Ralph Brown Expedition Award (United Kingdom)

This includes the study of coral reefs, rivers, lakes and shallow seas. The project should be of value to the host country and, where possible, to the local community.

The award has been established in memory of Ralph Brown; a Californian who lived much of his life in New Zealand. He took part in expeditions and was a keen advocate of the use of jet boats to navigate inaccessible and dangerous rivers.

The Ralph Brown Award has supported projects since 1998, ranging from the wetlands of Ukraine to the Yucatan peninsula in Mexico, from coral reef studies to mountain river hazard surveys, and studies of human interaction with waterways.

Award Information

• The Ralph Brown Expedition Award is a single annual award of £12,500, offered to an experienced researcher leading a research expedition working in an aquatic environment.

Eligibility Criteria

• Applicants must be Fellows or Members of the Society.

Conditions

• All grants are awarded at the discretion of the Society. Applicants may only apply for one grant within an annual cycle (deadlines October to April), with the exception of the Gilchrist Fieldwork Award which can be applied to in addition to any other post-PhD researcher grant, the Postgraduate Research Awards – PhD students may apply for the Frederick Soddy Postgraduate Award while an application to the Postgraduate Research Awards is pending, and the Henrietta Hutton Research Grant and Monica Cole Research Grant which can be applied to at the same time. An individual may only be awarded one grant in any one cycle.
• Applications for fieldwork which is currently taking place or has already been completed will not be considered.
• All funds awarded must be used for the purposes set out in the application submitted for the award. These purposes include travel, maintenance, data collection and temporary research assistance (as appropriate to a specific grant). The costs of additional childcare, beyond that required to meet the normal contracted requirements of the job, and that are directly related to the field elements of the project, may be requested as a directly incurred cost. However, childcare costs associated with normal working patterns may not be sought. Salary costs of the PI/costs to buy-out staff time will not be funded. Grants may not be used to fund conference attendance (with the exception of the 30th International Geographical Congress Award). Expenses for equipment, lab costs and sample analysis should not exceed 20% of the amount awarded.
• Grants are not transferrable to individuals or organisations.
• The Society reserves the right to withdraw or recall support at any time.
• Any terms and conditions or codes of conduct for third party organisations relevant to a grant must be adhered to.
• If funding is sought for a component of a larger project, the sub-project should be free-standing with its own objectives.

For more information, visit Royal Geographical Society.