Nick's research expertise centres on local and regional politics and economic development. His recent work includes a critical examination of the Levelling Up agenda in practice (unpacking its main ingredients) and a study of the potential for free ports in the UK to contribute to decarbonisation.  

Nick works in a hybrid research/policy engagement role for the school of Social Science, Humanities and Law. In this capacity, he is currently a British Academy Innovation Fellow and a Productivity Institute Investment in Places Fellow, exploring the implementation of two high profile regional development policies: the UK Shared Prosperity Fund and Investment Zones. These fellowships are embedded with Northern Powerhouse Partnership (NPP) and build on a previous collaboration with NPP and The Joseph Rowntree Foundation. Alongside this, Nick has helped develop Teesside University’s policy partnerships with a secondment at IPPR North, the leading policy thinktank based in the north of England.

Before working in higher education, Nick was a policy advisor in Local Government, covering multiple policy areas including economic analysis, devolution and regional governance, social security reform, migration and asylum, and social inclusion. In this role, Nick’s successful projects included, A living wage for Newcastle, The Newcastle Fairness Commission, and the Newcastle Future Needs Assessment – a collaborative and evidence-based approach to bringing partners together to determine priorities for the city.

External roles

Fellow of the Regional Studies Association

Governor (higher education representative): Hartlepool College of Further Education

Reviewer: Environment and Planning C: Politics and Space, Local Government Studies, Local Economy, Journal of Environmental Planning and Management, Regional Studies.

Journal papers

Gray, N and Dickinson, D (2024) Levelling Up: tensions and conflations but opportunities for a new Government. IPPR Progressive Review.

Bradford, C.P.J., O’Malley, C.L., Moore, H.J., Gray, N., Townshend, T.G., Chang, M. et al. (2024) ‘Acceleration’ of the food delivery marketplace: Perspectives of local authority professionals in the North-East of England on temporary COVID regulations. Nutrition Bulletin.

Cotton, M., Tyfield, D., Gray, N. & Yuille, A. (2024) The politics of freeports – a place-based analysis of regional economic regeneration in the United Kingdom. Local Economy.

Gray, N and Broadhurst, K (2023) Post Brexit regional policy in England: exploring “levelling up” in practice. Regional Studies. 

O'Malley, C., Lake, A., Moore, H., Gray, N., Bradford, C., Petrokofsky, C., Papadaki, A., Spence, S., Lloyd, S., Chang, M. & Townshend, T (2023). Regulatory mechanisms to create healthier environments: Planning appeals and hot food takeaways in England.  Perspectives in Public Health. 

Broadhurst, K; Steane, E; Mykhneko, V and Gray, N (2023) Intergovernmental dynamics in responding to COVID-19 in English and Australian cities, Cambridge Journal of Regions Economy and Society.

Broadhurst, K. and Gray, N. (2022) Understanding resilient places: Multi-level governance in times of crisis, Local Economy.

Moore, H., Lake, A., O’Malley, C., Bradford, C., Gray, N., Chang, M., Mathews, C., & Townshend, T. (2022). The impact of COVID-19 on the hot food takeaway planning regulatory environment: perspectives of local authority professionals in the North East of England. Perspectives in Public Health

Pugalis, L and Gray, N (2016) - New regional development paradigms: an exposition of place-based modalities - The Australasian Journal of Regional Studies.

Pugalis, L; Townsend, A; Gray, N and Ankowska, A (2017) New approaches to growth planning at larger-than-local scales: Journal of Urban Regeneration & Renewal

Book chapters

Gray, N; Pugalis, L; Dickinson, D (2018) The Northern Powerhouse meets the Cities and Local Growth agenda: Local economic policymaking and agglomeration in practice, in: Berry, C & Giovannini, A, eds. Developing England’s North: The political economy of the northern powerhouse, London, Palgrave Macmillan

Gray, N. & Pugalis, L. (2016): Place-based subnational development: Unpacking some of the key conceptual strands and normative dispositions, in: Schoburgh, E. D. & Ryan, R., eds. The Handbook of Research on Subnational Governance and Development, Hershey, Pennsylvania, IGI Global.

Pugalis, L; Gray, N and Townsend, A (2016) – The resilience of growth strategies in, Williams, N & Vorley, T  Creating economic resilience; entrepreneurship, growth and development in uncertain times, Cheltenham, Edward Elgar Publishing

Policy reports 

Cotton, M., Tyfield, D., Gray, N., Yuille, A. (2023) CarbonFreeports: Freeports as opportunities, not threats, for place-based decarbonisation. Final Report. DecarboN8: Leeds.

Webb, J, Emden, J, Gray, N (2023) The Hydrogen Powerhouse? Demystifying the North’s Hydrogen Economy. IPPR North.

Pugalis, L; Townsend, A; Gray, N; and Ankowska, A (2015) - Planning for Growth: The Role of Local Enterprise Partnerships in England – Royal Town Planning Institute.

Other publications

Gray, N and Morris, M (2022) The Shared Prosperity Fund: What can we learn from government’s plan to replace EU funds? IPPR North

Tyfield, D, Yuille, A Cotton, M and Gray, N (2021) Written Evidence to the UK Parliament Environmental Audit Committee: Inquiry on carbon border adjustment mechanism

Gray, N (2021) Elections 2021: Can the Conservatives deliver real change in Tees Valley? PACE Policy Paper, Teesside University

Gray, N and Lee, D (2020) Post-Covid recovery – what now for regional growth? PACE policy paper, Teesside University

Pugalis, L; Townsend, A; Ankowska, A and Gray, N (2015) - A renaissance of strategic economic planning - Terrier Vol.20, Issue 3, Autumn 2015, pp. 14-7

Pugalis, L; Townsend, A; Gray, N; and Ankowska, A (2015) - The role of Strategic Economic Plans in filling the strategic void? - Town & Country Planning Vol.84, No.9, pp. 384-391