FXpeditions Handbook

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FXpeditions FXpeditions Handbook 1

FXpeditions Handbook Supported by the Halpin Charitable Trust and the University of Exeter. Version 6: 13th October 2015

A series of documents outlining what the FXpeditions are, why they are important, and how they work from start to finish. All included documents are listed below with most found in the appendices of this document. Please read all of these documents thoroughly to gain a full understanding of how these projects are run. This is a living document. Please find the most up-to-date version, along with other supporting information, at www.issuu.com/fxpeditionskernow.

Disclaimer FXpeditions are ‘Falmouth and Exeter Expeditions’ – Expeditions run by students from the University of Exeter and Falmouth University. Each FXpedition team is an entirely independent entity. Teams are responsible for the entirety of their FXpedition (unless hiring an external party for support e.g. travel agent), including their safety, finances, and logistics. They must make their own arrangements for any emergency situations that may arise. The University of Exeter and Falmouth University are not affiliated to the FXpeditions and take no responsibility or liability for these expeditions, nor do they endorse them. Using either University’s logo is not permitted for FXpedition teams. All FXpedition documents have been created by former FXpedition team members who have given up their time to further the progress of FXpeditions. These documents are designed to aid FXpedition teams but must not be treated as gospel. FXpedition teams are responsible to ensure that they have raised sufficient finances for their FXpedition and put rigorous health and safety measures in place for emergency situations etc. The authors of these documents, nor the FXpeditions bear any responsibility or liability for an FXpedition team. In short: If something goes wrong, your FXpedition team is responsible and needs to have made sure that procedures and back-up plans are in place to prevent or minimise the impact of these events.


FXpeditions FXpeditions Handbook 2 Table of Contents 1: What are the FXpeditions? Everything you need to know about FXpeditions. 2: FXpeditions Flowchart........................................................................................................... The order in which to use the documents in this handbook............................................. ..................................................................................................................................................... ..................................................................................................................................................... 3: Guiding Notes and Frequently Asked Questions Technical information and useful advice. 4: Guidance for Approval and University Funding.................................................................. ..................................................................................................................................................... Find out what funding is available through the University of Exeter and how this is awarded. Includes details of the FXpedition Judging Board and FXpeditions Committee. 5: Project Proposal Form This must be completed and submitted to the FXpeditions Committee for approval of new FXpeditions. 6: FXpeditions Guide to Referees To be sent to referees for both the Project Proposal and University Funding application. 7: FXpedition Basic Details Form Used to promote your FXpedition to potential members and raise awareness. 8: FXpedition Application Form To help potential team members apply to be a part of your FXpedition. 9: Team Member Commitment Form An agreement between all team members of what is expected out of all participants during the FXpedition. 10: Logistics Pack Document detailing all logistics of the FXpedition. 11: Health and Safety Pack Document detailing all health and safety details of the FXpedition. 12: University Funding Form Application form for University Funding. 13: Report writing See the ‘Expedition and Fieldwork Publications’ below. ........................................................................................................................................ ..................................................................................................................................................... ..................................................................................................................................................... ..................................................................................................................................................... ..................................................................................................................................................... ..................................................................................................................................................... ..................................................................................................................................................... ..................................................................................................................................................... ..................................................................................................................................................... Appendices: FXpedition Meeting Agenda Template A useful template for meeting agendas. FXpeditions Committee Annual Timeline A tool for the FXpeditions Committee to use to ensure that all annual tasks are completed. Recommended additional documents


FXpeditions FXpeditions Handbook 3 Grant Spreadsheet - available from the FXpeditions Director. A list of grants you may be able to apply to throughout the year. Budget Template - available from the FXpeditions Director. A useful template to design a budget for flexible FXpedition strategies. RGS Expedition and Fieldwork Publications - http://bit.ly/1NvTx80 Invaluable free resources created by the Royal Geographical Society. Includes the Expedition Handbook which compliments this document. This will also be particularly useful for post-expedition activities.

What are the FXpeditions? FXpeditions are ‘Falmouth and Exeter Expeditions’ – Expeditions run by students from the University of Exeter and Falmouth University. Each FXpedition team is an entirely independent entity. Teams are responsible for the entirety of their FXpedition (unless hiring an external party for support e.g. travel agent), including their safety, finances, and logistics. They must make their own arrangements for any emergency situations that may arise. The University of Exeter and Falmouth University are not affiliated to the FXpeditions and take no responsibility or liability for these expeditions, nor do they endorse them. Using either University’s logo is not permitted for FXpedition teams. All FXpedition documents have been created by former FXpedition team members who have given up their time to further the progress of FXpeditions. These documents are designed to aid FXpedition teams but must not be treated as gospel. FXpedition teams are responsible to ensure that they have raised sufficient finances for their FXpedition and put rigorous health and safety measures in place for emergency situations etc. The authors of these documents, nor the FXpeditions bear any responsibility or liability for an FXpedition team. The focus of FXpeditions is not limited by discipline; they can be biological, geographical or social science investigations. They must, however, extend beyond travel for travels sake and have a purpose or aim. There have already been highly successful FXpeditions across the globe, more information is available at www.expeditionbasecamp.com. These FXpeditions have utilised a variety of media, such as videos, podcasts and blogs to create an engaging experience for their followers. These, coupled with the valuable research they have conducted, have left lasting legacies in their host nations. In addition, these FXpeditions provide invaluable experience for students in planning and executing such projects. All FXpeditions follow 3 principles:

1. Teams perform research in an area of the world where it will be of great value. 2. Teams work with local counterparts in country, from higher education institutions, NGOs, GOs or any other relevant organisations.

3. Teams (where possible), have gender balance, are interdisciplinary, and contain a mixture of 1st/2nd year and final/postgraduate students.


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What is involved for you? For each team, usually comprised of 6-8 members, there is considerable researching, planning and fundraising to be done in preparation for an FXpedition. You first have to find a study site and local collaborators, and then gain support. From there you must co-design a feasible research project of value to the host nation. Then comes completion of the budget, Logistics Pack, Health and Safety Pack and other additional documents. Once the FXpedition details have been finalized teams begin the fundraising process. Each participant normally makes a personal contribution to the project, typically between ÂŁ500ÂŁ1000. On top of this, the teams host fundraising events and apply for grants. If preparations go the plan then the FXpedition will take place. On return teams will need to write a thorough report of their FXpedition. All of these tasks provide you with skills that will be useful in your future, irrespective of discipline or career path.

What should you expect? FXpeditions are not a walk in the park or a cheap holiday; commitments to funders, the university and host nation partners must be met. Challenges and problems will arise daily, from day one until you submit your final report. However, it is these challenges that make FXpeditions so rewarding! They represent independent travel in the extreme; they will take you to places many can only dream of. So buckle in, work hard and trust us, it will be worth it!

As a participant, how will you benefit? -

Field-based learning Conducting independent fieldwork will develop your skill set rapidly. From the outset, you will face tough challenges and decisions, which will give you invaluable experience of real world problems and dilemmas.

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CV enhancement The transferable skills you develop will make you more employable. Whether it is team management, working independently or overcoming problems, an FXpedition will give you plenty to talk about in future interviews, regardless of your chosen profession!

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Wide reach The benefits of FXpeditions don’t just end with the participants: there are many students that offer their expertise in media, fundraising and more to help out these


FXpeditions FXpeditions Handbook 5 teams, broadening the audience further. With the strong media presence that the teams build, this is a great way for these volunteers to demonstrate their work and build experience.

How do FXpeditions benefit the local and host country communities? Cornwall - Locally, the FXpeditions appeal to a wide range of audiences and the teams are encouraged to deliver talks and workshops at local Cornish schools and scout/community groups, e.g. cubs and scouts.

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The teams will build an audience. Through social media, uploading videos, pictures and podcasts to Facebook and Twitter, teams will engage with audiences much further afield.

Host Nation - Partnerships are built with local researchers and institutions, creating collaborative research projects in which participants will gain invaluable skills from their counterparts.

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The teams will provide employment to additional local people as part of the expedition or through resources purchased.

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As in Cornwall, create similar links with the local communities that they visit when out in the field, visiting schools, delivering engaging talks, and more.

What makes a successful FXpedition? There are many aspects to a good FXpedition, but here is an incredibly brief summary.

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A strong, articulated desire from the host nation for the project. Preferably codeveloped. Clearly articulated (in writing) support and permission for the project from the host nation. Clear aims and objectives. Feasible, achievable and not overly ambitious, with a good work plan. A well prepared team (training, research etc.). A balanced team (multidisciplinary, personality balance, complementary strengths). Team members take responsibility for their roles. Teams meet regularly with each other and collaborators. Good communication and keeping written records of your progress. Building a good audience through the use of social media and outreach. Clear planning in place for analyzing, reporting and dissemination. Remember to say thank you to your hosts and partners.


FXpeditions FXpeditions Handbook 6 How to get involved You can submit new FXpedition ideas for approval or join an existing team (see the FXpedition Flowchart and Guidance for Approval and University Funding sections). As a guide (dependent on FXpedition length and location), each team member is expected to contribute a minimum of ÂŁ500 to the FXpedition. See FAQ 7, 8 and 9 for further details. For further advice and tips, please refer to the Royal Geographical Society Expedition Handbook, this can be found at www.rgs.org/GOpubs


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FXpeditions Flowchart This section outlines the typical planning process for each FXpedition, along with details of University funding. Dates for proposal submissions and grants are subject to change year on year. This example is for a 3-month FXpedition taking place between early July to late September in 2016 submitting their initial proposal in March 2015. For dates of key grants, refer to the Grant Spreadsheet, found in the appendices.

This is a rough 24-month plan, while basic; it illustrates the high-levels of commitment required by FXpedition team members, especially those in leadership roles. See below for full details.


FXpeditions FXpeditions Handbook 8 January: A Call for FXpedition Proposals Key Documents: Project Proposal – Begin Budget – First Draft

A call for FXpedition proposals. This can be given through the form of a talk or workshop. FXpeditions leaving in the coming summer should be far into the planning process, so can be used, along with past FXpeditions to inspire students. • Students seek host nation collaborators. • Start researching the correct procedure for obtaining permission for the FXpedition (visa requirements, collection permits, scientific permissions). • Students start collecting information on: FXpedition country/area, flights, equipment/rations, insurance, politics, shipping/freighting, transport and travel costs. • First draft of budget.

March: FXpedition Proposals Submission and Approval Key Documents: Project Proposal – Complete, Submit

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Proposals are accepted all year round, these should be sent to the FXpeditions Director (fxpeditionsdirector@gmail.com). Typically if a proposal is submitted before July then the FXpedition can take place the following summer, if it is submitted after July the team should look to run the FXpedition the summer following that (e.g. an proposal submitted in November 2017 should be for an expedition leaving summer 2019), to allow enough time for planning. FXpedition proposals submitted, meeting all necessary requirements (see Guidance for Approval and University Funding document). The proposals will then be reviewed by the FXpedition Judging Board. This process should take up to one month. Approval does not guarantee university funding, but does provide support from the FXpeditions Committee. It would be wise to seek out a member of staff from the University of Exeter or Falmouth University to act as a mentor. Note that they must be representing themselves and not the University of Exeter or Falmouth University for liability purposes.


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January-September: Refine FXpedition Plans Key Documents: University Funding Application – Begin, Refine Budget – Refine Logistics Pack – Begin, Refine Health and Safety Pack – Begin, Refine

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Approved FXpedition teams will spend the summer planning their FXpedition in greater detail. Preparing their application for university funding (The Les Halpin Expedition Fund and University of Exeter Scientific Expedition Fund). Workshops will be run for capacity building, helping the students understand how best to plan their FXpedition fairly. Students should start designing headed paper/crest. Official approach to host country for permission. Notification to Foreign and Commonwealth Office and British Embassy in host country. Set up FXpedition bank account, this must be discussed with FXU. Redraft budget, Health and Safety Pack, Logistics Pack, and other key documents based on feedback from approval application.

MidKey Documents: FXpedition Basic Details Form – Complete, Submit FXpedition Application Forms - Circulate September: Recruitment Drive

FXpedition recruitment drive. Talks and presentations by teams, plus Fresher’s Fayre. At these, first and second year students will apply for available spaces on FXpeditions. • Teams should complete the FXpedition Basic Details Form and send this to the FXpeditions Director. • The Director will then collate information from all submitted FXpedition Basic Details Forms and circulate around the University of Exeter and Falmouth University, complete with the FXpedition Application Form. • A deadline will be set for application deadlines and FXpedition leaders will receive these directly. Teams should then hold interviews for candidates.


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October: Final Team Selection Key Documents: University Funding Application – Complete Budget – Complete Logistics Pack – Complete Health and Safety Pack – Complete

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Teams will select applicants to fill vacant spaces, being sure to fulfill requirements outlined in ‘Guidance for Approval and University Funding’. Finalise team objectives of FXpedition. Allocate responsibilities to team members (see the “Expedition Roles” document). Check passports. Prepare timetable for inoculations. Book courses for any specialist training. Finalise budget, Logistics Pack, Health and Safety Pack, and other key documents. Apply for visas. Equipment lists.

November: University Funding Deadline (The Les Halpin Expedition Fund and University of Exeter Scientific Expedition Fund) Key Documents: University Funding Application – Submit

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Deadline for University Funding Application. This will be reviewed by the FXpedition Judging Board with funding being awarded to successful applications. Typically 20-25% of this funding will be withheld until completion of the FXpedition report (see below). This deadline is subject to change but should be scheduled for mid-November. Feedback will also be provided by the FXpedition Judging Board in order to help teams with further grants.


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Mid November: RGS Explore/Sponsorship Push The Royal Geographical Society Explore event takes place, previous teams have presented here and a group of students have visited every year since 2009. This is a good chance for the teams to make some connections, attend some invaluable workshops and talks, and meet some inspirational people. Students should produce a brochure of their FXpedition to take with them. Start sponsorship drive for support, equipment loans, and funds.

December – March: Grant-writing, fundraising, sponsorship, building an audience Key Documents: Team Member Commitment Form – Create, Complete

Should teams want to create an agreement between them to ensure appropriate handling of any potentially tricky situations (e.g. sending someone home for inappropriate behaviour during the expedition/refunding a personal contribution to a team member who drops out of the expedition); the ‘Team Member Commitment’ form can be used as a template for this. • Possible reconnaissance visit, if budget and time allows. • Prepare manifest (list) for insurance, freight and members, Send manifest with costings to insure equipment from packing date to the return to the UK. Be sure to settle the insurance premium before freight departure. • Book flights. • Discuss baggage allowance. • Training weekends. • Medical checks. • Peak grant-writing time, students will use the feedback they received from the University Funding application to apply to a variety of fundraising and sponsorship sources. • In addition, teams should run a series of fundraising events, whilst boosting their audience through outreach days, social media and other outputs.

