PYGYRG funding comes from two main sources: (a) membership allocations direct from the RGS into our group bank account, and (b) annual applications to the RGS Research Group fund.
Membership allocation funds
As of October 2015 we had approximately £2,000 in our group bank account. Currently this money is used to:
- Cover any losses incurred during the away weekend.
- Contribute towards the food costs of the away weekend (approx. £100 donation annually).
- Fund the dissertation prize.
- Provide small (less than £50) supporting funds to additional events which align with the group principles, in return for helping PYGYRG distribute information and encourage engagement in the group.
- Cover occasional travel costs of committee members (for example to attend an AGM or a committee meeting. Most meetings are conducted via Skype or travel costs tend to be reimbursed by the RGS).
We only receive about £200 a year from the RGS, so we do not have a large income stream. A small surplus has built up over time, but if we spend it, it will not be replenished. Normally annually we:
- Explicitly allocate £100 a year to food costs of the away weekend and assert this in our Research Group funding application.
- Allocate £100 to annual dissertation prize.
- Do not fund ad-hoc requests.
RGS Research Group fund applications
The RGS invites applications from research groups annually (normally with an October deadline) for grants to fund research group activities beyond the RGS-IBG annual conference. These applications should benefit a large proportion of the membership of the research group and particularly early career geographers. They tend to be awarded in the range £250 to £400. If successful the group has to account for how the money was spent in a formal report.
It is proposed that any PYGYRG sponsored bids to this fund should be approved through the PYGYRG committee. All group members will be asked if they have any ideas with which they would like to work with the committee on securing funds. This is normally discussed at the AGM, but will also be advertised in September each year on the email discussion list. Bids will then be prioritised and confirmed by the PYGYRG committee and submitted by the Chair. Priority will be given to applications that will benefit the greatest number of members. Last minute and informal requests for support will not be entertained.