALPSP. All this enables ECPR to remain responsive within a rapidly evolving publishing environment.

Publishing activity was further integrated into the wider ECPR community through engagement initiatives at the General Conference, including the launch of a new partnership with Cambridge University Press, featuring three topical roundtables on AI, academic freedom and open science, sponsored jointly by journal editorial teams and the publisher.

Submissions, outputs, and impact

By the end of the calendar year, 1,253 articles had been submitted across the five ECPR journals, with 274 articles published, representing an increase in submissions and publications compared with previous years. Across the portfolio, journals maintained average acceptance rates of 18%, reflecting continued selectivity and quality assurance.

Dissemination and scholarly engagement

During the reporting period, ECPR began reviewing policies related to data transparency and replicability, and assessed AI’s impact on the research cycle and editorial processes. These reviews will support the continued transparency, integrity, and relevance of ECPR journals.

ECPR publishing is complemented by The Loop, which continues to provide accessible, timely commentary and research-led content connected to the journals and the wider discipline. Together with books and journal publications, this contributes to a broader ecosystem of dissemination that supports academic debate and public engagement.

The 2024 Impact Factors, released in spring 2025, showed increases for EJPR, EPS, and PRX, alongside a small decrease for EPSR. CiteScore results broadly mirrored this pattern, with increases for EJPR and EPS, and modest reductions for EPSR and PRX. Taken together, these

Editorial appointments and community engagement

Overall impact

Several key editorial developments took place during the year. A call for a new

Overall, the publishing programme continues to deliver strong scholarly value while navigating a period of significant structural change. Through sustained editorial quality, growing submission volumes, increasing Open Access provision, and close alignment with best practice, ECPR publishing enhances the visibility, impact, and integrity of research produced by its community. In doing so, it delivers clear benefits to individual scholars and reinforces the research profile and international standing of ECPR member institutions.

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while navigating a period of significant
structural change. Through sustained
editorial quality, growing submission
volumes, increasing Open Access
provision, and close alignment with best
practice, ECPR publishing enhances the
visibility, impact, and integrity of research
produced by its community. In doing so,
it delivers clear benefits to individual
scholars and reinforces the research
profile and international standing of ECPR
member institutions.
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Governance – continuity and oversight

During 2024/25, ECPR’s governance structures operated in line with the organisation’s constitutional and statutory requirements, providing continuity and oversight during a period of consolidation and organisational focus.

continuity of governance knowledge, while ongoing members provided institutional memory and stability. The Committee was supported throughout the year by ECPR’s Director and senior staff, ensuring that decisions were informed by accurate reporting, financial monitoring, and operational insight.

maintenance of clear decision-making processes. These elements underpin ECPR’s ability to operate responsibly and to provide stability for its members and staff in a challenging external environment. The transition in the role of Chair, held by Daniela Irrera, following the conclusion of David Farrell’s term, was embedded during the reporting year. Under the Chair’s leadership, the Executive Committee maintained a focus on fulfilling its statutory duties, supporting the organisation’s mission, and safeguarding ECPR’s longterm sustainability. Taken together, ECPR’s governance arrangements during 2024/25 provided assurance, continuity, and accountability. While the external context for higher education and research remains uncertain, the organisation’s governance framework continues to support careful stewardship, transparency, and organisational resilience.

The Executive Committee met regularly throughout the year, discharging its responsibilities as charity trustees and maintaining oversight of ECPR’s finances, activities, and risk management. Matters requiring formal approval were considered in accordance with established procedures, with delegated authority operating through the Chair, Subcommittees, and Senior Management, as appropriate.

Council, too, fulfilled its role as the representative body of the membership, with Official Representatives exercising their responsibilities in line with ECPR’s Constitution. Reporting ensured transparency around organisational performance, financial position, and key developments, enabling Council to maintain confidence in the stewardship of the organisation.

Following the completion of elections in the previous reporting period, the Executive Committee entered the year with a refreshed composition. Induction and briefing processes supported

Throughout the year, particular attention was paid to governance fundamentals: financial control, risk awareness, compliance with charity law, and

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2024–2025

2024–2025

I was recommended the ECPR Methods School by my supervisor. The biggest benefit was that I got to talk one-to-one with my instructor, and I figured out how to use that particular method in my own specific research interest. Really cool for the future!

2025 Methods School participant Tim Vent, AlbertLudwigs-Universität Freiburg

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2024–2025

2024–2025

Prizes 2024–2025

ECPR offers a broad range of prizes , which recognise service and achievement across our community, honouring individuals at every stage of their career

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Prize Awarded for Winner
2024
Priscyll Anctil Avoine
Swedish Defence University
Blog piece
Loop Best Blog Prize 2024 UN collusion with the Taliban is betraying Afghan women Lida Ahmad Kargah Association
for Refugees and Migration
Joint Sessions Paper Selective responses to the climate crisis: Timon Forster
Rudolf Wildenmann Prize 2024
International fnancial institutions and strategic ignorance University of St Gallen
Recognising the achievements of an outstanding Luis Leandro Schenoni Santos
Rising Star Award 2024
PhD student or early career researcher University College London
Article The insecurity of doing research and the ‘so what Karl Gustafsson Stockholm
Jacqui Briggs EPS Prize 2024 question’ in political science: how to develop more University Linus Hagström
compelling research problems by facing anxiety Swedish Defence University
2025
Hedley Bull Prize in Book Bringing War Back In: Victory, Defeat, Luis Leandro Schenoni Santos
International Relations 2025 and the State in Nineteenth-Century Latin America University College London
Book Citizen Marx: Republicanism and the Formation Bruno Leipold London School of
Political Theory Prize 2025 of Karl Marx’s Social and Political Thought Economics and Political Science
Matthew Polacko
EPSR article
EPSR Early Career Prize 2025 Who benefts from the social democratic march to the middle? University of Calgary
PhD thesis Far-Righting Feminism: Charlène Calderaro
Joni Lovenduski PhD Prize 2025
Criminalising Street Harassment in France and Britain University of Lausanne
Jean Blondel PhD Prize 2025 PhD thesis To be announced March 2026 To be announced March 2026
Book
Vicente Valentim
Stein Rokkan Prize 2025 The Normalization of the Radical Right:
IE University, Madrid
A Norms Theory of Political Supply and Demand
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Monitoring impact

Our income is derived from three main streams: membership

Event participation

fees, event fees, and publications royalties. We keep a close eye on the impact and success of these activities in terms of the benefit they bring to individual scholars and their institutions; the impact they have across the community and in raising the profile of the organisation; and the income they generate. For the purposes of this Annual Report, we employ a number of key performance indicators (KPIs) to monitor year on year, as detailed below.

Attendance at ECPR events is a strong indicator of the popularity and relevance of our programme. Numbers fluctuate, particularly for the General Conference, depending on the location, and its capacity. Virtual events do not have the capacity constraints of physical institutions, and depend more on the number of people willing and able to engage with the technology. However, online options open attendance up to a new demographic who may not have been able to attend in-person activities.

Membership

The 2025 Joint Sessions (JS) and General Conference (GC) offered a selection of in-person Workshops and Panels. Collectively, they were attended by 2,554 participants, compared with 2,485 in 2024: an increase of 69 (2.8%). The GC fell by 19 participants (0.9%), attracting 1,990 registrations compared with 2,009 in 2024. 1,897 Papers were presented across 498 Panels and 62 Sections (compared with 1,860, 474 and 57, respectively, in 2024). The JS increased by 78 participants (16%), attracting 554 registrations compared with 476 in 2024. The number of Workshops remained at 32. All Workshops were held in-person, though participants could access online options in special circumstances.

We monitor trends in membership renewal and acquisition at a global, country and institutional level. This is supported by individual-level participation data, showing institutional engagement with the organisation and specific activities.

Publications

We evaluate the impact and health of our individual publications, and the programme as a whole, in a number of ways. However, for the purposes of this report, we apply the following indicators:

The Methods School was attended by 357 participants, compared with 521 in 2024; a decrease of 164 (31.5%). Changes in the training landscape, alongside rising numbers of people accessing training online as a credible, financially viable alternative in a post‑ pandemic world of cuts and high economic uncertainty, indicate a shift in demand that requires us to recalibrate our offering.

Attendance at 31 Standing Groups and Research Network events in 2025 totalled 2,500. A further 472 participants attended three House Series events and 167 the Jean Blondel Lecture, totalling 3,139, compared with 4,513 the previous year. While overall participation was lower, programming remained stable, with 36 non-core events delivered in both 2024 and 2025 (excluding the General Conference, Joint Sessions and Methods School, which added a further 10 events in 2025). The change in attendance is attributable largely to reduced activity in a small number of Standing Group initiatives, such as Seminar Series, rather than a contraction in the overall event offer.

