Research Grants

Guidelines

Grants of up to £1,000 are available to non-postgraduate members of BSG to finance or contribute towards small primary research projects or specific costs of research (e.g. travel for research, costs of dating, small pilot projects) or to enhance the potential quality of subsequent publications. Grants are awarded usually to supplement other funds, or where other funds are unobtainable. Grants are not intended for conference attendance unless as a research add-on. Applications will be judged on the basis of their scientific merit, costings and the track record of the applicant. Procedures for application are set out below.

Forms

• Microsoft Word Format
• Adobe Acrobat Format

Application and Monitoring Procedures for BSG Research Grants

1. Deadlines are: 30 September, 31 March.
   
2. Applicants should submit the following in a single package to arrive prior to the deadline: 5 copies of the application form and supporting case (which should be no more than 1 side of A4 in 12 point font and should include details of the project and a brief scientific justification for the application).
   
3. Applications should be sent to: BSG Administrative Assistant, RGS-IBG, 1 Kensington Gore, London SW7 2AR.
   
4. On the first working day after the deadline, a copy of all complete applications will be forwarded to each of the members of the Research Sub-Committee and to the Honorary Secretary.
   
5. The Chair of the Research Sub-Committee will send notification to each applicant of the verdict on their application no more than 5 weeks after the deadline. The Chair will also notify the Honorary Secretary and Honorary Treasurer of the amounts awarded and the recipients.
   
6. Successful applicants should then write to the Honorary Treasurer requesting the allocated funds.
   
7. On completion of expenditure of the award, and normally within six months of its receipt, the applicant should supply an account of expenditure of the funds awarded. This should be supported by receipts (copies acceptable in the case of funding shared with another agency). This account should be sent to the address in para. 3 above.
   
8. On completion of the supported work, and normally within one year of the award, the applicant should supply a report on the outcome of the project. This should not normally exceed 2 pages of A4 in 12 point font, and should refer to any intended public domain outcomes, e.g. conference presentation, submission of paper to journal. This report should be sent in hard copy to the address in para. 3 above and in electronic form to bsg@rgs.org.
   
9. Reports will be forwarded with a copy of the initial application to members of Research Sub-Committee and to the Honorary Secretary. If the reports are approved, then the Honorary Secretary will forward to the Geophemera editor and BSG webmaster for publication. If the reports are deemed unsatisfactory, the Chair of Research Sub-Committee will write to the report with comments.
   
10. The Report of the Chair of Research Sub-Committee to the AGM will include an overview of the success of BSG-sponsored research projects.