Peter Smith Award

Quick Stats

• Annual Giving: £1,000 (single award per year)
• Success Rate: Highly competitive (1 team selected annually from all Geographical Fieldwork Grant applications)
• Decision Time: 4-6 weeks (decisions by mid-March for February 15 deadline)
• Grant Range: £1,000 (fixed amount)
• Geographic Focus: UK-based teams conducting overseas fieldwork
• Established: 2020 (first award delayed to 2022 due to COVID-19)

Contact Details

Email: grants@rgs.org

Phone: 020 7591 3073 (Grants Manager)

Website: https://www.rgs.org/in-the-field/grants/expedition-grants/peter-smith-award

Application Portal: Applications submitted via email to grants@rgs.org

Pre-application Support: Webinars available on writing successful applications; guidance documents on RGS website

Overview

The Peter Smith Award was established in 2020 by the Royal Geographical Society (RGS-IBG) in honor of Peter Smith, a long-standing supporter and Trustee of the Society with boundless enthusiasm for geography, the outdoors, and learning. The award provides £1,000 annually to a team of second-year undergraduate geography students undertaking fieldwork overseas. It forms part of the RGS's broader Geographical Fieldwork Grants programme, which distributes over £165,000 annually to support approximately 75 field research projects from 40 UK institutions. The award specifically targets early-career undergraduate students, helping them gain valuable field research experience and contribute to geographical knowledge. Recent recipients have conducted research on topics ranging from glacier dynamics in the Italian Alps to oral histories of the Aral Sea crisis in Central Asia, and mangrove ecosystem services in Brazil.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

• Peter Smith Award: £1,000 (fixed amount) for second-year undergraduate geography student teams conducting overseas fieldwork
• Application Method: Annual deadline of February 15; applications submitted via email to grants@rgs.org with completed application form and one-page CV

Priority Areas

• Geographical fieldwork that makes a significant contribution to existing geographical knowledge
• Overseas field research by second-year undergraduate geography students
• Team-based projects (three or more students) working on joint research or individual projects under a coherent research theme
• Original and innovative geographical research methodologies
• Multi-disciplinary, interdisciplinary, and collaborative projects
• Physical geography, human geography, and environmental geography research
• Projects demonstrating clear advancement of geographical knowledge through new topics, methods, or applications

What They Don't Fund

• Fieldwork conducted in the UK (must be overseas)
• Individual student projects (must be team-based with 3+ members)
• Students outside of second-year undergraduate status
• Projects not led by UK-based students
• Fieldwork beginning before April 1st (except under exceptional circumstances)
• Projects by students with full research council or comparable funding support (preference given to those without full funding)
• PhD student research budgets (this award is specifically for undergraduates)
• Retrospective funding for work already completed

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Governance and Leadership

The Peter Smith Award is administered by the Royal Geographical Society (RGS-IBG), a learned society and professional body founded in 1830. The award honors Peter Smith, who served as a long-standing Trustee of the Society. Peter Smith MBE was recognized for his dedication to the countryside, particularly his work at Sandy Smith Nature Reserve in Chicksands and Rushmere Country Park. He received an MBE in the Queen's Birthday Honours list for services to wildlife and conservation in Bedfordshire, and co-founded The Greensand Trust in 1999.

The RGS employs a Grants Manager (contactable at grants@rgs.org or 020 7591 3073) who oversees the application process. Applications are assessed by external expert panels rather than internal staff, ensuring independent peer review.

According to RGS guidance: “The research must involve fieldwork that aims to make a significant contribution to existing geographical knowledge” and applicants should “clearly explain how the work advances geographical knowledge through new topics, methods, or applications.”

Application Process and Timeline

How to Apply

• Answers all questions asked
• Stays within word limits
• Includes all required additional documents
• Has been proofread multiple times (reading aloud helps catch errors)
• Has been reviewed by someone else for clarity

Important: The RGS will not contact referees directly—applicants must coordinate with their referees well in advance of the deadline.

Decision Timeline

• Application Deadline: February 15 (11:59pm)
• Review Period: Applications assessed by external expert panels
• Decision Notification: Mid-March (approximately 4-6 weeks after deadline)
• Fieldwork Start Date: April 1st or later (except under exceptional circumstances)

Success Rates

The Peter Smith Award is highly competitive, with only one team selected annually from the pool of Geographical Fieldwork Grant applications. While specific success rate percentages are not published, the broader Geographical Fieldwork Grants programme receives applications from numerous institutions and funds approximately 30 university-student projects annually from a much larger applicant pool. Preference is given to students who do not receive full funding from research councils, universities, or comparable support sources.

Reapplication Policy

The RGS encourages unsuccessful applicants to reapply in future years. According to their guidance: “If you are unsuccessful, learn from the feedback to make your proposals stronger in the future.” There are no explicit restrictions on reapplication, and the RGS provides feedback to help applicants improve future submissions.

