Research Groups
Our Research Groups bring together active researchers and those with a professional interest in a particular aspect of geography and related disciplines.
Current Research Groups
View our list of current Research Groups.
Joining a Research Group
This resource is intended as an introduction to joining a Research Group and will be particularly beneficial for those new to geography, new to the Society and to postgraduate and early career researchers.
Research Group AGMs 2025
Research Groups at annual conference
Discover about the role of the Society's Research Groups in the annual international conference.
Resources for Research Group committees
Resources for the Society's Research and Working Group committees.
Why join a Research Group committee?
Joining a Research Group or Research Group committee can be a wonderful way to meet and network with colleagues working in your area of the discipline, to share ideas and to feel connected.
Research Group committee vacancies
Discover our current vacancies on Research Group committees.
Research Group dissertation prizes
This page includes details of the annual undergraduate and postgraduate dissertation prizes awarded by the Society's Research and Working Groups.
Research Group awards and prizes
Discover more about the awards and grants given out by the Society's Research and Working Groups.
Research Groups Privacy Notice
Find out about the Society's Research Groups privacy notice.
Research Groups roundup
Stay up to date with our Research Groups' news and upcoming events.
About our Research and Working Groups
The Society has 33 Research and Working Groups, which bring together active researchers and those with a professional interest in a particular aspect of geography and related disciplines.
Their primary remit is to support and promote their area of geography through support for academic research and teaching, but their work also extends into education, public policy and research, government and enterprise.
Research Groups meet at the Annual Conference where they also hold their Annual General Meetings (AGMs). Among their other activities, the Research and Working Groups organise events; offer undergraduate and postgraduate dissertation prizes; and provide support and funding for postgraduates active in their area of the discipline.
Joining a Research Group enables you to network with colleagues with similar research interests, keep up to date with the latest research in your specialist field, and receive information on conferences, workshops, and funding opportunities.
You may also be interested in the Society's Professional Practice Groups.
We also have active networks on:
- Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion in Geography: sign up to the mailing list.
- Wellbeing: sign up to the mailing list.
- Geographies with/of Disabilities: sign up to the mailing list.
- Geographies engaged in civic university work: sign up to the mailing list.
How to join a Research or Working Group
For Society members, please inform the Society of which Research Groups you wish to join, using the form below.* Your membership records will be updated and your contact details passed on to the relevant groups. Download, fill out, and return our Join a Research Group form to rhed@rgs.org
For non-Society members, contact the Chair/Membership Officer of the Research Group you are interested in and request to become a member. Contact details can be found on the Research Group websites listed below.
Joining a Research Group is usually free for Society Fellows and Members, but some Groups make additional charges for specific services, such as distribution of newsletters.
*The British Society for Geomorphology (BSG) maintain their own membership records and so cannot be joined through your Society membership. Find more information about BSG membership on www.geomorphology.org.uk