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2024–2025

Event calendar

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Event name, Standing Group
or Research Network
Standing Group on Citizenship 2 Oct 2024–24 Jun 2025
Early Careers Lounge Virtual 49
(8 seminars)
Middle Eastern Policy and EU Relations Seminar Series 25 Oct 2024–5 Jun 2025 Virtual 434
Teaching and Learning Politics Autumn School 21–25 Oct 2024 In-person 20
Process Tracing Signature Course 21–25 Oct 2024 Virtual 11
Standing Group on Critical Peace Seminar Series 24 Oct 2024–23 Jun 2025
and Conflict Studies (3 seminars) Virtual 60
Standing Group on Energy Politics,
Seminar Series 1 Nov 2024–25 Sep 2025 Virtual 301
Policy and Governance
Standing Group on Environmental Politics Seminar Series 7 Nov 2024–5 Jun 2025
Virtual 110
(8 seminars)
Standing Group on Public Policy Seminar Series 13 Nov 2024–2 Jun 2025 Virtual 152
Standing Group on Political Theory Seminar Series 13 Nov 2024–7 Jul 2025
Virtual 130
(7 seminars)
Standing Group on Political Culture Seminar Series 13 Nov 2024–12 Mar 2025
Virtual 45
(4 seminars)
Standing Group on European Union Seminar Series 19 Nov 2024–20 May 2025
Virtual 108
(7 seminars)
Standing Group on Migration and Ethnicity Seminar Series 21 Nov 2024–29 Apr 2025 Virtual 110
Research Network on Statehood, Seminar Series 27 Nov 2024–8 May 2025
Sovereignty and Conflict (4 seminars) Virtual 72
Young ECPR Network on Europeanisation Seminar Series 28 Nov 2024–4 Apr 2025 Virtual 36
The Polarisation of Immigration in Europe Blondel Lecture Series [3 Dec 2024] Hybrid 167
House Series 5 Dec 2024 Virtual 144
Rethinking Coordination between Humanitarian,
Development and Peacebuilding Efforts
Winter School 10–12 Dec 2024 Hybrid 16
Standing Group on Annual Rousseau 12–13 Dec 2024 Hybrid 10
Kantian Political Thought Lecture and
Conference
Virtual 14
Applied Regression Analysis: Signature Course 16–20 Dec 2024
Estimation, Diagnostics, and Modelling
Standing Group on Teaching and Learning Seminar Series 9 Jan–8 May 2025 Virtual 64
Event type Dates Format Number of participants
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Event name, Standing Group
or Research Network
POLNET Social Network Analysis Winter School 13–17 Jan 2025 In-person 29
Using Participatory Research Methods Signature Course 20–24 Jan 2025 Virtual 6
in Political Science Research
Political Sociology Seminar Series 12 Mar–14 May 2025 Virtual 52
Standing Group on Political Methodology Early Careers Lounge 17 Mar–11 Jul 2025 Virtual 87
Methods School (Winter) Winter School 24–28 Mar 2025 Virtual 239
Virtual 25
Research Network on Digital Authoritarianism Seminar Series 8 May–1 Jul 2025
Virtual 8
Doing Fieldwork in Challenging Environments Signature Course 12–16 May 2025
Joint Sessions of Workshops Conference In-Person 554
20–23 May 2025
Stein Rokkan Lecture: House Series 21 May 2025 Hybrid 165
Political Patronage and Autocratisation
Standing Group on Political Communication Early Careers Lounge 22 May–12 Jun 2025 Virtual 25
Summer School In-person 25
Transnational Organised Crime 1–14 Jun 2025
Standing Group on Extremism and Democracy Conference In-person 155
9–10 Jun 2025
Standing Group on Regulatory Governance Conference 11–13 Jun 2025 In-person 204
Electoral Integrity and Disinformation House Series 12 Jun 2025 Virtual 163
in an Era of Democratic Backsliding
Comparative Historical Analysis Signature Course 16–20 Jun 2025 Virtual 8
Standing Group on Parliaments Conference 2–4 Jul 2025 In-person 113
Summer School 6–11 Jul 2025 In-person 10
Standing Group on Interest Groups
Workshop 7–9 Jul 2025 In-person 10
Getting Started with Spatial Analysis using R Signature Course 7–11 Jul 2025 Virtual 7
General Conference Conference 26–29 Aug 2025 In-person 1,996
Methods School (Summer) Summer School 26–29 Aug 2025 Hybrid 66
Standing Group on International Relations Summer School 8–12 Sep 2025 In-person 11
Standing Group on Political Parties Summer School 22–26 Sep 2025 In-person 20
Standing Group on Southern European Politics Seminar Series 11 Feb 2025 Virtual 7
Standing Group on Food Policy and Governance Seminar Series 8 Apr 2025 Virtual 10
Event type Dates Format Number of participants
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2024–2025

2024–2025

KPI data tables

Please refer to separate Appendix for headline statistics on all ECPR publications

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Key Performance Indicators for Membership numbers, 2020–2025
2020–21 2021–22 2022–23 2023–24 2024–25 2026
Target Actual Target Actual Target Actual Target Actual Target Actual Target
Membership 340 308 320 305 321 324 321 338 338 326 300
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Participation at events, 2020–2025
2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026
Target Actual Target Actual Target Actual Target Actual Target Actual Target Actual Target
General Conference 1,850 2,214 2,000 2,349 2,000 2,017 2,174 2,424 2,113 2,009 2,486 1,990 2,075
Joint Sessions 425 87 400 628 400 449 489 426 434 476 495 554 401
Methods School, 1,180 n/a
1,078 n/a 562 918 611 816 521 611 373 504
including (from 2024)
Signature Courses
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*Previously, targets set and reporting has been based on participant numbers rather than courses sold. From 2021–2022, reporting on course numbers has been adopted as a more reliable metric.

----- Start of picture text -----
Key Performance Indicators for journal publishing, 2020–2025
European Journal
European Journal of European Political European Political of International Political Research
Political Research Science Science Review Relations Exchange
2020 514 84% 4.943 118 59% 1.8 230 88% 4.143 469 91% 4.023 87 69%
2021 474 86% 5.774 83 70% 2.4 210 81% 3.123 426 91% 2.946 84 64%
2022 446 83% 5.3 74 61% 2.0 232 79% 3.2 402 86% 3.4 91 71% 2.4
2023 512 83% 5.7 114 68% 1.4 218 78% 3.2 435 91% 3.4 110 72% 1.8
2024 538 78% 3.6 130 88% 1.9 224 82% 2.7 435 91% 2.7 149 65% 2.1
2025 700 77 254 * 168
Total submissions Rejection rate Impact Factor Total submissions Rejection rate Impact Factor Total submissions Rejection rate Impact Factor Total submissions Rejection rate Total submissions Rejection rate Impact Factor
----- End of picture text -----

*ECPR publications follow the calendar year. Some data were therefore unavailable at the time of publication.

Operating responsibly

Supporting our volunteers

Complaints handling policy

Volunteers are people who conduct work on ECPR’s behalf without financial reward. Currently, we define members of Steering Committees of ECPR’s Standing Groups and Research, and Associate Editors of PRX, as volunteers. We recognise this group’s contribution to meeting ECPR’s mission, and we aim to support them in a number of ways, including opportunities to meet with staff and trustees, and offering advice and training.

ECPR works hard to ensure that we always deliver the best service to our members and affiliates; to support this effort we have developed a complaints policy which allows us to receive, review and take action on any concerns raised. Complaints can be made in person, over the phone or via a dedicated confidential email address: complaints@ecpr.eu. Once received, complaints are processed by our Senior Management Team or Director.

We have also published a Code of Conduct on our website, revised in March 2021, which explains explicitly to our community what we consider to be appropriate conduct.

Staff wellbeing

Our staff at the Colchester headquarters work hard to deliver an extensive range of benefits and services to a large community of scholars across the world. All staff benefit from flexible working, so they can work the hours that suit their own personal

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2024–2025

situations. Staff required to work additional hours at times of high workload can accrue time-off-in-lieu (TOIL), in addition to the standard 25 days’ annual leave plus bank holidays.

Home-working has always been an option for staff under certain circumstances, but the pandemic has proven that staff are able and capable of working from home on a regular basis, with minimal disruption to our operations. We have adopted a more flexible approach to home‑working, enabling staff to combine home and office working to allow them to better manage their commitments outside of work.

We have developed a number of policies to support and protect staff who are working away from the office, and the organisation reimburses all necessary costs incurred while travelling for work purposes. We provide a defined‑contribution pension scheme for all employees, to which ECPR doubles any contribution made by staff, up to 16% of salary. We also provide staff with a benefits package that includes shopping discounts; reduced-cost train tickets; opportunities to spread the cost of technology, childcare and vehicles; access

to over a thousand e-learning modules and courses; free coffee and movies; and discounts on gym memberships. We are also committed to maintaining the good mental health of our staff. We have trained Mental Health First Aiders and, through our staff benefits package, we provide access to a free counselling service.

Quotes made by charities or other notfor‑profit organisations, and those local to our headquarters or event host (as appropriate), are considered favourably.

Risk management

We regularly evaluate the risks facing the organisation through the Risk Register. This informs the degree of reserves required to sustain the organisation in the event of one or more of these factors materialising.

Procurement and sustainability

We have adopted a Procurement Policy which seeks to balance the need to protect the resources of ECPR by achieving value for money, with factors such as sustainability and supplier values.

the resources of ECPR by achieving A key risk the organisation faces is value for money, with factors such as a sustained loss of surplus from our sustainability and supplier values. events activities. Multiple factors influence this: increased operating costs due to The policy seeks to achieve this by high inflation; increased litigation costs; requiring any trustee, volunteer or member declining event income as a result of of staff considering a purchase to evaluate VAT costs; declining Methods School the following criteria: price of product; attendance due to increasingly competitive quality of product; ability of the product market; declining income from the to fulfil the Charity’s need; supplier’s publications portfolio since the transition reputation, range of products, service, to Open Access. The EC has established delivery ability and sustainability principles. a Task Force to review the organisation’s For large purchases or long-term activities and make recommendation supplies, we seek formal quotes and to the EC to ensure ECPR’s ongoing tenders from at least two competitors. fiscal resilience.

