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About the Award

The Geographical Fieldwork Grant is the Society's longest running grant scheme. Every year, these grants enable UK based, student-led teams (defined as three or more people) to get into the field. Grants between £500 to £3,500 are awarded.

To qualify for a Geographical Fieldwork Grant, the research must involve fieldwork that aims to make a significant contribution to existing geographical knowledge. Multi-disciplinary, interdisciplinary and collaborative projects are encouraged.

Team members can be working together on a joint project or each team member can undertake an individual, independent project (for example undergraduate dissertations or Masters theses) if these are linked together under a coherent research theme (this must be clear in the application). Each team member must be involved in the development of the research, and must take equal responsibility for planning, delivery and reporting.

These grants are primarily intended for undergraduate and Masters students. Projects in which the majority of team members are research active academics (including PhD students) will not be supported.

The Geographical Fieldwork Grants are generously supported by a number of donors which include:

Alexander Awards, Barling Fisher Bequest, theÌýFrederick Soddy Awards, Gough Island Fund, Gumby Award, HR Mill Trust Fund, Marjorie Sweeting Bequest, the Neil Thomas Proto Award, Penruddocke-Park Lander Fund, Peter Smith Award, the Philby Award, Ralph Brown Memorial Fund, Rio Tinto Award, Rod Whitney Bequest, Shara Dillon Award, Stephens Bequest,Ìý and the Violet Cressey-Marcks Fisher Fund.

Deadline: 15 February

Apply now

All prospective grant applicants should read ourÌýAdvice and Resources pages, which include more information about the grants programme, its conditions, how to apply for a grant and what is expected if your application is successful. Please read this information carefully and send your application, or any enquiries, by emailÌýtoÌýgrants@rgs.org

Two referees are required to provide references by completing the online grant application reference form. One referee must be from a university academic, not a member of the research team, nor directly involved in the planning of the research project and one should be from an appropriate in-country contact. Please see the Application process page for more information.

Your application will be reviewed by a panel of academic experts and teams may be invited to online interview on the basis of this review.

Past recipients

2024 recipients

Zachary Scott-Paul, Samuel Reeves, Charles Wright, Valerie Devereux, Eden Kong (Durham University) Assessing coastal sewage pollution using macroalgae nitrogen isotopes

This interdisciplinary research team of undergraduate students will assess post-COVID sewage nitrogen pollution around Gran Canaria's coastal environment. Fieldwork will involve collecting macroalgae from ~40 sites (n = 600 samples) for nitrogen isotope analysis at Durham University under the supervision of Prof Gröcke. This data will be directly compared to an equivalent sample set that was collected during Covid (2020). This research goal is to compare 2020 from 2024 to determine the impact that Covid and reduced tourists had on sewage delivery to the coast. This project may potentially lead to the modification of environmental policies related to tourism.

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Samuel Nurney, Holly Edwards-Sloan (University of Sussex) Biogeography, ‘ecological forensics’ and implementation of the ‘Rights of Nature’

To compare effectiveness of spatially-explicit biogeographical databases with field collection methods in protecting high-biodiversity ecosystems under Ecuador's Rights of Nature laws. We explore the role of biogeographical data in defending critical ecosystems against threat, leveraging online species distribution databases and field data to enhance legal protections for biodiversity hotspots. Objectives include collating species/ecological data, conducting field biodiversity surveys to assess avian and amphibian diversity, analysing field-collected and GIS-generated IUCN distributional datasets, and modelling biodiversity loss due to mining activities. Outputs include two MSc theses, RGS report, community report and peer-reviewed journal article, to inform Rights of Nature legislators, policymakers, and the public.Ìý

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Sebastian Rumfitt, Montague Pierce Jones (University of Oxford), Solange Sabelle (Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile) Pumas in Patagonia: Investigating the Effects of Ecotourists on Health

We will collect puma scat for the measurement of corticosteroid levels (indicators of reproductive health and stress) and for genetic analyses, marking a first in such research. We will conduct interviews with park rangers, ranchers, lodge managers, and other stakeholders (localÌýindigenous groups) about predator tourism and human-puma relations.ÌýBy combining our disciplines of Biology and Anthropology we aim to rigorously assess tourist disturbance effects and inform park management decisions if needed. Finally, we hope to use our student-led project, a blend of science and adventure, to inspire the next generation of conservationists.

