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Objectives of the Fund
The Fund endeavours to increase our knowledge of one of the least known, but most important parts, of our planet, and also to stimulate the lasting qualities of enterprise, endurance and leadership gained in this uniquely arduous environment. Gino Watkins, an outstanding young man who revolutionised polar exploration, was essentially pursuing these aims in Greenland in 1932, exploring the feasibility of a trans-Arctic air route when he was drowned.
The formal objectives of the Fund are:
- The improvement and diffusion of knowledge of polar regions.
- The acquisition of the special knowledge necessary for polar exploration and to prevent accidents and loss of life.
To do so, the Fund provides approval and grants in aid to well conceived polar expeditions. Each year the Fund helps appropriate expeditions to visit not only Greenland and other high Arctic lands, but also the Antarctic. Ventures to Iceland in the summer and to Norway are not usually awarded grants.
To assess the quality of proposals the Fund has a committee of experienced polar explorers and scientists. They evaluate plans submitted for scientific and educational merit as well as logistical soundness and safety, always bearing in mind the arduous conditions that govern life and travel in these vital and challenging regions. Applications for support by the Fund come from all backgrounds.