The annual dissertation prizes awarded by our Research Groups recognise outstanding work from undergraduate and postgraduate students at higher education institutions both in the UK and overseas.
See the full list with submission details below.
Undergraduate Dissertation Prizes
All Research Group undergraduate dissertation prizes have a submission date of 15 July each year unless otherwise stated.
Carceral Geography Working Group (CGWG)
The CGWG is offering a £50 prize for the best undergraduate dissertation. The prize-winner will also be invited to feature their writing on the Carceral Geography website.
Nominated dissertations should: be an outstanding theoretical and/or empirical piece of work; usually 8,000 words or more in length; have been submitted for formal assessment no earlier than 12 months before the prize deadline for a BA/BSc level degree programme; include a full set of references and images (as relevant); in PDF format. Students need not necessarily be aligned to a geography(-related) discipline but their work should engage with issues of carcerality and/or themes emergent in carceral geographies. We welcome entries from students outside of the UK but the dissertation should be submitted in (or professionally translated to) English.
Dissertations should be nominated by either a research supervisor, Head of Department, or Head of Discipline. Please note that a department may not submit more than one entry and nominated dissertations should not be submitted for consideration for any other RGS-IBG prizes.
For any further details or questions please contact Dr Lauren Martin using the details below.
Submissions to: Dr Lauren Martin (lauren.martin@durham.ac.uk)
Deadline: 15 July 2021
Climate Change Research Group (CCRG)
The Climate Change Research Group is pleased to launch its annual prize for the best undergraduate dissertation based on original research in any area of climate change research. The first prize winner will receive £150 worth of Routledge books of their choice, and the second place winner will receive £50 worth of Routledge books of their choice.
The prize is open to undergraduate students studying at a UK university. The dissertation should be submitted to the CCRG committee for consideration by the applicant’s Department Head (or nominated representative) with the student’s agreement. Only dissertations submitted to a UK university for formal assessment during the current academic year will be considered.
Please note that we only accept one entry per department and that the dissertation should not be submitted for simultaneous consideration to any other RGS-IBG prize.
Please send the following via email writing “CCRG dissertation prize” in the subject bar to the CCRG Secretary, Dr Laurie Parsons at laurie.parsons@rhul.ac.uk
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PDF file of the dissertation
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Supporting statement including final mark (1 page max)
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Copy of dissertation regulations
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Email address for the student which will be valid after the end of the academic year (in the case of institutional addresses which expire)
Deadline: 15 July 2021
Development Geographies Research Group (DevGRG)
The DevGRG in conjunction with Routledge offers an annual prize for the most promising dissertation concerning ‘Development Geographies’. The author of the winning dissertation receives £100 worth of Routledge books of their choice.
The prize is open to any student taking a first degree in geography. Students taking joint degrees are eligible to enter for the prize, provided that at least half their course is in geography. It is suggested that no Department of Geography submits more than one dissertation for this prize. Dissertations will be evaluated by three members of the DevGRG Committee.
Dissertations, along with a copy of the instructions given to students, should be sent by email as a PDF and should include “DevGRG UG dissertation submission” as the email subject. Please also include student details, and who to contact to announce the winner.
Submissions to:
jch31@st-andrews.ac.uk (Jessica Hope, Chair DevGRG)
or aysegul.can87@gmail.com (Aysegul Can, Dissertations Officer DevGRG)
Deadline: 15 July 2021
Find out more
Digital Geographies Research Group (DGRG)
The Digital Geographies Research Group (DGRG) is pleased to offer a prize to the best undergraduate dissertation in any area of digital geography* which is based upon original research and demonstrates a high degree of critical analysis and/or innovate and sophisticated methodology.
The successful prize winner, as selected by the DGRG Committee will awarded a prize of £100 and will also have the opportunity to showcase their work through the DGRG website.
Dissertations should normally be of first-class standard and nominated by Heads of Department / dissertation supervisors as appropriate. Departments should not submit more than one dissertation for consideration. Only dissertations submitted during the 2020-21 academic year by students enrolled on an undergraduate degree programme at a university in Europe[1], and written in English, will be considered (this is not limited to a being a part of a geography department, but the dissertation should meet the prize’s definition of digital geography research*).
Submissions should follow the below guidelines:
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A PDF file of the dissertation;
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Supporting statement (including final mark, feedback, and reasons for nomination);
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An email address for the student that will be live after September 2021 (e.g. a personal email address where institutional addresses expire following graduation); and,
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Submissions and any enquiry should be sent to: d.specht@westminster.ac.uk (Doug Specht, University of Westminster).