April – May: Final Preparations

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Here teams should be finalizing details of their FXpeditions, all logistics should be in place, funding secured. There will be a final push for any additional funding/sponsorship required. All equipment to have arrived for packing. Test equipment prior to packing. Packing weekends (weighing, numbering, listing).


FXpeditions FXpeditions Handbook 12 • • • • • •

Order correct currency and spending money (anything outside the FXpedition budget, such as traveling pre/post FXpedition). Copy key FXpedition files to take, produce duplicates and folders for all members and UK contacts to keep during expedition. Finalise financial arrangements in host country. Circulate press release. Newsletter to sponsors. Prepare “in-flight” dossiers for members.

June – September: The FXpedition

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Month 1 Advance party departs. Field accounts opened, must be discussed and organised with FXU. Establish communication with UK home agent. Main party departs. Reception for supporters in host country. Acquire any supplies that are being purchased in country. Meet in-country members.

Month 2

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Send newsletter/blog to sponsors/supporters. Send mid-FXpedition report to home agent for friends and relatives. Take photographs and/or test prototype products (think about post FXpedition promotion).

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Thank you reception for hosts. Main party returns. Medical check for all members. Rear party returns. Thank you letters to host country. Field accounts closed.

Month 3

September – December: Wrap Up and Write Up Leader prepares preliminary report to send to sponsors.


FXpeditions FXpeditions Handbook 13 • • • • • • • •

Sponsors thanked and informed, photographs sent etc. Approach university and local media for articles/interviews. FXpedition achievements press release. Return/replace/repair equipment. Slide presentation of the FXpedition to main sponsors, supporters and members. FXpedition is written up and submitted to the FXpedition Judging Board. This can then be archived and feedback provided for other FXpedition reports. Previous FXpedition reports can be found at http://issuu.com/fxpeditionskernow. Circulate reports to sponsors and supporters. Any withheld funds from University Funding will be credited to the team if all necessary tasks are completed by the 1st of January (FAQ 6, 19 and 21). Reports must be submitted to fxpeditionsdirector@gmail.com.


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FXpedition Frequently Asked Questions This document provides additional information for the guidelines and application for FXpedition Project Proposals and The Les Halpin and University of Exeter Expedition Fund. Frequently asked questions (FAQs) can be found at www.fxpeditions.org. Are the FXpeditions affiliated with FXU and the University of Exeter? Do I need to be an FXU Expedition Society member? What must our research involve? Can I do my own research or does it have to be a group project? What makes a team eligible? Why do we have to submit a project proposal and a grant application? Are group members expected to make personal contributions? How do we set up and FXpedition bank account? 8. Is my personal contribution refundable if I drop out? 9. What happens if we do not raise enough money? 10. Why work with the host country? 11. How should I choose my project and plan my fieldwork? 12. Who has “ownership� of the project? 13. What should we include in our Health and Safety Pack? 14. Why do we have to fill out a Logistics Pack and a Health and Safety Pack? 15. What environmental, social and cultural impacts should we consider? 16. What should I include in the budget? 17. Do we need insurance? 18. Will we get called for interview? 19. Will we get all the money that we apply for? 20. What support will we receive from FXU and the University of Exeter? 21. Do the FXpeditions have terms and conditions for grant recipients? 22. What happens if our plans change? 23. Can this count towards my Exeter Award? 24. Where can I get more advice?

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7.


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1. Are the FXpeditions affiliated with FXU and the University of Exeter? The FXpeditions are a product of the FXU Expedition Society; Previous FXpedition reports can be viewed at http://issuu.com/fxpeditionskernow. The University of Exeter Annual Fund and The Halpin Charitable Trust have generously donated startup funds to support FXpeditions (The Les Halpin Expedition Fund and the University of Exeter Scientific Expedition Fund), only eligible to FXpedition teams. However. FXpeditions are ‘Falmouth and Exeter Expeditions’ – Expeditions run by students from the University of Exeter and Falmouth University. Each FXpedition team is an entirely independent entity. Teams are responsible for the entirety of their FXpedition (unless hiring an external party for support e.g. travel agent), including their safety, finances, and logistics. They must make their own arrangements for any emergency situations that may arise. The University of Exeter and Falmouth University are not affiliated to the FXpeditions and take no responsibility or liability for these expeditions, nor do they endorse them. Using either University’s logo is not permitted for FXpedition teams. All FXpedition documents have been created by former FXpedition team members who have given up their time to further the progress of FXpeditions. These documents are designed to aid FXpedition teams but must not be treated as gospel. FXpedition teams are responsible to ensure that they have raised sufficient finances for their FXpedition and put rigorous health and safety measures in place for emergency situations etc. The authors of these documents, nor the FXpeditions bear any responsibility or liability for an FXpedition team. In short: If something goes wrong, your FXpedition team is responsible and needs to have made sure that procedures and back-up plans are in place to prevent or minimise the impact of these events. You cannot use the logo of either the University of Exeter or Falmouth University for your FXpedition. Neither can you say that you are endorsed by Falmouth University of the University of Exeter. Should you be successful in applying for University Funding you can say that you have received funding from the Les Halpin Expedition Fund and the University of Exeter Scientific Expedition Fund.

2. Do I need to be an FXU Expedition Society member? No, this was previously the case but FXpeditions are now entirely independent. See the ‘Eligibility’ section of the ‘Guidance for Approval and University Funding’ document for details of what is required from each FXpedition.


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3. What must our research involve? To gain funding from the FXpedition Judging Board, the proposed FXpedition must be undertaking research during the project with a substantial conservation, geographical, social or ecological component.

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Conservation: A practice of protecting the environment, on individual, organizational or governmental levels, for the benefit of the natural environment and (or) humans.

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Geography: The study of the earth’s landscapes, peoples, places and environments. It is, quite simply, about the world in which we live.

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Social: The scientific study of human society and social relationships.

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Ecology: The branch of biology that deals with the relations of organisms to one another and to their physical surroundings.

The project must involve fieldwork that makes a significant contribution to at least one of these fields. It is important that this is clear in both the proposal and the grant application.

4. Can I do my own research or does it have to be a group project? No. Due to the highly unpredictable nature of planning of FXpeditions, conducting undergraduate theses/lone projects are not permitted on FXpeditions. There is no guarantee that an FXpedition will happen and in some cases, plans change once the team is in the field.

5. What makes a team eligible? Each FXpedition team must have a minimum of four members. All members of the main team must be studying at either the University of Exeter or Falmouth University. We strongly recommend the inclusion of host-country members in the team (see FAQ 10). There are several additional requirements that each team must meet in order be eligible for funding and support. Details of these can be found in the “Guidance for Approval and University Funding� document. In brief, each team should (where possible): Have no significant gender bias. Be interdisciplinary. Contain a mixture of 1st and 2nd year and final/postgraduate year students. Must contain at least 50% current students from the University of Exeter and Falmouth University.


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6. Why do we have to submit a project proposal and a grant application? The project proposal should be submitted at least 13 months before the FXpedition begins. If approved, this proposal gains preliminary support from the FXpedition Committee. This then allows the team to build on their proposal and begin planning their FXpedition in detail over the summer break. It is advised that teams seek out a member of staff from the University of Exeter or Falmouth University to act as a mentor to them and be a reference. Note that this staff member must only be representing themselves and not Falmouth University or the University of Exeter. Teams will then recruit extra students in September/October (FAQ 5), before applying for the University Funding in November. This will require the submission of a fully reviewed project proposal (based on feedback from the Board), and letters of support from host nation collaborators highlighting support and permission. Successful applicants will typically have between 20-25% of their funding withheld until completion of their report and associated tasks. See the “FXpedition Flowchart” section for more information.

7. Are group members expected to make personal contributions? How do we set up an FXpedition bank account? Yes. This is typically between £500-£1000 and should be paid into an FXpedition bank account set up by the team. University funding will not cover the rest of the costs of the FXpedition. This difference will be made up through grant applications, sponsorship and other fundraising events. It is the team’s responsibility to obtain these. At the end of an FXpedition, once the expedition report has been completed and the costs met, all remaining funds must be donated to the University Funding or a charity, unless a follow-up expedition is planned. In this case any remaining funds can be rolled over.

8. Is my personal contribution refundable if I drop out? This decision is entirely up to the team and should be set out in the Team Member Commitment form so all participants are aware of whether their contributions will be refunded or not in the event of a dropout.

9. What happens if we do not raise enough money? Each team should come up with contingency plans for their FXpedition. With plan A working on the ideal (and biggest) budget, plans B onwards will compromise, making cutbacks to plans and the budget. For example, a team can go to a location for a shorter period of time.


FXpeditions FXpeditions Handbook 18 Teams must be flexible in planning their FXpeditions as things will not always go to plan. In the event that the team does not raise funds for their smallest budget, they will not be able to go to their location. In such cases there are normally three possible scenarios: a) The FXpedition is postponed, allowing more time to gain the funds. b) The team uses what remains of their personal contributions and fundraising (providing it is eligible) to conduct a much cheaper project closer to home. c) The team does not conduct a project, takes back what remains of any personal contributions and returns any funds raised/does not claim grant money. In the event that funds cannot be returned (for example, money collected in a bucket at a fundraising event), the team cannot claim back this money as their personal contribution. Such funds should be donated to charity.

10. Why work with the host country?

The involvement of researchers, students and members of the local community in the host country is essential from the outset. There are several reasons for this. In some cases, local collaboration may be a legal requirement of the host country. More importantly, research projects overseas that involve local collaborators give additional benefit to both the communities in which you work and your team. Teams should co-design their projects with their host nation collaborators to ensure that their work can be of the greatest value, building plans for in-country dissemination right from the start. Local researchers are often far more aware of previous research that has been conducted in that area, in many cases this may not be available to international audiences as it may not have been published. University libraries in-country can be a gold mine of local Masters and Doctoral theses may be relevant to your research. Host nation counterparts will often have an in-depth understanding of the local terrain, flora and fauna, health and safety issues, and more. They will be particularly invaluable for fieldwork being conducted in tricky conditions. The organizations that you choose to collaborate with will depend on the FXpedition you are conducting. Places to consider are local universities, research institutes, NGOs and field centres. It is incredibly useful to recruit a local student team from one of the in-country universities. In your budget you must take into account the fact that in-country team members may not be in the position to contribute funds to the FXpedition, so you must provide support for that. A list of field centres can be found on the Royal Geographical Society (RGS) website (www.rgs.org/fieldcentres). More information can also be found in the online copy of the RGS handbook at www.rgs.org/gopubs > Planning and organisation > Working with the host country.

11. How should I choose my project and plan my fieldwork? Selecting a project and setting the objectives can be the most challenging and daunting part of planning fieldwork. In your proposal and application you will need to provide the background and context for your project, whilst also being clear about what you hope to achieve. Think carefully about your aims and objectives, remembering that less is often more. The most important step is to get host nation support early on; from here you can design a collaborative project. Local researchers will know what work will be most valuable, so your project will be likely to gain much support in-country. Further guidance can be found in the RGS handbook, accessed at www.rgs.org/gopubs > Field research projects > Choosing a project. You must demonstrate how you plan to achieve your aims and objectives in the field. Your itinerary should include details of days spend traveling, undertaking fieldwork/data collection, rest and


FXpeditions FXpeditions Handbook 19 recreation days, down time (including evenings), and personal time (such as traveling at the end of the FXpedition). Your methodology must clearly describe the activities you plan to undertake and how these will achieve the objectives of the project. You should include details of specific methods and their implementation (i.e. sample sizes, extent of research areas, specific equipment and previous experience in the use of it etc.). For social surveys, examples of questionnaires should be included. The Board will want to see evidence that your team has selected appropriate methodologies for your project, the environmental and topographical conditions of your study area, and that team members will have appropriate training and expertise to conduct work. The Board will be able to provide guidance and advice for methodologies, training etc. (FAQ 20).

12. Who has “ownership� of the project?

A key element of the newly approved British Standard (8848) for overseas fieldwork is the identification of the venture provider - the individual(s) ultimately responsible for the project. FXpeditions, the University of Exeter, Falmouth University and The FXpedition Judging Board will not accept responsibility of the project (see disclaimer at beginning of document). You must determine who has legal and financial responsibility for your project, whether this is the team, or an individual, we would suggest the former.

13. What should we include in our Health and Safety Pack? In your Health and Safety Pack, you should identify potential risks and hazards associated with your proposed project. This document should reflect what you have identified to be the greatest threats to your health and safety, and how you are going to minimise and mitigate these potential threats. You will need to have your Health and Safety Pack and Logistics Pack by your supporting academic and FXU in order for you to apply for University Funding and a number of other grants. For approval you must cover: The team Health & fitness (including pre-existing medical conditions), attitude and behaviour, training and experience, personal protective equipment.

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The environment Mountain, savannah, tropical forest, urban, climate and weather conditions, wildlife (including insects), altitude, river crossings, muggings, route selection.

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Health Endemic disease (Dengue, Malaria, HIV/AIDS), polluted water, contaminated food, environmental health (heat/cold related illness).

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Local people Politically instability or civil unrest, theft, personal attack, rape, attitudes to foreign visitors, cultural differences, appropriate dress code and behaviour.

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Fieldwork activities and methods Natural hazards (avalanche, rock fall, deep water), use of specialist equipment (electrical equipment, chemicals, climbing harnesses, ropes, theodolites).

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Travel and camp life


FXpeditions FXpeditions Handbook 20 Transport (public/private), road/water conditions, other road users, camp hazards (stoves/fires/flooding/burns/drowning/suffocation), accommodation, fire, electrocution, serious injury, disease, mugging, attack. You should include all of the areas above, and more if applicable. Further advice for risk assessments can be found in the RGS Expedition Handbook, available for free at www.rgs.org/GOpubs > Expedition Handbook > Health & Safety.

14. Why do we need to fill out a Logistics Pack and a Health and Safety Pack? These packs will contain all the important details for your FXpedition. If you can complete these in full, then your FXpedition is ready to go. You must send copies of these documents to the FXpeditions Director (fxpeditionsdirector@gmail.com), any references/collaborators, and all emergency contacts. These will be referred to in an emergency situation.

