Geographical Fieldwork Grants
The Geographical Fieldwork Grant is the Society's longest running grant scheme. Every year, we help upwards of 20 teams of students and researchers get into the field, through this grant scheme.
Several grants are available up to £3,000.
Deadline
18 January (each year)
Apply
Geographical Fieldwork Grant guidelines (PDF)
Geographical Fieldwork Grant Application Form (MSWORD)
Research Ethics and Code of Practice (PDF)
Advice for Applicants
Geographical Fieldwork Grant Frequently Asked Questions (PDF)
Expedition Handbook: advice on completing expedition reports and risk assessments
Listen to recipients of the Geographical Fieldwork Grant in 2011 talk of their volcano field project in Chile.
2012 Geographical Fieldwork Grant recipients
Megan Albon (University of Cambridge). 'Does Participation Safeguard Subsistence? Assessing Participatory Forest Management in Ethiopia'
The project focused on the reasons behind the adoption by decision makers of a participatory approach to forest management and the extent to which participatory discourses and policies translate in to meaningful participation for local forest users.
Emily MacDonald and Katie Thomson (University of Glasgow).'The University of Glasgow Bolivia Expedition 2012'
The project aimed to create a biogeographical map of The Reserva Barba Azul which plots distribution of biodiversity in relation to key geographical features including habitat boundaries & limits of experimental burn treatment plots.
James Sawyer. 'The Negros Interior Biodiversity Expedition (NIBE) 2012'
The expedition carried out targeted surveys of the understudied faunal and floral groups of the Interior of the North Negros Natural Park.
Kenton Rodgers (University of Cumbria). 'Measuring the Community Benefits of Pristina’s Urban Forest, Kosovo'
The project focused on the value, benefits and conservation of trees in an urban and community context, including trees in parks, gardens, streets and all areas where they add value to the locality. There is a historic, biodiversity and cultural value to trees in this context. Trees provide a strong and valued linkage between past, present and future in the urban landscape. The team engaged with the community in the use of the i-Tree Eco (UFORE) model to demonstrate the value of this natural capital to the community, local businesses and policy makers.
Henry Cottee-Jones (Oxford University). 'The conservation biogeography of the Moluccan Woodcock and other endemics, Indonesia'
The project team travelled to the island of Obi, Northern Moluccas, Indonesia to assess the conservation status of the Moluccan Woodcock (Scolopax rochussenii), a terrestrial shorebird endemic to Wallacea. Despite its distinctive size and appearance, virtually nothing is known about this species, the largest woodcock on earth. Indeed the Moluccan Woodcock is so poorly known that prior to 2010 it had only ever been recorded on eight occasions, the last being in 1982. In March of last year, two roding Moluccan Woodcock were unexpectedly observed in the lowlands of Obi Island. This area is under intensive pressure from mining and logging activities, and it is critical that further field studies follow up on this exciting “rediscovery” to assess the conservation status of the Moluccan Woodcock and develop strategies to ensure its future survival.
Heather Griffith (University of Glasgow). 'University of Glasgow Iceland 2012 Expedition'
An undergraduate research expedition to the Skálanes reserve in Eastern Iceland. The expedition aimed to increase bio-geographical knowledge of this fragile high latitude environment, directly aiding management plans for the reserve.
Isabel Reid (Oxford University). 'Spatial ecology of reptiles in Mahamavo, Madagascar'
The team undertook an integrated study of several facets of the spatial ecology of dry forest reptiles in Madagascar. The undergraduate team from Oxford University worked with Malagasy undergraduates on this project.
Alistair Allen (Glasgow University). 'Glasgow University Peru Expedition'
The expedition aimed to carry out biodiversity inventories in order to assess the relative conservation value of regenerating tropical rainforest compared to undisturbed tropical rainforest in the Manu Biosphere Reserve, Peru. Inventory work focused on canopy-dwelling species of birds, mammals, amphibians and butterflies using a combination of ground-based visual encounter surveys and sound recording, camera trapping and canopy access.
Hannah Wright (Durham University). 'The Glacial landsystem at the world’s largest sandur system, Iceland'
The team travelled to Iceland to carry out a multifaceted study of the glacial landsystem at Skeiðarárjökull, Southern Iceland. The team worked on Skeiðarársandur, the largest sandur system in the world, an active system, which has experienced surging in 1991 and a jökulhlaup flood in 1996. The four individual projects, which account for each team members dissertation research, piece together the glacial landsystem to infer which processes have played a major role in the evolution of this system.
Christopher Knight (University of Portsmouth). 'Living with typhoons: disaster management in rural Taiwan'
The project examined the likely impacts of typhoons on rural communities in mountainous southern Taiwan, to assess the effectiveness of associated disaster preparedness and crisis response measures.
Augusta Thomson (Oxford University). 'Pilgrimage as Medium of Exchange: The Material Culture of Kailash, Tibet'
The anthropological research project and expedition involved a journey from Nepal to Tibet to partake in the pilgrimage, or Kora, around Mount Kailash (Mount Meru) in Tibet, considered to be the most sacred site in the world in Tibetan Buddhist, Hindu, Jain, and Bon faith traditions. The principle research focus was to document the material culture of pilgrimage from a Tibetan Buddhist perspective and to investigate how the Kora unites pilgrims from diverse cultural backgrounds and faiths in a complex material culture exchange.
Frazer Sinclair. 'Green Diamond of Sierra Leone'
The Gola Rainforest National Park (GRNP) in eastern Sierra Leone is a global biodiversity hotspot, supporting healthy populations of many internationally threatened animal species. The project aimed to build the capacity of forest rangers to effectively patrol the park by providing training on map, compass, and GPS reading and establish a system of ranger based data collection to generate standardised, quantitative, unbiased information on the distribution of illegal activity and focal animal species within the Park. A database shall be constructed for the storage, analysis, and dissemination of field data, with the assistance of the GRNP’s GIS and data officer. Information outputs from this database shall allow park managers to monitor threats, assess the success of management strategies, and allocate resources effectively.
Kelby Hicks (University of Cambridge). 'Multiparameter volcano monitoring campaign at Villarrica, Chile'
This project builds upon the 2011 field campaign where the team successfully deployed an array of gas monitoring instruments at the Chilean volcanoes Lascar, Villarrica and Puyehue. During this campaign they established a partnership with the regional observatory, Observatorio Volcanológico de los Andes del Sur (OVDAS). Villarrica volcano is currently monitored by OVDAS with a real-time seismic amplitude measurement system. However, no gas monitoring stations are in place resulting in a large gap in the monitoring programme which therefore limits the information available for hazard assessment and eruption forecasting. The 2013 fieldwork will strengthen collaboration with OVDAS through a joint exercise in local capacity building and exchange of expertise to foster the potential for long-term research opportunities benefiting both organisations.
For further information on these projects, including a summary of the research and expedition reports, please browse the Society's Expeditions Database.
About the Award
The Geographical Fieldwork Grants are generously supported by a number of external donors which include:
Macdonald Award, Gumby Award, Rio Tinto Award, Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors, David Cross Expedition Award, Penruddocke-Park Lander Fund, Rod Whitney Bequest, Sir Douglas Busk, Ralph Brown Memorial Fund, HR Mill Trust Fund, Marjorie Sweeting Bequest, Violet Cressey-Marcks Fisher Fund, Barling Fisher Bequest, Gough Island Fund, Stephens Bequest and The Jeremy Willson Trust.