A £15,000 annual award is available for a team of established researchers with an outstanding proposal for geographical research that involves significant and challenging overseas fieldwork.

The award should support a single field session of high-quality research and data collection. There should be strong links and collaborations with local agencies and communities. Local benefits should be demonstrated in applications.

The award is open to geographers, ecologists, anthropologists, archaeologists, earth and environmental scientists, and researchers from related fields. Applicants must hold a PhD at the time of application and be based at a UK Higher Education Institution or an equivalent research establishment. The award cannot be used for fieldwork that is already underway or completed. The funds must be used for the purposes outlined in the application, which may include travel, maintenance, data collection, and temporary research assistance. Childcare costs that are directly related to the field elements of the project and are additional to normal contracted requirements may be requested. Salary costs for the principal investigator and costs to buy out staff time are not funded.

Expenses for equipment, lab costs, and sample analysis should not exceed 20% of the awarded amount. Grantees may be asked to present a lecture on their work. Details of projects and grant recipients may be published in the Royal Geographical Society's publications and online, including social media. If you wish for any information to not be published, you should inform the Grants Officer as soon as possible. Grant recipients must provide information on any relevant press and media coverage. Application closes on 23 November 2025.

For more information, visit RGS.