RGS-IBG Postgraduate Research Award 2020

The Royal Geographical Society with IBG (RGS-IBG) invites applications for Postgraduate Research Awards from students pursuing PhD courses and ready to undertake fieldwork/ data collection in the United Kingdom or overseas preferably in research related to geographical knowledge and its applied benefits. The recipients will be awarded a grant of GBP 500 to GBP 2,000. 

The Royal Geographical Society with IBG is offering this award. It is funded by donors like Albert Reckitt Charitable Trust, Geographical Club, Dudley Stamp Memorial Fund, Walters Kundert Charitable Trust and RGS-IBG Hong Kong branch.

To be eligible, applicants must:

• Be currently registered with any UK Higher Education Institution
• Be pursuing a PhD in geographical fieldwork or data collection in the UK or overseas

Recipients will be given financial grants between GBP 500 and GBP 2,000 to undertake fieldwork/ data collection.

Step 1: Write an email mentioning full personal and contact details, complete details of postgraduate study and other required details. 
Step 2: Attach relevant documents.  
Step 3: Send the completed applications to the RGS Grants Officer at grants@rgs.org.

The application for the award must contain the following -

• Updated CV in one page
• Commencement year and intended completion date of the postgraduate course
• Title and a brief abstract of the intended project (max 100 words)
• Aims and objectives of the project (max 250 words)
• A detailed description of the proposed research project (max 500 words)
• A brief narrative explaining how the proposed research will further geographical knowledge and its applied benefits (max 100 words)
• A concise summary of plans for disseminating the results of the research (max 100 words)
• Risk and safety management plan (max 300 words)
• A complete itemized budget detailing the financial support required by the recipient
• Two referee statements- one from the PhD supervisor and other from an individual independent of the research activities and institution

An external panel of experts will be formed to assess the applications received and selected candidates will be informed through email.

Application Deadline- 23rd November 2020

• Preference will be given to applicants who are not getting full funding from a Research Council or comparable levels of support from other sources with support for fieldwork/data.
• The awards cannot be made retrospectively.
• Conferences and conference attendance will not be funded.
• The research should be conducted in a responsible and ethical manner.
• The research team members should have medical insurance before leaving for the project.
• The recipient is required to submit a short report within a month of completion of the fieldwork/data collection.
• Recipients should also submit high-resolution pictures in JPEG format capturing the essence of their project.
• Recipients should give due acknowledgement to the RGS in their publication and the copies of the same should be submitted to the Society.
• Recipients are required to submit a final report by 1st September, following the year of the award
• The final report should consist of a 250-word abstract, key finding of the project of minimum 1000 words, digital images, presentations, publications, and final budget details.