Application Success Factors

Key Success Factors from RGS Guidance

Establish Fit: “Verify eligibility and alignment with grant remit before applying.” Ensure you are a second-year undergraduate geography student conducting overseas fieldwork with a team of 3+ members.

Demonstrate Originality: “Clearly explain how the work advances geographical knowledge through new topics, methods, or applications.” The assessment criteria emphasize originality and innovation as critical factors.

Clarify Methodology: “Provide detailed, realistic explanations of fieldwork, analysis, and timelines.” Feasibility within proposed timeframe and budget is a key assessment criterion.

Plan Outputs: “Describe dissemination strategies and broader impacts for research findings.” Show how your research will contribute to geographical knowledge beyond your dissertation.

Coordinate Referees Early: “Brief referees about project details and grant criteria well in advance.” Strong references from appropriate academic and in-country contacts are essential.

Application Writing Advice

From RGS guidance: "It takes time to write a strong proposal... You should reread (and reread) your proposal, and reading a document out loud is a good way to edit and reduce repetition—always get someone else to read the proposal to make sure it's clear and answers the questions."

Recent Funded Projects (Examples of Success)

• 2025: Carmen Benbow, Rowan Dawson, Ruizhe Liu, Lydia Loughran (Newcastle University) - Newcastle University Maranhão 2025 exploring mangroves' carbon sequestration, biodiversity support, erosion control, and food resource contributions in Maranhão, Brazil

• 2024: Zachary Scott-Paul, Samuel Reeves, Charles Wright, Valerie Devereux, Eden Kong (Durham University) - Field research project (details not specified)

• 2023: Oscar Turner, James Chapman, Agnes Liddell (University of Oxford) - Project Amu Darya: An Oral History of the Aral Sea Crisis

• 2022: Lucy Friend, Emily Willans, Molly Aspinwall (Newcastle University) - Glacier de Miage and Lex Blanche Glacier Expedition

Assessment Criteria

External expert panels evaluate applications on:

• Project's contribution to the advancement of geographical knowledge
• Originality and innovation
• Feasibility within proposed timeframe and budget
• Applicant's relevant experience and qualifications
• Health, safety, ethical considerations, and permission planning
• Environmental and social responsibility awareness
• Budget justification and reasonableness

Common Pitfalls to Avoid

• Failing to answer all questions or exceeding word limits
• Not coordinating with referees early enough
• Including full PhD budgets instead of specific project costs (not applicable for this award, but shows attention to detail)
• Lack of clarity about how the research advances geographical knowledge
• Insufficient detail about methodology and timelines
• Not demonstrating feasibility within the proposed budget and timeframe

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

• Target audience is very specific: You must be a second-year undergraduate geography student in a UK institution—no exceptions
• Team-based requirement: Applications must involve 3+ team members working on joint or thematically linked individual projects
• Overseas fieldwork only: Domestic UK fieldwork is not eligible for this award
• Fixed award amount: £1,000 total (not per student), so budget accordingly and justify all costs
• Highly competitive: Only one team selected annually—your application must demonstrate exceptional originality and contribution to geographical knowledge
• Quality over speed: Invest significant time in writing and revising your proposal; get multiple readers to review for clarity
• Referee coordination is critical: Brief both your academic supervisor and in-country contact well in advance about the grant criteria and your project
• Demonstrate advancement of knowledge: Be explicit about how your work is original and what new contribution it makes to geography
• Plan for dissemination: Show how your research will have impact beyond your individual dissertations
• Apply even without full funding: Preference is given to students who lack full research council or university support for fieldwork
• Use feedback constructively: If unsuccessful, learn from feedback and reapply—there are no restrictions on reapplication

References

1. Royal Geographical Society - Peter Smith Award page: https://www.rgs.org/in-the-field/grants/expedition-grants/peter-smith-award

1. Royal Geographical Society - Geographical Fieldwork Grants: https://www.rgs.org/in-the-field/grants/expedition-grants/geographical-fieldwork-grants

1. Royal Geographical Society - Application Process guidance: https://www.rgs.org/in-the-field/grants/guidance-for-society-grant-applicants/application-process

1. Royal Geographical Society - “Apply now for our 2025 grants” news article: https://www.rgs.org/about-us/our-work/latest-news/apply-now-for-our-2025-grants

1. Royal Geographical Society - "Society's grants for students selected" news article: https://www.rgs.org/about-us/our-work/latest-news/society-s-grants-for-students-selected

1. The Greensand Trust - “Our Patron - Peter Smith MBE”: https://www.greensandtrust.org/peter-smith

1. Biggleswade Today - “Co-founder of The Greensand Trust awarded MBE for services to wildlife and conservation in Bedfordshire”: https://www.biggleswadetoday.co.uk/news/people/co-founder-of-the-greensand-trust-awarded-mbe-for-services-to-wildlife-and-conservation-in-bedfordshire-3284064