The Global Spatial Data Infrastructure Association is pleased to announce its Small Grants Program for the year 2005.

The Global Spatial Data Infrastructure (GSDI) Association is dedicatedto international cooperation and collaboration in support of local,national and international spatial data infrastructure developmentsthat would allow nations to better address social, economic, andenvironmental issues of pressing importance. We are committed tobringing about an infrastructure that will allow users globally toaccess spatial data at a variety of scales from multiple sources thatultimately will appear seamless to all users.  The GSDIAssociation supports the work of organizations to develop their own SDIinitiatives, nationally and regionally, and collaborates with local,national, and international organizations to ensure that geospatialdata, services, and metadata are accessible through interoperablestandards-based services, systems, software, and products that operatein a web-enabled environment.  The success of the GSDI Associationdepends on the quality of its partnerships with public, private,academic, and non-governmental organizations.

The GSDI isbeing advanced through the leadership of many nations and organizationsrepresented by a GSDI Association Council and Board of Directors. Themulti-national Board includes representatives from all continents, andall sectors: government, academia, and the private sector as well asregional SDI initiatives referred to as permanent committees:

 Africa: United Nations Economic Commission for Africa, Committee on Development Information: Geo (CODI-GEO)
 Americas: Pan American Institute of Geography and History (PAIGH)
 Asia and Pacific: Permanent Committee for GIS Infrastructure for Asia and the Pacific (PCGIAP)
 Europe: European Umbrella Organization for Geographic Information (EUROGI)

Please visit the GSDI Association website (http://www.gsdi.org) to familiarize yourself with the mission, goals, programs, accomplishments and priorities of the organization.

The GSDI Association along with partners and participants has allocatedresources from the U.S. Federal Geographic Data Committee and theGISCorps of URISA, to fund a small grants program to support nationalor sub-national activities that foster partnerships, improve datacompatibility and access, and increase political support for spatialdata infrastructure development.  The grants are limited to US$2,500 and up to an equivalent amount in SDI/GIS consulting anddevelopment services. The SDI/GIS consulting services will becoordinated by the GISCorps (http://www.giscorps.org),an international initiative that offers GIS consulting and developmentservices by qualified volunteers to emerging economies. If consultingexpertise is requested as part of a grant submission, proposal writersshould be explicit about the external expertise desired or required,language requirements, and whether the tasks contemplated by theexternal experts may be accomplished off site or must be in country.Also indicate those tasks or results that may still be achieved if therequest for GISCorps consulting resources is unable to be met.

Activities to receive support may focus on technical or institutionalprojects, as long as there are concrete/tangible outputs and severalinstitutions collaborate.  Sample activities include (these arenot exhaustive):

 Convening of national or sub-national seminars or workshops
 Producing training manuals and modules (these materials must not duplicate existing SDI materials)
 Establishing metadata and clearinghouse nodes
 Establishing web mapping services and applications
 Accomplishing surveys or inventories
 Producing and disseminating newsletters and awareness-raising materials
 Drafting policy and legislation

Priority will be given to projects in developing nations and countrieswith economies in transition.  Grants can be awarded to SDIcoordinating bodies (councils, committees) and GIS user groups, but theGSDI Association asks that one institution take responsibility forreceiving/depositing the funds.  Grants will not coverorganization overhead expenses.

Proposals should include information under the following headings:
1. Title of Project/Activity
2. Focal Point Institution
3. Contact Person (business street address, phone/fax, email)
4. Introduction and Background (include a description of the nationalor local institutional framework and what has been achieved thus far)
5. Project Description
6. Summary of Deliverables
7. Period of Performance (time-line for overall project, deadline datesfor deliverables, date of final project report to be submitted togrants@gsdi.org)   
8. Budget (itemize how the money is to be spent)
9. Details of additional or in-kind funds to co-finance the activity
10. List of Collaborators (with contact information)
11. Envisioned Follow-up Activities
Appendix: Final Reports from Past GSDI Small Grant Awards
 
Proposals must be submitted in English and should be preferably twopages in length but no more than five pages or 2000 words (excludingany appendices). Please submit your proposal as a pdf file (oralternatively Word or rtf file) using 12-point Times or Arial font. Afax is also acceptable.

We anticipate funding a total of 10to 12 proposals.  Grant funds will be issued as paper checks in USdollars or as wire transfers.  If the recipient chooses to receivefunds by wire transfer, $100 US will be deducted from the award amountto cover the processing costs for the wire transfer. The recipientinstitution will be required to provide a project report and an expensereport upon completion of the project.  The GSDI Association mayinclude excerpts of the project reports in GSDI newsletters or on itsweb site. Awardees are encouraged to publish a local press releasehighlighting the award from the GSDI Association as well as theproposed activities.

Proposals are due on 15 August 2005.  Please either e-mail or fax them to:

Sponsored Projects Committee
GSDI Association
grants@gsdi.org
Fax +1-703-852-7917

For more information about the GSDI or to subscribe to the GSDI NewsList, see http://www.gsdi.org.  For questions about this request for proposals, contact grants@gsdi.org


Note: The Small Grants Program is intended as a benefit of "fullmembership" in the GSDI Association.  Because the GSDI Associationis fairly young, the opportunity is being made available currently tonon-members as well.  However, full members may obtain favoredtreatment in the instance in which two grant applications have beenranked similarly in the peer review process. Note that the annual GSDIAssociation membership fee may be as little as $200 US for nationalorganizations in low per capita income nations.  See therequirements for membership at http://gsdi.org/joinGSDI.asp