While the EC is responsible for adopting the annual budget, and for ensuring that accounts are properly audited, day-to-day management of income and expenditure lies with our Finance Department and Senior Management Team, with regular oversight by the Chair of the Finance Subcommittee.

Reserves policy

ECPR aims to maintain reserves equivalent to the risks identified in the Risk Register. The last Risk Register to be approved by the EC set a net reserves target (excluding Fixed Assets) of £1.9m; at the close of the 2023–24 financial year net reserves were at £763k (39% of target).

At the close of 2024–25, net reserves increased to £896k; 46% of the target set. Reserves had previously been declining as a result of several years of deficits, but the EC has been working towards reversing this trend, and generating surpluses to build reserves, which is reflected in the increased reserves position.

Current principal ongoing or ‘standing’ risks faced by ECPR

----- Start of picture text -----
Risk VAT Compliance Unexpected Loss of Methods Sustained loss of surplus from Bank failure
litigation School as a viable events
event
Impact Events are not compliant with VAT Including H&S Due to competition Increased costs for events resulting Loss of
regulations and fines are incurred failures at and other in loss of surplus across all events unguaranteed
as a result; VAT advice is incorrect events circumstances the which cannot be supported by income
or changed unexpectedly. Methods School can surpluses from publications and
no longer continue subscriptions
Mitigation Changes to VAT regulations Ongoing work Need to develop Making careful decisions about Monitor news
are investigated and solutions in risk areas; strategies for revising events, and look at this portfolio in
developed. VAT consultants are Staff training the format the wider context of all events income
held accountable. Processes are and costs, increased fees approved
begun earlier and VAT status by FSC in March 2024, monitor VAT
determines activity locations. impact in decision making.
Net risk Likely Very low Medium Likely Very low
rating
----- End of picture text -----

----- Start of picture text -----
w
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2024–2025

I chose the ECPR Methods School because it’s one of the most renowned and innovative training programmes in my area: enriching and thoughtprovoking. Beyond the content, the most valuable part was the in-person connections with the instructor and my fellow participants. 2025 Methods School participant Maria Martins, KU Leuven

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2024–2025

Headline statistics

ECPR has achieved or exceeded gender parity in 16 or 59% of the 27 key categories below. Our Methods School is flying the flag for female representation, with 62% female participants at grassroots level, and 100% female Methods School Teaching Assistants

We gather data on gendered participation across all aspects of ECPR’s event programme, prizes, and journals publishing portfolio

----- Start of picture text -----
Percentage female / other, of known gender, in each category
Variance
2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 2024–2025
1 Active MyECPR account holders 49% 51% 50% 51% 53% 53% ▷ 0%
2 Authors submitting to journals 28% 32% 32% 33% 32% 21% ▼ 11%
3 Published authors in journals 35% 33% 34% 35% 26% 29% ▲ 3%
4 Published authors in books 45% 34.5% 75% 50% 25% 19% ▼ 6%
5 Published authors on The Loop 43% 38% 37% 44% 46% 48% ▲ 2%
6 Grassroots participation in Joint Sessions 51% 50% 51% 52% 53% 49% ▼ 4%
7 Grassroots participation in General Conference 48% 51% 49% 48% 47% 52% ▲ 5%
8 Attendance at a Methods School 58% 43% 59% 60% 57% 62% ▲ 5%
or Signature Course (SC)
9 Joint Sessions Workshop Directors 50% 55% 63% 52% 56% 50% ▼ 6%
10 General Conference Section Chairs 55% 51% 52% 55% 56% 50% ▼ 6%
11 Methods School / SC Instructors 33% 31% 36% 34% 43% 46% ▲ 3%
12 Methods School / SC Teaching Assistants 45% 50% 56% 78% 70% 100% ▲ 30%
13 Methods School Academic Convenors 0% 0% 50% 50% 50% 50% ▷ 0%
14 Editors of all publications 43% 43% 47% 50% 50% 50% ▷ 0%
15 Editorial Board members of all publications 54% 53% 50% 53% 54% 51% ▼ 3%
16 House Series Speakers 0% 56% 55% 54% 64% 50% ▼ 14%
17 Joint Sessions Stein Rokkan Lecturer/s female 3 female, male female female male ▼ 100%
3 male
18 General Conference Plenary Lecturer n/a n/a n/a female female male ▼ 100%
19 General Conference Roundtable participants 71% 46% 78% 53% 59.5% 45% ▼ 14.5%
20 Prize nominees 41% 41% 43% 47% 49% 55% ▲ 6%
21 Prizewinners 33% 60% 30% 64% 22% TBC TBC
22 Executive Committee members 42% 50% 50% 50% 50% 50% ▷ 0%
23 Speaker of Council male male male male male female ▲ 100%
24 Official Representatives 35% 34% 32% 34% 38% 39.5% ▲ 1.5%
25 Standing Group Chairs / 52% 54% 51% 50% 54% 52% ▼ 2%
Steering Committee members
26 ECPR staff, including Senior Management 70% 68% 57% 68% 73% 73% ▷ 0%
27 Senior ECPR Management, including Director 80% 80% 80% 75% 75% 75% ▷ 0%
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* As at February 2026; at the time of publication, the 2025 Jean Blondel PhD Prize winner was yet to be announced

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30 ECPR | Annual Report

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2024–2025

Gendered participation

MyECPR account holders

In 2025, the proportion of female / other users of known gender from member and institutions was up 1% at 52% and those from non-member institutions, too, up 1%, at 53%. It is also interesting that the number of users identifying as ‘other’ rose from just eight in 2022, but had leapt to 60 by 2023, 64 in 2024, and stood at 108 in 2025.

The total number of active users was well up on last year's number, rising from 21,254 We measure engagement by the number to 24,046. The percentage of active female of active accounts. Anyone participating in / other account holders remained steady an event, or signing up to an email list, must at 53% . As the table shows, the gender have a MyECPR account. This data, if limited distribution of our account holders has to accounts accessed in the past three years, remained pretty evenly balanced year gives a sense of the active ECPR community. on year since 2020.

----- Start of picture text -----
MyECPR account holders
2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025
Female 5,518 3,778 1,740 7,170 5,350 1,820 12,273 7,189 5,084 11,116 7,018 4,098 10,273 6,976 3,297 11,925 8,259 3,666
Male 5,823 4,063 1,760 6,999 5,075 1,924 12,313 7,494 4,819 10,925 7,177 3,748 9,324 6,434 2,890 10,603 7,429 3,174
Other 2 1 1 2 1 1 8 0 8 60 45 15 64 44 20 108 78 30
Prefer 1,677 1,210 467 2,127 1,631 496 2,965 1,763 1,202 1,959 1,235 726 1,593 1,161 432 1,410 1,058 352
not to
say
Total 13,020 9,052 3,968 16,298 12,057 4,241 27,559 16,446 11,113 24,060 15,475 8,585 21,254 14,615 6,639 24,046 16,824 7,222
Total, of 11,343 7,842 3,501 14,171 10,426 3,745 24,594 14,683 9,911 22,101 14,240 7,861 19,661 13,454 6,207 22,636 15,766 6,870
known
gender
% female 49% 48% 50% 51% 51% 49% 50% 49% 51% 51% 50% 52% 53% 52% 53% 53% 53% 54%
/ other
of known
gender
All users From Member institutions From non-Member institutions All users From Member institutions From non-Member institutions All users From Member institutions From non-Member institutions All users From Member institutions From non-Member institutions All users From Member institutions From non-Member institutions All users From Member institutions From non-Member institutions
----- End of picture text -----

Publishing in our journals

the significant proportion of authors – 842 – whose gender remains unknown. Despite the drop in submissions by women, the proportion of published output by female authors has remained reasonably consistent year on year since 2020. The 2025 figure was 29% – a 3% drop on 2024.

submissions in 2022 and 2023, in 2024, the total number of submitting authors fell by 23, to 1,607. In 2025, however, this figure surged to a record 2,398. The number of reviewers accepted also saw a significant boost: up from 980 in 2024 to 1,276. The number of published authors showed a drop of 15 articles on the previous year. This was caused largely by the anomalously low volume of publication on EPSR.

Data for ‘submitted’ and ‘published’ articles relate to articles submitted, and published, during 2025. Given the time between article submission and publication, the cohort of submitted versus published authors is likely to differ slightly.

The percentage of reviewers who identify as female / other has also remained pretty consistent since 2020; within the 30–39% bracket. Following two years in which the proportion of female reviewers had remained at 34%, in 2025 it dropped 1%, to 33%.

We do not currently look at whether women are submitting singly or as part of teams, and, if so, whether those teams are of mixed or single gender.

