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Back to Grants

Frequently asked questions

The following are responses to commonly asked questions about the Society's grants programme. If you can't find the answer to your question here, please contact us at grants@rgs.org

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1. Do I have to be a geographer to apply for an RGS-IBG grant?

The Royal Geographical Society (with IBG) is the UK’s learned society and professional body for geography and geographers.

The Society’s grants programme aims to promote geographical research and a wider understanding of the world. As such, it is not required that you have a geography degree, work in a geography department or define yourself as a geographer. However, it is essential that the project you are undertaking advances geographical knowledge.

Geography is the understanding of our world; from local communities to global scales. At its core are the processes by which the environments, societies and places of the world are continually shaped, changed and interact. It is of relevance to us all as not only do we carry out our lives in ‘places,’ but through our actions we increasingly change our environments – both built and natural.

2. Do I need to be a member or a Fellow of the Society to apply for a grant?

A number of our grants specify that you must be a Fellow to apply If that is the case, this requirement is clearly stated on the grant guidelines that can be found on the individual webpage of each grant, along with any other eligibility criteria.

There are a range of benefits associated with becoming a member or Fellow of the Society, with a number of options available for individuals, schools and organisations. Membership will enable you to attend the UK's largest programme of popular geographical lectures in London and the regions of England and Wales.

It also enables you to network with others in your profession, apply for professional status as a Chartered Geographer, participate in any of 31 active research groups for scholars and access the Society’s academic journals. Fellows have unlimited use of the Foyle Reading Room and our library of maps, books, guides and have unrivalled access to our historic Collections. Fellows can also receive receive expert advice on fieldwork and expeditions.

3. Can I apply for two or more RGS-IBG grants at once?

Of the 25 grants offered through the RGS-IBG’s grants programme, 22 are awarded by the Society and 3 are administered by the Society on behalf of other organisations. Candidates may have only one Society grant application pending at any one time, but may apply for any number of Society-administered grants. The exception is the Henrietta Hutton and Monica Cole Research Grants; applicants can apply for both.

Society grants

  • Dudley Stamp Memorial Award

  • Environment and Sustainability Research Grants

  • Field Centre Grants

  • Geographical Fieldwork Grants

  • Henrietta Hutton Research Grant

  • Hong Kong Research Grant

  • Jasmin Leila Award

  • Journey of a Lifetime Award

  • Land Rover Bursary

  • Monica Cole Research Grant

  • Neville Shulman Challenge Award

  • Postgraduate Research Awards

  • Ralph Brown Expedition Award

  • Ray y Gildea Jr Award

  • Slawson Awards

  • Small Research Grants

  • Thesiger-Oman Fellowships

  • Thirtieth International Geographical Congress Award

Society administered grants

  • Frederick Soddy Award

  • Geographical Club Award

  • Gilchrist Fieldwork Award

4. I have been accepted to read a geography related undergraduate/postgraduate course and require assistance with fees and/or living costs, are there any grants that would be suitable for me?

The Society’s grants programme provides funds for geographical research and fieldwork; unfortunately we do not have grants to assist with fees or living costs while studying for a degree.

5. I am fundraising to go on a gap year trip with another organisation, would I be eligible for support from the Society?

Unfortunately, the Society does not have grants to assist with the costs of pre-organised gap years.

The Society has resources with useful advice on planning a gap year, a bulletin of expedition vacancies, a register of personnel available for expeditions, as well as running a number of fieldwork and expedition seminars and workshops throughout the year for people planning research and expeditions.

6. I am under 18 and/or at secondary school and would like to apply for a grant, would I be eligible for support from the Society?

Unfortunately we do not offer grants to students at school.

However, we do have a programme that provides bursaries for maintained school A Level students to participate in fieldwork summer schools in the UK. Each summer, we hold a fully funded residential fieldwork summer school for geography students at the end of their first year of AS/Highers (or equivalent) who would not normally have such opportunities. For more information see our Alexander Awards page.

We also offer grants to geography teachers to help them develop innovative and exciting new lessons.

7. I have a project that does not fit into any of the grants offered by the RGS-IBG, can I still apply for funds?

The Society only offers funds to projects through its existing grants.

8. I am currently planning an expedition/fieldwork, how far in advance should I apply for a grant?

When fundraising for an expedition or overseas fieldwork, it is important to strike a balance between applying for a grant too early and not having made detailed enough plans to be able to put forward a convincing argument for funding, and applying too late and finding that the administrative process for the award will take too long for decisions to be made in time. The application process for each of the Society’s awards varies, with some requiring multiple applications and interviews and others requiring only an application form to be completed. Full details on the process for each award can be found on each grant’s webpage.

In general, the application process lasts three to four months, so it is important to apply for grants with an application deadline no less than four months before your planned departure date. The majority of the Society’s grants are awarded annually; if there is an award that appears particularly appropriate to your circumstances but does not fit in with your schedule, it may be necessary to apply for it a year early. If in doubt, contact us.

9. I am planning an expedition, do you have any resources other than the Grants Programme that will help me?

We have a wealth of information, resources, advice and training available to anyone planning overseas fieldwork. Expedition teams and groups are strongly advised to contact us at an early stage in their planning to benefit from the expert knowledge available throughout the planning process. We maintain a database of projects and expeditions which are being planned each year to help those planning similar ventures, as well as a library of past expedition reports which can be consulted. We also organises a series of seminars, workshops and training days, including Explore, the annual expedition and fieldwork planning weekend.

In addition, our Collections comprise over two million documents, maps, photographs, paintings, periodicals, artefacts and books, and span 500 years of geography, travel and exploration, making them an invaluable research resource.

10. Can I apply for retrospective funding for a project that has already finished?

The Society does not consider applications for retrospective funding. See question 8 for when to apply.

11. I have applied for a grant, when can I expect to hear the result of my application?

The application process for each grant is different, and may involve submission of two proposals and interviews, as well as training days. Full details can be found in the guidelines for each award. In general, the application process lasts between three and four months, though this may be extended if there are delays in scheduling interviews. All candidates, whether successful or unsuccessful in their application, will be contacted with details of the outcome.

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Royal Geographical Society
(with the Insitute of British Geographers),
1 Kensington Gore,
London, SW7 2AR

T +44 (0)20 7591 3000
F +44 (0)20 7591 3001
E enquiries@rgs.org

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