History and Philosophy of Geography Research Group Engagement Award
The History and Philosophy of Geography Research Group (HPGRG) of the Royal Geographical Society with the Institute of British Geographers (RGS-IBG) is launching a new initiative. Every two years, HPGRG will offer a small award of £150 to support projects which seek to widen audience engagement within the history and philosophy of geography.
Projects which meet our criteria might include public engagement through presentations, media presence, artwork, workshops, exhibitions, and other events, ideally in collaboration with museums, archives, savant societies and institutions, galleries and libraries, whose collections and purposes relate to themes about the histories and philosophies of geography. Examples include:
· public events or performances, installations, museum trails, and exhibitions;
· displays and content for actual or virtual spaces of public engagement, including posters, non-academic publications such as museum catalogues, and informal learning sheets;
· media articles, blog posts, social media posts, podcasts, video and audio files;
· specific events for school children or other diverse demographics.
This biannual award is open to doctoral students and early career postdoctoral researchers of geography and associated disciplines, both in academia and other sectors. Applications from around the world and from non-Anglophone countries are particularly encouraged but these would need to be submitted in the English language. Collaborative projects between geographers and practising artists, poets, musicians, actors, sculptors, or other performers will also be welcome. HPGRG also seeks to encourage applications from minority and underrepresented identity groups.
Recipients of this award will be offered the chance to showcase their work during the Annual General Meeting (AGM) of HPGRG (generally at the end of August or early September) and on the HPGRG website.
The scheme is designed to further the ambition of HPGRG to diversify participation in, and methods of presenting and practising, the history and philosophy of geography via works that communicate, integrate, and encourage geographical insights across diverse wider publics.
Any queries and/or completed application forms should be emailed to:
Dr Emily Hayes at ehayes@brookes.ac.uk by 30 June 2025.
HPGRG Engagement Award recipients
2023
Biljana Radicevic’s (Serbia Cultural Center Vuk Karadžić, Loznica, Republic of Serbia) project of creating an interactive map of the founder of modern Yugoslav geography Jovan Cvijić’s (1865-1927) scientific research and achievements
Interactive map: https://mapa.jovancvijic.rs/andJovan Cvijić Museum website: https://jovancvijic.rs/
2021
Harriet Walters’ (University of Birmingham) project on the Winterbourne historical gardens: