To focus your research plans and attract funding you’ll need to write an expedition proposal which outlines what you want to do, who is in your team, your logistical plans, and the budget. It is a complicated beast but can easily be split down into manageable chunks which your whole team can contribute to.

The prospectus is the tool you use to obtain University approval for your expedition (vital to its success) and to seek funds from other organisations. Writing the prospectus also helps clarify your aims and some of the tasks you need to carry out. You need to have your prospectus complete and submitted to the Exploration Council by November 30th to be considered for approval and support.

Examples of good prospectuses from previous years are available by clicking here.

A common format is:

  • Title page with contact details.
  • Contents page.
  • Introduction (about the place and any previous GU expeditions).
  • Research programme (in detail).
  • Personnel list (with brief biographical details).
  • Interactions with the host country.
  • Logistics (how you get there; insurance; safety).
  • Budget (likely costs; how you intend to raise funds, including student personal contributions).
  • References (or put this at the end of the research programme section).

This is the document which says where you want to go, what you want to do and how you’re going to do it. It should highlight the best things about your expedition and sell all the best reasons to support it. You need to provide enough depth to give a clear outline of who you are and what you’re doing, but not enough to put people to sleep!

Once a draft of your Prospectus is ready, get an experienced person to read it over to check for glitches/typos, and to ensure you have not omitted any important details.