Discover Funding Opportunities

Chevening Scholarships

Chevening Scholarships are funded by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office and partner organisations. They are awarded to individuals with demonstrable leadership potential and strong academic backgrounds. The scholarships offer full financial support to study for any eligible master's degree at any UK university. Since the programme was created in 1983, nearly 60,000 outstanding professionals have had the opportunity to develop in the UK through Chevening. There are more than 1,000 scholarships on offer each year, demonstrating the UK's ongoing commitment towards developing the leaders of tomorrow. Chevening is one of the most prestigious and competitive UK scholarships available to international students. It is designed to support Britain's public diplomacy overseas, providing scholars with the knowledge, confidence and connections they need to make a positive global impact. Additionally, Chevening scholars gain access to a wide range of exclusive academic, professional, and cultural experiences. As a fully funded scholarship, tuition fees, living expenses, and return flights to the UK are all covered. Scholars also gain access to exclusive networking events, workshops, talks, internships, and volunteering opportunities, giving them a diverse introduction to life in a global role. The programme is designed for ambitious leaders in the making who are looking for a postgraduate experience that will give them the very best preparation for success.

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).

Canada Student Grant for Part-Time Studies

This program provides extra help to low-income part-time students pursuing post-secondary education in Canada. The grant offers financial assistance to eligible students who are enrolled in part-time studies at a designated post-secondary institution. The grant amount has been temporarily increased by 40% from 2019/20 pre-pandemic levels until July 31, 2026. Students are automatically assessed for this grant when they complete the part-time studies application through StudentAid BC.

B.C. Access Grant for Deaf Students

This grant helps deaf and hard of hearing students with the additional costs incurred while attending specialized post-secondary institutions where curriculum is delivered in American Sign Language. The grant is available to students who can demonstrate financial need and are enrolled full-time (60 percent or greater course load) at eligible institutions. Eligible institutions include Gallaudet University in Washington, D.C. and the National Technical Institute for the Deaf in Rochester, New York. Students must establish that they are deaf or hard of hearing and submit documentation including an audiogram for assessment.

Ulysses Trust Expedition and Adventurous Training Grant

The Ulysses Trust provides financial support for members of the UK Volunteer Reserve Forces, University Officer Training Corps (UOTC), and Cadet Forces to undertake challenging expeditions and adventurous training activities. The Trust aims to help units organize expeditions and adventurous training experiences that build leadership skills and resilience. Applications are accepted from units rather than individuals, and the Trust has been supporting expeditions worldwide for many years. The grant program requires submission of an expedition report following the activity, demonstrating the Trust's commitment to documenting the impact and outcomes of funded expeditions.

Hong Kong Research Grant

The Hong Kong Research Grant is an annual award of £2,500 for PhD students undertaking geographical research in the Greater China region. The grant was established in 2003 and is supported by the Hong Kong branch of the Royal Geographical Society. It is awarded as part of the RGS-IBG Postgraduate Research Awards scheme. Comparative studies are encouraged and preference is given to applicants who have not previously had an opportunity to study in the Greater China region. Applicants must be registered at a UK Higher Education Institution, and preference is given to students who do not receive full funding from a Research Council, university or comparable levels of support from other sources for fieldwork and data collection. The grant supports geographical research and field work in the Greater China region.

Geographical Club Award

The Geographical Club Award offers two grants of £1,000 each year to support PhD students undertaking geographical fieldwork or other forms of data collection in the UK or overseas. The award was established in 2009, and since 2011 has provided two annual grants: one for a physical geography project and another for a human geography project. The Geographical Club is a members dining club with origins in the Raleigh Club established in 1826, which later formed the Geographical Society of London that became the Royal Geographical Society. The Club maintains close links with RGS-IBG and supports the Society through funding conservation work and this award. Recipients are invited to attend a Geographical Club dinner. Preference is given to students who do not receive full funding from a research council, university or comparable levels of support from other sources for fieldwork and data collection.

