|
Partnership with GSDI Association |
|
|
|
|
Global Spatial Data Infrastructure (GSDI) Small Grants Program As stated in its website, the GSDI Association is an inclusive organization of organizations, agencies, firms, and individuals from around the world. The purpose of the organization is to promote international cooperation and collaboration in support of local, national and international spatial data infrastructure developments that will allow nations to better address social, economic, and environmental issues of pressing importance.
Among its goals, GSDI supports the establishment and expansion of local, national, and regional spatial data infrastructures that are globally compatible and supports interdisciplinary training, education and research activities that advance spatial data infrastructure development. Both internal and external funds are used to support projects and programs that further these goals.
In 2005, Juna Papajorgji, a GISCorps co-founder, initiated a partnership between GISCorps and GSDI and, as a result, GISCorps joined the Association’s Small Grants Program’s review team. Since then GISCorps has been identifying proposals that may benefit from having a GISCorps volunteer. Missions may be on-site or remotely accomplished at the volunteer’s location. Awards of $2,500 US in professional services or $2,500 US in cash are for spatial data infrastructure or earth observation systems-related activities in economically disadvantaged nations. The partnership with the GISCorps has expanded the GSDI program to allow for a larger number of grant awards and for an increase in value of others. To date, GISCorps has participated in 2005/2006 and most recently in 2008/2009 projects. The 2008/2009 efforts are currently spearheaded by Mark Salling, a GISCorps Core Committee member.
2008/2009 Projects In 2008/2009 cycle, the GSDI and GISCorps team have reviewed 31 applications – 19 from Africa and six each from Asia and the Americas. The announcement of awards is expected soon and we are investigating the potential role of GISCorps volunteers for about a dozen of the proposals.
2005/2006 Projects
In 2005/2006 cycle, 71 grant proposals from over 50 countries were received and reviewed by the review team. Six of those projects qualified for receiving GISCorps volunteers’ remote assistance. The total value of the program in 2005/2006 cycle was at $30,000 in cash from the GSDI and $13,500 in services from the GISCorps. The following are the 15 final winners:
Recipients of up to $2,500 in voluntary services from the GISCorps
- Namibia - Biodiversity database
- Armenia - Web-mapping volcanoes
- Kenya - Coastal resources maps/oil spills
Recipients of up to $2,000 in voluntary services from the GISCorps and $2,500 in cash from the GSDI
- Institute for Ecology & Botany (Hungary) - Botany Portal
- World Food Program (Mali) - SDI Application
- Marshall Islands (Marshall Islands) - Metadata/clearinghouse
Recipients of $2,500 in cash from the GSDI
- Columbia - Web mapping workshop
- Observatoire Satellital des Foręts d'Afrique Centrale (Congo) - Biodiversity database
- Directorate of Land and Property (East Timor) - SDI Workshop
- Foodlink (Kenya) - workshop on data inventory and agreement
- Ministry of Lands & Environment (Jamaica) - continuation of existing work
- Livestock (Kenya) - Data Inventory & Clearinghouse Development
- Delta (Niger) - On-line Database and clearninghouse
- Information Management (Philippines) - Building NSDI, technology working groups; policies, and database
- Management of Health Services (Uganda) - SDI Workshop
|