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Eleanor Mullier, Abby Lambert, Jane Williamson (University of Bristol) Biogeochemical explorations of the Watson meltwater river in Kangerlussuaq, Greenland

This project will explore whether biogeochemistry and sediment composition changes over the courseÌýof a 25km stretch of Watson River (Qinnguata Kuussua), draining Leverett and Russell glaciers, outletsÌýof the Greenland Ice Sheet. This transect follows the river from glacier snout to Sondre Stromfjord. OurÌýmeasurements will determine the extent of biogeochemical processing from glacier to fjord toÌýunderstand export from the ice sheet. This is critical for determining how glacier meltwater impacts
ocean processes now, and into the future. Our results will be shared via scientific reports (including ourÌý3rd year dissertations and papers) and blog posts at travelsinglaciology.wordpress.com.

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Joseph Thomas, Catherine Clarke, Madeleine Graham, Joseph McGrattan, Holly Muntus, Isaac Benfield (Newcastle University) Newcastle University Kangerlussuaq 2024

The Greenland Ice Sheet (GrIS) and the Arctic are currently warming at a rate four times faster than the rest of the planet, which is having an unprecedented influence on melt rates and ice loss. Our expedition willÌýinvestigate the impacts of climate change on Russell Glacier. We will undertake this through 6 researchÌýobjectives relating to geomorphological, glaciological and biogeographical changes on and around the glacier.ÌýThis will be conducted through a 30-day expedition. Upon completion, we will produce a series of interim andÌýfull reports to funder. Each team member will also produce an individual undergraduate dissertation.Ìý

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2023 recipients

Jessica Chavez, Coral Humbar, Hannah Cioci, Sophie Bruder (Oxford Brookes University): Ecosystem Services and Biodiversity within community-based forests in Bali

There is an urgent need for a global transition to farming systems that provide social and economic equity whilst protecting ecosystem services on which agriculture depends. This projectÌýaims to understand which tree/crop composition of non-timber forest products is optimal for providing ecosystem services, biodiversity and yields. FiftyÌýplots in a community-based forest in the West Bali National Park will be selected to investigate: soil quality, pollination services, invertebrate, mammal, and bird assemblages. These variables will be linked to tree/crop composition and yields. The results will be shared with the local forestry department for optimising yields/ecosystem services in local community-based forests.

Oscar Turner, James Chapman and Agnes Liddell (University of Oxford): Project Amu Darya -ÌýAn Oral History of the Aral Sea Crisis

Project Amu Darya is an official Oxford University Expedition that will travel along the ZeravshanÌýand Amu Darya rivers (Tajikistan and Uzbekistan). Along these Aral Sea tributaries, we will collectÌýoral histories of the socioecological breakdown of these waterways. This project will be the first to record and relate the upstream voices of the Aral Sea Crisis. Our recorded interviews will form anÌýeducational film, made in collaboration with students from Uzbek universities including Westminster International University in Tashkent. Our research will be shared via film festivals and educational platforms in both Uzbekistan and Britain.

Matthew Nicholson, Laura Brierley, Maisie McCormack, Shaun Farrell, Dominic Rees (Newcastle University): The anthropogenic and climatic impacts in Longyearbyen and Longyearbreen

This research programme aims to assess the impacts of rapid climate change in Longyearbyen. ThisÌýwill be achieved by investigating: ablation rates on Longyearbreen by assessing debris cover, short-term variability of sediment flux and water properties of Longyear River, abundance of heavy metals affecting water quality of Longyear River,Ìýtemporal evolution of meltwater channels, and changes of vegetation with glacier recession, calculating past ice extent of Longyearbreen.Ìý

Raphaela Betz, Patrick Robichaud, Victoria Taylor, William Wallock, Sofi Waterer (University of Oxford): Sustainable Water Management in West Bengal, India

Over two billion people lack adequate access to water. Climate change will only exacerbate thisÌýchallenge. Communities are adapting by developing novel water management practices. ThisÌýadaption has been especially pronounced in West Bengal, India. This projectÌýplans to travel along the rivers, Dwarakeswar and Teesta, to document evolving water management challenges. The research aimsÌýtoÌýidentify pioneers of adaptation approaches, listen to stories about water, and share them with theÌýworld. Strategic partnerships will allow the projectÌýaccess to regional stakeholders and provide a platformÌýto shareÌýfindings.