Deadline 15 July 2021
* Please see the DGRG website for a definition of Digital Geography as related to this prize
Economic Geography Research Group (EGRG)
A prize of Global Shift, and a further £150 worth of Sage books is offered each year for the best undergraduate dissertation in economic geography.
Nominated dissertations should be: an outstanding theoretical and/or empirical piece of work; usually 8,000 words or more in length; submitted for formal assessment in the current academic year to a UK Higher Education Institution for a BA/BSc level geography degree programme; include a full set of references and images (as relevant); in PDF format; written in English. Please note that a department may not submit more than one entry and nominated dissertations should not be submitted for consideration for any other RGS-IBG prizes.
Submissions to: a.dales@yorksj.ac.uk (Dr. Alexandra Dales)
Deadline: 15 July 2021
Energy Geographies Research Group (EnGRG)
An annual prize of up to £150 of books and the opportunity to showcase research is offered to the three best undergraduate dissertations that explore the spatial dimensions of energy matters.
We welcome contributions from both BA and BSc programmes, as well as from social science disciplines other than geography. Submissions must, however, engage with the significance of space/place for understanding energy issues, and/or explore the significance of energy or energy systems for understanding the formation of space/place.
Entries will be assessed based on the following criteria: the quality of written presentation (structure, strength of argument, academic rigour); methodological innovativeness; quality of empirical data and/or findings; and theoretical/conceptual originality.
Entries should be nominated by a dissertation supervisor or member of staff from a UK Higher Education Institution. Dissertations should be submitted as a PDF and should be accompanied by a brief cover letter (max 300 words) from the nominator, describing why they are recommending the study for consideration. Unfortunately, we can only accept submissions written in English at this time. We especially encourage submissions from non-Russell group universities.
Please send your entries to peter.forman@northumbria.ac.uk
Deadline: 20 July 2021
Find out more
Food Geographies Working Group (FGWG)
The FGWG is pleased to offer a first place undergraduate dissertation prize of £75 and two ‘highly commended’ prizes of £35. The prize is open to any currently registered undergraduate student at a UK university and will be awarded to the dissertations that exhibit the best overall contributions to the wide range of issues relating to food geographies.
The dissertations should be of first class standard and be submitted by the student’s Department (Head or nominated representative) and with the student’s knowledge, in electronic format only. Please include a contact email address for the student (post-graduation if necessary). Please note that we can only accept one entry from any department and nominated dissertations should not be submitted for consideration for any other RGS-IBG prizes. For more information on the work of this new RGS-IBG group visit their website.
Due to the later exam boards this year, we have extended our dissertation deadline until July 15th.
Submissions to: rebecca.stclair@manchester.ac.uk (Rebecca St. Clair, Postdoctoral Officer FGWG)
Deadline: 15 July 2021
Gender and Feminist Geographies Research Group (GFGRG)
The competition is now open and accepting entries for the best undergraduate dissertation on any issue relating to geographies, feminisms and gender. First prize is £100 and £50 is awarded to two further highly commended dissertations
The dissertations should usually be 10,000 words or more and should be submitted as a PDF file, along with a copy of the appropriate departmental dissertation regulations and a (post-September) contact address for the student. Please note that departments may not submit more than one entry.
For any further details or questions please contact Dr Rachel Colls using the details below.
Submissions to: rachel.colls@durham.ac.uk (Rachel Colls, Durham University, UK)
Deadline: 15 July 2021
Find out more
Geographies of Children, Youth and Families Research Group (GCYFRG)
Two prizes, part-sponsored by Taylor & Francis are available for innovative and high quality undergraduate dissertations on any issue related to the geographies of children, youth and families. The first prize is £100 and a one-year subscription to Children's Geographies; the second prize is £50 and a one-year subscription to Children's Geographies.
The dissertations should be approximately 8,000-10,000 words in length and should be accompanied by moderated institutional marks, illustrative feedback, and reasons for nomination.
Please send the following via email or link (i.e. Dropbox) to: Joe.Hall@Sheffield.ac.uk:
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a PDF file of the dissertation;
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supporting statement (including final mark, feedback, any departmental COVID restrictions to be taken into account (i.e. for methodology), and reasons for nomination); and
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an email address for the student that will be live after September 2020 (e.g. a personal email address where institutional addresses expire following graduation).
The competition is open to any dissertations produced during the 2020/21 academic year by students enrolled on an undergraduate degree programme at a UK University. Submissions are open to all UK geography departments as well as interdisciplinary degree programmes where the student has engaged with the geographies of children, youth and families literature. Please note a department may not submit more than one entry.