The number of submissions by women / other dropped eleven percentage points on the previous year: 21% compared with 32% in 2024. This figure may be influenced by

After a huge leap in the volume of

----- Start of picture text -----
2024–2025
----- End of picture text -----

----- Start of picture text -----
Authors submitting Authors published in Reviewers accepted for
to ECPR journals ECPR journals, including PDY ECPR journals
31 54 0 272 357 36 49 0 0 85 18 43 0 2 63
8 8 1 119 136 32 48 0 0 80 10 18 1 2 31
352 693 12 343 1,400 57 156 0 0 213 303 586 2 50 941
108 287 2 108 505 22 49 0 0 71 81 152 1 7 241
499 1,042 15 842 2,398 412 799 4 61 1,276
22 39 0 0 61
Total submissions by female 169 341 0 0 510 Total female / other reviewers 33%
/ other authors, of known 21% accepted, of known gender:
gender: 514 of 3,398 Total female authors 29% 416 of 1,276
published: 147 of 510
Female Male Other No record Total Female Male Other No record Total Female Male Other No record Total
PRX PRX PRX
EPS EPS EPS
EJPR EJPR EJPR
EPSR EPSR EPSR
Total PDY Total
Total
----- End of picture text -----

----- Start of picture text -----
All journals
2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025
Female 270 71 375 259 70 285 369 132 308 383 154 299 358 168 290 499 169 412
Male 703 133 869 555 143 567 755 255 569 781 288 582 758 357 587 1,042 341 799
Other 0 0 0 1 0 5 5 0 3 5 0 3 2 0 5 15 0 4
Prefer not 0 0 0 48 5 306 589 0 325 670 0 294 489 0 124 842 0 61
to say /
no record
Total 973 204 1,244 814 213 852 1,718 369 1,205 1,839 442 1,178 1,607 525 980 2,398 510 1,276
% female
/ other of
known
gender 28 35 30 32 33 33 32 34 39 33 35 34 32 32 34 21 29 33
Submitted Published Reviewers Submitted Published Reviewers Submitted Published Reviewers Submitted Published Reviewers Submitted Published Reviewers Submitted Published Reviewers
----- End of picture text -----

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2024–2025

Grassroots events participation

  1. A 3% rise on the previous year, from a very similar size cohort, is an encouraging sign.

The Joint Sessions was the first event to pivot to virtual in 2021, when attendance was split 50:50. The three years that followed registered a 1% year-on-year rise, culminating in our highest-ever female representation in 2024, at 53%. Sadly, the figure has dropped just below 50% this year, but is not yet cause for concern.

For four years running, the Methods School has achieved female attendance figures comfortably above parity. In 2025, we recorded our highest-ever percentage of female grassroots participants, at 62%.

Barring the 2021 anomaly, it seems the Methods School is consistently attracting female participation in significantly greater proportion than our two flagship events.

Bucking the downward trend seen in 2023 and 2024, in 2025 the General Conference returned to the 50/50 parity last seen in

----- Start of picture text -----
Joint Sessions of Workshops
2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025
Female 182 281 204 210 236 256
Male 174 282 199 192 211 268
Other 10 2
Prefer not to say / no record 34 65 36 24 29 28
Total 390 628 449 426 476 554
% female / other of known gender 51% 50% 51% 52% 53% 49%
----- End of picture text -----

----- Start of picture text -----
General Conference
2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025
Female 808 1,082 904 1,072 893 926
Male 872 1,055 945 1,171 994 950
Other 1 39 4 2 8
Prefer not to say / no record 142 211 129 173 120 107
Total 1,922 2,349 2,017 2,420 2,009 1,991
% female / other of known gender 48% 51% 50% 48% 47% 50%
----- End of picture text -----

Workshop Directors and Section Chairs

Female representation at the 2020 and has risen, in 2025, the number fell six 2021 virtual Joint Sessions was at or above percentage points, to 50%. parity. The 2022 hybrid event in Edinburgh recorded the highest-ever figure of 63%. The substantial dataset of around 2,000 While 2023 and 2024 registered 52% General Conference participants means and 55% respectively, this year has seen figures from this event reflect most a 5% fall to 50%. While this is of course accurately general trends in the profession. disappointing, it is not below parity. It is thus reassuring to see that the

Workshop Directors at the Joint Sessions and General Conference Section Chairs play a key role in shaping the academic programme of these high-profile events, and, by extension, the agenda for the discipline during that period. Workshops and Sections are selected by members of the Executive Committee, based on a competitive process.

The substantial dataset of around 2,000 General Conference participants means figures from this event reflect most accurately general trends in the profession. It is thus reassuring to see that the percentage of General Conference female representation at leadership level has now stood at 50+% for five successive years.

Following three years in which the proportion of female Section Chairs

----- Start of picture text -----
Workshop Directors / Co-Directors – Joint Sessions
2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025
Female 6 45 49 28 31 32
Male 6 37 29 26 25 32
Other 2
Prefer not to say / no record 1 3 2 5
Total 13 82 83 56 61 64
% female / other of known gender 50% 55% 63% 52% 55% 50%
----- End of picture text -----

----- Start of picture text -----
Section Chairs / Co-Chairs – General Conference
2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025
Female 75 64 60 66 63 65
Male 62 61 53 55 49 64
Other 2
Prefer not to say / no record 19 1 9 10 9
Total 156 126 124 131 121 129
% female / other of known gender 55% 51% 54% 55% 56% 50%
----- End of picture text -----

----- Start of picture text -----
Methods School, including (from 2024) Signature Courses
2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025
Female 497 342 279 301 302 209
Male 353 460 193 200 224 128
Other 11 1 4 1
Prefer not to say / no record 58 66 26 31 13 12
Total 908 868 509 533 543 350
% female / other of known gender 58% 43% 59% 60% 58% 62%
----- End of picture text -----

----- Start of picture text -----
ECPR | Annual Report
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2024–2025

----- Start of picture text -----
Prize nominees
and recipients
----- End of picture text -----

ECPR awards prizes each year to recognise achievement across the discipline and scholarly career path. Prizes are awarded for papers presented at events, articles and books published, outstanding PhD theses, and for general career achievement.

At the time of writing, in February 2026, we had awarded ten 2025 prizes for the membership year 2024/5. Among the nominations received, 55% were for women, up 6% from 2024's 49%.

Sadly, despite the relatively high levels of nominations, only three women had been honoured at the time of writing: Priscyll Anctil Avoine and Lida Ahmad emerged joint winners of The Loop’s Best Blog prize for their piece UN collusion with the Taliban is betraying Afghan women , and the Joni Lovenduski Prize was won by Charlène Calderaro for her dissertation Far-righting feminism? Criminalising street harassment in France and Britain.

----- Start of picture text -----
Alongside his colleague Linus
Hagström, Karl Gustafsson
was awarded the 2024 EPS
Jacqui Briggs Prize for the
pair’s article The insecurity
of doing research and the
‘so what question’ in political
science: how to develop
more compelling research
----- End of picture text -----

Not included in our table below are the many smaller prizes awarded by our special-interest Groups and Networks.

----- Start of picture text -----
All prizes since 2020
2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025

Female nominees 37 61 59 64 71 77
Male nominees 53 86 78 71 74 62
Total 90 147 137 135 145 139
% female 41% 41% 43% 47% 49% 55%
nominees
Female winners 2 6 5 8 2 3 or 4

Male winners 4 4 10 6 7 8 or 9

Total 6 10 15 14 9 12
% female 33% 60% 30% 57% 22% 25% or 33%

winners
----- End of picture text -----*

Prizes may be awarded jointly; the total number of prizewinners may therefore be higher than the number of prizes awarded *Situation in February 2026; the winner of the Jean Blondel PhD Prize was yet to be announced at the time of publication

----- Start of picture text -----
GIGA’s Alina Maria
Ripplinger won the
ECPR Standing Group
on Law and Courts’ Best
Conference Paper Award
in 2024, for her work on
the effects of authoritarian
repression on civil society
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ECPR | Annual Report

2024–2025

2024–2025

Financial review

Income compared to prior year

Variance 2024–2025 income against previous year

Income

Our four primary income streams are:

� Registration income from the annual General Conference � Membership fees (subscriptions) � Publications income � Methods School registration income

Every year, ECPR raises membership subscription rates and event registration fees in line with European Central Bank inflation rates. For the 2024–25 year, fees increased by 4.49%.

Overall income in 2024–25 declined slightly by 1.7%, but remained stable at £2.2m. Income from publications decreased by 14.6% to £419k, compared with £491k in the prior year (PY).

Broken down across our portfolio of journals and book series:

----- Start of picture text -----
Income Investment income, 37,037, 2% Donations, 517, 0%
summary Publications, 419,381, 19%
Breakdown of income
received in 2024–2025
Fundraising, 745,870, 34%
Other events, 7,204, 0%
General Conference,
523,318, 24%
Miscellaneous, 601, 0%
Groups and Networks,
105,468, 5%
Methods School, 194,089,
Joint Sessions, 161,047, 7%
9%
----- End of picture text -----

----- Start of picture text -----
800,000
700,000
600,000
500,000
400,000
300,000
200,000
100,000
0
Donations Publications General Joint Sessions Methods Groups and Other events Miscellaneous Fundraising Investment
Conference School Networks income
745,870
665,284
523,318
490,935
428,473
419,381
305,484
194,089 202,173
161,047
105,468
95,221
37,037 33,653
517 816 7,204 9,471 601 806
----- End of picture text -----

----- Start of picture text -----
Current year income
----- End of picture text -----

----- Start of picture text -----
Prior year income
----- End of picture text -----

Event income decreased by 4.8%, from £1m in 2023–24 to £991k.

£202k to £105k. Two large events which occur in alternate years cause a significant variance in income when compared to the PY.

ECPR | Annual Report

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ECPR | Annual Report

2024–2025

2024–2025

Expenditure

expenditure, support cost allocation also reduced by 23%, from £66k to £51k.