15. What environmental, social and cultural impacts should we consider?

It is inevitable that our actions have consequences and they will affect the environments and people around us. FXpeditions must conduct ethical research, carefully considering and attempting to mitigate negative environmental, social and cultural impacts. You must consider whether your work may offend the cultural sensitivities of the people you are working amongst, whether your research practice favours some people over others in the societies in which you are working. What impacts might you have on the physical environment by carrying out your research? To receive any University funding your FXpedition must adhere to the University of Exeter’s ethics policy: https://www.exeter.ac.uk/media/universityofexeter/corporateresponsibility/pdfs/Ethics_Policy.pdf More information for mitigating environmental impacts can be found in the RGS Expedition Handbook. www.rgs.org/gopubs > Expedition Handbook > Health and Safety. The American Anthropological Association has one of the most thoughtful and thorough codes, you can view this on their website: http://www.aaanet.org/committees/ethics/ethicscode.pdf

16. What should I include in the budget? Start broad and narrow down. Begin with travel, equipment, subsistence etc. You must consider the following:

- Be sure to research costs fully - these will be evaluated in depth. - Have a contingency of at least 10%. - Make it clear if any items are going to be donated/sponsored (e.g. equipment). - Do not forget to include costs for host nation participants. - Make an additional spreadsheet of where you hope to gain all your funding. What grants are you applying to? What equipment are you hoping to get sponsored? What fundraising events are you planning? What stage are all of these at? Study past expedition reports (FAQ 24) for some ideas.

17. Do we need insurance?


FXpeditions FXpeditions Handbook 21 All team members must have comprehensive insurance. Many grants, including the Les Halpin Expedition Fund and University of Exeter Expedition Annual Fund will not support FXpeditions that cannot provide sufficient insurance. Insurance provides team members and the FXpedition as a whole with financial protection should any problems occur. Further information can be found in the RGS Expedition Handbook: www.rgs.org/gopubs > Health and Safety > Insurance for expeditions.

18. Will we get called for interview? Any project that the Board believes is feasible may have to attend an interview for the project proposal and/or the university funding.

19. Will we get all the money that we apply for? Applicants should be aware that financial support may not be awarded to the maximum level. Many worthy projects apply for funds; however, the resources are limited. The level of financial support awarded will reflect the quality of the proposed research, involvement of the host country, and financial need. Successful teams will typically have 20-25% of their funding withheld until the completion of their report and associated tasks.

20. What support will we receive from the FXpeditions Committee and FXpedition Judging Board? Once gaining preliminary approval (Project Proposal), the FXpeditions Committee will be able to provide you with advice and guidance throughout your planning should you seek it. Once approved your FXpedition team must have a representative on the FXpeditions Committee. The FXpeditions Judging Board will provide detailed feedback of your University Funding application which will help you with future grant applications. It is advised that teams seek out a member of staff from the University of Exeter or Falmouth University to act as a mentor to them and be a reference. Note that this staff member must only be representing themselves and not Falmouth University or the University of Exeter.

21. Do the FXpeditions have terms and conditions for grant recipients? FXpedition teams awarded preliminary approval (Project Proposal) and funding (University funding The Les Halpin Expedition Fund and the University of Exeter Scientific Expedition Fund) can mention this recognition in their literature and use the University of Exeter Annual Fund Logo (all supplied on request). The Halpin Charitable Trust and University of Exeter Annual Fund should all be acknowledged in any outputs (papers, presentations, videos etc.). No other use of these names or logos is permitted. FXU and the University of Exeter accept no responsibility for the projects they approve. Research teams must not describe themselves as sponsored/endorsed etc. by The Halpin Charitable Trust, or the University of Exeter. Also see FAQ 1 for further information about University logos.


FXpeditions FXpeditions Handbook 22 For all projects that are approved and/or supported, a preliminary report must be completed within one month of returning from the field, including a minimum of three high-resolution JPEG images which capture the essence of the project (the research, methods, and findings). The preliminary report should be no longer than 1,500 words long and should detail a rough overview of the expedition and its findings, what went well, any problems encountered and any plans for the future. This must be sent to the FXpeditions Director (fxpeditionsdirector@gmail.com). A final report must be submitted by 1st January of the year following the FXpedition. Final reports should be submitted in PDF form or Word format. This must include an abstract of 250 words, a description of the project, its key findings, three to five digital images that capture the spirit of the project and its findings, a final budget and explanation, an incident report, details of presentations, publications and any other outputs, with details of whether these are still in planning stages, or have been completed. This must be sent to the FXpeditions Director (fxpeditionsdirector@gmail.com). On receipt of the final report and completion of associated tasks, any withheld funding will be credited to the FXpedition team. The RGS Expedition Handbook contains a Guide to Writing Expedition Reports. This can be found at www.rgs.org/gopubs > Recording your expedition. A database of previous project reports held by the RGS-IGB can be searched on their website (www.rgs.org/go).

22. What happens if our plans change? The FXpedition Judging Board must be informed immediately of any changes to the project, including changes to the budget, participants and to the programme of travel and fieldwork. The Board will review the changes to the project and may request more information before deciding on whether support will be continued. Minor alterations to projects are unlikely to result in the withdrawal of funding. If the project is abandoned or postponed (FAQ 9) the Board must be informed. Any funds received from the Les Halpin Expedition Fund and University of Exeter Scientific Expedition Fund should be returned with a covering letter explaining the circumstances.

23. Can this count towards my Exeter Award? Yes. The work you put into your FXpedition can count towards your hours of volunteering. Key personnel can also use the expedition as part of their Exeter Leaders Award, provided they have already completed the Exeter Award.

24. Where can I get more advice? Further questions regarding eligibility or questions about the FXpeditions should be sent to fxpeditionsdirector@gmail.com. Geography Outdoors (GO at the RGS) provides information, advice and training to anyone planning overseas fieldwork. Groups are strongly advised to contact Geography Outdoors in the early stage in their planning (go@rgs.org). GO keeps a database of projects and expeditions, which are being planned each year to help those planning similar ventures. GO can also advise on other sources of funding and publishes the booklet Fundraising and Budgeting for Field Research and Expeditions which includes a directory of grant giving organisations (ÂŁ2.50 from GO or available free of charge on www.rgs.org/gopubs). Full details of the services of GO are available on the website (www.rgs.org/go). More information on planning and undertaking fieldwork can be found in the Expeditions Handbook. For example, the handbook contains specific information on finance and fundraising, transportation,


FXpeditions FXpeditions Handbook 23 keeping records, and working in different environments i.e. mountains, arid areas, tropical forest, and polar regions etc. This can be accessed online at www.rgs.org/gopubs.

Guidance for Approval and University Funding 1.0 ELIGIBILITY In order for teams to gain approval from the FXpeditions Committee and funding from the FXpedition Judging Board, they must ensure they follow the guidelines below. These are in place to help maximise the team’s chances of securing further funding and backing later in the FXpedition planning process. 1.1

The research must involve fieldwork that aims to make a significant contribution to our conservation, geographical, social, or ecological knowledge (FAQ 3), with clear host nation collaboration, need, and permission (FAQ 10).

1.2

The research must be conducted in an ethical, safe and responsible manner (FAQ 15).

1.3

The FXpedition team should be interdisciplinary (FAQ 5).

1.4

The FXpedition team should try to recruit new 1 st year students in September-October if their project proposal is approved (FAQ 5).

1.5

The FXpedition team should not have a heavy gender bias (FAQ 5).

1.6

The team must have at least 4 participants and should contain at least 50% current students from the University of Exeter of Falmouth University. (FAQ 5).

1.7

FXpedition research must have a coherent theme. Individual research projects are not permitted (FAQ 4).

1.8

All teams must have a Project Proposal approved before they can apply for University funding (Approx. November) (FAQ 6).


FXpeditions FXpeditions Handbook 24 1.9

FXpedition teams must collaborate with the host-country (FAQ 10).

1.10

Each team member should make a personal contribution to their FXpedition (typically between £500-£1000); this is usually non-refundable (FAQ 7 and 8).

1.11

Teams must be in the field for 30 days or more.

1.12

This support is for independent student groups. We will not support those joining a commercial expedition or pre-paid expedition, including organised charity fundraising tours.

1.13

Medical insurance must be in place for all team members before departure (FAQ 17).

1.14

FXpeditions that take place in a country/ies or within an area where the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) advises against all travel before the project goes into the field, will not be approved of funded.

1.15

Within a month of the FXpedition being completed, you must submit a preliminary report (up to 1,500 words, FAQ 21). In addition, you must provide at least 3 high resolution JPEG images which capture the essence of the project (the research, methods and findings).

1.16

A final report must be submitted electronically and in hard copy by 1 January of the year following the FXpedition. This must include a 250 word abstract, description of the project and key findings (1000 words minimum), digital images that capture the different aspects of the project, a final budget and explanation, plus details of presentations, publications and any other outputs (FAQ 21). Failure to do this by the deadline is likely to result in the loss of any withheld funding (FAQ 6, 19 and 21).

1.17

Text and images from the reports may be used by the FXpeditions.

1.18

The award recipients may be asked to present a talk (or similar) on their work during the first term of the following academic year.

1.19

The Halpin Trust and University of Exeter Annual Fund should be acknowledged in all publications and outputs for teams that have received University Funding. Copies of any such publications and outputs should be submitted to both.

1.20

Each FXpedition team must have a representative on the FXpeditions Committee (FAQ 20).

1.21

Refer to FAQ 21 for further information on terms and conditions.

2.0 TEAM SELECTION Selecting the best possible team for an FXpedition can be critical to the FXpedition’s success. These guidance notes provide advice on good team selection practice. 2.1

Factors to consider

2.1.1

Age and stage


FXpeditions FXpeditions Handbook 25 It can be very helpful to include students with a range of experience; some may have useful experiences from past careers e.g. vehicle maintenance, language skills. In some countries, it must be considered that vehicle hire may be impossible for drivers below the age of 25. Although it is likely that FXpeditions will be made up of mainly final year/postgraduate students, we recommend that you include some 1 st/2nd year candidates if they are suitable. This is very helpful to the sustainability of FXpeditions: those who gain some experience in 1st/2nd year are in a good position to take responsibility in final/postgraduate years (FAQ 5). 2.1.2

Gender balance In some field locations, it can be important, for safety reasons, to have a balanced number of males and females on the team (FAQ 5).

2.1.3

Expertise/background knowledge FXpeditions are open to all students in the Universities of Exeter and Falmouth, based at the Penryn Campus, as well as the local community. You should not discriminate against nonscience candidates in choosing your team. Clearly, you should select people who have relevant expertise, skills and interests, but it is generally not essential to have everyone on a team possess knowledge relevant to the scientific aims of the FXpedition. Language, media, first aid and driving skills can be very useful too.

2.1.4

Health problems You should not discriminate against students with health problems in choosing your team. But you need to use common sense: if an applicant has to check in weekly with a highly qualified medical specialist, that person may be unsuitable for certain FXpeditions. Getting to know people’s serious health problems (on a confidential basis) is therefore a legitimate part of the selection process. Considerations should be made for any team members suffering food allergies, while this should not prevent them from taking part in an FXpedition, adequate precautions should be taken to minimize the chances of a reaction. Proper medication must be readily available in the event of a reaction. Seek expert advice on all medical issues and health problems.

2.1.5

Academic progress We do not wish to be too prescriptive about this: taking part in an FXpedition can be such a stimulating activity that students who have previously struggled academically can turn round their progress as a result. However, you also need to remember that preparing for and taking part in an FXpedition involves a considerable investment of time. If you are struggling with your work you may not be able to put in enough effort during term time and are advised to be circumspect in taking on too much.

2.1.6

Current students FXpedition members should normally be current students and staff of the Universities of Exeter and Falmouth. However, FXU Expedition Society membership is open to non-student, graduate and community members. What must be remembered is that an FXpedition team should be at least 50% current students at the University of Exeter of Falmouth University.

2.1.7

Prospective team members You can advertise your FXpedition to prospective team members at any time, before or after your project proposal submission. The sooner you can have your team assembled, the better, however, do not rush the selection; getting the right members is incredibly important. You should design an application form which you can circulate through the FXpeditions Director. It is not good practice for a group of friends to get together and propose an FXpedition composed entirely of themselves and not open to others.

2.1.8

Interview for prospective team members


FXpeditions FXpeditions Handbook 26 Once applications have been submitted, interviews for candidates should be arranged. If you have a very large number of candidates, you may feel it necessary to shortlist using the application form, but, ideally, each applicant (as long as they have completed the form competently) should be interviewed, and informed of the result as soon as possible (FAQ 18). It is advisable to have independent people on the panel. It is sensible to have a number of reserves on your team list, since good candidates are often chosen by more than one FXpedition, and may have a difficult decision to make over which offer to accept. 2.1.9

Leadership How are FXpedition leaders chosen? When an FXpedition is one of a continuing series, it is common for the previous team to choose the student leader. Alternatively, a potential leader may volunteer from among the membership of the previous year’s FXpedition. In this case, such a person should discuss their suitability with the FXpeditions Director. When a student (or students) wishes to propose a new FXpedition and is keen to act as leader, please discuss the suitability of the FXpedition with the FXpeditions Director in advance of the Expedition Society proposals deadline. When an FXpedition is particularly demanding in terms of planning, it may be appropriate for the leader to be a recent graduate, as long as that person is available for regular planning meetings.

2.2

Interviewing potential team members

2.2.1

Panel The leader, if chosen before the interviews take place, should take part in the interview process. Interviews should be conducted by at least two people, of which one should normally be a member of staff or the FXpeditions Committee.

2.2.2

Questions You are attempting to establish from the interview how suitable a candidate will be. Much of the necessary information will be on the application form, but the interview can establish personality factors, such as whether a candidate is likely to be good as a member of a team working closely in isolated circumstances over several weeks. You also need to establish whether candidates have good ideas for fundraising and whether they have the time to be actively involved in FXpedition planning/ preparations. You need to make clear to candidates that joining an FXpedition team that an FXpedition is a commitment, not an entitlement, and that planning an FXpedition is a demanding, co-operative activity that each member needs to be willing to contribute to: anyone who looks like they have problems with this is likely to become a liability eventually.

3.0 PROPOSAL PREPARATION Preparation of your FXpedition Project Proposal is an urgent task once your initial team has been selected. The Project Proposal is the tool you use to obtain University approval for your FXpedition (vital to its success) and to seek funds from other organisations (FAQ 6). Writing the Project Proposal also helps clarify your aims and some of the tasks you need to carry out. Examples of good Project Proposals are available on the FXpeditions ISSUU page (http://issuu.com/fxpeditionskernow), along with the Project Proposal Application Form.