Deadline: 15 July 2021
Find out more
Geographies of Health and Wellbeing Research Group (GHWRG)
The GHWRG offers a dissertation prize, sponsored by the journal Health and Place. The prize is open to any currently registered undergraduate student in a UK university and will be awarded to the dissertation that exhibits the best innovative contribution to any issue relating to geographies of health and wellbeing. The winner will receive £150, and the dissertation in second place will receive £50 plus an honourable mention. The dissertations should usually be of first-class standard and be submitted by the student’s Department (Head or nominated representative) and with the student’s knowledge, in electronic format to this form https://forms.gle/HE9SCpjY5v2i5qet8. Please contact Maddy Thompson (Keele University) m.thompson1@keele.ac.uk if there are any issues.
Please note that we can only accept one entry from any department.
Deadline: 15 July 2021
Find out more
Geographies of Leisure and Tourism Research Group (GLTRG)
The Geographies of Leisure and Tourism Research Group offers an annual prize of £150 for the best undergraduate dissertation in leisure/tourism/sports geography, submitted as part of a BA, BSc or BEd degree. The dissertation may be multidisciplinary but needs to be informed through the geographical concepts of place and space. A department should not normally submit more than one entry. Entries should be accompanied by a copy of the instructions given to students, and a note of the dissertation credit rating and mark awarded. Please also include a (post-September) contact email address for the student, so that they can be notified of the result of the competition, and indicate whether the dissertation should be returned to the department or to the student.
Submissions to: anna.dejong@glasgow.ac.uk (Dr Anna de Jong). More information is available on the GLTRG website.
Deadline: 15 July 2021
Historical Geography Research Group (HGRG)
The Historical Geography Research Group, in association with the Routledge Research in Historical Geography Series, is pleased to offer a prize to the best undergraduate dissertation in any area of historical geography which is based upon original research and which demonstrates conceptual and/or methodological sophistication.
The successful prize winner will receive £200 of Routledge-published books, and will be invited to submit an article based upon their dissertation for publication in the Journal of Historical Geography (subject to the standard refereeing procedures of that periodical). The winner will also be invited to present their work at the annual HGRG Practising Historical Geography Conference in November and will receive a year's free membership of the HGRG.
Dissertations should normally be of first-class standard and nominated by Heads of Department / Examination Boards / dissertation supervisors as appropriate. Departments should not submit more than one dissertation for consideration. Only dissertations submitted during the 2020-21 academic year by students enrolled in a geography degree programme at a university in the UK or the Republic of Ireland will be considered. We will need an email address for the student that will remain valid after the end of the 2020-2021 academic year.
We would be grateful if submitting departments could briefly outline how their students' dissertations have been affected by the coronavirus pandemic.
Submissions should be sent by email to: Dr James Kneale, Department of Geography, UCL, j.kneale@ucl.ac.uk - though physical copies can be sent by special arrangement.
Email: j.kneale@ucl.ac.uk
Deadline: 15 July 2021
Find out more
History and Philosophy of Geography Research Group (HPGRG)
The History and Philosophy of Geography Research Group in conjunction with SAGE Geography is pleased to offer an undergraduate dissertation prize for the best dissertation in the histories and/or philosophies of geography. The winner will receive a prize of £50 and a year’s free subscription to their choice of Progress in Human Geography or Progress in Physical Geography, and have their dissertation published on the HPGRG website.
We welcome nominations addressing the history of the discipline, philosophy of the discipline, and/or geographical knowledge, discourses and practices across academic, public and/or private spheres. The dissertation should have been completed within the past two years and be written in English. We welcome nominations not only from the UK but also from other countries. Depending on the number and quality of submissions, the prize may not be awarded every year.
Please direct all questions and submit an electronic copy of the dissertation (PDF format) with your letter of recommendation and the candidate’s contact details to Dr Emily Hayes, details below. As far as possible, please provide a non-university email account for the candidate as contact will likely happen after their graduation.
Submissions to: ehayes@brookes.ac.uk (Dr Emily Hayes)
Deadline: 15 July 2021
Find out more
Latin American Geographies Working Group (LAGWG)
The Latin American Geographies Working Group of the Royal Geographical Society welcomes the submission of nominations to the prize of best undergraduate dissertation. The prize is open to any undergraduate student enrolled at a UK institution in a degree programme in geography or closely related disciplines. The winner will receive £50 in book vouchers kindly offered by Routledge.
The dissertation should be an excellent piece of original work and submitted in the most recent academic year. Latin America needs to be central to the theoretical and/or empirical focus. The awarded dissertation’s author will feature in our website.
Submissions should be sent by the student’s department (one entry per department) in either Word or PDF files alongside the student’s contact details post-September. Please include “LAG UG dissertation submission” as the subject header.