Overall expenditure decreased by 14.6%, from £2.4m to £2.1m.

Support costs costs remained stable, at £1.2m overall. Governance costs increased by 14.8% on audit fees from £17k to £20k, but decreased 31.1% on EC expenditure from £39k to £27k. Expenditure on Banking and finance, publicity and marketing, IT software and equipment, funding and prizes and legal and professional fees all decreased. Expenditure on general operations, office costs and salaries and wages all increased.

Expenditure on staff salaries and wages is the largest area of expenditure, but rose just 0.7%, remaining stable at £1.2m overall. Expenditure on staffing for support activities increased 14.3%, from £706k to £807k. Expenditure on staffing for generating funds decreased by 38.7%, from £51k to £31k, and on charitable activities it decreased by 17.0%, from £433k to £360k. Gross wages and salaries decreased by 1.7% from £995k to £979k. Average staff numbers decreased from 28 to 27. Employer social security costs increased 34.7% from £68k to £92k. Pension costs increased by 0.7% from £127k to £128k.

----- Start of picture text -----
40 ECPR | Annual Report
----- End of picture text -----

----- Start of picture text -----
Other events, 4,847, 0%
Fundraising, 38,751, 4%
Groups and Networks,
210,486, 24%
Publications, 246,767, 28%
Methods School, 162,019,
18%
General Conference,
Joint Sessions, 50,078, 6% 176,505, 20%
----- End of picture text -----

Expenditure summary

Breakdown of charitable expenditure 2024–2025

Charitable expenditure compared to prior year

----- Start of picture text -----
350,000
300,000
250,000
200,000
150,000
100,000
50,000
0
Fundraising Publications General Conference Joint Sessions Methods School Groups and Other events
Networks
Current year expenditure Prior year expenditure
286,604
274,831
246,767 244,440
211,211 210,486
176,505
162,019
88,719
65,772
50,078
38,751
29,934
4,847
----- End of picture text -----

41

ECPR | Annual Report

2024–2025

2024–2025

Support costs compared to prior year

----- Start of picture text -----
900,000
800,000
700,000
600,000
500,000
400,000
300,000
200,000
100,000
0
Banking and General Publicity and IT software Funding and Legal and Office Trading Staff salaries Governance
finance operations marketing and prizes professional division and wages costs
equipment
Current year expenditure Prior year expenditure
Surplus for income-generating activities
800,000
700,000
600,000
500,000
400,000
300,000
200,000
100,000
0
-100,000
-200,000
Fundraising Publications General Joint Sessions Methods School Groups and Other events Additional income
Conference Networks
Current year expenditure Prior year expenditure
807,495
706,301
123,983
110,546
77,870 87,295
54,845 63,355 56,462 62,546 47,651 46,563 56,098
26,415 32,729
3,864 7,588 2,167 1,378 0
707,119
599,512
346,813
217,262
204,331
172,614
110,969
61,044
32,070 38,155 35,275
6,502 2,357
-20,463
-72,658
-105,018
----- End of picture text -----

Surplus and deficit

Overall, the surplus generated by these activities was £1.3m, up £274k (26.6%) from the PY. This amounted to 111.8% of the

support costs, up from 85.4% in the PY, resulting in a surplus of £137k in the CY against a deficit of £177k in the PY. Investment gains added a further £73k to the surplus. Overall, the surplus was £211k in the CY, compared with a deficit of £63k in the PY, an improvement of £274k (434.2%).

Investment policy and performance

When ECPR makes a surplus, we use this money to build reserves which we can call upon to keep the organisation functioning should it meet any of the risks highlighted by our Risk Register or generate operating deficits instead of surpluses. Some of our reserves are held in an investment portfolio.

After a review by the EC in 2017, we decided that our managed fund was not bringing us value for money, so we transferred the £855k to Vanguard Investments UK Limited, split 50/50 across two funds: Vanguard Lifestrategy 40% Equity Fund and Vanguard Lifestrategy 60% Equity Fund. These index-tracking funds tend to be less volatile than active funds, and attract lower management costs, at 0.24%.

Since the transfer of the portfolio, the investments had brought us gains increasing the value of the fund to £1.1m in 2020–21. The value of the fund decreased for the first time in 2021–22, but has been recovering steadily since then, and at the end of 2024-25 it had increased in value to £1.2m. Investment gains in the year were £73k, and £25k of income was generated.

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2024–2025

Administrative information

Principal Office

Website

Bankers Investment Managers

https://ecpr.eu/

Bank of Scotland Teviot House South Gayle Crescent Edinburgh EH12 9DR

Harbour House 6–8 Hythe Quay Colchester Essex CO2 8JF

Vanguard Investments UK Limited PO Box 10315 Chelmsford Essex CM99 2AT

Auditors

Registered Charity Sumer Auditco Limited Number Statutory Auditor 820 The Crescent

Solicitors

Colchester Business Park Birkett Long LLP 1167403 CIO – Charitable Colchester Faviell House, 1 Coval Wells Incorporated Organisation Essex CO4 9YQ Chelmsford Essex CM1 1WZ

Staff at Harbour House in Colchester

Employed 1 October 2024 – 30 September 2025

Director

Events Antoni Christodoulou Senior Software Developer

Rebecca Delve Editorial Coordinator

Tanja Munro

Annie Ho Events Manager Bridie Calver Senior Events Coordinator

Jordan Rudge Software Developer

Anna Hubbard

Senior Editorial Coordinator Management Team Until November 2024

Compliance

Amy Nice Events Coordinator

Charlie Brown Editorial Coordinator

Rebecca Gethen Head of Communications

Bianca Taylor Finance Manager Until September 2025; Finance and Office Manager From October 2025

Robert Neale Events Coordinator Until October 2024

Jessica Dorling Coordinator Mark Kench Community Engagement Head of IT and Events Coordinator Alice See Until December 2024 Events Coordinator

Kim Jesney HR Manager

Helen Morgan Head of Compliance

Miah Edwards Digital

Megan Mott Events Coordinator

Francisco Alamo Rios Data and Analytics Manager

Engagement Coordinator

Communications

Abigail Manecan Events Coordinator From January 2025

Haritha Balasubramaniyan Editorial Coordinator November 2024 – March 2025

Sean Judge Senior Finance Assistant

Helen Cooper Community Engagement Manager Until May 2025

IT and Website

Ellie Granger Junior Finance Assistant From January 2025

Until May 2025 Gemma Pulley Editorial Coordinator Kate Hawkins Publishing From March 2025 and Content Manager

and Content Manager James Gooch Savanna Rayment Community Development Manager Alex Pierpoint Olga Roelens Engagement Coordinator Office Administrator Marketing Manager From March 2025 Colin McPhie Systems Manager March – September 2025

Executive Committee: trustees 2024 – 2027

Daniela Irrera (Chair) Professor of Political Science and International Relations, Centre for High Defence Studies, Rome Positive and negative action and influence on global politics by non-state actors.

Petra Guasti Associate Professor of Democratic Theory, Charles University Central and Eastern Europe, civil society, comparative politics, democratisation, EU, gender, governance, integration, parliaments, political participation, populism.

Ladislav Cabada Vice-Rector for Research, Quality and Development, Metropolitan University Prague

Gianfranco Baldini Associate Professor, University of Bologna

Political parties, electoral systems; regionalism and federalism; comparative politics; local politics; political communication; European Union.

Regionalism and development studies in Central and South‑Eastern Europe.

Christian Haerpfer Associate Professor of Political Science, University of Vienna Europe (Central and Eastern), Comparative Politics, Democracy, Political Participation, Electoral Behaviour, Public Opinion, Survey Research.

Shane Martin Anthony King Chair in Comparative Government, University of Essex

Legislative organisation, Irish politics, parliamentary structures, influence of electoral incentives, representation.

Sofia Vasilopoulou Professor of

Jonathan Polk Professor, Department of Political Science, Lund University Political parties, the European Union and comparative politics. Representational relationship between citizens and parties in European democracies.

European Politics, King’s College London Comparative politics and political behaviour; causes and consequences of political dissatisfaction; Euroscepticism and far-right politics.

Jean-Michel Eymeri-Douzans Exceptional Class Professor, Sciences Po Toulouse International expert in comparative public administration. Also legislative behaviour, legislative organisation, and parliamentary accountability.

Anne Rasmussen Professor of Political Science, University of Copenhagen

Representation, (inequality in) political representation, public opinion, political parties, and public policy.

Luana Russo Associate Professor in Political Behaviour and Quantitative Methods, Maastricht University Elections, political attitudes and behaviours, political psychology, affective polarisation, and negative partisanship.

Amy Verdun Full Professor of Political Science, University of Victoria, British Columbia

European integration widely defined: political economy, policy, governance, integration theories, comparative politics.

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2024–2025

Structure, governance, and management

Staff Remuneration Policy

Organisation and control

As a UK registered charity, ECPR seeks to ensure that:

ECPR is governed by its board of trustees, the EC, with day-to-day operational management delegated to the Director and Senior Management Team. The EC is responsible for ensuring ECPR acts solely to further its charitable objects. It reports to the Council, which is made up of Official Representatives from member institutions.

