Grants & Awards
The Challenger Society provides several prizes, awards and grants to members of the oceanographic community. Several of these are awarded at the Biennial Challenger Society meeting.
Fellowships
Awarded to early career scientists for their achievement or promise in a branch of marine science.
Honorary Membership
Recognises substantial contributions to the work of the Society and to the national and international development of marine science.
The Challenger Medal
The award is for a distinguished UK marine scientist or other person who has made a single major contribution, or a sustained contribution, to the development of marine science, or whose innovation has opened up new perspectives.
Meeting Prizes
Three Challenger Society Prizes are awarded at each biennial Marine Sciences meeting. These are:
The Norman Heaps Prize
For the best verbal presentation by a non-established researcher at the Challenger biennial meeting.
The Cath Allen Prize
For the best poster presentation at the Challenger biennial meeting.
The President's Photographic Competition
For the best Photograph on a designated theme.
Chris Daniels Early Career Grant
The Chris Daniels Early Career Grant aims to provide an opportunity for motivated early career researchers (ECR) to create or establish a forum to discuss specific challenges and resources relevant to ECRs in the field of marine science.
Stepping Stones Bursary
The Stepping Stone Research Bursary Scheme can allocate up to £1000 per grant to support research activities in marine science. Bursaries can be used for any research related activity, including but not limited to travel, collaborative visits, publication costs, laboratory or field work and conference participation. Bursaries are open to all career levels. Applications are particularly welcome from those seeking employment in a research environment post-qualification, and to active researchers between fixed term contracts.
Travel Awards
Open to assist graduate students to attend scientific conferences or participate in cruises and field work, several are offered annually.
Virtual Conference Award
The new award (2021) is made to assist with the registration and administration fees for delegates to get support from Challenger to attend Virtual Conferences.
Challenger Society for Marine Science Student Award
The Society offers an annual award for undergraduate students who have demonstrated excellence in oceanographic research through project research. Letters of invitation are sent to relevant University departments in the UK, and circulated around associated networks, inviting submission of suitable dissertations from final year undergraduate students, with deadlines set usually for late July. The prize has evolved from the former Tripartite Award and was first awarded in 2019. The purpose of the Award is to raise the status of oceanographic education in the UK, as well as to encourage oceanographic research among undergraduates in ocean sciences, geography, environmental sciences or related disciplines.
Students can only be entered by the Convenor of the final year dissertation module from universities located within the UK. Only one submission will be accepted from each department and it should be of outstanding quality. Prizes are awarded after consideration by a panel drawn from the Challenger Society’s Council.
The winning student will receive a cheque for £500. In exceptional circumstances the Award may be shared. All winning students will receive one year's complimentary membership of the Society.
Latest News
Marine Data Management, Governance and the MEDIN toolset
The Marine Environmental Data and Information Network (MEDIN) and OceanWise are delighted to invite you to attend our popular free online training workshop: ‘Marine Data Management, Governance and the MEDIN toolset’ on the 19th – 23rd of May 2025.
Workshop on the contribution of UK Arctic Ocean science to the International Polar Year 32/33
12:00 11th June – 16:00 12th June 2025: NOC Southampton (In-person with online option): Registration deadline 16th May
REGISTER HERE
Pre-meeting questionnaire (open to all)
The purpose of this workshop is for the UK Ocean Science community to discuss and then draft a prospectus document outlining the priority Arctic research questions the community would like to address during the run up to, throughout and beyond the International Polar Year 32/33. Additionally, to identify what unique strengths and technologies the UK has to help fill these knowledge gaps.
The second day of the workshop will be dedicated to writing groups, one for each of the priority research questions identified - from both the pre-meeting questionnaire (HERE) and day one discussion. By the end of the meeting, each group will have produced draft text and sourced supporting figures for the prospectus.
Post meeting, the draft will be opened for comments and suggestions from everyone, regardless of whether they were able to attend the workshop or not. It will then be shared with UK funders (UKRI, FCDO, DSIT, ARIA) and potential international programmes with whom we would like to collaborate (e.g. Arctic 2050, Norway). It will form a basis from which wider integration with terrestrial, atmospheric and cryosphere communities can be built, e.g. at the UK Arctic Science Meeting in September in Northumbria.
To ensure balanced community and ECR representation, and to ensure that the size of the writing groups is efficient and effective, if the number of registrations from individual institutes becomes overwhelming, we may contact individuals or teams and ask that each institute selects a smaller number of individuals to attend in-person. Please wait for confirmation of in-person attendance before finalising travel arrangements.
The workshop will be open to hybrid attendance and contributions on both days.
Challenger Society Council Position Vacancy
The Challenger Society for Marine Science (CSMS) are pleased to announce an exciting opportunity to support the next generation of ocean scientists and innovators. CSMS are looking for a new Council member to fill the Student Travel Awards and Stepping Stones Portfolio. The successful applicant will administer the travel and research grants available for Early Career Researchers.
The role involves:
- Receiving applications for the two schemes and responding to applicant inquiries
- Soliciting and compiling input from the rest of the Council for assessing the applications
- Communicating with successful and unsuccessful applicants for the two schemes
- Working with the Honorary Treasurer on allocating funds to successful applicants
- Following up with award winners on their reporting requirements
- Attending Council meetings four times a year (in person or online) and contributing to discussions and decision making for CSMS
The usual term for Council members is three years.
For more information about the CSMS Council, please follow this link: https://www.challenger-society.org.uk/The_Council
For more information about our Early Career Researcher grants and awards, please follow this link:
https://www.challenger-society.org.uk/Stepping_Stones
and
https://www.challenger-society.org.uk/Travel_awards
If you are interested in applying or have any questions regarding the role, please contact kathen@bas.ac.uk