FXpeditions FXpeditions Handbook 27 Once a draft of your Project Proposal is ready, get an experienced person to read it over to check for glitches/typos, and to ensure you have not omitted important details and ensure that your FXpedition meets all the necessary requirements.

4.0 APPLICATION FOR UNIVERSITY FUNDING It is important that your FXpedition obtains University Funding. This allows you to use the names of both the Halpin Charitable Trust and University of Exeter Annual Fund in your fund-raising and when you are abroad. The University of Exeter Annual Fund and the Halpin Charitable Trust provide small grants for approved FXpeditions (FAQ 20). In addition, many potential funders only donate to University-funded FXpeditions. 4.1 The approval process 4.1.1

Approval is granted by the FXpeditions Committee. The FXpedition Judging Board decides on the level of grant awarded to each approved FXpedition.

4.1.2

Applications for approval are made by submitting the Project Proposal to the FXpeditions Director by a deadline, to be announced by the FXpeditions Director. This should be at least 14-18 months before the FXpeditions are due to start, usually March.

4.1.3

You should submit an electronic copy of your Project Proposal to the FXpeditions Director (www.fxpeditionsdirector@gmail.com).

4.1.4

The result of your application will be e-mailed to the FXpedition’s leader within one month of the submission deadline. Criteria for approval/funding are related to the quality of the proposed work, the logistical arrangements and their feasibility. The FXpeditions Committee and FXpeditions Judging Board also need to be satisfied regarding safety arrangements. The Board reserves the right to withhold funding or approval if the FXpedition’s Logistics Pack and/or Health and Safety Pack are considered to be inadequate (FAQ 13).

4.1.5

If approval is granted, it is advised that teams seek out a member of staff from the University of Exeter or Falmouth University to act as a mentor to them and be a reference. Note that this staff member must only be representing themselves and not Falmouth University or the University of Exeter.

4.2 The funding process 4.2.1

Teams can apply for funding providing their project proposal has gained approval (FAQ 6).

4.2.2

Applications for funding are made by submitting full documentation to the FXpeditions Director by a deadline, to be announced by the FXpeditions Director. This should be in November but is subject to change each year.

4.2.3

You should submit electronic copies of each required document.

4.2.4

You are required to submit a University Funding Application form (essentially a revised Project Proposal form based on the feedback received from the application process).

4.2.5

Criteria for level of funding relate mainly to the FXpedition’s duration in the field. The FXpeditions Judging Board also looks at travel costs and the scientific aims of the FXpedition (FAQ 19).


FXpeditions FXpeditions Handbook 28 4.2.6

Successful teams will typically have 20-25% of their funding withheld until completion of their report and associated tasks (FAQ 6, 19 and 21).

5.0 PLANNING MEETINGS We recommend that FXpedition teams meet weekly during the earlier planning stages. It is VITAL that the leader share out tasks, so that all members have well-defined roles and deadlines to meet. Here is a check-list of tasks that need to be dealt with: •

Project Proposal preparation

Health and Safety Pack

Logistics Pack

Travel, VISA, research permit and insurance arrangements

Fundraising a) Events b) Grant applications

Health arrangements

Short bios for all members

Disclaimer

Website

Social media

Fundraising plan

Any special training needs (all FXpeditions must have a qualified First Aider; tree-climbing? etc.)

6.0 FUNDRAISING

It is often sensible to set up a fundraising team, to share out tasks. For grant applications, there is generally a deadline: make sure you don’t miss them – they will NOT listen to excuses. A spreadsheet of potential grants is available on the FXpeditions website, be sure to look for others that are related to your field of research. You often need one or two referees to write supporting letters. It is advised that teams seek out a member of staff from the University of Exeter or Falmouth University to act as a mentor to them and be a reference. Note that this staff member must only be representing themselves and not Falmouth University or the University of Exeter. The other reference should come from the host country. If seeking donations from local businesses e.g. prizes for a raffle, it is good practice to take with you a letter showing your status as an official activity of the Universities of Exeter and Falmouth. When organising fundraising events, it can be helpful to work with another FXpedition – to share out the work and set up costs (though you also have to share out any profits!). Here are some examples of previously successful fundraising events: - Themed club/pub nights - Selling glow sticks - Face painting - Poker nights


FXpeditions FXpeditions Handbook 29 -

Cake sales Supermarket bag packing Sponsored beers

For all fundraising events you should complete a thorough risk assessment of the event, as well as gaining any necessary permission. These will be important if anything goes wrong at these events. Be warned, fundraising should be planned well, if not, you can end up making a loss. It’s best to plan a few big events, rather than many small ones. The alternative (and often more efficient fundraising method) is for all members to increase personal contributions through part-time work.

7.0 FINAL YEAR PROJECTS As well as being logistically risky in nature, some funders look less favorably on final year projects becoming an important aspect of FXpeditions; as a result, members are not allowed to carry out projects as part of their university course on an FXpedition (FAQ 4).

8.0 RESPONSIBILITIES/CONDITIONS 8.1 Once chosen for an FXpedition, each individual shares responsibility for ensuring that the FXpedition is a success. Do not accept a place on an FXpedition unless you are sure you can commit to FXpedition planning and to completing the FXpedition’s aims. An FXpedition is NOT a holiday. You can expect some time off while on an FXpedition, but your main objective must be to ensure that you are fully fit, barring illness, to play a full part in the FXpedition's work. 8.2 It is a privilege to be permitted to work/volunteer/research in another country, and, while doing so, you are a representative of your country, family, university etc. You must ensure, therefore that you pay full attention to cultural norms of the country you are visiting (mode of dress; general behaviour) and do not behave in ways that could bring the Universities of Exeter and Falmouth into disrepute. Our FXpeditions can be annual return visits to the same place, and previous FXpeditions have built up good relationships with local people, such as conservation organisations, and a reputation for good work. It is all too easy for a few individuals to damage such relationships and reputation. Leaders on FXpeditions have a responsibility to maintain the FXpeditions good name, and the power to send anyone home immediately if their activities are bringing the FXpedition into disrepute. Each team is required to conduct its research in an ethical and responsible manner. 8.3 Remember that funding organisations have provided the FXpedition money on the basis of the Project Proposal you have sent. Minor changes to aims/logistics etc. are permissible and normal for FXpeditions abroad. But any major changes before the FXpedition sets off should be reported


FXpeditions FXpeditions Handbook 30 to major funders, and all changes should be explained in the final report. Avoid making substantial changes as much as you can. If any significant health and safety problems occur in the field you must inform your funders and supporters immediately. 8.4 At the end of an FXpedition, it is the team’s joint responsibility to ensure that any equipment borrowed to undertake the FXpedition is safely returned. 8.5 An FXpedition leader has the right to dismiss you from the team at any time during the pre and post FXpedition stages if they are dissatisfied with your contribution. In such cases, it is typical that any personal contributions will not be refunded. Any disputes must be sorted within the team. 8.6 It is the team’s responsibility, coordinated by the leader, to ensure that a full FXpedition report is completed within a reasonable timescale (normally by the Christmas following the FXpedition's return, at the latest) and sent to all funders and to anyone in the country visited who has an interest in the FXpedition's work. Good examples of FXpedition reports are available on the FXpeditions ISSUU site (http://issuu.com/fxpeditionskernow). An electronic copy of your report should be sent to the FXpeditions Director for use by the Universities of Exeter Annual Fund and The Halpin Charitable Trust. Copies of all reports are posted on the FXpeditions ISSUU page (http://issuu.com/fxpeditionskernow). Reports should contain: •

A narrative account of the FXpedition’s travels

Scientific results of the FXpedition's work (do NOT, however, delay completion of the report for work that will take a considerable period to analyse fully).

A detailed account of income and expenditure.

NB some funders will ask for a short preliminary report. It is a good idea to write this towards the end of the FXpedition, so that you can submit it in good time.

9.0 FXPEDITIONS COMMITTEE/FXPEDITION ADVISORY BOARD FXpeditions are overseen by the FXpeditions Committee and headed by the FXpeditions Director. The Committee is responsible for: - Review and approve/reject FXpedition Project Proposals.

-

▪ Proposals that satisfy the Committee will be eligible to apply, with Committee support, to the Les Halpin Expedition Fund, and the University of Exeter Scientific Expedition Fund. Ensuring all FXpedition documents are up to date. Advertise upcoming FXpeditions to potential candidates. Running planning workshops for teams throughout the year. Organise applications and the formation of the FXpedition Judging Board for University Funding. Update any online information or resources. Collate FXpedition reports and distribute to backers and funders of the University Funding. Apply for further funding for University Funding. Provide/communicate feedback to teams in relation to Project Proposals and University Funding applications.

The Committee is made up of academics/staff/alumni/postgraduates from the University of Exeter and/or Falmouth University. Each current FXpedition team must also have a representative on the Committee once approval of the FXpedition has been gained.


FXpeditions FXpeditions Handbook 31 The FXpedition Judging Board is appointed by the FXpeditions Committee. Board members must either be academics/staff/alumni/postgraduates of the University of Exeter or Falmouth University. Members of the Board are eligible to participate in FXpeditions. The Board must contain a minimum of 2-4 academics from the Universities of Exeter and Falmouth. The main purpose of the FXpedition Judging Board will be to scrutinise University Funding applications. If successful in funding applications, teams should credit the Halpin Charitable Trust and the University of Exeter Annual Fund.


FXpeditions FXpeditions Handbook 32

This document is available separately from this Handbook at http://issuu.com/fxpeditionskernow. Project Applications are a two-step process. The first submission (Project Proposal: Accepted all year round) will be an application for approval from the FXpeditions Committee. If your FXpedition is approved, you will then have until November to refine your

FXpedition with guidance from the Committee. We do not expect the Project

Proposal to

be perfect, however, you must demonstrate that you have conducted

significant

background research into your study site, made contacts in the host country,

and have for selfThe second funding time, any

FXpedition Project Proposal

determined a reasonable budget for your FXpedition, including consideration

funding and grants. The Les Halpin Expedition Fund and the University of Exeter Scientific Expedition Fund submission (University Funding: mid-November) will be an application for

provided by the Halpin Charitable Trust and the University of Exeter. By this Application Form

Please send this application to: FXpeditions Director: fxpeditionsdirector@gmail.com

weak points in your original application should have been amended.

Please

ensure that you read the FXpedition Handbook “Guidelines for Approval and

University

Funding” and “Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)” before completing this

form. The

application should be submitted electronically. Maps, risk assessments, safety

management

plans and budgets can be sent separately or as part of this document.

Disclaimer FXpeditions are ‘Falmouth and Exeter Expeditions’ – Expeditions run by students from the University of Exeter and Falmouth University. Each FXpedition team is an entirely independent entity. Teams are responsible for the entirety of their FXpedition (unless hiring an external party for support e.g. travel agent), including their safety, finances, and logistics. They must make their own arrangements for any emergency situations that may arise. The University of Exeter and Falmouth University are not affiliated to the FXpeditions and take no responsibility or liability for these expeditions, nor do they endorse them. Using either University’s logo is not permitted for FXpedition teams. All FXpedition documents have been created by former FXpedition team members who have given up their time to further the progress of FXpeditions. These documents are designed to aid FXpedition teams but must not be treated as gospel. FXpedition teams are responsible to ensure that they have raised sufficient finances for their FXpedition and put rigorous health and safety measures in place for emergency situations etc. The authors of these documents, nor the FXpeditions bear any responsibility or liability for an FXpedition team. In short: If something goes wrong, your FXpedition team is responsible and needs to have made sure that procedures and back-up plans are in place to prevent or minimise the impact of these events.


FXpeditions FXpeditions Handbook 33 Section 1: FXpedition Information 1.1 FXpedition Information a

FXpedition title (10 words maximum)

b

FXpedition summary (100-200 words maximum)

1.2 Contact Details a Leader Details Email: Address: Tel: b FXpedition email address: 1.3 Location (Country, region): 1.4 Total Budget:

Section 2: Research details and methodologies


FXpeditions FXpeditions Handbook 34 2.1 Research programme details (FAQ 11)

a

Project Aims (What your wants to achieve)

b

Describe the scientific objectives of the FXpedition and how these contribute to achieving the overall aim. (200 words) (FAQ 4 & 21).

c

Explain the rationale for your research programme and how this will make a significant contribution to conservation, geographical and/or ecological knowledge (250 words) (FAQ 3).

d

Outline your research methodology. Give detailed methods and explain how these will achieve the project’s objectives. Focus on details of specific sampling techniques, strategies and required equipment. You should explain how the experience and training of team members provide you with the necessary skills to undertake this research. If your team is inexperienced, what training will you be undertaking? (500 words)

e

What makes your project different from others? (200 words)

f

What is your motivation for this trip? (200 words)

g

Who will benefit from this project? Think not only about those directly involved with the project, but communities both in Cornwall and your host country.

h

How will your findings be analysed and disseminated? Provide a list of proposed outputs for the FXpedition (e.g. final report, articles, published papers, articles, educational material, data, documentaries), indicating approximately when and how each item will be available and for whose benefit it is being produced.

i

Provide a timeline of your activities and tasks in the host country and how these will fulfill the FXpedition objectives. Include an outline of your method of travel, route, accommodation and supplies. If an agency or company is helping with logistics, please make this clear.

2.2 Bibliography of proposed research List at least six publications, maps and/or other materials that have been used to develop the research objectives of the FXpedition.


FXpeditions FXpeditions Handbook 35

2.3 Advisors List at least three key advisors that have helped develop your FXpedition, providing a background on their expertise and qualifications, along with details of what guidance they have provided.

2.4 Association with the host country List key organisations (universities, research centres/institutes, NGOs, GOs etc.) with which you are/will be/are hoping to be collaborating with, both in country and elsewhere. Describe the nature of these collaborations and what value this adds to your project. (FAQ 10)

Section 3: Members of the research team 3.1

Project members (FAQ 5)


FXpeditions FXpeditions Handbook 36 a

Number of UK members

b

Number of in-country members

c

Total number of members

d

Reports from previous FXpeditions or research projects If team members have participated in previous FXpeditions, give full references to any resulting reports or papers.

e

Projects returning to locations of previous FXpeditions If you are participating in an FXpedition returning to a site visited by a previous FXpedition please provide details of how your project builds on and is distinct from the previous studies

f

Project ownership (FAQ 12) Who has legal and financial ownership of the project?


