SES Explorer Awards Programme 2021/22 Expeditions
Scientific Exploration Society (SES) Explorer Awards give grants to individuals for scientific expeditions. SES seeks inspirational leaders and scientific trailblazers who are organising expeditions that focus on discovery, research and conservation. Expeditions must leave a lasting legacy in the field of scientific research, the local community/region and with the individual themselves.
Expeditions will often take place in the more inaccessible and remote regions of the world, and will aim to produce new scientific studies of the physical, social, economic, cultural or natural/environmental life of such regions or communities.
There are seven Explorer Awards available in 2021:
Sir Charles Blois Explorer Award for Science and Adventure – Supports a scientific adventurer and trailblazer who is undertaking an adventurous expedition with strong physical requirements in a challenging environment. The expedition must aim to produce new scientific studies of the physical, social, economic and cultural life of communities, ideally in more remote regions of the world.
Elodie Sandford Explorer Award for Amateur Photography – The applicant must be an amateur photographer who is undertaking an adventurous and innovative project. They must be able to demonstrate how their photography will be of real benefit to the people, environment, wildlife, fauna or flora targeted by the expedition.
Gough Explorer Award for Medical Aid and Research – This award has been created to support an individual leading an expedition. The main focus of the expedition must be to carry out either medical aid or associated research within communities, ideally in more remote regions of the world.
Judith Heath Explorer Award for Botany and Research – Supports an individual leading an expedition. The main focus of the expedition must be to carry out a scientific study of plants, ideally in more remote regions of the world. The findings should be shared with relevant parties and to a wider audience.
Neville Shulman Explorer Award for Expedition Filmmaking – This award has been created to support an expedition combining adventure and scientific purpose focusing on intangible and/or tangible heritage, ideally in more remote regions of the world. The applicant should be someone who has filmmaking experience and is either organising or closely involved in the planning of a scientific, cultural or geographical expedition.
Rivers Foundation Explorer Award for Health and Humanities – The Rivers Foundation has an interest in health and humanities and wishes to fund an individual who is passionate about education, social development and medical wellbeing within communities, ideally in more remote regions of the world.
SES Explorer Award for Inspirational and Scientific Trailblazing – The applicant should be an inspirational scientific trailblazer whose expedition is special in some way (in terms of the nature of the research, the legacy it offers or any other inspiring aspects of the expedition). This award may also support a scientific explorer who has previously received funding from SES for their project or expedition and who wishes to continue their research.
Awards are intended to provide financial support to individuals who have instigated and are leading their own expeditions. The exceptions to this are applicants for the Neville Shulman Explorer Award for Filmmaking and the Elodie Sandford Explorer Award for Amateur Photography – applicants need not be expedition leaders but should be actively involved in expedition planning and use their filmmaking/photography to communicate the expedition’s aims and objectives.
Applicants must be aged 18 or over at the time of application. Applicants from all nationalities and from any country can apply.
SES Explorer Awards are intended to provide a financial contribution to the overall cost of the fieldwork phase of scientific exploration. The grant amounts available range from £4,000 to £7,000. Expeditions should not commence before 1 November 2021 and must be completed by 1 May 2022.
There are four application stages.
Stage 1 applications must be submitted by the deadline of 2 April 2021 (12:00 GMT).
More information about this research funding opportunity and the application process is available on the RESEARCHconnect funding information platform. RESEARCHconnect provides up-to-the minute content, insight and analysis on research funding news and policy. To find out more about how RESEARCHconnect can keep you in the know, and subscription fees, contact us today.