NACIS Grants and Awards

NACIS encourages students and professionals alike to attend and show off their hard work at the annual conference. We offer a number of ways of recognizing the accomplishments of our brilliant cartographers, as listed in the grants and awards below.

Corlis Benefideo Award

Recognizing imaginative cartography that takes us into the world of the possible.

The biannual Corlis Benefideo Award is to recognize a body of work and the perspective it brings to the field of cartography, and the contributions it makes to the world as a whole.

Student and Professional Travel Grants

NACIS has travel grant initiatives that invest in the future growth and strength of the organization.

Undergraduate Student Scholarship in Cartography

The NACIS Student Scholarship in Cartography awards an annual scholarship to an undergraduate student majoring in geography or a closely related field showing a strong interest in and aptitude for cartography or visualization design. To qualify, an applicant will share a sample of their work and a personal statement (either in writing, audio, or video) explaining their passion for their field and how they plan to continue pursuing it, professionally or otherwise, post-graduation.

Student Dynamic Map Competition

NACIS recognizes the importance of dynamic mapping in cartography, and each year we encourage excellence in student dynamic and interactive maps by sponsoring the Student Dynamic Map Competition. Enter your innovative maps for a chance to win the $500 award!

Student Map and Poster Competition

Students who’d like to display their works at NACIS should register for the annual Student Map and Poster Competition. We encourage all students to submit their maps and technical/research posters for a chance at a prize of $500!

Map Gallery

Show off your latest cartographic creations each year at our Annual Meeting! We host a Map Gallery to showcase the best of what our members have created throughout the year, from experimental techniques to finished products.