ECPR’s activities were divided into five portfolios of work; however, during the year, one of the Subcommittees was disbanded and the work of that committee was absorbed into another portfolio. Each of the four Subcommittees comprises two or three members of the EC, plus the Chair and Vice Chair. The Director, related Senior Manager and their staff work with the Subcommittees day-to-day to operationalise EC decisions. Subcommittees have decision-making authority delegated to them via a Scheme of Delegation, and bring key items to the EC in plenary for decision and strategic discussion.

To achieve the above goals, we must balance the need to ensure value for money when expending the Charity’s resources with the need to recruit and retain the best people for the job.

There is a structured induction process for new trustees which includes meeting key staff and receiving governance, strategy and financial documents. The first meeting of a new cohort of trustees will normally take place at ECPR’s offices, where they will have the opportunity to sit in on the final meeting of the outgoing group.

The EC is responsible for setting management pay, including that of the Director, usually by delegation to the Management Subcommittee; the EC is also responsible for the recruitment and appointment of the Director. Staff are awarded an annual cost of living pay increase, which is also approved by the EC.

Conflicts of Interest Policy

Key management remuneration

ECPR trustees have a legal duty to ensure they always act in ECPR’s best interest when making decisions. It is a legal requirement that trustees report a potential conflict of interest as soon as it arises. A conflict of interest would arise if:

All Executive Committee members give their time freely. No remuneration was paid to them during the year. Trustees are reimbursed for travel and subsistence expenses when working away on ECPR business. Accommodation is usually organised and paid for by ECPR. ECPR provides the Chair’s institution with financial support to cover their absence while they are serving their term of office.

No remuneration is made to serving EC members or to people who volunteer for ECPR without the express approval of the EC and in line with the Charity Commission for England and Wales’ regulations.

Conflicts of interest are common in charities, so we adopted

practices aimed at reducing the risk of / to:

Where trustees delegate their decision-making powers to staff members under the terms of the organisation’s Scheme of Delegation, those staff are also expected to declare any potential conflict of interest and absent themselves from any discussions

ECPR has adopted the following practices to safeguard against the above risks occurring:

Trustees’ responsibilities in relation to the financial statements

As a group of trustees, the EC is responsible for preparing its Annual Report and the financial statements in accordance with applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice).

(Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008 and the provisions of ECPR’s Constitution. It is also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the Charity and hence, for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities.

In so far as the EC is aware:

The law applicable to charities in England and Wales requires the EC to prepare financial statements for each financial year that give a true and fair view of the Charity and of the incoming resources and application of resources of the Charity for that period. In preparing these financial statements, the trustees are required to:

The EC is responsible for the maintenance and integrity of the Charity and financial information included on the Charity’s website. Legislation in the United Kingdom governing the preparation and dissemination of financial statements may differ from legislation in other jurisdictions.

Daniela Irrera

On behalf of the Executive Committee 12 March 2026

The EC is responsible for keeping sufficient accounting records that disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the Charity and enable them to ensure that the financial statements comply with the Charities Act 2011, the Charity

Amy Verdun

On behalf of the Executive Committee 12 March 2026

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2024–2025

A rare space where European political science converges, reminding us of the responsibility we carry as scholars — toward our societies, Europe’s future, and democracy everywhere, from home to the farthest corners of the world.

2025 General Conference participant Mila Moshelova, Sofia University St Kliment Ohridski

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2024–2025

Independent Auditor’s Report

Sumer Auditco Limited, Statutory Auditor

Opinion

Conclusions relating to going concern

We have audited the financial statements of the European Consortium for Political Research (the ‘Charity’) for the year ended 30 September 2025 which comprise the Statement of Financial Activities, the Balance Sheet, the statement of cash flows and notes to the financial statements, including a summary of significant accounting policies

In auditing the financial statements, we have concluded that the trustees’ use of the going concern basis of accounting in the preparation of the financial statements is appropriate.

Basis for opinion

Based on the work we have performed, we have not identified any material

uncertainties relating to events or

The financial reporting framework that has been applied in their preparation is applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards, including Financial Reporting Standard 102 The Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice).

We conducted our audit in accordance with International Standards on Auditing (UK) (ISAs (UK)) and applicable law. Our responsibilities under those standards are further described in the Auditor’s responsibilities for the audit of the financial statements section of our report. We are independent of the Charity in accordance with the ethical requirements that are relevant to our audit of the financial statements in the UK, including the FRC’s Ethical Standard, and we have fulfilled our other ethical responsibilities in accordance with these requirements. We believe that the audit evidence we have obtained is sufficient and appropriate to provide a basis for our opinion.

conditions that, individually or collectively, may cast significant doubt on the entity’s ability to continue as a going concern for a period of at least twelve months from when the financial statements are authorised for issue.

Our responsibilities and the responsibilities of the trustees with respect to going concern are described in the relevant sections of this report.

In our opinion, the financial statements:

Other information

The other information comprises the information included in the annual report other than the financial statements and

our auditor’s report thereon. The trustees are responsible for the other information contained within the annual report. Our opinion on the financial statements does not cover the other information and, except to the extent otherwise explicitly stated in our report, we do not express any form of assurance conclusion thereon. Our responsibility is to read the other information and, in doing so, consider whether the other information is materially inconsistent with the financial statements or our knowledge obtained in the course of the audit or otherwise appears to be materially misstated. If we identify such material inconsistencies or apparent material misstatements, we are required to determine whether this gives rise to a material misstatement in the financial statements themselves. If, based on the work we have performed, we conclude that there is a material misstatement of this other information, we are required to report that fact.

We have nothing to report in this regard.

Matters on which we are required to report by exception

We have nothing to report in respect of the following matters in relation to which the Charities (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008 require us to report to you if, in our opinion:

Responsibilities of trustees

As explained more fully in the trustees’ responsibilities statement, the trustees are responsible for the preparation of the financial statements and for being satisfied that they give a true and fair view, and for such internal control as the trustees determine is necessary to enable the preparation of financial statements that are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error.

In preparing the financial statements, the trustees are responsible for assessing the Charity’s ability to continue as a going concern, disclosing, as applicable, matters related to going concern and using the going concern basis of accounting unless the trustees either intend to liquidate the Charity or to cease operations, or have no realistic alternative but to do so.

Auditor’s responsibilities for the audit of the financial statements

We have been appointed as auditor under section 144 of the Charities Act 2011 and report in accordance with the Act and relevant regulations made or having effect thereunder.

Our objectives are to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements as a whole are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error, and to issue an auditor’s report that includes our opinion. Reasonable assurance is a high level of assurance, but is not a guarantee that an audit conducted in accordance with ISAs (UK) will always detect a material misstatement when it exists. Misstatements can arise from fraud or error and are considered material if, individually or in the aggregate, they could reasonably be expected to influence the economic decisions of users taken on the basis of these financial statements.

Irregularities, including fraud, are instances of non-compliance with laws and

regulations. We design procedures in line with our responsibilities, outlined above, to detect material misstatements in respect of irregularities, including fraud. The extent to which our procedures are capable of detecting irregularities, including fraud, is detailed below:

We identified areas of laws and regulations that could reasonably be expected to have a material effect on the financial statements from our general commercial and sector experience; through discussion with the Head of Compliance (as required by auditing standards) and senior management; through inspection of the Charity’s regulatory and legal correspondence; through discussing with the Head of Compliance the policies and procedures regarding compliance with laws and regulations. We communicated identified laws and regulations throughout our team and remained alert to any indications of non-compliance throughout the audit. The potential effect of these laws and regulations on the financial statements varies considerably.

Firstly, the Charity is subject to laws and regulations that directly affect the financial statements including financial reporting legislation and taxation legislation and we assessed the extent of compliance with these laws and regulations as part of our procedures on the related financial statement items.

Secondly, the Charity is subject to many other laws and regulations where the consequences of non-compliance could have a material effect on amounts or disclosures in the financial statements, for instance through the imposition of fines or litigation. We identified the following areas as those most likely to have such an effect: compliance with the requirements of The Charity Commission, health and safety, corporate governance, including safeguarding and wellbeing, human rights and employment law, anti-bribery and corruption, and GDPR. Auditing standards limit the required audit procedures to identify non-compliance with these laws

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and transactions reflected in the financial statements, the less likely we would be to become aware of it. Irregularities that result from fraud might be inherently more difficult to detect than irregularities that result from error. As explained above, there is an unavoidable risk that material misstatements may not be detected, even though the audit has been planned and performed in accordance with ISAs (UK). A further description of our responsibilities for the audit of the financial statements is on the Financial Reporting Council’s website. This description forms part of our auditor’s report.

and regulations to enquiry of the Governors and other management and inspection of regulatory and legal correspondence, if any.

to state to them in an auditor’s report and for no other purpose.

To the fullest extent permitted by law, we do not accept or assume responsibility to anyone other than the Charity and the Charity’s Executive Committee as a body, for our audit work, for this report, or for the opinions we have forme.

Audit procedures undertaken in response to the potential risks relating to irregularities (which include fraud and noncompliance with laws and regulations) comprised of: enquiries of management and those charged with governance as to whether the Charity complies with such regulations, enquiries of management and those charged with governance concerning any actual or potential litigation or claims, inspection of any relevant legal documentation, review of board minutes, testing the appropriateness of journal entries and the performance of analytical review to identify any unexpected movements in account balances which may be indicative of fraud.

