73:I[245983,["$2","$3","$1a","$1b","$1c","$1d","$1e","$1f","$9","$20","$21","$22","$23","$a","$24","$25","$26","$27","$28","$29","$49","$4a","$4b","$4c","$4d","$4e","$4f","$50","$51","$52","$53","$54"],"default"] 74:T13ee,

[Royal Geographical Society](https://www.rgs.org)

November 30, 2026 (Application deadline)

Up to £700 per award

Supports teachers leading primary and secondary school fieldwork with a strong human geography component.

Open to UK and Ireland schools; funding cannot cover physical resources.

--- ## Description The Frederick Soddy Schools Award is run by the Royal Geographical Society (with the Institute of British Geographers) to encourage field studies in primary and secondary schools. It provides financial support to teachers leading groups of school pupils, with applications welcomed from UK and Ireland schools planning fieldwork involving a strong element of human geography. The award addresses the difficulty schools can face in securing funding from major grant-giving bodies or allocating their own resources to field studies. It forms part of the Society’s teaching grants programme, which supports school fieldwork and expeditions alongside innovation in geography teaching and curriculum-led teaching resources. The scheme was created in its current form in 2018, when the Frederick Soddy Trust became a linked charity of the Society. --- ## Due Dates - November 30, 2026: Application deadline. Decisions are normally communicated by mid-March. The Society advises choosing a grant deadline at least four months before planned departure. --- ## Funding Amount Awards provide up to £700. Funding cannot support the costs of physical resources. Under the Society’s general grant timetable, funded fieldwork normally begins within 12 months of the award. Fieldwork and associated spending are then expected to finish within 12 months of starting. Applicants planning longer periods should contact the grants team before applying. --- ## Eligibility Eligible applicants must: - Be teachers leading groups of school pupils, rather than pupils applying directly. - Apply from a primary or secondary school in the UK or Ireland. - Plan fieldwork involving a strong element of human geography. - Undertake work that advances geographical knowledge. - Seek support for work that has not already taken place. Additional requirements: - Apply for only one Society grant per annual cycle (October–April). - Propose new work when reapplying after receiving Society funding. - Exclude university departmental field trips, overseas volunteering, charity fundraising, and pre-organised gap-year trips. - Exclude tuition fees and living costs while studying. A geography degree, employment in a geography department, or identification as a geographer is not required. Non-geographical mapping projects without a contribution to new geographical knowledge are ineligible. --- ## Application Process - **Guidelines:** Read the [award-specific application guidelines](https://www.rgs.org/media/53uhofp5/fredericksoddyschoolsawardapplicationguidelines.pdf). - **Required document:** Complete the dedicated [Frederick Soddy Schools Award application form](https://www.rgs.org/media/go3horcz/fredericksoddyschoolsawardapplicationform.doc). - **Submission:** Email the completed form to [grants@rgs.org](mailto:grants@rgs.org) before the deadline. - **Selection preference:** Schools not supported in the previous year’s awards receive preference. - **Notification:** Applications are acknowledged, with decisions normally communicated by mid-March. --- ## Additional Information Recent recipients illustrate the range of supported fieldwork: - Fullbrook School: Year 10 urban fieldwork in London (2026). - Tyldesley Primary School: Formby Beach Clean (2026). - New College Pontefract: geographical fieldwork on urban change (2026). Recipients must notify the Society immediately of changes to their project, budget, participants, or fieldwork plans. Changes may be reviewed before continued support is confirmed. The Society must also be informed if a project is abandoned or postponed, and unspent funds must be returned. --- ## External Links - [Frederick Soddy Schools Award programme page](https://www.rgs.org/exploration/grants/teaching-grants/frederick-soddy-schools-award) - [Award application guidelines](https://www.rgs.org/media/53uhofp5/fredericksoddyschoolsawardapplicationguidelines.pdf) - [Award application form](https://www.rgs.org/media/go3horcz/fredericksoddyschoolsawardapplicationform.doc) - [Society grants FAQs](https://www.rgs.org/exploration/grants/guidance-for-society-grant-applicants/frequently-asked-questions) - [Teaching grants