This new three year programme, launched in 2007, is supported by Royal Dutch Shell. It provides support in the following areas:
- building capacity and leadership skills for field researchers at an early stage in their careers in some of the world’s poorer countries, particularly Ecuador, Indonesia and Uganda
- developing long-term partnerships with selected local NGOs, universities and others, to help capacity building and deliver in-country training and support.
- establishing and sustaining networks of former researchers to mentor and provide exemplars and role models for the individuals involved in field research.
- encouraging the development of leadership roles in field research for Ecuadorian, Indonesian and Ugandan researchers.
The programme focuses on Ecuadorian, Indonesian and Ugandan individuals at an early stage in their careers in field research who hold a undergraduate degree in geography or another of the field sciences. Their field research work should make a contribution to the Millennium Development Goals relating to "ensuring environmental sustainability" particularly in the areas of:
- sustainable development
- reversing the loss of environmental resources and biodiversity
- access to safe water
This project provides a more equitable involvement of individuals in their own field research projects, their own skills and capacities.
This will be achieved through the funding of field research bursaries, provision of online support and mentoring and in-country capacity building. There is an annual cycle of funding for ILCB bursaries (for full details see ILCB funding)
This work is a natural development of the Society’s Geography Outdoors’ activities, strengthening its international reach and the equitable involvement of participants from outside the UK, and particularly in Ecuador, Indonesia and Uganda.
For more information about the International Leadership and Capacity Building programme please contact: Shane Winser s.winser@rgs.org