The Mount Everest Foundation is a registered charity, set up following the first ascent of Everest in 1953, and initially financed from the surplus funds and subsequent royalties resulting from that expedition. The aims of the Foundation are to encourage and support expeditions exploring mountain regions, and both education and research pertaining to a wide range of subjects in mountain areas, including geography, glaciology and the effects of altitude. Normally, the MEF will only support expeditions where the majority of members/PI come from Great Britain or New Zealand.
The Screening Committee meets to consider applications twice a year - in November and March. The closing dates for receipt of completed forms are 30th September and 31st January, the forms are not hard going.
We welcome applications for support for scientific work, which have to some extent been underrepresented in recent awards, or applications to provide support for scientists wishing to undertake first ascents, major new routes, or exploration in little-explored or previously inaccessible areas where they already are, or want to do fieldwork.
Awards in the past have varied from <£1000 to several thousand. A recent exceptional climbing Expedition received more than £50k (Leo Holding). The MEF is keen to provide additional supporting funds rather than the entire cost of a project, so, if you've already been writing grants and a few £k extra will really make a difference, reword your application for MEF. The MEF expect to support research that will eventually lead to publication, so support is geared towards PGR, ECR and more established groups where a small amount of money may provide add on science of value.
Awards do not include staff time, overheads etc, they are to support the direct costs of undertaking fieldwork. For further guidance on the application process, previously supported expedition reports, and the latest versions of application forms please visit:http://www.mef.org.uk/
If you look at previous awards you'll see a dominance of white male grants......as a Trustee of the MEF I'm keen to see this diversify, it is at the application stage rather than a bias at the panel review/award stage causing this from what I can see over time - we need more applications coming in. New Zealanders are also very under represented.....it won't replace a Marsden or EQC, but it might get you the pilot data you need, or enable an extra PGR to get on a trip you already have funded.