overview](https://www.rgs.org/exploration/grants/teaching-grants) --- ## Contact Information | Contact | Email | Phone | Webpage | |---|---|---|---| | Society grants team | [grants@rgs.org](mailto:grants@rgs.org) | | | | Royal Geographical Society — general enquiries | [enquiries@rgs.org](mailto:enquiries@rgs.org) | +44 (0)20 7591 3000 | [Contact page](https://www.rgs.org/about-us/contact-us/) |75:T4d1,## Grant Eligibility Requirements ### Organization Type - Applications must come from a primary or secondary school. The applicant must be a teacher leading a group of school pupils; pupils/school students cannot apply directly. ### Geographic/Institutional - The school must be located in the UK or Ireland. ### Prior Funding / Proposal Limits - Applicants may apply for only one Royal Geographical Society (RGS-IBG) grant per annual cycle (October–April), and an individual may be awarded only one Society grant per cycle. - If reapplying after receiving RGS-IBG funding, the new proposal must be for a new body of work — either a different project or a part of the prior project not covered by the original grant. ### Other Eligibility Requirements - The proposed fieldwork must include a strong human geography component. - The work must advance geographical knowledge. Purely non-geographical mapping projects that do not contribute new geographical knowledge are ineligible. - The proposed work must not have already taken place; retrospective funding is not available. - Ineligible project types include university departmental field trips, overseas volunteering, charity fundraising, and pre-organised gap-year trips.76:T905,Funder: Royal Geographical Society Due Dates: November 30, 2026 (Application deadline) Funding Amounts: Up to £700 per award Summary: Supports teachers leading primary and secondary school fieldwork with a strong human geography component. Key Information: Open to UK and Ireland schools; funding cannot cover physical resources. --- ## Description The Frederick Soddy Schools Award is run by the Royal Geographical Society (with the Institute of British Geographers) to encourage field studies in primary and secondary schools. It provides financial support to teachers leading groups of school pupils, with applications welcomed from UK and Ireland schools planning fieldwork involving a strong element of human geography. The award addresses the difficulty schools can face in securing funding from major grant-giving bodies or allocating their own resources to field studies. It forms part of the Society’s teaching grants programme, which supports school fieldwork and expeditions alongside innovation in geography teaching and curriculum-led teaching resources. The scheme was created in its current form in 2018, when the Frederick Soddy Trust became a linked charity of the Society. --- --- ## Funding Amount Awards provide up to £700. Funding cannot support the costs of physical resources. Under the Society’s general grant timetable, funded fieldwork normally begins within 12 months of the award. Fieldwork and associated spending are then expected to finish within 12 months of starting. Applicants planning longer periods should contact the grants team before applying. ## Eligibility Eligible applicants must: - Be teachers leading groups of school pupils, rather than pupils applying directly. - Apply from a primary or secondary school in the UK or Ireland. - Plan fieldwork involving a strong element of human geography. - Undertake work that advances geographical knowledge. - Seek support for work that has not already taken place. A geography degree, employment in a geography department, or identification as a geographer is not required. Non-geographical mapping projects without a contribution to new geographical knowledge are ineligible. ## Application Process - **Selection preference:** Schools not supported in the previous year’s awards receive preference.45:[null,["$","$L73",null,{"grant":{"id":"56c44875-1d06-4343-a03c-0a4564e06573","created_at":"2026-03-31T10:51:35.609739+00:00","updated_at":"2026-10-17T13:12:17.439332+00:00","title":"Frederick Soddy Schools Award","description":"The Frederick Soddy Schools Award, run by the Royal Geographical Society (with the Institute of British Geographers), supports teachers leading groups of primary and secondary school pupils in field studies with a strong human geography component. 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Frederick Soddy Schools Award

Frederick Soddy Schools Award

Frederick Soddy Awards

Student grants

Teaching grants

Gilchrist Fieldwork Award

Peter Smith Award

Frederick Soddy Awards

Student grants

Teaching grants

Gilchrist Fieldwork Award

Peter Smith Award