Grant News
Grants of £500 to £5,000 are available to support UK-led teams undertaking overseas expeditions that advance geographical knowledge. The funding is offered through the Royal Geographical Society’s RGS Explore Grants programme, which aims to support the next generation of explorers and field researchers.
The grants support original, challenging expeditions involving meaningful collaboration with local communities or partners. Priority is given to those undertaking their first overseas projects.
Teams must have at least three members aged 18 or over, with a UK-resident team leader. Expeditions must take place outside the UK and involve at least four weeks of fieldwork, ideally between April and October.
Project budgets must be below £25,000, with the grant covering at least 20% of costs. PhD fieldwork, departmental field trips, volunteering, charity fundraising and commercial activities are excluded.
Key points
- Grants of £500 to £5,000.
- Minimum three team members aged 18 or over.
- Overseas fieldwork lasting at least four weeks.
- Equipment costs normally limited to 20% of the award.
Applications, including two references, must be submitted by 8 January 2027.
Previous awards have supported projects investigating glacier melt in Greenland and Sweden, mangrove conservation in Brazil, traditional farming in Central Asia, and biodiversity and Indigenous knowledge in Ecuador.
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