Walters Kundert Fellowship 2025–26
- Omran Aburayya
- Aug 27
- 2 min read
Are you a post-PhD researcher planning vital fieldwork in Arctic or high-mountain regions? The Walters Kundert Fellowship might be your golden opportunity to advance climate-focused geographical research. Read on for details.
🎓 Scholarship Summary
Location: UK-based award supporting fieldwork in Arctic or high-mountain areas
Host Institution: Royal Geographical Society (with IBG), supported by the Walters Kundert Charitable Trust
Level: Post-PhD field research fellowship
Target Group: Post-PhD researchers affiliated with UK universities/research institutes—or RGS-IBG Fellows/members working outside the UK
Research Focus: Physical geography projects exploring environmental change (past or present) in Arctic or high mountain environments
Value & Coverage: £10,000 grant per year for field research expenses
Award Duration: Typically awarded annually; may support a single year of fieldwork
Application Deadline: 23 November 2025
🎁 Scholarship Overview & Benefits
Established in 2017, the Walters Kundert Fellowship was conceived with philanthropic support from the Walters Kundert Charitable Trust. It aims to foster innovative, high-impact research that enhances our understanding of fragile polar and alpine ecosystems .
Benefits Include:
£10,000 funding for project-specific fieldwork activities
Visibility and support within the RGS-IBG community
Eligibility even for researchers not based in geography departments—so long as the project contributes meaningfully to geographical knowledge
✅ Eligibility Criteria
To be considered, applicants must:
Hold a PhD and propose field research in Arctic or high mountain contexts (projects already completed are not eligible)
Be affiliated with a UK university or research institute—or be an RGS-IBG Fellow or member based outside the UK
Ensure the proposal advances the understanding of environmental change in the target environment
📝 Application Procedure
Review the RGS Advice and Resources for grant guidance
Prepare a strong proposal outlining objectives, methods, timeline, and budget
Obtain institutional endorsement (where relevant)
Submit your application via email to the RGS Grants team at grants@rgs.org by 23 November 2025
💡 Past Recipients & Their Research
Highlights of the Fellowship’s impactful contributions include:
2025 – Matthew Baddock (Loughborough University): Ground-truthing satellite observations by installing remote cameras to monitor wind-blown dust sources in West Greenland, assessing satellite performance and dust uplift rates
2024 – Dr William Harcourt (University of Aberdeen): Investigated glacier surges using geophysics and physics-informed AI to model bed conditions and ice flow variability
2023 – Dr Christopher Darvill (University of Manchester): Reconstructed monsoon and glacial patterns in Arunachal Pradesh, Eastern Himalaya via glacier and lake sediment records
Earlier projects include ice core sampling in South America, rock glacier water assessments in the Himalaya, and permafrost studies in the Canadian Arctic—all demonstrating the Fellowship’s breadth and environmental relevance