Submissions to: gabriel.silvestre@ncl.ac.uk
Deadline: 30 July 2021
Participatory Geographies Research Group (PyGyRG)
The RGS-IBG Participatory Geographies Research Group is pleased to offer an annual prize of £100 for an undergraduate dissertation that examines a social justice theme and/or involves a participatory methodology.
Reflective of the scale and type of research carried out at undergraduate level, we are eager to encourage and reward both excellent scholarship and innovation which includes any of the following:
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Employs a participatory methodology
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Engages with participatory research literature
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Works with people, communities, or non-profit groups
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Explores social justice, community activist, social enterprises, or NGOs/CSOs
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Addresses issues of exclusion and marginalisation
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Involves minority or vulnerable groups
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Incorporates tangible outcomes for community groups/NGOs
Nominated dissertations should: be a strong theoretical and/or empirical piece of work; be submitted for formal assessment in the current academic year to a UK Higher Education Institution for a BA/BSc level geography degree programme; include a full set of references and images (as relevant); be written in English.
To nominate a student:
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Submit their dissertation as a single pdf file with a post-September email and contact address for the student
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Provide a statement (minimum a short paragraph - maximum 1-page A4) that summarises in which respects the dissertation engages with a social justice theme and/or involves a participatory methodology
We are keen to contact students directly so that we can follow up winners and ask them to provide us with blog entries and short summaries for our website, hence asking for a post-September email address for the student. Please let nominees know that they have been nominated.
Please send submissions to PyGyRG Dissertation Co-Ordinator Francesca Fois at f.fois@salford.ac.uk
Deadline: 15 July 2021
Find out more
Planning and Environment Research Group (PERG)
PERG offers an annual undergraduate prize (£100) for the best undergraduate dissertation on any issue relating to environmental issues and their management, environmental policy, politics, planning or governance. We welcome nominations that are conceptually, methodologically and empirically innovative from across themes connected to planning and environment issues.
Dissertations should be 12,000 words maximum and should be submitted by the student’s department, along with a copy of the appropriate departmental dissertation regulations and contact details for the student. Each department may not submit more than one entry.
Submissions in electronic format (either Word or PDF files) and queries should be directed to Stewart Barr.
Submissions to: S.W.Barr@exeter.ac.uk (Stewart Barr, PERG Chair)
Deadline: 15 July 2021
Political Geography Research Group (PolGRG)
A prize of £75 is offered for the best undergraduate dissertation in political geography submitted to a UK university during the 2020-21 academic year.
We welcome nominations that are conceptually, methodologically, and empirically innovative from across the broad spectrum of political geography and its sub-disciplines. Nominations are limited to one per department.
Nominated dissertations should be submitted as a single PDF file of less than 25MB in size, along with a copy of the appropriate departmental dissertation regulations. Nominations will be shortlisted by a panel of political geographers who will decide on the winner(s) and any highly commended entries.
The panel especially welcomes submissions from universities that are not traditionally considered to be ‘elite’, and those written by students with non-traditional or minority backgrounds.
Submissions to: incea@cardiff.ac.uk (Dr Anthony Ince)
Deadline: 15 July 2021
Population Geography Research Group (PopGRG) (Joanna Stillwell Prize)
This prize is named in memory of the daughter of Professor John Stillwell of the University of Leeds, Joanna, who was a geography graduate from the University of Sheffield, and died in 2004. The Population Geography Research Group has set up a prize (£100) to be awarded for the best undergraduate dissertations in the broad field of population geography.
Please note that for practical purposes we can only accept one dissertation from any institution and to be eligible that institution has to be in the UK. Please send a copy of the dissertations (with the mark awarded included) to Dr David McCollum, details below.
Submissions to: david.mccollum@st-andrews.ac.uk (Dr David McCollum); or post to: Dr David McCollum, School of Geography and Sustainable Development, University of St Andrews, KY16 9AL, UK
Deadline: 15 July 2021
Find out more
Quantitative Methods Research Group (QMRG)
The QMRG offers a prize for the best undergraduate dissertation that engages with quantitative geography. Innovative geographic data science analyses, effective deployments of existing geographical science methods, or fundamental research in spatial models will all be considered. There is a cash award for the winner(s). Entries are judged by members of the QMRG committee who may, depending on the number and types of entries received, decide to award a single overall prize or multiple separate prizes for different fields of the discipline.
Please note that entries are limited to undergraduate dissertations from UK higher education institutions. They should be submitted with the student’s agreement and by an appropriate member of staff (normally the Head of Department or appointed representative). Each institution is limited to a single entry.
To submit an entry please email a copy of the dissertation without any indication of awarded mark to : Dr Alistair Geddes (a.y.geddes@dundee.ac.uk).