FXpeditions FXpeditions Handbook 37 Project members: Please complete the table below with details of all team members. Each row should correspond to one team member. You may expand boxes and add as many rows to the table as is necessary. Name in full (with title as appropriate)

Affiliation/organisation (include position or year, course of study and faculty)

Nationality

Role on team i.e. leader/ medical officer/ scientific officer etc.

Skills, experience and qualifications that are related to the research objectives, project methodology, environment and responsibilities i.e. experience and training with equipment and proposed methods/ medical training/ language skills/ past FXpedition experience etc. *


FXpeditions FXpeditions Handbook 38 Section 4: Logistics, health and safety, and finances 4.1 Dates in the field From:

To:

Number of days:

Please clearly indicate what time will be dedicated to fieldwork, travel, and personal time (FAQ 11).

4.2

Study site details

a

Location (Country, region) :

b

Latitude (degrees, minutes N or S): Longitude (degrees, minutes E or W):

c

Geography of your research area: Include details that illustrate the environmental conditions, including the season, expected temperatures and rainfall, you expect to encounter and the remoteness of your field site/accommodation. Please attach a detailed map of your project area to this application (200 words)

4.3

Risk assessment Please attach the assessment to your application form. You must complete both a full risk assessment and a condensed two-page version of the document (FAQ 13).

4.4

Crisis management plan A crisis management plan (that outlines the procedure should an emergency arise) must also be included with this application. This must include plans for communication and emergency evacuation. This should not be more than one page long (FAQ 14).

4.5

Emergency contact details Please provide full contact details of the home contact in the UK and in-country contact while the research team is in the field. These can be contacted in the event of an emergency. Home agent (UK) Name: Address: Tel: Email:

In-country contact Name: Address: Tel: Email:


FXpeditions FXpeditions Handbook 39

4.6

Permissions

a

Describe the steps that have been taken to obtain the necessary permissions from the in-country authorities to undertake your FXpedition and the stage you have reached. What stage are your applications at? Tourist visas are not sufficient.

b

Do you intend to bring any scientific samples back to Britain? Yes/No If yes, please state which authorities in the UK you have contacted/will contact to gain permission to do this.

If yes, please state which authorities in country you have contacted/will contact to gain permission to do this.

c

Notification of travel: Please indicate which of the following notifications have been made Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Yes/No

(This includes informing the FCO of your travel plans and obtaining the latest relevant FCO travel advice bulletin). British High Commission / Embassy in-country Yes/No 4.7 Environmental, social, and cultural impacts All FXpeditions must be conducted in an ethical and responsible manner. Please illustrate any potential negative environmental, social and cultural impacts that your FXpedition may have. Provide details of the attitudes and strategies that you will adopt to minimise and mitigate these (150 words) Refer to FAQ 12 for further details.

4.8 Insurance Please provide details of the insurance you have arranged for team members, kits etc.


FXpeditions FXpeditions Handbook 40

4.9 Budget

Provide details of your planned FXpedition income and expenditure under the following sections. Add any appropriate budget headings.

Pre-fieldwork / preparation Training International travel (flights) Subsistence (accommodation and food) In-country travel Local counterparts / guides Field equipment Insurance (see FAQ 17 for further guidance)

EXPENDITURE £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £

Please indicate your insurance provider Medical / health & safety Film / photography Post-fieldwork activities Preparation of project report Dissemination of findings Other (please itemise) Contingency (usually 10% of sub-total) TOTAL

£ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ INCOME

Grant giving trusts Fund raising events & activities Commercial sponsorship Individuals donations (FAQ 6) Other sources TOTAL

£ £ £ £ £ £

Support from other organisations What other funding bodies will you applying to? What stages are these applications at? Have you received any additional funding? What will you do with any excess (FAQ 7)?


FXpeditions FXpeditions Handbook 41

Section 5: Other information 5.1

Referee statements Two referee statements are required for the University Funding application. We recommend that you seek out a member of staff from the University of Exeter or Falmouth University to mentor you and provide a reference. Your other should be from an appropriate contact in country, preferably from a government representative or an academic helping with your research programme. For this Project Proposal we require the referee statement from your in-country reference. Your referees must not be members of the fieldwork team. Please send each referee the Guide for Referees (available at http://issuu.com/fxpeditionskernow) and ask them to return their statements directly (by email: fxpeditionsdirector@gmail.com). Your application will be jeopardised if your referee statements do not arrive on time.

5.2 Please indicate how you heard about the FXpeditions

5.3 Data Protection The information you have given on this form will be held on the FXpedition’s database and may be released to others planning research FXpeditions, potential sponsors and/or the media Please check the box if you do not wish to have this information released: 5.4 Declaration The information submitted in this application is to the best of my knowledge correct at the time this application was made. Should any significant developments arise after this application is made, such as change of team members or official permits being gained, I will keep the FXpedition Advisory Board informed of such developments (FAQ 22). I have informed my in-country referee that their statement should be returned directly to the FXpeditions Director. Should this project be cancelled or postponed subsequent to receiving support from the Board, I will return the grant awarded. Please check the box to confirm that you have read and will abide by this declaration: NOTE: Please remember to attach your full risk assessment and map of your project area to this application. Your application will not be processed until the risk assessment; map and two referee statements have been received. Any other supporting documents will be accepted. For further advice or clarification regarding the grant or application process please contact us directly: fxpeditionsdirector@gmail.com

.


FXpeditions FXpeditions Handbook 42

FXpeditions Guide to Referees This document is available separately from this Handbook at http://issuu.com/fxpeditionskernow.

The Les Halpin Expedition Fund and University of Exeter Scientific Expedition Fund helps finance teams of Exeter and Falmouth University students carrying out conservation, geographical, social, or ecological field research and exploration in the UK and overseas. This is funding is allocated by the FXpeditions Judging Board, comprised of academics from the Universities of Exeter and Falmouth. Referees We would be grateful if you could take the time to write a reference providing a critical evaluation of:

• The project’s strengths in terms of its contribution to conservation, geographical and/or ecological • •

knowledge, its value and originality. The ability of the applicants to conduct the FXpedition in a safe and responsible manner within their allotted time frame and budget. Any additional comments or information that you believe will help their application.

This reference will be a key part of the applicant’s suitability for the grant. Please submit your signed reference statement on letter header paper to the Director by email (details below). Thank you for your assistance. We shall acknowledge your reference by email. Deadline for referee statements: 15 November Contact Details Email: fxpeditionsdirector@gmail.com Website: www.expeditionbasecamp.com


FXpeditions FXpeditions Handbook 43

FXpedition Title Location Approximate Dates Description

Contact details:

This document is available separately from this Handbook at http://issuu.com/fxpeditionskernow.

FXpedition Basic Details The Les Halpin Expedition Fund and the University of Exeter Scientific Expedition Fund


FXpeditions FXpeditions Handbook 44

This document is available separately from this Handbook at http://issuu.com/fxpeditionskernow.

Name:

DoB:

Course:

Year:

FXpedition of interest: Why do you want to be a part of the team? (200 words)

What can you bring to the team? (200 words)

FXpedition Application Form The Les Halpin Expedition Fund and the University of Exeter Scientific Expedition Fund

What previous experience do you have? Don’t be afraid to think outside the box a bit here! (200 words)

Can you provide us with any extra information that you think may help you application? Extra qualifications, portfolios, hobbies, interests etc. (200 words)

Please mark relevant boxes with an “X”. Please note, we are not looking for you to tick “Experienced” for every single skill, one of the best things about an expedition is that you will be able to learn these skills throughout the project. Right now we just want to know what your strengths are. Skill Organisation Team work Leadership Budgeting Risk Assessments Planning itineraries

No experience

Limited experience

Reasonable experience

Experienced


FXpeditions FXpeditions Handbook 45 First aid Managing finances Social media output Report writing Grant writing Fundraising Logistical planning Fieldwork Networking/ communicating Ecological surveys Habitat surveys Management Website design Photography Film Video Editing Sound recording

If your application is successful then you may be invited to an interview. Good luck!


FXpeditions FXpeditions Handbook 46

FXpeditions: Team Member Commitment Supported by The Halpin Charitable Trust and the University of Exeter Last updated 15/10/2015 This document is available separately from this Handbook at http://issuu.com/fxpeditionskernow.

The vast majority of FXpedition participants lucky enough to be given the opportunity to take part in FXpeditions realise the privileged position they are in and the responsibility involved and are perfect ambassadors for their FXpedition, country, family, University etc. Participants should read the “Guidance for Approval and University Funding” section of the FXpeditions Handbook, available to all on the FXpeditions ISSUU page (http://issuu.com/fxpeditionskernow). Particular attention should be paid to section 8.0 “Responsibilities/Conditions”. Participants should read these notes carefully and familiarise themselves with the responsibilities associated with FXpedition membership and expectations about their behaviour. Participants can then sign and date the disclaimer below (or design something similar), and return it to the leader of the FXpedition by a date agreed by the team. Any behaviour jeopardising the success and/or reputation of the FXpedition can result in an individual being sent home immediately, at their own expense. Please refer to FAQ 7, 8 and 9 of the FXpeditions Handbook for details of your personal financial contribution to your expedition. I ……………………………………., a participant of the ……………………… FXpedition hereby certify that I have read and understood the FXpeditions Handbook. I understand that any behaviour contrary to the success of the FXpedition will result in my being sent home from the FXpedition immediately. Signed ......................................................................................... Date ............................................................................................


FXpeditions FXpeditions Handbook 47

This document is available separately from this Handbook at http://issuu.com/fxpeditionskernow. The Logistics Pack must be completed by teams that have had their Project Proposals approved by the FXpeditions Committee. This document provides full details of your FXpedition plans and can be kept as a record and reference for your mentors, collaborators, emergency contacts and the FXpeditions Committee. Be sure to use the ‘FXpedition Handbook’, containing our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’ to help you complete this pack. This document is more detailed than the University Funding application that you will need to submit later in the year. Fortunately, you will be able to take the information from this document and use it in the funding application. Please get a Mentor/Adviser to check through all the documents listed below. Once your Mentor/Adviser is satisfied with the quality and content of these documents, send them to the FXpeditions Director – fxpeditionsdirector@gmail.com.

FXpeditions Logistics Pack

The application should be sent electronically. Maps, risk assessments, crisis management plans and budgets can be sent separately or as part of this document.

Expedition Name Expedition Leader

Dates Seen by Mentor/Adviser?

Name and email address

Document

Yes

No

Logistics Pack Health and Safety Pack Budget Distribution List Send copies of this document to everyone listed below. Recipient Location Mentor/Adviser Insert the name of your mentor/adviser Legal & Insurance Services Provide contact details for your insurer here FXpeditions Director Send a copy of this document to – fxpeditionsdirector@gmail.com Insert other names in this table Insert all team members and emergency contacts here. Include:

-

Collaborators

-

Emergency contacts

-

Any other relevant contacts


FXpeditions FXpeditions Handbook 48 Section 1: FXpedition Information 1.1 FXpedition Information a

FXpedition title (10 words maximum)

b

FXpedition summary (100-200 words maximum)

1.2 Contact Details a Leader Details Name: Email: Address: Tel: b Team member details (add/delete rows as appropriate) Name Email

c

FXpedition email address:

d FXpedition website address (if any): 1.3 Location (Country, region): 1.4 Total Budget: 1.5 Project Origin (how you chose your study site, project, set up collaboration etc.): 1.6 Draft Approach Letter/Press release:

Section 2: Research details and methodologies

Phone number


FXpeditions FXpeditions Handbook 49 2.1 Research programme details (FAQ 11)

a

Project Aims (What your wants to achieve)

b

Describe the scientific objectives of the FXpedition and how these contribute to achieving the overall aim. (200 words) (FAQ 4 & 21).

c

Explain the rationale for your research programme and how this will make a significant contribution to conservation, geographical and/or ecological knowledge (250 words) (FAQ 3).

d

Outline your research methodology. Give detailed methods and explain how these will achieve the project’s objectives. Focus on details of specific sampling techniques, strategies and required equipment. You should explain how the experience and training of team members provide you with the necessary skills to undertake this research. If your team is inexperienced, what training will you be undertaking? (500 words)

e

What makes your project different from others? (200 words)

f

What is your motivation for this trip? (200 words)

g

Who will benefit from this project? Think not only about those directly involved with the project, but communities both in Cornwall and your host country.

h

How will your findings be analysed and disseminated? Provide a list of proposed outputs for the FXpedition (e.g. final report, articles, published papers, articles, educational material, data, documentaries), indicating approximately when and how each item will be available and for whose benefit it is being produced.

i

Provide a timeline of your activities and tasks in the host country and how these will fulfill the FXpedition objectives. Include an outline of your method of travel, route, accommodation and supplies. If an agency or company is helping with logistics, please make this clear.

2.2 Bibliography of proposed research List at least six publications, maps and/or other materials that have been used to develop the research objectives of the FXpedition.


FXpeditions FXpeditions Handbook 50

2.3 Advisors List at least three key advisors that have helped develop your FXpedition, providing a background on their expertise and qualifications, along with details of what guidance they have provided.

2.4 Association with the host country List key organisations (universities, research centres/institutes, NGOs, GOs etc.) with which you are/will be/are hoping to be collaborating with, both in country and elsewhere. Describe the nature of these collaborations and what value this adds to your project. (FAQ 10)

Section 3: Members of the research team 3.1

Project members (FAQ 5)

a

Number of UK members

b

Number of in-country members

c

Total number of members

d

Reports from previous FXpeditions or research projects If team members have participated in previous FXpeditions, give full references to any resulting reports or papers.

e

Projects returning to locations of previous FXpeditions If you are participating in an FXpedition returning to a site visited by a previous FXpedition please provide details of how your project builds on and is distinct from the previous studies

f

Project ownership (FAQ 12) Who has legal and financial ownership of the project?


FXpeditions FXpeditions Handbook 51 Project members: Please complete the table below with details of all team members. Each row should correspond to one team member. You may expand boxes and add as many rows to the table as is necessary. Name in full (with title as appropriate)

Affiliation/organisation (include position or year, course of study and faculty)

Nationality

Role on team i.e. leader/ medical officer/ scientific officer etc.

