The Rural Geography Research Group is pleased to offer prizes that recognise the best undergraduate and postgraduate taught research contributions to rural geography. A first prize of £50 is available for UG and PG submissions. Two runner-up cash prizes are also available in the UG category. Dissertations completed as part of Scottish 4-year MA undergraduate programmes are considered eligible for consideration for undergraduate prizes.

Dissertation nominations must be based upon original research, demonstrate conceptual and/or methodological sophistication, and align with or focus upon the wide range of issues relevant to rural geography. Dissertations should be of first-class standard and be submitted by the student’s department (Head or nominated representative). For practical purposes we can only accept one dissertation per department per academic year and the nominating institution has to be in the UK. Dissertations should be submitted with the student’s knowledge and a (post-studies) contact address for the student included in the nomination. Detailed information for each prize can be found here

Electronic submissions only please to Dr Fidel Budy. If you have any queries in relation to eligibility or require further information please contact Dr Budy in the first instance.  

Email: fidelbudy@gmail.com

Deadline:  15th July for Undergraduate submissions and 31st October for taught Masters prizes.

Past prize winners:

2020/21

HIGHLY COMMENDED

Establishing firewise communities: a foresight into public response and participation in South Wales (Madeleine Goodson, Birmingham)

COMMENDED

Rewilding and farming: opportunity or threat? An exploration of views from the landowning community in East Anglia (Poppy Airy, St Andrews)

Public transport, austerity, and community responses: a case study of Northamptonshire (Anna Souter, Durham)

2019/20: Winning dissertation: Jack Swain, Newcastle University

Exploring the paradox of living sustainably and communally: ethnographies of two ecological intentional communities

2018-19 Winning dissertation: Barnaby Morrissey, University of Exeter

To what extent is the performance of community in rural spaces gendered?

2017-18: Winning dissertation: Simon Bettley, The University of Liverpool

Walking into life: a more-than-representational approach to group walking in Snowdonia