Sneha Maria Varghese, Simran Pal Kaur, Hamza Abdullah (LSE): Social Justice is Climate Justice -ÌýTheorising from Delhi

This research seeks to develop collectively an intersectional Southern perspective on the question of climateÌýjustice. TheÌýinvestigation will be anchored in Delhi, a city facing catastrophic climate-change impacts,Ìýand Shaheen Bagh, a Muslim-dominated unauthorised 'colony'Ìý(neighbourhood or settlement) in theÌýcity. The team consists of three Indian students pursuing MSc Urbanisation and Development at LSE. Individual dissertations investigating livelihood, state-citizen relations and housing-tenure securityÌýwill together interrogate how unequal power-relations shape climate-change vulnerability. The projectÌýwill useÌýqualitative methods such as interviews and focus-group discussions to collect novel data andÌýdisseminateÌýfindings through a group publication and blog articles.

Niamh Hope, Lucy Whittles, Kathryn Davies, James Downing, Harley Geraghty, Harris Green (Newcastle University): Gepatschferner Glacier and River Fagge Expedition

This fieldwork expedition aims to investigate and assess the role of debris cover on ablation of the Gepatschferner glacier, the impacts of pollutants on its glacial melt and the spatial variation of factorsÌýinfluencing the glacial melt. Additionally, vegetation succession on moraines in Gepatschferner’s proglacial area will also be assessed. On the other hand, the fieldwork aims to investigate the relationship between soil/vegetation properties and River Fagge, as well as examine the factors controlling sediment transportation within River Fagge.

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2022 recipients

Jakub Domanski,ÌýUrsula Shaw,ÌýRobertÌýKunzmann,ÌýMadeleine Ary Hahne (University of Cambridge);ÌýMonika Rasz (Jagiellonian University),ÌýMei Wen:ÌýCambridge University Narsarsuaq Glacial Climate Impact Expedition

The aim of this expedition is to conduct robust, interdisciplinary research of climate change impact on glaciersÌýin Southern Greenland. Our objectives are as follows: 1. Photographically recapture glacial scenes that wereÌýshot by the Brathay expedition groups (concluding in 1976). 2. Collect glacial water samples to studyÌýmicroplastic pollutants. 3. Measure air pressure and temperatures for the ASIAQ Greenland Survey. 4.ÌýOpportunistically sample carbonatitic rock forms for donation to St. Andrews’ University. The expedition seeksÌýto produce articles for both scientific journals and popular publications.

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Cassie Dummett,ÌýJoe Langley (University College London);ÌýJoseph Kanyama Tabu (University of Kisangani):ÌýInvestigating humans, birds and plants in the Cuvette Centrale peatland forests, DRC

This project will investigate the social, ecological and botanical aspects of the recently discovered central Congo Basin peatlands. In forest near Mbandaka, Democratic Republic of Congo, we will use participatory methods to assess how communities use plants in the peatland forest and whether forest resources are managed sustainably. The community composition and diversity of bird species in different peatland habitats will also be investigated to determine whether logging and other anthropogenic activities affect bird species richness. This is the first study of birds in the Cuvette Centrale peatlands. Our findings will be synergised in a report that will be disseminated to the Society, CongoPeat research network and the DRC government Peatlands Management Unit.

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Eleanor Leadbeater,ÌýRebecca White,ÌýAlex Burton,ÌýSam Eveleigh (Newcastle University):ÌýStudying the effects on climate change on the cryosphere in Svalbard

The overall aim of the project is to assess the impact of climate change on Longyearbreen glacier and theÌýsurrounding permafrost. Fieldwork methods including GPS mapping, ablation stakes, thermal monitoring andÌýboreholes will be used to ascertain data relating to debris cover, melt rates, and permafrost temperature andÌýthawing. Longyearbyen is the fastest warming town on Earth, so by studying the changes in glaciers and the surrounding permafrost, the impact of climate warming can be understood in this area.Ìý

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Lucy Friend, Emily Willans, Molly Aspinwall (Newcastle University):ÌýGlacier de Miage and Lex Blanche Glacier Expedition

This expedition aims to investigate supraglacial pond pollution and the composition andÌýsuccessional patterns of vegetation at the Glacier de Miage and Lex Blanche Glacier, Italy. ToÌýassess pond pollution, we will sample the water, invertebrates, diatoms and sediments, which willÌýthen be processed and analysed in Newcastle University’s laboratories. The relationship betweenÌývegetation composition and soil conditions will be explored separately at both glaciers throughÌýquadrat counts and laboratory analysis of soil samples.Ìý

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Lucia Hudson, Suzannah Egleston, Aoife Cantwell-Jones (Imperial College London):ÌýWhat’s the buzz about climate change?