Deadline: 15 July 2021
Race, Culture and Equality Working Group (RACE)
The Race, Culture and Equality Working Group would like to recognise research conducted by undergraduate students on any issue related to the geographies of race, racism and equality. The winner will receive a cash prize.
Nominations are requested from Dissertation Supervisors or Heads of Department at any UK geography department. There is no limit of submissions per institution, but nominated dissertations should not be submitted for consideration for any other RGS-IBG prizes. Students taking joint degrees are eligible to enter for the prize, provided that at least half their course is in geography. The dissertations should be circa 10,000 words in length and submitted for formal assessment in the current academic year.
Please send the following via email or link (e.g. Dropbox) to Dr James Esson; 1) a single PDF file of the dissertation; 2) a copy of the appropriate departmental dissertation regulations; and 3) contact details for the student (post-September). Nominations should include “RACE UG dissertation submission” as the email subject.
Submissions to: j.esson@lboro.ac.uk (Dr James Esson, Loughborough University)
Deadline: 15 July 2021
Find out more
Rural Geography Research Group (RGRG)
The prize is open to any currently registered undergraduate student at a UK university and will be awarded to the dissertations that exhibit the best overall contributions to the wide range of issues relating to rural geography. Three prizes are available - first prize: £50; second prize: £40; and third prize: £30
The dissertations should be of first-class standard and be submitted by the student's Department (Head or nominated representative) and with the student's knowledge, in electronic format only. Please include a contact email address for the student (post-graduation if necessary). Please note that we can only accept one entry from any department and nominated dissertations should not be submitted for consideration for any other RGS-IBG prizes. Please ensure that the topic of the dissertation clearly focuses upon or aligns with rural geography.
Electronic submissions to: fiona.williams@chester.ac.uk (Dr Fiona Williams, University of Chester). For more information on the work of the RGRG please visit their website
Deadline: 15 July 2021
Find out more
Social and Cultural Geography Research Group (SCGRG)
The SCGRG offers an annual prize of £100 for the best undergraduate dissertation in social and cultural geography. We also announce a runner-up prize. Both prize-winners receive a year’s personal subscription to the journal Social & Cultural Geography published by Taylor & Francis.
Nominated dissertations should be: an outstanding theoretical and/or empirical piece of work; usually approx.10,000 words in length; submitted for formal assessment in the preceding academic year to a UK Higher Education Institution for a BA/BSc level degree programme in geography; written in English. We are looking to reward both excellent scholarship and innovation in the study of social and cultural geography (please see the SCGRG mission statement for our definition of what is considered social and cultural geography). Please note that a department may not submit more than one entry to the prize. Nominated dissertations may however be submitted for consideration for other RGS-IBG prizes. Nominations are requested from the Head of Department or Dissertation Convenor.
All dissertations should be submitted as a single PDF file with a post-September email and contact address for the student. Submissions should be emailed with 'SCGRG Dissertation prize submission' as the subject header. For any further queries, please contact the SCGRG dissertation convenor, Sofie Narbed (details below).
Submissions to: Dr Saskia Warren, SCGRG Dissertation Prize Coordinator (Saskia.Warren@Manchester.ac.uk)
Deadline: 15 July 2021
Find out more
Space, Sexualities and Queer Research Group (SSQRG)
The Space, Sexualities and Queer Research Group (SSQRG) is pleased to offer a prize of £50 to the best undergraduate dissertation on a theme related to sexualities and/or queer research in human geography.
The dissertation should be an excellent piece of original work (normally marked as first class or the equivalent) submitted in the most recent academic year to fulfil the requirements of an undergraduate degree programme at a UK geography department. The dissertation should be circa 10,000 words in length, although this will vary depending on departmental criteria for undergraduate dissertations. Entries must be written in English.
The nomination pack should contain 3 files:
(1) A letter of recommendation as PDF file (<10 MB) from the Head of Department or nominated designee. This letter should also include the departmental email contact and nominee’s University and post-graduation email addresses for dissertation prize correspondence. Naming convention: First & last name of nominee_LoR_SSQRG_UDP.pdf
(2) The dissertation as PDF file (<10 MB) with text unaltered from how it was originally submitted for assessment. Naming convention: First & last name of nominee_Dissertation title_SSQRG_UDP.pdf
(3) Dissertation guidance/handbook as PDF file (<10MB). Naming convention: First & last name of nominee_Guidance_SSQRG_UDP.pdf
The nomination pack should be submitted to SSQRG Chair Dr Martin Zebracki via this OneDrive file request link and *not* be emailed. Each file needs to be uploaded separately and each upload should be confirmed by providing the first and last name of the nominee.