Skills, experience and qualifications that are related to the research objectives, project methodology, environment and responsibilities i.e. experience and training with equipment and proposed methods/ medical training/ language skills/ past FXpedition experience etc. *


FXpeditions FXpeditions Handbook 52 Section 4: Logistics, health and safety, and finances 4.2 Dates in the field From:

To:

Number of days:

Please clearly indicate what time will be dedicated to fieldwork, travel, and personal time (FAQ 11).

4.3 Flight details Flight

Please detail all flights for all team members (if traveling separately to one another) during the expedition. Date Time Operator Details (address/telephone

4.4 Travel between accommodation and field site Mode of Transport Detail all forms of travel from the moment you leave your front door on the way to airport. This includes travel by: • Foot • Car • Bus • Plane • Boat • Any other form of transport

4.4

Private or hired (give details) Contact details if possible and details of how they will be used. E.g. will you be driving/piloting/operating?

Insurance arranged? Does your insurance cover traveling by this method of transport. If you are driving/piloting are you suitably insured?

Study site details

Geography of your research area: Include details that illustrate the environmental conditions, including the season, expected temperatures and rainfall, you expect to encounter and the remoteness of your field site/accommodation. Please attach a detailed map of your project area to this application (200 words) 4.5

Health and Safety Pack A health and safety pack (that outlines the procedure should an emergency arise) must be included with the logistics pack. This must outline the procedure should an emergency arise, include plans for communication and emergency evacuation and contain all contact details relevant to the expedition. (FAQ 13 & 14).

4.6

Emergency contact details Please provide full contact details three home contacts in the UK and three in-country contacts while the research team is in the field. These can be contacted in the event of an emergency. Home agent (UK) Name: Address: Tel:

Page | 52

In-country contact Name: Address: Tel:


FXpeditions FXpeditions Handbook 53 Email:

Email:

Home agent (UK) Name: Address: Tel: Email:

In-country contact Name: Address: Tel: Email:

Home agent (UK) Name: Address: Tel: Email:

In-country contact Name: Address: Tel: Email:

Page | 53


FXpeditions FXpeditions Handbook 54

4.7

Permissions

a

Describe the steps that have been taken to obtain the necessary permissions from the in-country authorities to undertake your FXpedition and the stage you have reached. What stage are your applications at? Tourist visas are not sufficient.

b

Do you intend to bring any scientific samples back to Britain? Yes/No If yes, please state which authorities in the UK you have contacted/will contact to gain permission to do this.

If yes, please state which authorities in country you have contacted/will contact to gain permission to do this.

c

Notification of travel: Please indicate which of the following notifications have been made Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Yes/No

(This includes informing the FCO of your travel plans and obtaining the latest relevant FCO travel advice bulletin). British High Commission / Embassy in-country Yes/No 4.8 Environmental, social, and cultural impacts All FXpeditions must be conducted in an ethical and responsible manner. Please illustrate any potential negative environmental, social and cultural impacts that your FXpedition may have. Provide details of the attitudes and strategies that you will adopt to minimise and mitigate these (150 words) Refer to FAQ 12 for further details.

4.9 Insurance Please provide details of the insurance you have arranged for team members, kits etc.

Page | 54


FXpeditions FXpeditions Handbook 55

4.10

Budget Provide details of your planned FXpedition income and expenditure under the following sections. Add any appropriate budget headings. Please attach a more detailed budget to this document, including a justification for each item and source or purchase.

Pre-fieldwork / preparation Training International travel (flights) Subsistence (accommodation and food) In-country travel Local counterparts / guides Field equipment Insurance (see FAQ 17 for further guidance)

EXPENDITURE £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £

Please indicate your insurance provider Medical / health & safety Film / photography Post-fieldwork activities Preparation of project report Dissemination of findings Other (please itemise) Contingency (usually 10% of sub-total) TOTAL

£ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ INCOME

Grant giving trusts Fund raising events & activities Commercial sponsorship Individuals donations (FAQ 6) Other sources TOTAL

£ £ £ £ £ £

Support from other organisations What other funding bodies will you applying to? What stages are these applications at? Have you received any additional funding? What will you do with any excess (FAQ 7)?

Page | 55


FXpeditions FXpeditions Handbook 56

Section 5: Medical 5.1

List of potentially dangerous diseases present in host nation

5.2

List of required inoculations

5.3

Required medication Please list both general and any individual requirements

5.4

Team medical requirements/history Record any existing or past medical issues for all team members.

5.5

Dietary requirements List any team member dietary requirements. If you are being catered for in-country please ensure that your caterers are fully aware of requirements before you arrive.

Section 6: Host Nation Fact File Host Nation Fact File Country Name Capital Government Language Population Land area International airport Money Time Visa fee Airport tax

Section 7: Kit Lists Personal Kit List Item

Page | 56

Use/Justification

Quantity


FXpeditions FXpeditions Handbook 57

Scientific Equipment Item

Use/Justification

Quantity

Health/hygiene Item

Use/Justification

Quantity

Medical Item

Page | 57

Use/Justification

Quantity


FXpeditions FXpeditions Handbook 58

Camping/trekking/communication Item Use/Justification

Quantity

Photography/video Item

Quantity

Page | 58

Use/Justification


FXpeditions FXpeditions Handbook 59

FXpeditions Health and Safety Pack Version 1 – 31/03/2015 Please complete and return to FXpeditions Director – fxpeditionsdirector@gmail.com. This document is available separately from this Handbook at http://issuu.com/fxpeditionskernow. Use this template to create your Incident Response Plan. Some generic information has already been filled in, be sure to double check this and amend as appropriate. Please get your Mentor/Adviser to check through all the documents listed below. Once your Mentor/Adviser is satisfied with the quality and content of these documents, please send them to the FXpeditions Director – fxpeditionsdirector@gmail.com.

Expedition Name Expedition Leader Document

Dates Name and email address

Seen by Mentor/Adviser? Yes

No

Logistics Pack Health and Safety Pack Budget Distribution List Send copies of this document to everyone listed below. Recipient Location Mentor/Adviser Insert the name of your staff mentor/adviser Legal & Insurance Services Provide contact details for your insurer here FXpeditions Director Send a copy of this document to fxpeditionsdirector@gmail.com

Page | 59


FXpeditions FXpeditions Handbook 60 Insert other names in this table

Insert all team members and emergency contacts here. Include:

-

Collaborators

-

Emergency contacts

-

Any other relevant contacts

Contents Appendix A – Basic Information 1.1 When to use this plan

1.2 FXpedition Summary Information 1.2.1 Dates of FXpedition 1.2.2 Members of FXpedition 1.2.3 Contact numbers at location/country of FXpedition 2.1 Incident Risk Assessment 2.2 Incident Guidelines 2.3 Actions to take 2.4 Key Contacts

Appendix B – Forms 3.1 Incident Log 3.2 Call Management Log 3.3. Casualty List

Appendix C – FXpedition Risk Assessment 4.1 Identifying Hazards 4.2 Table 1 – Risk Assessment 4.3 Table 2 – Consequence Score 4.4 Table 3 – Likelihood Score 4.5 Table 4 – Risk Scoring Matrix 4.6 Potentially dangerous diseases in host country 4.7 Procedures for bites/stings 4.8 First Aid & Safety Arrangements 4.9 FXpedition Insurance details 4.10 Medical care/Emergency Services 4.11 Consulate details

Appendix D – Expedition Contact List/ Team member information 5.1 Expedition Contact List 5.2 Passport/Next of Kin Information 5.3 Medical information

Page | 60


FXpeditions FXpeditions Handbook 61

Appendix A – Basic Information 1.1 When to use this plan Use this plan when an incident has occurred that cannot be handled locally, either due to the nature, severity or implications of the incident. 1.2 FXpedition Summary information 1.2.1 Dates of FXpedition 1.2.2 Members of FXpedition TEAM MEMBER NAME

MOBILE NUMBER

Plus X participants/researchers/collaborators (names and contacts in Appendix D) 1.2.3 Contact numbers at location/country of FXpedition

Page | 61

Contact Name

Field site address

Telephone number


FXpeditions FXpeditions Handbook 62

2.1 Incident Risk Assessment First person on the scene use the CHALET reporting template in Appendix E to gather information about the incident. This information will be required by the emergency services if in attendance and will need to be communicated between the Incident Response Teams. CHALET Examples of Information to gather

Casualties Hazards Access Location Emergency Services Type

Page | 62

- No. of casualties - No. of displaced people - No. of missing people - Other relevant information - Hazard information - Possible sources of contamination - Key buildings affected - Other relevant information - Any issues that might help emergency services to reach you quickly

- Single incident - Multiple/ linked incidents - Extent of incident - No. and location of buildings affected by incident - Other relevant information - Emergency services requested - Other people needed - Other resources needed - Type of incident - Other issues – utility failure, contamination etc.


FXpeditions FXpeditions Handbook 63

Category Function

People

Adverse publicity / reputation

Page | 63

2.2 Incident Guidelines Refer to this table of guidelines to inform a decision about the level of incident. LEVEL 3 LEVEL 2 LEVEL 1 Initiate this plan Initiate this plan Emergency Contacts to Handle locally Emergency Contacts to implement Implement Incident Response Incident Response Plan Plan Minor delays to itinerary Short term changes of plans No serious injury or loss of life. Some Health & Safety, welfare and/or reputational implications (e.g. illness; minor accident/injury)

Substantial changes to itinerary Significant change of plans Serious injury or loss of life (e.g. accidental death) Significant Health & Safety, welfare and/or reputational implications (e.g. criminal act, road traffic accident, serious illness/injury)

Serious injury or loss of life, multiple injuries or loss of lives (e.g. criminal act, explosion, bomb, fire etc.).

Local media coverage, short term with little impact on reputation.

Local media coverage, short term/ long term with moderate impact on reputation. Sporadic regional/national media. Nonmainstream international media.

National / international media, negative articles in target staff, student or commercial markets. Serious impact on reputation.

Members/collaborator welfare and morale severely impacted.


FXpeditions FXpeditions Handbook 64

2.3 Actions to take The table of actions shown below is provided to assist members in managing the response to the incident. Whilst it is impractical to provide a prescriptive list of actions to respond to every conceivable incident, this document is intended to provide an approach that will help staff to cope with the situation and obtain the support that they need. Task ID 1 2 3

Task

Guidance

Status (Assigned to, time)

Ensure all staff and members/collaborators are in a place of safety Assign admin support. Open Activity and Communication Log to track developments If a member/collaborator requires hospital treatment, assign a team member to accompany him/her

4

Inform FXU using CHALET mnemonic and agree frequency of updates

5

If a crime has been committed, inform the police and obtain a crime reference number.

Page | 64

FXpedition leader See Appendix B

FXpedition leader

Ensure channel of communication is agreed. See Appendix F for mobile phone numbers See front page and Appendix A for contact details See Appendix E for CHALET form FXU should implement the alert procedures outlined in this Incident Response Plan The crime reference number may be required by the insurer to support any claim that arises.

FXpedition leader

FXpedition leader

FXpedition leader


FXpeditions FXpeditions Handbook 65

2.4 Key Contacts Role Level 1/Level 2 – Emergency Contact

Level 3 – Deal with incident locally

Page | 65

Emergency Contacts

Name and Contact Numbers Provide contact numbers for all emergency contacts (1) Emergency contact: (2) Emergency contact: (3) Emergency contact: Inform Emergency Contacts

Email Provide email addresses for all emergency contacts

Hanna.Royle@fxu.org.uk


FXpeditions FXpeditions Handbook 66

Appendix B – Forms 3.1 Incident Log Star the Incident Log by noting the time the incident was reported to you, the time you declared the incident and a quick note of actions taken so far.

Date/time e.g. 13/07/14 13:00

Activity Joe Bloggs suffered small cut from dog bite, leader reported the incident to FXU and assigned A. N. Other to escort ‘Insert medical facility here’ refer to Appendix C – Medical care/Emergency Services

Completed by ..............................

Page | 66

Action

A. N. Other took Joe Bloggs to ‘Insert medical facility here’. Joe Bloggs was treated

Owner FXpedition Leader

Completed 13/07/14 16:20


FXpeditions FXpeditions Handbook 67

3.2 Call Management Log

Following an incident it may be necessary to call a variety of people, both internal and external to the FXpedition. The table below outlines some of the information that needs to be captured in order to monitor calls:

Person Called & Company

By Whom

Completed by ...............................................

Page | 67

Date/Time

Response/Outcome


FXpeditions FXpeditions Handbook 68

3.3 Casualty List

NB: Accident / Near Miss Forms should always be completed

Name of casualty

Details of injury

Comment e.g. airlifted to hospital

Completed by ...............................................................

