SELECTION CRITERIA – EXPEDITION AWARD

i) Applicants must be under the age of 30 on the day of the specified closing date.

ii) At the time of application (closing date), the applicant must be either:

• A financial member of a club that is affiliated with FMC (e.g. tramping or mountaineering/alpine club, university tramping club).
• A member of an organization that is an Associate of FMC (e.g. school, polytechnic or MSC Branch).
• An Individual Supporter of FMC (proof of membership will be required and will be cross-checked).

iii) The grant is to be used within one year of its receipt and the recipient is to confirm to FMC that the expedition was undertaken.  If the award is not used within the stipulated period, it must be repaid to FMC.  FMC also reserves the right to split the award and complete payment once evidence of completion of the expedition is provided.

iv) The application must be supported by the following means:

• For members of affiliated clubs or associated organisations: a written endorsement from the applicant’s supporting organisation’s executive (e.g. General Committee, Club Captain, President, Head Teacher, Course Coordinator/Tutor).  In addition, the endorsement should provide evidence of commitment to the club or organisation by the applicant (e.g. previous evidence of participation and leadership) and how partaking in the expedition will be of benefit to both the applicant and the club or affiliate organisation (e.g. nurturing future leadership and equipping them with suitable skills).  Clubs and associated organisations are especially encouraged to support those participants where financial hardship or other extreme factors may otherwise contribute towards their non-participation in such activities.
• For Individual Supporters: a written endorsement, including contact details, from a suitable referee (e.g. school teacher, sports coach, community leader, an employer) that provides an appropriate character reference of the applicant.  Previous outdoor experience, particularly in expedition-type settings, should be documented.  The endorsement should also outline how receipt of an award will assist in developing the applicant’s character in the future (e.g. building leadership and organisational skills, assisting with career aspirations etc).

v) Previous winners of a FMC Expedition Award are not eligible to reapply for the same award on subsequent occasions.

vi) The FMC Expedition Award can be held in conjunction with other external awards.

vii) The multi-day expedition must be a minimum of five nights’ duration and be within the conservation estate of mainland New Zealand or its offshore islands.  Trips that venture into wilderness areas, conservation stewardship land or other areas with minimal development are especially encouraged (although trips in other parts of the conservation estate, particularly those aimed at developing those with novice skills, will also be considered).  The participants can comprise members of any age group. However, the leader (applicant) of the expedition must meet the age criteria specified in point (i) above.

viii) The expedition described on the application form must be the trip that is undertaken.  The recipient cannot subsequently change the destination once the award has been granted without the express permission of FMC.  In describing the expedition for the application, consideration should be given to alternative routes / escape routes etc, by factoring in possible changes in circumstances (e.g. climate) that the party might encounter on the expedition.

ix) The maximum amount of the grant will be $1,000 and can be used to contribute towards travel costs of the participants to and from their destination, or to purchase trip food, accommodation (hut fees, campsite fees, plus back-packer type accommodation prior to or post trip), or the hire of mountain radios, PLBs, or transceivers.  The grant is not to be used for the purchase of individual gear.

x) The recipient must also be prepared to participate in any FMC publicity of the scholarship, including articles for the FMC Bulletin or other outdoors related publications (e.g. NZ Wilderness), and by being prepared to give talks on the journey to other local clubs where practicable.  If these two points are not adhered with, the grant must be repaid to FMC, in full, immediately upon request.