Conditions:
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A department may not submit more than one entry to the SSQRG Undergraduate Dissertation Prize competition
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The same entry should not have been submitted to another Research Group Undergraduate Dissertation Prize competition
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Submissions with a time stamp later than the deadline will not be considered
Deadline: 15 July 2021
Transport Geography Research Group (TGRG)
Entries are invited for this annual competition, which is awarded to the best undergraduate dissertation that focuses on any aspect of the geography of mobility and transport, undertaken at a UK university, and which demonstrates conceptual and/or methodological sophistication. The successful prize winner will receive Edward Elgar books of their choice to the value of £150 kindly sponsored by Edward Elgar and will be invited to submit an article based upon their dissertation for publication in the Journal of Transport Geography (subject to the standard refereeing procedures of that journal).
The prize is open to any undergraduate student in a UK Department of Geography, Social Sciences, Planning, Transport Studies, Earth Sciences or Environmental Sciences, as long as the work undertaken has a geographical element, and is submitting their dissertation in the current academic year.
The dissertation must substantially focus on a transport topic (e.g. transport policy, economic impact of transport, transport and land use, travel behaviour, social inclusion, the journey experience, identity and mobility). The submitting department may contact Dr Juliet Jain for advice about whether the topic is within scope. Only dissertations awarded a first class mark will be considered and departments can submit no more than two dissertations for this prize. Nominated dissertations should not be submitted for consideration for any other RGS-IBG prize. Dissertations will be evaluated by two members of the TGRG Committee.
Nominated dissertations should be sent electronically in PDF format (of less than 25MB in size), along with a letter of recommendation and a copy of the appropriate departmental dissertation regulations, by the student’s department (Head or nominated representative) and with the student’s knowledge. We also require personal contact details for the student so that the successful student can be contacted, which will be after they have graduated. For file sizes above 25 MB please transfer electronically but not using e-mail.
Submissions to: Tarats@icloud.com(Tara Tanoz-Sargeant, TGRG Dissertation Prize Coordinator)
Deadline: 15 July 2021
The British Society for Geomorphology (BSG) - Marjorie Sweeting Dissertation Prize
This prize is awarded to the best undergraduate dissertation that focuses on ‘Geomorphology’ undertaken at a UK university. Entries are invited for this annual competition. The award (£200 plus funded attendance at the BSG Annual Conference) is presented to the successful nominee at the Annual General Meeting, the details of which are available from the BSG website.
The agreed guidelines for assessment are as follows:
Subject area: the field of geomorphology: earth surface processes, and the erosion, deposition and formation of landforms and sediments. Foci can include the physical geography of river, valley, glacier, mountain, hillslope, coast, desert and estuary environments; alongside responses to Holocene, Quaternary and other long term environmental changes.
Originality: The project should be an independent study, originated by the student. In particular, it should not be linked to a funded research programme, nor exhibit undue influence of or similarity to the supervisor’s known and published work.
Further details are available from: Dr Louise Slater (louise.slater@ouce.ox.ac.uk), BSG Outreach and Education Committee.
Submissions through online form here
Deadline: 30 September 2020
Urban Geography Research Group (UGRG)
The Urban Geography Research Group is pleased to announce its annual prize for the best undergraduate dissertation based on original research in any area of urban geography.
The prize is open to undergraduate students studying at a UK university, who submitted their dissertation in the academic year 2020/21. Dissertations should be of an outstanding (e.g. first class undergraduate) standard and could cover conceptual, empirical or methodological aspects of urban research. Work should not exceed 12,000 words.
The winner will receive £100. Two further candidates judged to be highly commended will receive £50 each. All three award recipients will have their dissertations featured on the UGRG web-site.
Please note: the entries should be nominated to the Urban Geography Research Group by the author’s head of department or supervisor.
Please send the following via email with the subject “UGRG Dissertation submission” to Dr. Frances Brill fnb22@cam.ac.uk no later than 15th July 2021.
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PDF file of the dissertation
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Copy of dissertation regulations
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Email address for the student which will be valid after the end of the academic year (in the case of institutional addresses which expire)
Deadline: 15 July 2021
Postgraduate Dissertation Prizes
Carceral Geography Working Group (CGWG)
The CGWG is offering a £50 prize for postgraduate research. The prize-winner will also be offered one-day registration for the Annual International Conference of the RGS-IBG and invited to feature their writing on the Carceral Geography website.
The prize will be awarded for the best research ‘paper’, which could be derived from a Masters thesis, PhD chapter, or a conference paper script. No more than 5000 words should be submitted. Where students submit a script for a conference paper, a copy of any accompanying slides should also be submitted. Papers should include a full set of references and images (as relevant).
The prize is open to both current and former postgraduate students at both Masters and PhD level. In order to be eligible for the prize, former postgraduate students must have submitted a Masters or doctoral dissertation no earlier than 12 months before the prize deadline. Where any applicant wishes to submit a conference script for consideration, the conference paper should have been delivered no earlier than 12 months before the prize deadline.