Page | 68

Information provided by Name


FXpeditions FXpeditions Handbook 69

Appendix C – FXpedition Risk Assessment 4.1 Identifying Hazards Thinking about the FXpedition and the work you will be carrying out, please use the list below to identify all the hazards you will / may encounter during your FXpedition. A hazard is something with the potential to cause harm. You should focus on identifying all hazards that are reasonably foreseeable. You may like to consult with any members who have been on this FXpedition before / use contacts in the destination area to assist you with this. Add any additional sections that are relevant to your FXpedition. Identify the hazards you may encounter on your FXpedition by highlighting them in yellow Accommodation – This applies not only to your field sites, but anywhere you stay during the expedition. Availability, Buildings, Facilities, Hygiene, Suitability, Sanitation, Other Behaviour – This includes all team members, collaborators, volunteers etc. Alcohol-related harm, Group dynamics, Relationships, Other Biological/Environmental – This applies not only to your field sites, but anywhere you travel during the expedition. Algal toxins: Campylobacter, E. coli, Food-borne illness, Gastric disorders, Water-borne infection, Wound infection, Other Farm stock: Buffalo, Bulls, Dogs, Pigs, Other Flora and Fauna: Amphibians, Arthropods, Avifauna, Invertebrates, Mammals, Poisonous/irritant plants, Reptiles, Other Microbiological: Cholera, Lyme Disease, Malaria, Tetanus, Typhoid, Weil’s Disease, Other Catering – This applies to any catering done by or for the team during the expedition. Food preparation: Burns, Cuts, Food-borne illness, Infection, Water-borne illness, Other Gas cooking/heating: CO poisoning, Fire burns, Other Chemical - This applies not only to your field sites, but anywhere you travel during the expedition. Dumps, Harmful chemicals, Toxic/flammable gases, Wastes, Water pollution, Other Climate – Include all conditions you may encounter, be sure to check what season you will be undertaking your research during. Low temperatures: Frostbite, Hypothermia, Other Mist/fog/low cloud: Getting lost, Other Storm/Rain: Isolation, Lack of shelter, Lightning, Snow blindness, Snow/Sleet, Wind (blown over), Wind chill, Other Sun/Heat/Humidity: Dehydration, Electrical equipment failure, High temperatures, Heat exhaustion, Heat stroke, Sunburn, UV exposure, Other Electrical – This applies not only to your equipment, but the facilities you will be using. Differing safety standards, Exposed circuits, Exposure to extreme cold/heat, Generators, Fire, Old equipment, Portable electrical equipment, Other Fieldwork: Marine – What hazards will you encounter in the field? Diving: ‘Bends’, Entry to water, Getting into/out of boat, Faulty equipment, Other Diving Prep: Pressure gauge bursting, Tanks falling off benches, Other Dive/Snorkel/Swim - General Abnormal waves, Boat Collision, Currents, Drowning, Flotsam and Jetsam, Trawler Nets, Panic attacks, Riptides, Other Equipment Entanglement, Failure, Inappropriate clothing/footwear, Loss, Poor maintenance, Sharp edges, Transporting to site, Trapping, Other

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FXpeditions FXpeditions Handbook 70 Snorkeling: Faulty Equipment, Other Fieldwork: Terrestrial – What hazards will you encounter in the field? Caves Dead ends, Equipment Failure, Flooding/tides, Getting lost, Getting stuck, Oxygen deficient/Poisonous atmosphere, Roof fall, Other Equipment Failure, Inappropriate clothing/footwear, Loss, Poor maintenance, Sharp edges, Transporting equipment to field site, Trapping, Other Lowlands: Floods, Radon, Soft ground, Other Uplands: Exposure, Falls, Loose/falling rocks, Mudslides, Reduced oxygen, Other Woodland: Fire, Getting lost, Other Working at height (>2metres): Access equipment, Integrity of fall harness, Lack of training, Safety ropes, Other Legal/Security/Work Abroad - This applies not only to the host country, but anywhere you travel during the expedition (including the UK). Crime: Assault, Theft, Violence, Other Legal: Conservation areas, Private ownership of areas, Sites of Special Scientific Interest, Other Local factors: Language/communication problems, Local (differing) customs/Sense of humour, Restrictions on photography, Sexual harassment, Other Security Armed conflict, Civil unrest, International Tension, Terrorist activity, Other Human Activity – What human activity are you likely to encounter during your expedition? Farming: Agrochemicals, Buildings, Felling, Industrial machinery, Large machines at open sites and quarries, Static and mobile machinery, Vehicles, Other Excavations: Asphyxiation, Dead ends, Drowning, Explosive gas mixes, Failure of props/supports, Hidden Shafts, Mines, Quarries, Roof fall, Toxic gas, Other Military Ammunition: Explosion, Hazardous materials, Waste disposal, Other Personal Health – This will be expanded upon in Appendix D ‘Medical Information’. Health: Asthma, Food intolerance/allergy, Illness, Infection (e.g. hepatitis and HIV), Joint problems, Lack of fitness, Pre-existing conditions, Other Lone working: Isolation, Other Personal: Differing expectations, Isolation, Lack of family/peer support, Stress trauma, Workload, Other Recreation – What hazards might you encounter during any recreation time? General: Climbing, Collision, Firearms, Hiking Other sports, Horse riding, Hunting/shooting, Rock-falls, Other Skiing: Avalanche, Other Water sports: Body boarding, Diving, Jet Skiing, Snorkeling, Surfing, Swimming, Other Terrain/Location – Outside of your fieldwork (above), what other terrains will you encounter? Caves Dead ends, Equipment Failure, Flooding/tides, Getting lost, Getting stuck, Oxygen deficient/Poisonous atmosphere, Roof fall, Other Inland waters, lagoons: Drowning, Flotsam and Jetsam, Flash Floods, Loose rocks, Quicksand, Sludge pits, Tides, Underwater obstacles, Unstable substrate, Other Lowlands Floods, Oxygen deficient/Poisonous atmosphere, Soft ground, Radon, Other Marine/Coastal: Abnormal waves, Currents, riptides, Other Tropics: Heat exhaustion, Other Uplands: Falls, Loose/falling rocks, Mudslides, Reduced oxygen, Other Urban: Roads and railways, Trains, Vehicles, Other Woodland: Fire, Getting lost, Other Transport - This applies not only to the host country, but anywhere you travel during the expedition (including the UK).

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FXpeditions FXpeditions Handbook 71 All Terrain: Boats: Flight: General/Other: Self-powered: Trains: Vehicles Collisions:

Collision, Damage to vehicle, Vehicles (ATV’s)/Off-roaders, Other Blown out to sea, Boarding/departing boat, Capsizing, Collision, Damage to vessel Falling overboard, Sea sickness, Sinking, Swamping, Other Poor maintenance, Other Incompetent driver/pilot, Insufficient fuel, Insufficient protection, Poor weather conditions, Other Exhaustion, Getting lost, Other Boarding/departing train, Insufficient space, Poor maintenance, Other Being struck by, Fuel fires, Hazardous terrain, Loose loads, Other

Risk Assessment In this section following the instructions below, you need to assess the hazards and identify the measures you are going to take to reduce the risks.

Step

Instructions

Guidance

1.

For each Hazard you have identified in the previous list, please enter it into table 1 below.

Table 1

2.

Please then identify the most likely consequence (how bad / severe could it be if it happened?)

Table 2

3.

How likely is it to happen?

Table 3

4.

Multiply the two scores together and enter your risk score into the assessment (Consequence x Likelihood = Risk Score)

Table 4

5.

Now describe all the steps you are planning to take to either eliminate, reduce or control the risks you have identified (e.g. take factor 30 sun cream, wear long trousers etc.)

6.

Do the controls you have listed do enough to control the risks, re-assess with a residual risk score (carry out step 1, 2, &3 again and enter score into section x). You have now assessed the residual risk (the remaining risk, taking into account all the controls you are taking)

7.

If the residual risk score is 9 or over (amber), you will need to discuss your trip further with your Staff mentor/adviser and FXU. This is unlikely to affect your trip, but there may be more that can be done to support you to reduce the risks further

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FXpeditions FXpeditions Handbook 72

4.2 Table 1: Risk Assessment Hazard number

What is the hazard (e.g. low temperature, falling rocks)

Action to be taken to control the risk (pleas list all actions you will be taking)

Residual Risk (the remaining risk once your controls are put in place

C

Accommodation Use hazards from 4.1 Identifying Hazards for each row e.g. ‘Buildings’ Insert rows as appropriate Behaviour Biological/Environmental Catering Chemical Climate Electrical Fieldwork: Marine Fieldwork: Terrestrial Legal/Security/Work Abroad

Page | 72

What action will you implement?

X

L

=


FXpeditions FXpeditions Handbook 73 Human Activity Personal Health Recreation Terrain/Location Transport

C = Consequence. L = Likeliness. This risk assessment must be shared with all FXpedition members taking part in the FXpedition. 4.3 Table 2: Consequence Score Consequence Score 1 Description Insignificant Minor injury not requiring first aid

4.4 Table 3 – Likelihood Score 1 Rare Descriptor Frequency Probability

Page | 73

Not expected to occur for years < 1%

2 Minor

3 Moderate

4 Major

Person absent for Major injuries, or Minor injury or more than 3 days / long term incapacity illness, first aid bad sprain / broken / disability (loss of treatment needed bone limb)

2 Unlikely

3 Possible

4 Likely

5 Catastrophic Death or major permanent incapacity

5 Almost Certain

Expected to occur Expected to occur at Expected to occur at Expected to occur at at least annually least monthly least weekly least daily 1 – 5% 6 – 20% 21 – 50% > 50%


FXpeditions FXpeditions Handbook 74 Will only occur in exceptional circumstances

Unlikely to occur

Reasonable chance of occurring

Likely to occur

More likely to occur than not

4.5 Table 4 – Risk Scoring Matrix Consequence 1 Insignificant

2 Minor

3 Moderate

4 Major

5 Catastrophic

1 - Rare

1

2

3

4

5

2 - Unlikely

2

4

6

8

10

3 - Possible

3

6

9

12

15

4 - Likely

4

8

12

16

20

5 - Almost Certain

5

10

15

20

25

Likelihood

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FXpeditions FXpeditions Handbook 75

4.6 Potentially dangerous diseases in host country Disease

Page | 75

Inoculation required

Medication required

Notes


FXpeditions FXpeditions Handbook 76

4.7 Procedures for bites/stings Bite/sting E.g. Venomous or unidentified snake

Page | 76

Procedure Immediate evacuation to hospital while keeping casualty as inactive as possible. DO NOT attempt to suck out venom, nor apply a tourniquet, nor give painkillers or anything else. None of this works, but may actually cause harm and, most importantly, causes delays.


FXpeditions FXpeditions Handbook 77

4.8 First Aid & Safety Arrangements Arrangement Will you (or your collaborators) be carrying a comprehensive first aid kit including neck braces etc.? Will everyone carry a first aid kit? Will all team members be trained in first aid? Will any team members have advanced first aid training? Will you have a satellite phone for emergencies? Will carry charged mobile phones at all times when signal is available? What will be your minimum group size when in the field? Will you be accompanied by a guide during your time in the field?

4.9 FXpedition Insurance details Insurer Emergency number Policy number

Page | 77

Provide details


FXpeditions FXpeditions Handbook 78 Policyholder

4.10 Medical care/Emergency Services Centre Name/Address

Telephone Numbers

Hospital/medical MEDICAL EMERGENCIES (Insert country)

Emergency number (e.g. 999)

Fire: Fire Type/Location e.g. Emergencies, forest fires etc.

Police: Police Type/Location e.g. emergencies, local, national EMERGENCY NUMBER (Insert country)

Emergency number (e.g. 999)

SEARCH AND RESCUE (Insert country)

Emergency number (e.g. 999)

NATURAL DISASTER (Insert country)

Emergency number (e.g. 999)

4.11 Consulate details Embassy Address British Embassy

Page | 78

Email

Non-Emergency Phone

Emergency (in hours)

Emergency (out of hours)


FXpeditions FXpeditions Handbook 79 (Insert country) Insert details of embassies for any nonBritish team members

o

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FXpeditions FXpeditions Handbook 80

Appendix D – Expedition Contact List/Team Member information 5.1 Expedition Contact List Last Name

First Name

Nationality

Role

Email

Joe

British

Expedition Leader

Joe@bloggs.org.uk

UK Telephone Number

In-country Telephone Number

Team members Bloggs Team member 2 Team member 3 Team member 4 Team member 5 Team member 6

Host country members/collaborators (Research students, NGOs, GOs, charities, companies) Collaborator 1 Collaborator 2 Collaborator 3 Collaborator 4 Collaborator 5 Collaborator 6

N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A

Emergency contacts/next of kin (Please provide general emergency contacts as well as next of kin for all team members) Emergency 1 Emergency 2 Emergency 3 Emergency 4 Emergency 5 Emergency 6 Emergency 7 Emergency 8 Emergency 9 Emergency 10

Page | 80

Team contact UK 1 Team contact UK 2 Team contact UK 3 Joe Bloggs’s mother Joe Blogg’s father

N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A


FXpeditions FXpeditions Handbook 81 5.2 Passport/Next of Kin Information Surname

Forename

Passport No

Next of Kin/Emergency Contacts

Bloggs

Joe

000000000

Mrs. Bloggs

Address

Phone

Email

07######### 01######### 07######### 01#########

Mr. Bloggs

5.3 Medical Information Surname

Forename

Allergies

Dietary Requirements

Conditions

Medications

Additional Notes

Bloggs

Joe

Peanuts

No nuts

Mild asthma

Epipen, antihistamines, inhalers

Carries medication at all times

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FXpeditions FXpeditions Handbook 82

This

document is available separately from this Handbook at http://issuu.com/fxpeditionskernow. Please send this application to: FXpeditions Director: fxpeditionsdirector@gmail.com

University Proposals This an University of have been

www.expeditionbasecamp.com

Funding may only be applied for by teams that have had their Project approved by the FXpeditions Committee. application for funding provided by the Halpin Charitable Trust and the

FXpedition University Funding

Exeter Annual Fund. Any weak points in your original Project Proposal should

amended. The Les Halpin Expedition Fund and the University of Exeter Scientific Expedition Fund

Please

ensure that you read the application “Guidelines for Approval and University

Funding” and

“Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)” before completing this form. The

should be submitted electronically. Maps, risk assessments, safety Application Form management plans and budgets can be sent separately or as part of this document. application

Disclaimer FXpeditions from the entirely FXpedition their safety, emergency University for these not

are ‘Falmouth and Exeter Expeditions’ – Expeditions run by students University of Exeter and Falmouth University. Each FXpedition team is an independent entity. Teams are responsible for the entirety of their (unless hiring an external party for support e.g. travel agent), including finances, and logistics. They must make their own arrangements for any situations that may arise. The University of Exeter and Falmouth are not affiliated to the FXpeditions and take no responsibility or liability expeditions, nor do they endorse them. Using either University’s logo is permitted for FXpedition teams.

All members These as gospel. sufficient measures documents, team.

FXpedition documents have been created by former FXpedition team who have given up their time to further the progress of FXpeditions. documents are designed to aid FXpedition teams but must not be treated FXpedition teams are responsible to ensure that they have raised finances for their FXpedition and put rigorous health and safety in place for emergency situations etc. The authors of these nor the FXpeditions bear any responsibility or liability for an FXpedition

In short: If to have minimise

something goes wrong, your FXpedition team is responsible and needs made sure that procedures and back-up plans are in place to prevent or the impact of these events.

Page | 82


FXpeditions FXpeditions Handbook 83

Section 1: FXpedition Information 1.1 FXpedition Information a

FXpedition title (10 words maximum)

b

FXpedition summary (100-200 words maximum)

1.2 Contact Details a Leader Details Email: Address: Tel: b

FXpedition email address:

c FXpedition website address (if any): 1.3 Location (Country, region): 1.4 Total Budget:

Page | 83


FXpeditions FXpeditions Handbook 84 Section 2: Research details and methodologies 2.1 Research programme details (FAQ 11)

a

Project Aims (What your wants to achieve)

b

Describe the scientific objectives of the FXpedition and how these contribute to achieving the overall aim. (200 words) (FAQ 4 & 21).

c

Explain the rationale for your research programme and how this will make a significant contribution to conservation, geographical and/or ecological knowledge (250 words) (FAQ 3).

d

Outline your research methodology. Give detailed methods and explain how these will achieve the project’s objectives. Focus on details of specific sampling techniques, strategies and required equipment. You should explain how the experience and training of team members provide you with the necessary skills to undertake this research. If your team is inexperienced, what training will you be undertaking? (500 words)

e

What makes your project different from others? (200 words)

f

What is your motivation for this trip? (200 words)

g

Who will benefit from this project? Think not only about those directly involved with the project, but communities both in Cornwall and your host country.

h

How will your findings be analysed and disseminated? Provide a list of proposed outputs for the FXpedition (e.g. final report, articles, published papers, articles, educational material, data, documentaries), indicating approximately when and how each item will be available and for whose benefit it is being produced.

i

Provide a timeline of your activities and tasks in the host country and how these will fulfill the FXpedition objectives. Include an outline of your method of travel, route, accommodation and supplies. If an agency or company is helping with logistics, please make this clear.

