Alexander Awards Field Apprenticeships (heute: Fieldwork Apprenticeship / RGS Undergraduate Grants)

RGS Fieldwork Apprenticeship

You get about 1,750 EUR (£1,500) to join an academic fieldwork project in the UK or abroad. The project runs under a lecturer or academic mentor from your own university. Sometimes the grant is split, so two students each receive about 875 EUR (£750) to work on one project together. The money comes from the Royal Geographical Society (with IBG) and is part of its Alexander Awards. It aims to give first-year students their first hands-on fieldwork experience when they could not otherwise afford it.

Who can apply

• Level: You are in the first year of an undergraduate degree.
• Field of study: You study geography.
• University: You study at a university in the UK.
• Residence: You live in the UK.
• Academic mentor: A lecturer at your university backs your project and fills in a mentor form for you.
• Financial background: You come from a less advantaged background and could not take part in fieldwork without this grant.
• Selection: You are chosen on your grades and on how clearly you show the grant is your only route into fieldwork.

How to apply

Send your application and the mentor form by email to the Society. The deadline for the current round is 1 April 2026.

How realistic are your chances?

This award is aimed at a narrow group: first-year geography undergraduates in the UK, from less advantaged backgrounds, who can line up a lecturer as mentor. That keeps the applicant pool small compared with open scholarships. If you fit those conditions, secure a mentor and make a strong case that this is your only way into fieldwork, your prospects are good.