Research Groups
Our Research Groups bring together active researchers and those with a professional interest in a particular aspect of geography and related disciplines.
Current Research Groups
Resources for Research Group committees
Joining a Research Group
This resource is intended as an introduction to joining a Research Group and will be particularly beneficial for those new to geography, new to the Society and to postgraduate and early career researchers.
Why join a Research Group committee?
Joining a Research Group or Research Group committee can be a wonderful way to meet and network with colleagues working in your area of the discipline, to share ideas and to feel connected.
Research Group committee vacancies
Research Groups at Annual Conference
Research Group dissertation prizes
Research Group awards and prizes
Research Groups Privacy Notice
Research Groups roundup
Stay up to date with our Research Groups' news and upcoming events.
The Society has 32 Research and Working Groups, which bring together active researchers and those with a professional interest in a particular aspect of geography and related disciplines. Their primary remit is to support and promote their area of geography through support for academic research and teaching, but their work also extends into education, public policy and research, government and enterprise.
Research Groups meet at the Annual Conference where they also hold their Annual General Meetings (AGMs). Among their other activities, the Research and Working Groups organise events; offer undergraduate and postgraduate dissertation prizes; and provide support and funding for postgraduates active in their area of the discipline. Joining a research group enables you to network with colleagues with similar research interests, keep up to date with the latest research in your specialised field, and receive information on conferences, workshops, and funding opportunities.
You may also be interested in the Society's Professional Practice Groups, including the Disaster Risk Management Professional Practice Group. We also have active networks on:
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Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion in Geography (sign up to the mailing list here);
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Geographies with/of Disabilities (sign up to the mailing list here)
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Geographies engaged in civic university work (sign up to the mailing list here)
How to join a Research or Working Group
For RGS-IBG members, please inform the Society of which Research Groups you wish to join, using the form below.* Your membership records will be updated and your contact details passed on to the relevant groups. Download, fill out, and return this form.
For non-RGS-IBG members, contact the Chair/Membership Officer of the Research Group you are interested in and request to become a member. Contact details can be found on the Research Group websites listed below.
Joining a Research Group is usually free for RGS-IBG Fellows and members, but some Groups make additional charges for specific services, such as distribution of newsletters.
*the British Society for Geomorphology (BSG) maintain their own membership records and so cannot be joined through your RGS-IBG membership. More information about BSG membership is available here.