Slawson Awards

The Slawson Awards, first given in 2001, support geographical fieldwork involving development issues with a high social and economic value. The research should have positive social consequences and promote cultural understanding between the applicant and the geographical area being researched. This must be clearly evident in the application, which should be written clearly and concisely for an informed, non-academic audience.

The Awards are available for projects in geography and related disciplines (such as anthropology, sociology and development economics), with preference given to interdisciplinary studies. Fieldwork must take place in the Global South.

The Awards are intended to assist with travel, accommodation and local costs. The cost of equipment will not be covered. Applicants must be currently registered for a PhD at a UK Higher Education institution. Preference will be given to applicants who are UK citizens. Applicants must be current members of the Society. Applicants with previous experience working in the Global South and in positions of leadership are encouraged and should make this clear on their CV when applying. Projects which involve recipients returning to their home country for fieldwork will generally not be considered. The intent is not to fund preliminary or reconnaissance fieldwork; applications should support the main body of field research.

Deadline: 22 February

Inteviews will be held in May/June.

All prospective grant applicants are encouraged to read our Advice 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 email to grants@rgs.org.

Two referee statements are required. One must be from your PhD supervisor. The other should be from a different institution (i.e. undergraduate dissertation supervisor or undergraduate tutor, or your employer if you are presently working).

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