Awards

About the scholarship

The NACIS Student Scholarship in Cartography awards an annual scholarship to an accomplished undergraduate student who is majoring in geography or a closely related field while concentrating their course work in cartographic or visualization design or research. This award recognizes that, through the student’s coursework, they will have demonstrated excellence in print or digital cartography, involvement in cartographic research, or activity in cartographic outreach.

Eligibility

  • Any full-time undergraduate student enrolled in a degree-granting program at a 2- or 4-year institution.
  • Pursuing a major in geography or a closely related field with a focus on cartography or related discipline centered on map design,  visualization, or research in one of cartography’s many topics.
  • Women, minorities, under-represented groups are especially encouraged to apply.

Award

One student will receive $1,000. This award may be used at the discretion of the awardee for needed expenses related to the pursuit of their major.
The winner of the award will be invited to attend an upcoming NACIS conference where they will be recognized for their accomplishment. To supplement their travel, they may apply for one of the travel grants offered through NACIS.

Required submission materials

  • One-page statement reflecting on their choice to incorporate cartography in their career and how they plan to apply their cartographic education post-graduation.
  • A letter from the student’s academic adviser or professor most knowledgeable about the student’s academic performance in cartographic coursework explaining the student’s academic accomplishments and strengths.
  • A single sample of their cartographic work (either print or digital) with a statement under 500 words providing context for the map.
  • Official transcript.

All required submission materials should be emailed to the chair of the selection committee, Fritz Kessler, at [email protected]. The deadline for submissions is June 30th. Winners will be announced by July 15th.