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
Townhall on UK Arctic Ocean contribution to International Polar Year 32/33
The Arctic is one of the most rapidly-changing regions on our planet, with impacts on global sea-level rise, changes to our climate and weather patterns, and threats to our shared biodiversity and ecosystem services. With the international community rapidly mobilising towards the International Polar Year 32/33, and with new international programmes and initiatives now being shaped, it is timely for the UK Ocean Science community to come together and articulate what its unique offerings could be to Arctic research and technology.
This hybrid 2-day meeting, to be held at NOC Southampton, is intended to start this process. Recognising the Arctic Oceans role in global Earth and Human systems, anticipated outcomes include a high-level shaping of what the UK Arctic Ocean community would like to achieve over the course of the IPY, stimulation of new collaborations and proposals for grand Arctic challenges and a baseline from which wider integration with terrestrial, atmospheric and cryosphere communities, both in the UK and overseas, can be built. Discussions will continue in diverse forums, including the UK Arctic Science Meeting in September and at Challenger 2026.
This action is supported by the UK Arctic Office and UK Arctic and Antarctic Partnership
Further details and meeting registration link will be circulated in April together with a questionnaire to help shape the agenda and discussion
In the meantime…SAVE THE DATE
Potential Availability of NERC Ship Time During the 25/26 Programme Year
The NERC Marine Facilities Programme for 2025/2026 for the RRS Discovery and the RRS James Cook has been published on the Marine Facilities Planning website.
The RRS Discovery programme currently contains a 79 day alongside slot between the 2nd of November 2025 and the 19th of January 2026, which is available for science delivery if funded science projects can make use of this time. Due to the location of the vessel, the ship is most likely to be able to deliver fieldwork in the North and East Atlantic regions. Some support for science capability within the National Marine Equipment Pool is potentially available, although there is no capacity for use of autonomous vehicles or remotely operated vehicles. Any fieldwork within Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZs) will need the appropriate diplomatic clearance submitted to coastal states at least 6 months in advance, and to NMF with sufficient lead time for processing via the FCDO.
If interested in making use of this ship time, please contact NERC Marine Planning (marineplanning@nerc.ukri.org) ASAP to start discussions.
THE MARINE FACILITIES ADVISORY BOARD – CAN YOU HELP?
The Marine Facilities Advisory Board advises the National Oceanography Centre on marine facilities and services, including the Natural Environment Research Council’s National Marine Equipment Pool (NMEP), the British Oceanographic Data Centre and the British Ocean Sediment Core Research Facility.