Application Deadline: June 16, 2026
About the Fellowships
The Thesiger-Oman International Fellowships are prestigious grants designed to support and promote academic research dedicated to the study of arid and semi-arid environments around the world. These fellowships were established in honor of Sir Wilfred Thesiger, a renowned explorer and scholar known for his extensive travels and detailed documentation of desert landscapes, particularly in the Middle East and Africa. The initiative is generously supported by the late Sultan of Oman, reflecting the nation’s commitment to understanding its own harsh landscapes and sharing knowledge globally. The primary goal of the fellowships is to advance comprehensive geographical understanding of dryland landscapes, emphasizing both their physical attributes such as climate, geology, hydrology, and ecosystems and their human dimensions, including cultural, social, economic, and political aspects. By fostering interdisciplinary research, the programme aims to generate insights that can inform sustainable development, conservation efforts, and policies related to drylands, which are vital for the well-being of millions of people living in these challenging environments. The fellowship programme is particularly relevant for researchers whose work focuses on the Middle East, North Africa, Central Asia, and other regions that Thesiger himself explored and documented. It encourages scholars to investigate the complexities of desert landscapes, their adaptation strategies, and the historical and contemporary interactions between people and their environments in these regions. Overall, the Thesiger-Oman Fellowships serve as a bridge between historical exploration and modern scientific inquiry, fostering a deeper understanding of some of the world’s most extreme and vital ecosystems.
Fellowship Benefits
The Thesiger-Oman International Fellowships offer awards of £15,000 for geographical research in the physical or human dimensions of arid and semi-arid environments.
Eligibility Requirements
To qualified academic researchers, eligibility is open.
Applicants must:
- Academic researchers be
- Fellows or members of the Royal Geographical Society be
- At least three years of post-doctoral experience have
- Fieldwork-based research in an arid or semi-arid environment proposes
Group Applications: Apply, both individuals and groups may.
Nationality: Open to eligible researchers from any country, there are no nationality restrictions.
How to Apply
Click on the link to below to apply.
Application Link: Click here to apply
Application Deadline: June 16, 2026
Why These Fellowships Matter
Approximately 40% of the Earth’s land surface, arid and semi-arid environments cover, and to over two billion people, they are home. Yet to more temperate or tropical environments, these regions are often understudied compared, despite being particularly vulnerable to climate change, desertification, and water scarcity. By providing £15,000 in funding for fieldwork-based research in arid and semi-arid environments, supporting both physical and human geography from dryland landscapes to the communities that inhabit them, requiring at least three years of post-doctoral experience targeting established early-career and mid-career researchers, having no nationality restrictions open to qualified academic researchers from any country, and continuing the legacy of Sir Wilfred Thesiger a pioneer in the study of arid environments and their peoples, the Thesiger-Oman International Fellowships address this gap. For academic researchers with at least three years of post-doctoral experience who are Fellows or members of the Royal Geographical Society and proposing fieldwork-based research in an arid or semi-arid environment, funding to advance geographical understanding of dryland landscapes is offered by these fellowships.
For More Information: Visit the Official Royal Geographical Society Thesiger-Oman International Fellowships Page
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