Ralph Brown was a Californian who lived much of his life in New Zealand. He took part in expeditions and was a keen advocate of the use of jet boats to navigate inaccessible and dangerous rivers.

By using jet boats, Brown was able to navigate many previously inaccessible rivers and rapids.

Brown's first expedition was to Zaire  in 1974-5, led by Colonel John Blashford Snell. Using two experimental jet boats, they  successfully navigated the river for the first time between Kinshasa and Fuamalo.

In 1976, Brown joined Nigel Winser’s Tana Rive Expedition in northern Kenya, tracing the river from its source on Mount Kenya to the Indian Ocean.

In 1977, Brown joined an RGS-run study of the forests and caves of the Gunung Mulu National Park. The expedition’s jet boat proved reliable, ferrying team members and supplies  via shallow waters and rapids.  

Brown proved that adventure and serious field science can be complimentary. His jet boats became invaluable tools, allowing teams of field scientists to reach inaccessible places to conduct research.

Brown died in 1996, shortly after winning the World Jet Boat Championship in Canada. He bequeathed a portion of his estate to RGS-IBG to fund both the Award and the Grants Officer at the Society.

The annual Ralph Brown Award is for research in aquatic environments. The award has supported projects since 1998, ranging from the wetlands of Ukraine to the Yucatan peninsula in Mexico, from coral reef studies to mountain river hazard surveys, and studies of human's interaction with waterways.