Applications from outside the UK are welcomed but the paper should be written in (or translated professionally to) English. Students need not necessarily be aligned to a geography(-related) discipline but their work should engage with issues of carcerality and/or themes emergent in carceral geographies.
Papers should be submitted by the student in pdf format with an appropriate research supervisor copied into the email.
For any further details or questions please contact Dr Lauren Martin using the details below.
Submissions to: Dr Lauren Martin (lauren.martin@durham.ac.uk)
Deadline: 1 November 2021
Economic Geography Research Group (EGRG)
A prize of Global Shift, The Sage Handbook of Economic Geography, and a further £150 worth of Sage books is offered each year to the best PhD thesis in economic geography. Any economic geography thesis that has been passed at a UK institution in the past 12 months is eligible.
A PDF copy of the thesis should be forwarded to Dr Alexandra Dales.
Submissions to: Dr Alexandra Dales (a.dales@yorksj.ac.uk)
Deadline: 29 January 2021
Geographical Information Science Research Group (GIScRG)
The Geographical Information Science Research Group of the RGS-IBG awards two annual prizes for the two best postgraduate dissertations on any issue relating to GIS/Sc, spatial analysis, spatial modelling or geocomputation. The prize for the best dissertation is £100 plus an annual RGS-IBG Postgraduate Fellowship and the runner up will receive £50 plus an annual RGS-IBG Postgraduate Fellowship.
We are looking for a Masters level dissertation of approximately 10,000 words in length, which covers significant research in one or more of these areas. Dissertations should be of 'Distinction' standard and be submitted by the student's institution (Director of Postgraduate Programme or nominated representative) and with the student’s knowledge.
Please submit the work in electronic form, along with a copy of the dissertation regulations to Dr Seraphim Alvanides. We will only accept one entry per department of higher education institutions in the UK and the Republic of Ireland.
Submissions to: s.alvanides@northumbria.ac.uk (Dr Seraphim Alvanides, Northumbria University).
Deadline: 30 November 2021
Geographies of Justice Research Group (GJRG)
The Geographies of Justice Research Group Postgraduate Award is for students undertaking a postgraduate level research project. The research project should have ‘justice’ (broadly conceived) as a key theme; applications from students undertaking work in or across any of areas of research relating to geographies of justice are welcome to apply. A maximum of £500 is available (average awards will be around £250).
Applicants are advised to ensure that their research fits with the aims and objectives of the Geographies of Justice Research Group (available here). In particular, applicants are recommended to take note of the following aim of the research group: 'to promote research practice which informs and promotes justice, including the development of appropriate methodologies, the transformation of personal practices, the exploration of linkages with pedagogy, and modes of research dissemination, influence and academic engagement within and beyond the academic community of geographers'.
Applicants can apply for any aspect of the proposed project (e.g. design, data production, project evaluation), but the precise nature of where the money will be spent must be explained (see below). This must also be detailed in a post-grant report, which will be uploaded onto the Research Group’s website.
Applications could include (but are not limited to) the following activities:
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Travel and subsistence costs for researchers or research participants
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Equipment or materials for research
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Arranging a workshop or other event at the end of your project to discuss your findings with your participants, or to disseminate your work to different user groups
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Creating a non-academic, open access repository for your research so that it is in the public domain
Applications will be assessed according to the Research Group’s aims and objectives detailed above. Innovative applications that seek to move beyond ‘traditional’ academic forms of dissemination (e.g. publishing papers and presenting conference papers) are particularly welcome. We also welcome applications from students working in the Global North and South, and for students working in partnership with non-academic organisations. Applications from both Masters and PhD students are welcome, and will be treated equally in terms of assessment.
Applicants should complete the application form (found here) and adhere to the word count.
Submissions to: peter.hopkins@ncl.ac.uk (Chair of the Geographies of Justice Research Group)
Deadline: 9 April 2020
Geographies of Leisure and Tourism Research Group (GLTRG)
The Geographies of Leisure and Tourism Research Group offers an annual prize of £150 for the best taught Masters dissertation in leisure/tourism/sports geography, submitted as part of a MSc degree. The dissertation may be multidisciplinary but needs to be informed through the geographical concepts of place and space. A department should not normally submit more than one entry. Entries should be accompanied by a copy of the instructions given to students, and a note of the dissertation credit rating and mark awarded. Please also include a (post-studies) contact email address for the student, so that they can be notified of the result of the competition.
Submissions to: annadejong@glasgow.ac.uk (Dr Anna de Jong). More information is available on the GLTRG website.