Page | 84


FXpeditions FXpeditions Handbook 85 2.2 Bibliography of proposed research List at least six publications, maps and/or other materials that have been used to develop the research objectives of the FXpedition.

2.3 Advisors List at least three key advisors that have helped develop your FXpedition, providing a background on their expertise and qualifications, along with details of what guidance they have provided.

2.4 Association with the host country List key organisations (universities, research centres/institutes, NGOs, GOs etc.) with which you are/will be/are hoping to be collaborating with, both in country and elsewhere. Describe the nature of these collaborations and what value this adds to your project. (FAQ 10)

Section 3: Members of the research team Page | 85


FXpeditions FXpeditions Handbook 86 3.1

Project members (FAQ 5)

a

Number of UK members

b

Number of in-country members

c

Total number of members

d

Reports from previous FXpeditions or research projects If team members have participated in previous FXpeditions, give full references to any resulting reports or papers.

e

Projects returning to locations of previous FXpeditions If you are participating in an FXpedition returning to a site visited by a previous FXpedition please provide details of how your project builds on and is distinct from the previous studies

f

Project ownership (FAQ 12) Who has legal and financial ownership of the project?

Page | 86


FXpeditions FXpeditions Handbook 87 Project members: Please complete the table below with details of all team members. Each row should correspond to one team member. You may expand boxes and add as many rows to the table as is necessary. Name in full (with title as appropriate)

Page | 87

Affiliation/organisation (include position or year, course of study and faculty)

Nationality

Role on team i.e. leader/ medical officer/ scientific officer etc.

Skills, experience and qualifications that are related to the research objectives, project methodology, environment and responsibilities i.e. experience and training with equipment and proposed methods/ medical training/ language skills/ past FXpedition experience etc. *


FXpeditions FXpeditions Handbook 88 Section 4: Logistics, health and safety, and finances 4.1

Dates in the field

From:

To:

Number of days:

Please clearly indicate what time will be dedicated to fieldwork, travel, and personal time (FAQ 11).

4.2

Study site details

a

Location (Country, region) :

b

Latitude (degrees, minutes N or S): Longitude (degrees, minutes E or W):

c

Geography of your research area: Include details that illustrate the environmental conditions, including the season, expected temperatures and rainfall, you expect to encounter and the remoteness of your field site/accommodation. Please attach a detailed map of your project area to this application (200 words)

4.3

Risk assessment A written risk assessment for the FXpedition must be reviewed by the FXpedition Judging Board. Your application will not be processed if your risk assessment has not been seen by the board. To ensure this happens, you should send your risk assessment to the board at least one month before the grant deadline. Please attach the assessment to your application form. You must complete both a full risk assessment and a condensed two-page version of the document (FAQ 13).

4.4

Crisis management plan A crisis management plan (that outlines the procedure should an emergency arise) must also be included with this application. This must include plans for communication and emergency evacuation. This should not be more than one page long (FAQ 14).

4.5

Emergency contact details Please provide full contact details of the home contact in the UK and in-country contact while the research team is in the field. These can be contacted in the event of an emergency. Home agent (UK) Name: Address: Tel: Email:

Page | 88

In-country contact Name: Address: Tel: Email:


FXpeditions FXpeditions Handbook 89

4.6

Permissions

a

Describe the steps that have been taken to obtain the necessary permissions from the in-country authorities to undertake your FXpedition and the stage you have reached. What stage are your applications at? Tourist visas are not sufficient.

b

Do you intend to bring any scientific samples back to Britain? Yes/No If yes, please state which authorities in the UK you have contacted/will contact to gain permission to do this.

If yes, please state which authorities in country you have contacted/will contact to gain permission to do this.

c

Notification of travel: Please indicate which of the following notifications have been made Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Yes/No

(This includes informing the FCO of your travel plans and obtaining the latest relevant FCO travel advice bulletin). British High Commission / Embassy in-country Yes/No 4.7 Environmental, social, and cultural impacts All FXpeditions must be conducted in an ethical and responsible manner. Please illustrate any potential negative environmental, social and cultural impacts that your FXpedition may have. Provide details of the attitudes and strategies that you will adopt to minimise and mitigate these (150 words) Refer to FAQ 12 for further details.

4.8 Insurance Please provide details of the insurance you have arranged for team members, kits etc.

Page | 89


FXpeditions FXpeditions Handbook 90

4.9 Budget Provide details of your planned FXpedition income and expenditure under the following sections. Add any appropriate budget headings.

Pre-fieldwork / preparation Training International travel (flights) Subsistence (accommodation and food) In-country travel Local counterparts / guides Field equipment Insurance (see FAQ 17 for further guidance)

EXPENDITURE £ £ £ £ £ £ £ £

Please indicate your insurance provider Medical / health & safety Film / photography Post-fieldwork activities Preparation of project report Dissemination of findings Other (please itemise) Contingency (usually 10% of sub-total) TOTAL

£ £ £ £ £ £ £ £ INCOME

Grant giving trusts Fund raising events & activities Commercial sponsorship Individuals donations (FAQ 6) Other sources TOTAL

£ £ £ £ £ £

Support from other organisations What other funding bodies will you applying to? What stages are these applications at? Have you received any additional funding? What will you do with any excess (FAQ 7)?

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FXpeditions FXpeditions Handbook 91

Section 5: Other information 5.1

Referee statements Two referee statements are required for the University Funding application. One of these can be a staff member from the University of Exeter of Falmouth University (FAQ 20), while the other should be from an appropriate contact in-country, preferably from a government representative or an academic helping with your research programme. Your referees must not be members of the fieldwork team. Please send each referee the Guide for Referees (available at http://issuu.com/fxpeditionskernow) and ask them to return their statements directly (by email: fxpeditionsdirector@gmail.com). Your application will be jeopardised if your referee statements do not arrive on time.

5.2 Please indicate how you heard about the FXpeditions

5.3 Data Protection The information you have given on this form will be held on the FXpedition’s database and may be released to others planning research FXpeditions, potential sponsors and/or the media Please check the box if you do not wish to have this information released: 5.4 Declaration The information submitted in this application is to the best of my knowledge correct at the time this application was made. Should any significant developments arise after this application is made, such as change of team members or official permits being gained, I will keep the FXpeditions Committee informed of such developments (FAQ 22). I have informed my in-country referee that their statement should be returned directly to the FXpeditions Director. Should this project be cancelled or postponed subsequent to receiving support from the Board, I will return the grant awarded. Please check the box to confirm that you have read and will abide by this declaration: NOTE: Please remember to attach your full risk assessment and map of your project area to this application. Your application will not be processed until the risk assessment; map and two referee statements have been received. Any other supporting documents will be accepted. For further advice or clarification regarding the grant or application process please contact us directly: fxpeditionsdirector@gmail.com.

.

Page | 91


FXpeditions FXpeditions Handbook 92

Appendices

Page | 92


FXpeditions FXpeditions Handbook 93

FXpedition Meeting Agenda Template This document is available separately from this Handbook at http://issuu.com/fxpeditionskernow.

Date: Time:

1. Attendance

2. Events/Training/Workshops

3. Funding for FXpeditions

4. Kit/Corporate sponsorship

5. Blog/Website/Social media

6. Any other business

Page | 93

Speaking


FXpeditions FXpeditions Handbook 94

FXpeditions Committee Annual Timeline Key deadlines, activities, and events throughout the year. This example timeline details what needs to be done for the duration of one expedition starting in January 2015. Remember that this is a two-year process, so this process begins again in 2016.

Page | 94


FXpeditions FXpeditions Handbook 95 Suggested Committee Positions • Director

Secretary

Funding Officer

Web Manager

Social Media Officer

Outreach Officer

Event Manager

November – January Prepare FXpedition Exhibition and Expedition Planning Workshop Event Manager

• • • •

Organise teams and sort logistics for FXpedition Exhibition. Organise speakers/demonstrators and logistics for Expedition Planning Workshop. Be present at events and ensure they run smoothly. Create Facebook event.

Outreach Officer • Promote FXpedition Exhibition to local community/school. Social Media Officer • Promote events through social media output. • Put up photos from events online. Secretary

Page | 95

Assist Event Manager.


FXpeditions FXpeditions Handbook 96

January Deadline for FXpedition reports: Collate reports and release funding Secretary

Director

• •

Collate reports from teams, send to Director. Set up review meeting for FXpeditions Committee.

Review reports with FXpeditions Committee, suggest changes if needed.

Funding Officer

• • •

Release any withheld funds for teams that have handed in their reports on time. Funds need to come from Exeter to FXpedition team bank accounts. Talk to the FXpeditions Committee if there are any problems.

Web Manager

Upload reports onto ISSUU site.

Social Media Officer • Promote success of teams on social media. January - March Promote FXpeditions, call for new proposals Director

Send out message across campus asking for new proposals.

Social Media Officer • Promote call for proposals on social media, use previous expedition success/media.

Page | 96


FXpeditions FXpeditions Handbook 97

Early March Call proposal meeting and feedback to teams Secretary

Director

• • • •

Arrange meeting with FXpeditions Committee. Collate proposals and distribute to meeting attendees at least one week before the meeting. Attend meeting and take minutes. Distribute minutes FXpeditions Committee and teams.

Attend meeting, discuss proposals with Committee.

May – September Update FXpedition documents for following year Director

Secretary

Read through documents (FXpedition Handbook, Proposal forms etc.) and suggest changes. Send to FXpedition Judging Board if desired.

Update documents from comments provided by Director and the Board.

Funding Officer

Update grants spreadsheet, checking links and changing deadlines to the upcoming year.

Web Manager

Upload updated documents to website/ISSUU.

Social Media Officer • Publicise any updated documents through social media. Event Manager

Page | 97

Create generic risk assessments for talks, workshops etc.


FXpeditions FXpeditions Handbook 98

September Prepare Expedition Planning Workshop Event Manager

• • •

Organise speakers/demonstrators and logistics for Expedition Planning Workshop. Be present at event and ensure it runs smoothly. Create Facebook event.

Social Media Officer • Promote event through social media output. • Put up photos from event online. Secretary

Assist Event Manager.

Collate FXpedition descriptions and advertise Secretary

Director

Collate FXpedition descriptions and combine into single document/blog.

Promote advertised FXpeditions through a talk or similar event.

Social Media Officer • Promote advertised FXpeditions through social media. • Use previous materials (past FXpedition pictures/videos) to boost interest.

Page | 98


FXpeditions FXpeditions Handbook 99

October The FXpeditions Talk Director

• •

Write and give talk on the FXpeditions, what they are, what they require, what has been done before, what is being planned, and how people can get involved. Promote significant events coming up during the year (such as RGS Explore).

Social Media Officer • Promote talk through social media. Event Manager

• •

Book room. Create Facebook event.

Arrange RGS Explore Trip Event Manager

• •

• •

Complete events pack and risk assessment. Arrange group transport and accommodation if required (at least one week in advance of the event). Ensure everyone is aware of ‘Early Bird’ deadlines and fills out the appropriate booking form. Create Facebook event. Investigate group discount.

Promote event in FXpeditions talk.

Director

Social Media Officer • Promote event on social media. Secretary

Page | 99

Assist Event Manager.


FXpeditions FXpeditions Handbook 100

October-December Update website information Director

Secretary

Call for updated/new information from teams. This should include all text and pictures and any instructions as to how they would like their pages displayed.

Collate information for all teams and pass on to Web Manager.

Web Manager

Update website with new information.

Social Media Officer • Promote new teams and any significant updates through social media. November Call funding meeting and feedback to teams, distribute funds Secretary

Director

• • • • •

Arrange date and time of meeting with FXpedition Judging Board. Book room. Prepare applications and distribute to all who will be present. Do this at least one week in advance of meeting. Take minutes during meeting. Write up notes and disseminate to teams.

Call meeting with FXpedition Judging Board.

Funding Officer

Page | 100

Arrange for funds to be disseminated through Exeter finance, liaise with FXpedition Judging Board if unsure of procedure.


FXpeditions FXpeditions Handbook 101

General jobs Director

• •

Ensure that roles are suitably delegated and maintain good organisation of the committee. This role requires less work, but more chasing of committee members to make sure that tasks have been done on time and to the appropriate standard.

Secretary

• •

Arrange FXpedition committee meetings. Write minutes for FXpedition committee meetings and upload to relevant location.

Funding Officer

• •

Search for new sources of FXpedition funding/sponsorship throughout the year. Liaise with the FXpedition Judging Board to attempt to gain more funds from the Halpin Trust and University of Exeter Annual Fund when these are used up.

Web Manager

Perform general maintenance of the website and blog, ensure all links are working and good presentation is being maintained by any teams utilising the blog/social media feeds.

Social Media Officer

• • Page | 101

Upload pictures/videos from event to social media. Create a monthly newsletter that details FXpedition activities.


FXpeditions FXpeditions Handbook 102 •

Search for guest bloggers.

Outreach Officer

• •

Organise regular outreach events at local schools, youth groups (cubs, scouts, guides etc.). Bring FXpedition teams along to help engage with the audience. Preferably use teams that have returned from the field or a combination of those that have been and those that area going.

Event Manager

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Page | 102

Work with teams to think up new, exciting events. Search for potential expedition speakers.


FXpeditions FXpeditions Handbook 103

Further FXpedition Documents Available at http://issuu.com/fxpeditionskernow - Grant Spreadsheet - Budget Template - Previous examples of o Expedition Reports o Grant Applications o Project Proposals RGS Expedition and Fieldwork Publications - http://bit.ly/1NvTx80 - Invaluable free resources created by the Royal Geographical Society. Includes the Expedition Handbook which compliments this document. This will also be particularly useful for post-expedition activities.

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