Board Members and Associates contribute at a high intellectual level to theoretical and policy debates in rural research. Their work is greatly valued by policy-makers as input to the policy-making and delivery process, as evidenced by research and consultancy commissions. Importantly, policy-related work also loops back into theoretical formations and informs their development.

The Institute's work in policy areas is based on a conceptual richness, developed through engagement with discourses and paradigms in the academic areas of human geography, rural economies, behavioural studies, energy and environment, and governance.

Particular market applications for the Institute's expertise include: strategies for rural healthcare, policy strategies incorporating 'top-up' and 'bottom-up' representations of issues in post-productionist sustainable rural development, as well as policy strategies for ageing rural populations.

Research involves cooperation with various Scottish, Biritish and European universities and research institutes with funding from a wide range of national and international bodies. International opportunities exist for collaborative research in Europe, North America and Australia in particular, for example in healthcare strategies.