Rupert Ford Travel Award

Please note that the Rupert Ford Travel Award is now closed for applications in 2024. The award will return in 2025. 

The Royal Meteorological Society administers the Rupert Ford Fund which was set up by his family, friends and colleagues to honour the name of the late Dr Rupert Ford, whose brilliant scientific career was cut short by illness.

The Fund is used to sponsor travel by outstanding young scientists from any part of the world to enable them to undertake research work or study in meteorology or associated physical oceanography (air-sea interaction) at a centre of excellence outside their own countries.

Early career scientist is defined as someone who is within 15 years since starting their first higher education qualification, or first further education qualification if a higher education qualification has not been obtained. A person who has taken a career break or switched to meteorology from a different field may still choose to identify themselves as ‘early career’ and should contact the Society for more information about how to be included via youthandearlycareers@rmets.org. Applicants do NOT need to be members of the Royal Meteorological Society.

All applications must include: a description of the work to be undertaken and an assessment of its relevance and importance; a clear statement at an appropriate level from the Institution where the work is to be done indicating acceptance of the applicant for a short term research or study placement; and a statement of support from a senior academic colleague (ie Head of Department or Professor) in the applicant’s research field.

Applications must be sent to membership@rmets.org with 'Rupert Ford Application' in the subject field.

The awards are competitive and dependent upon the quality of the applications. Applications will be assessed and award decisions made relevant experts. Up to two awards may be made but there is no mandate to offer any awards in any given year. The value of each award will be in the order of £1,500.

See the resources at the side of this page for reports from previous recipients.

Terms of Reference

1. The Rupert Ford Travel Award shall be made annually to an early career scientist (which we define as within 15 years since starting their first higher education qualification, or first further education qualification if a higher education qualification has not been obtained) who shows great promise.
2. The Award commemorates the brief but outstanding scientific career of Rupert Ford (1968-2001) in dynamical meteorology and oceanography.  Rupert was also Secretary of the Society’s Dynamical Problems Specialist Group.  As described in the Obituary by M E McIntyre (Quarterly Journal, vol.127 no. 574, 2001), Rupert’s travel as a young scientist to institutions such as Woods Hole and Scripps was a formative influence on his research.  The Rupert Ford Travel Award is therefore intended to support opportunities of a broadly similar kind, for suitably outstanding candidates.
3. The Award is funded by a generous endowment from Rupert’s family, friends and colleagues (the Rupert Ford Memorial Fund).  It is administered by the Society but not restricted to Society members. 
4. Nominations for the Award shall normally be made by senior academic colleagues, and shall be accompanied by some evidence of the work of the nominee.  It is anticipated that nominees shall normally be in the later stages of a PhD studentship or in early stages of post-doctoral work.  A more detailed specification of the nomination requirements shall be advertised with the call for nominations.
5. The supporting evidence of nominees’ work may be drawn from any area of meteorology or physical oceanography. If nominations are deemed equally meritorious then the relevance to Rupert’s scientific interests shall be taken into account.  Evidence of participation in the scientific community shall also count in favour of a nomination.
6. The Award shall be made only if a nomination of sufficiently high standard is forthcoming.
7. No person shall be eligible for the Award a second time.