The Developing Areas Research Group of the Royal Geographical Society
with the Institute of British Geographers provides an annual award to a
postgraduate geography student to encourage and assist fieldwork in developing
countries. It is aimed at those preparing for a PhD in topics related to
development studies. Applicants should be based at a British insititution of
higher education, but may be of any nationality. The award must be spent on
travel costs, and preference may be given to students in the early stages of
their research. The successful candidate is required to provide a short report
for the DARG Newsletter.
The award is usually £500, although smaller awards
are sometimes made. Applications are due by the 14 May 2004 deadline
The criteria for the award are:
Quality of the project design
Potential significance of the results
Support from referees
Financial need
There is no application form, but the following information must be
included, with four copies of each submission:
Outline of the proposed research (maximum 6 pages - to include full budget)
A full curriculum vitae (including all qualifications and current institutional affiliation
Full details of all existing or expected financial support
Applicants must also ensure that two academic references (one would
normally be from the supervisor) arrive before the deadline. Please
note that incomplete or late applications will not be considered. Completed
applications will be judged by a panel of development geographers and
the result notified in June 2004. Faxed applications will not be accepted.
Applications and references should be sent to:
Dr Giles Mohan, DARG Postgraduate Prize Coordinator, Development Policy & Practice, Faculty of Technology, Open University, Walton Hall, Milton Keynes MK7 6AA.
Previous Winners include
1997/1998: Kuheli Mookerjee (UCL) "Resettlements in the Narmada Valley, India."
1999/2000: Meredith Cochrane (Royal Holloway) "Local Agency in a Globalizing South Africa: Opportunities and Obstacles for Small Black Business Owners in Two Port Cities."
2000/2001: Laurence Vagassky (LSE) "Settlement Upgrading in Dakar, Senegal."
2001/2002: Andrea Calantonio (Royal Holloway) "Foreign Direct Investment and the Urban Caribbean: Havana in the Special Period."
2002/3: Felicity Thomas (Sheffield) "The impact of HIV/AIDS on the Livelihoods of Female-Headed Households in Northern Namibia."