Deadline: 10 December 2021
Planning and Environment Research Group (PERG)
PERG offers an annual postgraduate prize (£100) for the best taught Masters dissertation on any issue relating to environmental issues and their management, environmental policy, politics, planning or governance. We welcome nominations that are conceptually, methodologically and empirically innovative from across themes connected to planning and environment issues.
Dissertations should be 20,000 words maximum and should be submitted by the student’s department, along with a copy of the appropriate departmental dissertation regulations and contact details for the student. Each department may not submit more than one entry.
Submissions in electronic format (either Word or PDF files) and queries should be directed to Stewart Barr.
Submissions to: S.W.Barr@exeter.ac.uk (Stewart Barr, PERG Chair)
Deadline: 13 December 2020
Population Geography Research Group (PopGRG)
The Population Geography Research Group is offering the Bob Woods Postgraduate Dissertation Prize for the best taught Masters dissertation. The winner of the award will receive £100.
The prize is named in honour of Professor Bob Woods, who passed away in 2011. Bob was an esteemed population geographer, with interests across the sub-discipline, which he made an invaluable contribution to for many decades.
Please note that for practical purposes we can only accept one dissertation from any institution and to be eligible that institution has to be in the UK.
Please send a copy of the dissertation (with the mark awarded included) to Dr David McCollum, details below.
Submissions to: david.mccollum@st-andrews.ac.uk (Dr David McCollum) or post to: Dr David McCollum, School of Geography and Sustainable Development, University of St Andrews, KY16 9AL, UK
Deadline: 31 December 2020
Find out more
Rural Geography Research Group (RGRG)
The RGRG is offering a £50 prize for the best taught Masters dissertation. The prize is available to students who have completed a taught Masters degree and produced a dissertation in a subject area related to rural geography.
Please note that for practical purposes, dissertations should be submitted with the student's knowledge and a (post-studies) contact address for the student included in the nomination. Electronic submissions only please.
Submissions to: fiona.williams@chester.ac.uk (Dr Fiona Williams, University of Chester). For more information on the work of the RGRG please visit their website
Deadline: 31 October 2020
The British Society for Geomorphology (BSG) – Dick Chorley Medal and Prize for Postgraduate Research
One of Dick Chorley’s lasting contributions to geomorphology lies in the postgraduate students whom he inspired and guided at the start of their academic careers. Many have gone on to academic careers themselves, and include several of the leading figures in British geomorphology.
In recognition of Dick’s commitment to serving the future of the discipline, the BSG has honoured his memory by creating the Dick Chorley Medal and Prize (£500) for Postgraduate Research. The award is made for 'the most significant original published contribution to geomorphology by a current or recently graduated post-graduate student'.
Anyone is allowed to nominate candidates (e.g. supervisors, external examiners, Heads of School, supervisory team members). One paper, published in an English language research journal, will be considered. Nominated candidates must be within three years of obtaining their PhD (i.e. graduation) and should usually be the first author of the paper under consideration. The nomination should include the paper and outline the significance of the work, including reference to: 1) originality of the contribution to the study of geomorphology; 2) significance of the contribution to the development of geomorphological theory and principles; 3) clarity of explanation and presentation. Nominations will be carried over for a maximum of one year at the discretion of the BSG Research Sub-committee.
Further details and nominations for the award should be made online from the BSG website.
Deadline: Nominations can be made at any time and are drawn together at the end of January each year for consideration.
Transport Geography Research Group (TGRG)
Emerald Group Publishing are sponsoring this year’s Postgraduate Paper Prize which will be awarded to the best presentation in a TGRG-sponsored session at the RGS-IBG Annual Conference. There is a first prize of £100 and a book chosen from the Emerald transport titles, and a runner-up prize of a book chosen from the Emerald transport titles.
The competition is open to postgraduate students who presents at TGRG-sponsored session at the RGS-IBG Annual Conference. Those wishing to be considered for the postgraduate prize should indicate their intention to enter by emailing postgraduate reps Zhengyue Wan and Suzanne Mass by Wednesday 25 August.
They should then ensure that an abstract of the presented research (up to 500 words), along with a copy of any powerpoint slides to be used in the presentation, is submitted to the TGRG Secretary, John Austin, and to Zhengyue or Suzanne by 5.00pm on Thursday 2nd September. The papers and presentations will be judged by a panel drawn from TGRG committee members.
Submissions to:
john@mobihub.com (John Austin, TGRG Secretary)
zhengyue.wan.17@ucl.ac.uk (Zhengyue Wan, TGRG Postgraduate Rep) and suzanne.m.maas@gmail.com (Suzanne Mass, Postgraduate Rep)
Deadline: 17:00, Thursday 2 September 2021