Discover Funding Opportunities

Maritime Connected Funding Offer

The Maritime Connected initiative from Lloyd's Register Foundation supports organisations in the maritime community to connect parts of the maritime system in relation to current or future safety challenges. The initiative focuses on safety challenges relating to decarbonisation, digitalisation, the impacts of climate, and safety at sea. It aims to enable ocean stakeholders and partners to work together to share safety challenges and co-create interventions that improve safety and reduce risk to people and infrastructure across maritime. The programme encourages applications that bring multiple perspectives, especially from underrepresented voices and people in developing countries who are not always involved in decision-making. Supported activities include multi-stakeholder workshops, collaborative inquiries, qualitative research methods, travel to key events for underrepresented communities, joint advocacy campaigns, and projects linking voices along supply or design chains to make systems safer. This is a pilot initiative open for 6 months, with potential for successive calls based on initial results. Applications from seafarers, coastal communities, women, and maritime educators from emerging economies are particularly encouraged.

Chinese Government Scholarship Program

This program provides the opportunity to study at a Chinese university on scholarships from the Chinese Government. Full and partial scholarships are available annually. A full scholarship covers tuition (or research) fees, basic learning materials, accommodation, living allowance, comprehensive medical insurance for international students under the Chinese Government Scholarship program, a one-time settlement subsidy, and a one-time inter-city travel allowance. A partial scholarship covers tuition only and may also include one or more items of a full scholarship (settlement subsidy and inter-city travel allowance excluded).

Travel Award for Bands

The Arts Council of Northern Ireland has designed this rolling programme to provide support to enable established Bands based in Northern Ireland to travel outside of Northern Ireland. The programme aims to develop bands' performance skills, networks and audiences via opportunities to showcase outside of Northern Ireland, and to contribute to the growth of equality of access to and opportunities in the arts for groups within the bands sector in Northern Ireland. Particular priority will be given to applications which can demonstrate high quality musicianship, a commitment to training and musical education (particularly of young people), and a commitment to repertoire and technique development in relation to the band's existing repertoire and technical standards. Eligible bands include Accordion Orchestra/Band, Brass Band, Concert Band, Flute Band, Pipe Band, and Wind Band. Applicants must provide evidence that they have been invited to showcase or perform by a relevant organisation, event, festival, promoter, or tour operator in the location to which they intend to travel. The scheme covers travel costs including flight, boat, train, and bus tickets, vehicle hire, and fuel costs.

Timmissartok Foundation Grants for Exploration

The Timmissartok Foundation was founded in 2000 to assist individuals with adventurous projects that will take place in a foreign country. The foundation believes that one individual with a dream can be more powerful than a string of committees and wants to invest in people with big dreams who have a strong enough heart to make their dreams come true. The foundation partially supports projects that involve 'travel with a purpose' in which a particular passion is to be explored, embodying the philosophy that the journey is more important than the destination. The foundation is particularly interested in projects that allow exposure to foreign languages and different cultures, supporting people who are not afraid to take risks and who realize that the greatest achievements are possible in those areas. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis from individuals of all nationalities and all ages seeking adventure in foreign lands.

Dudley Stamp Memorial Award

The Dudley Stamp Memorial Award offers grants of £500 for PhD students or postdoctoral researchers to support geographical research. Preference is given to research that leads to the advancement of geography and to international co-operation in the study of the subject. Applications are particularly welcome for projects which will strengthen links between geographers in the United Kingdom and those overseas. The award was established in 1967 to enable geographers in the early stages of their careers to travel in support of their research. It honors Lawrence Dudley Stamp (1898-1966), an internationally renowned British geographer who served as President of both the Royal Geographical Society and the Institute of British Geographers. His Land Utilisation Survey of Great Britain in the 1930s and 1940s sought to classify land use in Britain with the help of teachers and school children. Dudley Stamp worked to popularise geography and played a key role in promoting the teaching of the subject in schools. He travelled widely, assisting in the setting up of numerous land use surveys, while his reputation drew postgraduates from around the world to work on his projects. In 2016 the Dudley Stamp Memorial Fund became a linked charity of the RGS-IBG. The award is administered through the RGS-IBG Postgraduate Research Awards scheme.

Peter Smith Award

The Peter Smith Award offers £1,000 to a team of second year undergraduate geography students undertaking fieldwork overseas. The award was launched in 2020 through the Society's Geographical Fieldwork Grants (now RGS Explore Grants) and is named after Peter Smith, a long-standing supporter and Trustee of the Royal Geographical Society with boundless enthusiasm for geography, the outdoors and for learning. The purpose of the award is to support the development of second year undergraduate geography students through international field-based research, with applications from across the breadth of the discipline welcomed. The first Award was delayed until 2022 because of the travel restrictions of Covid. Recipients have conducted diverse research projects including studies of mangrove ecosystems, coastal pollution assessment, oral histories of environmental crises, and glacier research.

