This award partially supports the Geosciences Graduate Research Grants at the Geological Society of America (GSA). The primary role of this program is to provide partial support of Master's and Doctoral thesis research in the geological sciences for graduate students at universities in the United States, Canada, Mexico and Central America. Grants are intended to defer field and laboratory expenses related to the students' projects, not to fund the complete project. Students may receive a grant once at the Master's level and once at the Ph.D. level. Applications are evaluated on the basis of the scientific merits of the problems, the capability of the investigator, and reasonableness of the budget. Eligibility is restricted to GSA members. Grants are awarded only to individuals; institutions, societies, and universities are not eligible. GSA strongly encourages women, members of under-represented groups in Geosciences, and persons with disabilities to participate fully in this grants program.
The Geological Society of America’s (GSA) Graduate Student Research Grants Program (Program) is one of the largest and most prestigious funding programs for graduate students in the geosciences. This program aids in field and laboratory costs of geoscience projects proposed and conducted by master’s and doctoral students at universities in the United States, Canada, Mexico, and Central America. The GSA Program was established in 1933 when it awarded 40 research grants for a total amount of $47,600. Since then, over $11.8 million has been awarded to almost 10,830 geoscientists through 2013. Many noted geoscientists have benefited from the GSA Program, including Harold C. Urey, a Nobel Prize winner and 15 current members of the National Academy of Sciences. An average of $2000 is awarded to roughly 50% of the applicants yearly. Funding for the GSA Program is supported by the GSA Foundation, GSA, and from the National Science Foundation (NSF). NSF has awarded GSA matching funds (approximately 32% of the entire Program) since 1990. NSF’s long-term relationship with GSA has played a key role in the professional development of geoscientists by supporting student research. Many of these projects have led to timely discoveries that affect the future and quality of our environment and have often extended the impact of research of principal investigators funded directly by NSF (by providing supplemental student support). Indirectly, the NSF/GSA relationship has had a positive influence on the growth and effectiveness of geoscience departments in universities and research institutions (e.g., by broadening the scope of research for emerging scientists). It has also benefited geoscientists who work in government agencies and in industry (by fostering collaboration between students and senior researchers). A continued goal for the GSA Program is to encourage and support women and diverse students in the geosciences. GSA has supported these groups at relatively high and constant levels and has acknowledged these grants in the GSA monthly journal GSA Today and through various awards. The GSA Program provides three minority research awards and one woman-specific research award, all funded through the GSA Foundation. These awards are presented yearly at the GSA Annual Meeting. It is GSA’s hope that women and students of diverse backgrounds who are funded through this Program will be more competitive in the academic and professional fields of geoscience. By creating a foundation of student research support, NSF and GSA together have helped direct and shape the entire geoscience community and the field itself. Students, professors, and the broader scientific community have come to rely on this program as an ongoing part of geoscience education, both as a means for professional development of fledgling scientists, and as a forum to address future challenges we face from a variety of geoscience perspectives.