Signature and approval

Use of our report

Piers Harrison, Senior Statutory Auditor For and on behalf of Sumer Auditco Limited, 13 March 2026

This report is made solely to the Charity’s Executive Committee, as a body, in accordance with Section 144 of the Charities Act 2011 and with regulations made under Section 154 of that Act. Our audit work has been undertaken so that we might state to the Charity’s Executive Committee those matters we are required

Statutory Auditor, 820 The Crescent, Colchester Business Park, Colchester, Essex CO4 9YQ

There are inherent limitations in the audit procedures described above. The further removed non-compliance with laws and regulations is from the events

Sumer Auditco Limited is eligible to act as an auditor in terms of section 1212 of the Companies Act 2006

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Statement of Financial Activities

Year ended 30 September 2025

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The notes on pages 56–61 form part of these financial statements
2024 as
Note 2025 £ 8 restated £
Income from
Donations 517 816
Charitable activities 2 1,411,108 1,532,563
Subscriptions from members 3 745,870 665,284
Investments 4 37,037 33,653
Total income 2,194,532 2,232,316
Expenditure on
Raising funds 6 89,626 131,867
Charitable activities 7 1,967,561 2,277,061
Total expenditure 2,057,187 2,408,928
Unrealised investment gains / (losses) 73,312 113,588
Net income / (expenditure) of funds for the year 210,657 (63,024)
Reconciliation of funds
Total funds brought forward 2,292,812 2,355,836
Total funds carried forward 2,503,469 2,292,812
Continuing operations Total recognised gains and losses Funds
All incoming resources and resources The Statement of Financial Activities All of the income, expenditure
expended derive from continuing activities. includes all gains and losses and gains for the last two financial
recognised in the year. periods relate to unrestricted funds.
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2024–2025

Statement of cashflows

Year ended 30 September 2025

The notes on pages 56–61 form part of these financial statements

Balance Sheet

As at 30 September 2025

The notes on pages 56–61 form part of these financial statements

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Note 2025 £ 2024 £
Fixed assets
Tangible assets 11 374,386 394,965
Investments 12 1,233,084 1,134,915
1,607,470 1,529,880
Current assets
Debtors 13 460,366 442,100
Current asset investment 88,533 104,338
Cash and cash equivalents 14 1,448,840 1,270,601
1,997,739 1,817,039
Creditors: amounts falling due within one year 15 (1,101,740) (1,054,107)
Net current assets 895,999 762,932
Net assets 2,503,469 2,292,812
Funds
Unrestricted funds 2,503,469 2,292,812
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2025 £ 2024 £
Cash flows from operating activities
Net expenditure for the year 210,657 (63,024)
Adjusted for
Depreciation of tangible assets 23,207 19,409
Loss on disposal of assets - 94
Unrealised investment gain (73,312) (113,588)
Dividend accumulated in funds (24,857) (22,001)
Interest received (12,180) (11,652)
(Increase) in debtors (18,266) (46,200)
Increase / (decrease) in creditors 47,633 (28,865)
Net cash generated from / (used in) operating activities 152,882 (265,827)
Cash flows from investing activities
Purchase of tangible fixed assets (2,628) (1,690)
Interest received 12,180 11,652
Proceeds of sale of current asset investments 15,805 (2,958)
Net cash gained from investing activities 25,357 7,004
Change in cash and cash equivalents in the year 178,239 (258,823)
Cash and cash equivalents brought forward 1,270,601 1,529,424
Cash and cash equivalents carried forward 1,448,840 1,270,601
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No net debt analysis has been included because there is no debt in the Charity

Approved by the Executive Committee and signed on its behalf by:

Daniela Irrera

On behalf of the Executive Committee 12 March 2026

Amy Verdun On behalf of the Executive Committee 12 March 2026

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Notes to the financial statements

Year ended 30 September 2025

f. Expenditure and irrecoverable VAT

  1. Accounting 2005 which has since been funds, when any performance irrecoverable VAT policies withdrawn. conditions attached to the item(s) of income have been The Charity constitutes a public met, when it is probable that Expenditure is recognised once a. Basis of benefit entity as defined by FRS the income will be received, there is a legal or constructive accounting 102. and when the amount can be obligation to make a payment to reliably measured. a third party, it is probable that The financial statements are settlement will be required and The financial statements have rounded to the nearest £1 and Income from subscriptions from the amount of the obligation been prepared under the are prepared in sterling. members is accounted for in the can be measured reliably. historical cost convention, with year to which they relate. Expenditure is classified under the exception of investments, Certain comparatives in relation the following activity headings: which are included at market to raising funds and charitable Income from publications in the value. The financial statements activities expenditure have form of royalties is received in � Costs of raising funds have been prepared in been restated to make their relation to the journals. comprise the costs of accordance with the Statement treatment consistent with that commercial trading of Recommended Practice: adopted in the current year. Royalty income is accounted including investment Accounting and Reporting Raising funds have decreased for in the year that it becomes management and its by Charities preparing their by £3,652 from that reported receivable, which is when the associated costs. accounts in accordance in the prior year; charitable publication is sold. with the Financial Reporting activities increased by the same � Expenditure on charitable Standard applicable in the UK amount. The total recognised Income from conferences is activities includes the and Republic of Ireland (FRS surplus has therefore remained accounted for in the year in costs of publications, 102) issued in October 2019 the same as that reported in which the conference occurs. methods schools, and the Financial Reporting the prior year. conferences and other Standard applicable in the UK Income from investment activities undertaken and Republic of Ireland (FRS activities is recognised when to further the purposes 102), the Charities Act 2011 b. Going concern received and the amount can be of the Charity and their and UK Generally Accepted measured reliably by the Charity. associated support costs. Accounting Practice.

d. Interest

Having considered the Charity’s � Governance costs The financial statements forecasts and projections, the receivable represent the costs have been prepared to give trustees are satisfied that the of governance a ‘true and fair’ view and Charity has adequate resources arrangements and have departed from the to continue in operational Interest on funds held on deposit include costs associated Charities (Accounts and existence for the foreseeable is included when receivable and with compliance with Reports) Regulations 2008 future, and for a period of at the amount can be measured constitutional and only to the extent required least 12 months from the date reliably by the Charity; this is statutory requirements. to provide a ‘true and fair’ of approving these financial normally upon notification of the view. This departure has statements. For this reason, interest paid or payable by the Irrecoverable VAT is charged involved following Accounting the trustees continue to adopt bank. as a cost against the activity and Reporting by Charities the going concern basis in for which the expenditure was preparing their accounts preparing the accounts. The e. Fund accounting incurred. in accordance with the trustees are not aware of any Financial Reporting Standard material uncertainties with g. Allocation of applicable in the UK and regard to going concern. Unrestricted funds are available support costs Republic of Ireland (FRS to spend on activities that c. Income 102) issued on 16 July 2014 further any of the purposes rather than the Accounting of the Charity. Reserves are Support costs are those and Reporting by Charities: targeted to be approximately functions that assist the Statement of Recommended Income is recognised when 12 months’ regular expenditure. work of the Charity but are Practice effective from 1 April the Charity has entitlement to All funds held are unrestricted. not directly attributable to

j. Fixed asset

charitable activities. Support resulting from a past event have been paid, the Charity has investments costs represent costs that will probably result in the no further payment obligations. attributable to the management transfer of funds to a third party of the Charity’s assets and and the amount due to settle Contributions are recognised as organisational administration. Listed investments are stated the obligation can be measured an expense in the Statement of These costs have been allocated at market value at the Balance or estimated reliably. Creditors Financial Activities when they between costs of raising funds Sheet date. Realised and and provisions are normally fall due. Amounts not paid are and expenditure on charitable unrealised gains or losses are recognised at their settlement shown in accruals as a liability activities based on the calculated based on the market amount after allowing for any in the Balance Sheet. The plan’s proportion of direct costs which value at which the investments trade discounts due. assets are held separately from relate to each activity. The basis are recorded in the financial the Charity, in independently on which support costs have statements and are shown on o. Financial administered funds. been allocated are set out in the face of the Statement of instruments note 8. Financial Activities. r. Significant

Contributions are recognised as an expense in the Statement of Financial Activities when they fall due. Amounts not paid are shown in accruals as a liability in the Balance Sheet. The plan’s assets are held separately from the Charity, in independently administered funds.

note 8. Financial Activities. r. Significant judgements h. Foreign currency k. Debtors The Charity only has financial and estimates assets and financial liabilities of a kind that qualify as basic Monetary assets and liabilities in Trade and other debtors are financial instruments. Basic In the application of the foreign currencies are translated recognised at the settlement financial instruments are initially Charity’s accounting policies, into sterling at the rates of amount due after any trade recognised at transaction value the trustees are required to exchange ruling at the Balance discount offered. and subsequently measured make judgements, estimates Sheet date. Transactions in at their settlement value. and assumptions about the l. Current asset foreign currencies are translated carrying amounts of assets and into sterling at the rates of investments p. Taxation liabilities that are not readily exchange ruling at the date apparent from other sources. of the transaction. Exchange The estimates and associated differences arising in the normal Current asset investments ECPR is a Charity within the assumptions are based on course of trading are dealt with consist of readily available meaning of the Charities Act historical experience and other in the Statement of Financial amounts held in liquid funds. 2011 and as such is a Charity factors considered relevant. Activities for the year. Movement in the fair value of for tax purposes in line with Actual results may differ from the asset are included in the Paragraph 1 of Schedule 6 these estimates. i. Fixed assets profit and loss. Finance Act 2010. Accordingly, it is potentially exempt from The critical judgements and m. Cash and taxation in respect of income estimates that the trustees Individual assets costing £250 cash equivalents or capital gains received within have made in the process or more are capitalised at cost categories covered by Part 11, of applying the Charity’s and depreciated over their Corporation Tax Act 2010 or accounting policies and that estimated useful economic Cash and cash equivalents Section 256 of the Taxation of have the most significant effect lives on a straight line basis include cash and short-term Chargeable Gains Act 1992 to on the amounts recognised in as follows: highly liquid investments with the extent that such income or the financial statements are the a maturity of three months or gains are applied exclusively useful economic life of tangible � Freehold buildings less from the date of acquisition to its charitable purposes. fixed assets and the accrued between 2% and 10% or the opening of the deposit or publications income. The useful per annum. similar account. q. Pension costs lives and residual values are reviewed on a regular basis � Office and IT equipment n. Creditors and amended if considered 25% and provisions The Charity operates a defined necessary for the period end. contribution plan – a pension Accrued income estimates are � Freehold land is not plan under which the Charity derived from forecasts prepared depreciated. Creditors and provisions are pays fixed contributions into by the third-party agents each recognised where the Charity a separate entity – for its period and adjusted for known has a present obligation employees. Once contributions issues and historical accuracy.