Venturing to the Arctic, our project will visit a century-old phenology transect to retrace the steps of pastÌýscientists to understand how insect pollinators respond to climate change. We will compare howÌýbumblebee and plant communities have responded to warming to improve our capacity to predict shiftingÌýpollination trends under a changing planet and, through studying these ectotherms, provide earlyÌýindications of climate change (‘canary birds’). The project will produce two masters’ theses, a chapter inÌýa PhD thesis, and deliver academic presentations to environmental and geographical scientists, withÌýmanuscripts for peer-reviewed journals.

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2019 recipients

James English (Newcastle University): Reconstructing past environmental conditions in the Sayan Mountains, Siberia

In collaborationÌýwith researchers from the Institute of Geochemistry, Irkutsk,Ìýthis team of four Physical Geography undergraduate students aims to extract a series of lake sediment cores from four lakes in the Sayan Mountains of southern Siberia. Cores will be processed and preserved invertebrate remains will be analysed to reconstruct palaeotemperatures and past ecosystem structure. Spheroidal carbonaceous particlesÌýwill be used to assess the extent of anthropogenic pollution in the region. These analyses will form the basis of third year dissertation projects.

Learn more about this project

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Natalie Lewis (University of Exeter): Project Madagascar, Iaroka Forest

Iaroka lies in the Ankeniheny-Zahamena Corridor, home to some of the largest areas of remaining rainforest in Madagascar, which,Ìýif compromised, could endanger the continuity of vital ecosystems ofÌýflora and fauna. This student-led project will carry out biodiversity surveys in a new research areaÌýin collaboration with Development and Biodiversity Conservation Action for Madagascar (DBCAM) and local scientists from the University of Antananarivo.ÌýThe project aims to gain a deeper understanding of the endemic species and the ecosystem services Iaroka provides to the local communities in order to raise awareness of their intrinsic value.

Learn more about this project

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Anya Gleizer (University of Oxford): Wandering in other worlds, talking with the spirits

This expedition to the Krasnoyarsk region of Siberia will be a centennial retracing of the famed 1914 expedition route of one of Oxford’s first female anthropologists, Maria Czaplicka. The team will be approaching the project from the viewpoints of their three disciplines: art, anthropology andÌýcognitive science. The result will be an immersive virtual-reality film about contemporary Evenki (Siberian native) lives and landscape, the immense change this region has undergone since Czaplicka travelled there (the rise of the USSR and perestroika), and about changes in the study of anthropology itself. This film will be exhibited in the Ruskin School of Art andÌýthe Pitt Rivers Museum.

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Arzucan Askin (London School of Economics and Political Science): Mujeres Tarea Vida:Ìýgendered experiences of climate change in Cuba

This research project aims to understand why and how women are at the forefront of climate action in Cuba, and examines the socio-political factors that determine Cuban women’s climate change resilience and their contribution to the country’s plan for climate action, known asÌý'Tarea Vida' (Spanish: 'Life Task'). A mixed-method approach will be taken, consisting of questionnaire surveys, semi-structured interviews, focus groups and analysis of data provided in reports of Cuban climate change groups and government ministries.

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Matthew Jones (University of Oxford): Usun Apau Plateau expedition

Usun Apau Retraced is a conservation focused expeditionÌýto Sarawak, Malaysia, following in the footsteps of fourÌýUniversity of Oxford students back in 1955. The original team made their way up the Plieran river to the remote Usun Apau plateau, where they spent a number of weeks assessingÌýbiodiversity. In 2019, a team of three undergraduate students will be journeying to the same region to spend aÌýmonth studyingÌýthe flora and fauna of the region. Being 800m above sea level, the area is home to a huge range of endemic species that are found nowhere else in the world. Through collecting baseline ecosystem data the expedition hopes to continue the plateau'sÌýconservation.Ìý