Journey in Audio

Journey in Audio offers professional training and access to high-quality equipment to document travel, fieldwork or a research expedition through audio recorded in the field. This unique opportunity provides participants with a one-day, in-person workshop led by a professional audio producer at the Royal Geographical Society in London, scheduled for spring 2026. The workshop provides an introduction to soundscapes, how sound is used in storytelling, and how to build a narrative, along with practical training on using audio recording equipment and capturing sounds in the field. Participants receive the loan of professional-standard handheld audio recording equipment for use in the field, a non-commercial license for REAPER digital audio production software, and a financial contribution for travel and accommodation to attend the workshop. After returning from the field, participants will receive group and one-to-one feedback sessions online on the first cut of their audio work. The workshop is open to geographical journeys, fieldwork, or research expeditions being undertaken by individuals or small teams between mid-April and the end of October 2026. Applicants are expected to have a clear plan for their travel, fieldwork, or research expedition and the financial and practical means to undertake it. Eligible projects may focus on any geography-related topic, and applicants with all levels of experience can apply. The opportunity to share audio work through the Society's channels is available, subject to review for quality and content.

The Next Challenge Expedition Grant

The Next Challenge Grant is an annual bursary for adventures that was started in 2015 and has funded over 70 different adventures. The money comes from Tim Moss (founder), small crowdfunded donations, and contributions from other adventurers. The grant was created to give back to the adventure community, as the founder received many expedition grants when younger that helped him undertake fantastic adventures. In 2015, the website earned £200 in advertising revenue which was offered as a grant, and when announced, many other adventurers and 100 members of the public matched the pledge, raising £1,600. This process now happens every year, typically raising around £2,000. The money is distributed between winning applicants, each receiving between £100 and £800 plus equipment. The grant is primarily aimed at beginners and those who have not done lots of expeditions before. Winners also receive equipment available to borrow and email support from Tim Moss. The grant is open to all people, of all ages, and of any nationality.

Horizon Lectures Adventure Fund

The Horizon Lectures Adventure Fund provides grants of £450 to encourage and enable people to undertake their own adventurous trips, ideas and expeditions. The fund welcomes a broad range of ideas but does not accept applications from individuals taking part in organised trips or commercial expeditions. Successful applicants are required to deliver a 25-minute talk following their trip to the Horizon Lectures audience in Oxfordshire and acknowledge the fund on expedition websites and reports. Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis with no fixed closing date, and decisions are typically communicated within 3 months of application. Additional expenses for travelling to speak at events in Oxfordshire are not provided, so applicants should factor this into their planning.

Des Rubens and Bill Wallace Grant

The John Muir Trust offers this Grant to give people the opportunity to seek out life-changing experiences in wild places of the world in ways which will benefit both the person, and the wild places themselves. The grant commemorates two former presidents of the Scottish Mountaineering Club who each led inspiring and adventurous lives. The Grant wishes to support projects which reflect the ethos of both men and give others an opportunity to follow in their footsteps. A grant of £500 - £2,000 will be made on merit to a person who wishes to experience wild places in the spirit of Des Rubens and Bill Wallace. The project should involve travel to wild places, must be adventurous, have an educational or scientific component – and be a life-changing experience leading to a commitment to practical action to conserve wild places. The Grant committee favours independent self-led experiences over commercial expeditions, or pre-paid/charity trips. Priority is given to individuals whose financial need is greatest and grant recipients are required to provide a short project report following their return. Applicants must have a Scottish interest/link. In the decade since its inception the Grant has made over 40 awards to a wide variety of recipients, supporting adventures from studying Panamanian rainforests to circumnavigating the Isle of Skye in a kayak.

Sea-Changers Scottish Learning Fund

The Sea-Changers Scottish Learning Fund enables early-stage and small community-based groups in Scotland involved in marine conservation activities to learn, share knowledge, network and develop skills with other groups. The fund recognizes that in-person learning and networking can accelerate the development of community projects and the spread of good practices. Travel between Scotland's coastal communities, particularly those of the Highlands and Islands, can be prohibitive for small voluntary and community groups, and this fund seeks to address those challenges. The fund is made possible by the William Grant Foundation and The Scottish Marine Environmental Enhancement Fund. Grant requests generally should not exceed £750 and can cover costs including travel to events, workshops and meetings, accommodation, subsistence costs (capped at £25 per day), seminar costs, and online learning activities such as developing video case studies or hosting webinars. Applications are welcome from charities, not-for-profit organisations and community groups with a focus on marine conservation, with at least two groups involved in each project - a provider and one or more beneficiaries.

Now on Earth Youth Adventure Grant

The Now on Earth Youth Adventure Grant is designed to enable young adults to undertake adventurous expeditions that help develop self-confidence, resilience and mental wellbeing. The grant is intended to support those who would otherwise struggle to finance their adventure. A significant role in the organisation of any trip is considered a key part of the learning experience, so grants are not awarded to individuals seeking to partake in organised trips, races, courses or events. The grant supports human-powered expeditions involving physical exertion with clearly defined goals that are as original as possible and span a minimum of 3 days. Expeditions must be self-organised and recorded afterwards in a blog post with photographs or film format for sharing on the website and social media. Applications for adventures with purpose (environmental, social etc) and close to home UK-based expeditions receive extra scoring points. Grant awards generally range between £100-£500 depending on the expedition, although potentially more in a minority of cases. The expedition must take place within 12 months of the grant being awarded. The grant is currently closed with plans for the next fundraiser in June/July 2026.