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Two researchers sit on a sloping valley side while one stands, facing the others. They are all writing in notebooks.

Expedition grants

Fieldwork and expeditions are at the core of the Society's grants programme. Our independent travel grants support challenging and inspiring geographical journeys and expeditions all over the world.

A large group of people gathered for a ceremony on a mountaintop as the sun is setting.

Neville Shulman Challenge Award

An annual award of £5,000 for a challenging expedition or research project which furthers our knowledge of the planet, its cultures, peoples and environments.

Crew from the Transglobe Expedition standing in the Arctic and posing with the Benjamin Bowring ship.

Ran and Ginny Fiennes Award

Support for humanitarian, scientific or educational projects which follow in the Transglobe Expedition’s tradition of challenge and perseverance.

Hand-held microphone layingon a rock in a river.

Journey in Audio

Journey in Audio offers professional training to document travel, fieldwork or a research expedition through audio recorded in the field.

Five people walking in a line through a mountainous landscape. The mountain slope is largely bare with patches of snow remaining.

Geographical Fieldwork Grants

Grants of up to £3,500 to help teams of students and researchers undertake overseas fieldwork.

Two people sat beside a glacial lake taking measurements. They are surrounded by small transparent tubes and other measuring equipment.

Fieldwork Apprenticeships

Grants of £1,500 for first year undergraduate geography students to participate in a fieldwork project.

People walking through an outdoor market with fresh fruit and vegetables displayed in crates on market stalls.

Frederick Soddy Awards

Grants for fieldwork, expeditions and research with a regional focus.

Four people walking across an undulating glacial landscape carrying equipment.

Peter Smith Award

An award of £1,000 to support a team of second year undergraduate geography students undertaking fieldwork overseas.

A scuba diver wearing flippers and an oxygen tank underwater taking photos of a coral reef. There are multiple species of fish swimming around the diver and coral.

Ralph Brown Expedition Award

An annual award of £12,500 to an expedition working in an aquatic environment. 

Person setting up a measuring device in front of a glacier and lake. The person is wearing a hat and rucksack.

Gilchrist Fieldwork Award

An annual award of £15,000 to a research team undertaking challenging overseas fieldwork.

A coastal cliff landscape covered in grassy vegetation with a motor boat moving towards the cliffs.

Journey of a Lifetime Award

Run in partnership with BBC Radio 4, this award offers £5,000 to make a 'journey of a lifetime' and the chance to tell the world about it in a radio documentary.

A car with equipment attached to the roof parked in front of lake. There is vegetation surrounding the bank of the lake with a row of trees behind.

Land Rover Bursary

The Land Rover Bursary supported challenging journeys promoting a wider understanding and enjoyment of geography between 2008 and 2020.