RGS-IBG Postgraduate Research Awards

The RGS-IBG Postgraduate Research Awards were established in 2008 to support PhD students undertaking research and fieldwork. The Society offers awards of up to £2,500 for PhD students undertaking fieldwork and data collection to advance geographical knowledge. These awards are offered to individuals and aim to help students establish themselves in their particular field. Applicants must be registered at a UK Higher Education Institution. Preference is given to students who do not receive full funding from a research council, university or comparable levels of support from other sources for fieldwork and data collection. The awards include the Albert Reckitt Awards, Walters Kundert Grants, the Geographical Club Award, Hong Kong Research Grants and the Dudley Stamp Memorial Award. Successful applicants may be given a named award based on their research discipline. Fieldwork should not begin before 1 April 2026 except under exceptional circumstances, and the Society cannot support fieldwork that has already taken place.

Henrietta Hutton Research Grant

The Henrietta Hutton Research Grant offers up to three grants of £500 annually to undergraduate or Masters students undertaking overseas field research as an individual or as part of a team. The fund was established in 1964 in memory of Henrietta Hutton, a University of Oxford student who was a keen ornithologist and founding member of the Oxford Women's Exploration Club. Preference is given to support field research with a significant geographical, social and/or environmental science, or natural history element. Applicants should be undertaking an independent field research project that lasts longer than four weeks. The field research does not have to be related to the student's academic studies, but applicants must be registered at a UK Higher Education Institution. Where the applicant is part of a larger expedition, it should be made clear how their research is distinct from the wider project. Applicants should show strong evidence of host country participation in their research projects.

Rob Potter Award

The Rob Potter Award offers £1,500 to post-PhD early-career researchers studying the geographies of development. Given in celebration of Rob Potter, an eminent human geographer and founding editor of Progress in Development Studies, this award is provided through the Society's Small Research Grants scheme, either as a supplement or as an independent award. In tribute to Rob Potter, the project should focus on geographies of development (especially urbanisation, housing and participatory planning, and socio-economic development) or transnational migration and identities. Preference is given to research on the contemporary Caribbean, with studies of Mexico, Latin America and small island nations also welcomed. Rob Potter (1950-2014) was Emeritus Professor of Human Geography at the University of Reading, and a distinguished academic expert on urban geography and the geographies of development, with particular reference to the Caribbean.

Fieldwork Apprenticeships

The Fieldwork Apprenticeships aim to give first year undergraduate geography students the opportunity during the summer to work as a Fieldwork Apprentice for a number of weeks on a research project either in the UK or overseas, led by an academic member of staff at their university. Grants of £1,500 are offered annually for students to participate in fieldwork projects led by one of their university lecturers. Applicants must be resident in the UK and be in the first year of an undergraduate geography degree at a UK Higher Education Institution. Applicants must have the support of a lecturer at their UK HEI to participate in a fieldwork project. Applicants should demonstrate how opportunities to get involved in fieldwork would not be available to them were it not for the Field Apprenticeship, and where possible should demonstrate the challenging circumstances that prevent them from having access to such opportunities. These awards are supported through the generous donation of John and Anne Alexander and are part of a portfolio of grants, the Alexander Awards, to support and enthuse students from less advantaged backgrounds through fieldwork. One Apprenticeship is supported through the generous donation of the Hepworth Family, through the Dorothy Hepworth Expedition Award. Recipients are expected to share their experiences with others, for example at their own institution or through the Professional Ambassadors programme.

Kindred Grants

The Kindred Grants programme provides financial, emotional, and practical support to descendants of Henry Smith's sister, Joane. When Henry Smith died in 1628, his Will included a legacy to help members of his family (his 'Kindred') in financial need. Today, more than 4,500 people are registered as Kindred, and the Foundation awarded 472 grants to 223 people in 2024. The programme offers a range of help including low income support for adults on low incomes (retired or working), one-off costs for essential household items like replacing a washing machine, and financial assistance for students taking their first degree at a UK university. Financial assistance is mainly for those with low incomes and is tailored to individual circumstances. The programme also includes a free, confidential helpline open to all Kindred regardless of income, providing support for mental and physical health, financial advice, personal issues, befriending, counselling services, and legal advice. The Foundation works with partners including Charis for streamlined support delivery, The OT Practice for occupational therapy assessments, and Pennysmart for money and debt advice.