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2024–2025

2. Income from

5. Publications income

charitable activities

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2025 £ 2024 £
ECPR Press 13,230 26,115
2025 £ 2024 £
European Journal of Political Research 307,550 290,707
Publications (note 5) 419,381 490,935
European Political Science 36,759 85,826
General Conference 523,318 428,473
Other publications 352 708
Joint Sessions of Workshops 161,047 95,221
European Political Science Review 41,394 48,480
Methods School 194,089 305,484
European Journal of International Relations 17,070 18,560
Groups and Networks 105,468 202,173
Political Research Exchange 3,026 20,539
Other events 7,204 9,471
Total 419,381 490,935
Miscellaneous 601 806
Total 1,411,108 1,532,563
Income from charitable activities can be further analysed as:
6. Expenditure on
2025 £ 2024 £ raising funds
Income from rendering of services 991,727 1,041,628
Income from royalties 419,381 490,935 2024 as
restated
Total 1,411,108 1,532,563 2025 £ £
Directly attributable activities
for generating funds 38,751 65,772
Support costs allocated 50,875 66,095
3. Subscription from Members
Total 89,626 131,867
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2025 £ 2024 £
Subscription from members 745,870 665,284
100% of the subscriptions from members – £745,870
(2024: £665,284) relates to the provision of services.

7. Expenditure on charitable

activities

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2024 as
restated
2025 £ £
Publications 246,767 286,604
General Conference 176,505 211,211
Joint Sessions of Workshops 50,078 88,719
Methods School 162,019 244,440
Groups and Networks 210,486 274,831
Other events 4,847 29,934
Share of support costs (see note 8) 1,116,859 1,141,322
Total 1,967,561 2,277,061
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4. Investment income

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2025 £ 2024 £
Income from fixed‑asset investments 24,857 22,001
Bank interest receivable 12,180 11,652
Total 37,037 33,653
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8. Support costs

Basis of allocation

Support costs have been allocated against charitable activities in line with the percentage of other expenditure directly attributable to the activity. All members of the Executive Committee are reimbursed travelling and subsistence expenditure incurred in the course of their duties. During the year, reimbursed expenses amounted to £34,877 (2024: £39,793). This amount is included within governance costs. No emoluments have been paid to any member of the Executive Committee. Support costs can be broken down as follows:

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2024 as
2025 £ restated £
Funding and prizes 62,546 87,295
Publicity and marketing 3,864 7,588
Trading division 1,378 -
Office costs 47,651 32,729
IT software and equipment 77,870 123,983
General administration 63,355 56,462
Banking and finance 54,845 110,546
Legal and professional 2,167 26,415
Staff salaries and wages 807,495 706,301
Total 1,121,171 1,151,319
Governance costs: audit fee 19,750 17,200
Governance costs:
Executive Committee expenses 26,813 38,898
Total 46,563 56,098
Grand total 1,167,734 1,207,417
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9. Staff costs

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2024 as
2025 £ restated £
Wages and salaries 978,694 995,319
Social security costs 91,945 68,268
Pension costs – defined contribution 127,631 126,754
Total 1,198,270 1,190,341
Directly attributable wages (note 7) 359,483 432,968
Directly attributable wages for activities
for generating funds 31,292 51,072
Total wages cost to be included in
support costs allocation (note 8) 807,495 706,301
Total 1,198,270 1,190,341
Management and administration of the
Charity 27 28
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The Charity considered its key management personnel to consist of the Executive Committee and the Senior Management Team, comprising the Director and three Heads of Department. The total employment benefits, including employers’ pension contributions of the key management personnel, were £305,140 (2024: £306,106). Three employees had employee benefits between £70,000 and £80,000 and one had employee benefits between £90,000 and £100,000. (2024: Three employees had employee benefits between £70,000 and £80,000 and one had employee benefits between £90,000 and £100,000).

10. Audit fee

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2025 £ 2024 £
Auditors’ remuneration
in respect of audit services 19,750 17,200
Total 19,750 17,200
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2024–2025

2024–2025

11. Tangible fixed assets

12. Investments

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Freehold
Office and IT land and
equipment £ buildings £ Total £
Cost
At 1 October 2024 42,821 489,117 531,938
Additions 2,628 - 2,628
Disposals (10,102) (30,860) (40,962)
At 30 September 2025 35,347 458,257 493,604
Depreciation
At 1 October 2024 34,203 102,770 136,973
Charge for year 4,798 18,409 23,207
Eliminated on disposals (10,102) (30,860) (40,962)
At 30 September 2025 28,899 90,319 119,218
Net book value
At 30 September 2025 6,448 367,938 374,386
At 1 October 2024 8,618 386,347 394,965
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Assets held for charity use and to provide
investment return 2025 £ 2024 £
Banco Santander shares 1,135 1,135
Funds held with Vanguard Investment
UK, Limited 1,231,949 1,133,780
Total 1,233,084 1,134,915
The movement in the year is as follows 2025 £ 2024 £
Market value as at 1 October 2024 1,134,915 999,326
Gain on valuation 73,312 113,588
Dividend accumulated in fund 24,857 22,001
Market value as at 30 September 2025 1,233,084 1,134,915
The investments shown above comprise
UK and overseas investments. Below
are investment holdings by category: 2025 £ 2024 £
Managed funds 1,233,084 1,134,915
The managed funds with Vanguard relate to two Vanguard
LifeStrategy funds. The LifeStrategy 40% equity fund is made up of
40% equity and 60% bonds. The LifeStrategy 60% equity fund is
made up of 60% equity and 40% bonds. The investments are split
equally between the two managed funds.
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13. Debtors

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2025 £ 2024 £
Trade debtors
(including subscriptions due) 283,150 258,430
Other debtors 153,812 169,705
Prepayments
Events 5,245 1,483
HR costs 1,139 1,079
Rates 1,148 1,431
Insurance 3,449 7,962
Office costs 55 286
Professional fees 20 1,724
General prepayments 12,348 -
Total prepayments 23,404 13,965
Total debtors 460,366 442,100
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14. Cash and cash

equivalents

Cash and cash equivalents consist of the following items for the purpose of the Statement of cash flows:

2025 £ 2024 £ Total cash and cash equivalents 1,448,840 1,270,601

15. Creditors

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2025 £ 2024 £
Deferred income 844,082 831,270
Accruals 137,650 68,010
Trade creditors 102,573 135,827
Other taxation and Social Security 17,435 19,000
Total 1,101,740 1,054,107
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Amounts invoiced in advance represent income in respect of future events; subscription income from members where the subscription year starts on 1 October 2025; and publications income for the three-month period to 31 December 2025.

16. Financial instruments

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2025 £ 2024 £
Financial assets
Financial assets measured 436,962 428,135
at amortised cost
Financial assets measured 1,233,084 1,134,915
at fair value
Total 1,670,046 1,563,050
Financial liabilities
Financial liabilities measured 220,473 186, 637
at amortised cost
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Financial assets measured at amortised cost comprise trade debtors and other debtors.

Financial assets measured at fair value comprise listed investments. Financial liabilities measured at amortised cost comprise accruals and trade creditors.

17. Related parties

The related parties of ECPR are the members of the Executive Committee. ECPR is controlled by its Executive Committee. No other transactions were identified which should be disclosed under Financial Reporting Standard 102.

18. Contingent liabilities

During the year, ECPR was notified of an enquiry from the Greek tax authorities regarding the VAT treatment applied to invoices raised in relation to the conference held in Greece. Management’s current assessment, based on discussions with legal advisers, is that is it not probable that a liability will arise and accordingly no provision has been recognised in these financial statements. However, the matter is subject to interpretation of VAT legislation and remains uncertain until legal advice is concluded.

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43

£55K

Events organised

Awarded in funding across four funding streams

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6,048
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527

Scholars attended ECPR events and training

Journal articles & blogs published

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10 24K
Active
Prizes MyECPR
awarded
account
holders
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72

Standing Groups & Research Networks

326 Institutional members

86 Podcasts and online talks 498 General Conference Panels £2.2m Income generated

A Colne river swan pays a visit to ECPR headquarters on 29 September 2025