One of the AAG’s most time-honored programs are the AAG Grants and Awards, annually recognizing students, scholars, and geographers of all types. The AAG has a long history of supporting and recognizing geographers’ accomplishments and contributions through its many prestigious awards presented to AAG members, students, early career, mid-career, and senior faculty.

As of today, AAG administers more than 43 awards to honor and assist members not only to participate in, or attend the Annual Meeting but also in support of their research, instruction, mentoring, diversity-related or anti-racist  work  as well. Some awards, such as the AAG Honors, which are the AAG’s highest awards, serve to recognize significant achievement, while others provide funding for education, projects, or travel. Overall, the AAG Grants and Awards program offers a range of opportunities for members to apply for, nominate others, and help fund various distinctions. Often, the namesakes of awards such as Brunn, Nystrom, Marcus, Rose, Wilbanks and others, represent geographers who had a profound influence on the discipline. Below is a quick overview of just some of the AAG Grants and Awards. A full list of all opportunities is available online.

Student Grants and Awards

There are various student awards and grants to support continuing education or advanced research. The Darrel Hess Community College Geography Scholarship awards two scholarships annually to students from community colleges, junior colleges, city colleges, or similar two-year educational institutions who will be transferring as geography majors to four year colleges and universities. Undergraduates can apply for the Marble-Boyle Undergraduate Achievement Award in Geographic Science which recognizes excellence in academic performance by undergraduate students from the United States and Canada who are putting forth a strong effort to bridge geographic science and computer science.

For graduate students, the AAG offers students the ability to apply for doctoral dissertation research support in the form of small grants up to $1000 to PhD candidates of any geographic specialty. The Nystrom Award is a prestigious annual prize given for a paper based upon a recent dissertation in geography. Several grants and awards are specifically designed to support graduate student attendance at the Annual Meeting such as the AAG Council Award for Outstanding Graduate Student Paper at a Regional Meeting.

Opportunities for Faculty and Programs

The AAG provides Research Gants up to $500 to support research and fieldwork conducted by faculty. For faculty wishing to do research with others, the Marcus Fund for Physical Geography assists faculty who wish to provide their graduate students with a fieldwork experience. Results of research can also be recognized at the AAG Annual Meeting with the AAG Book Awards that celebrate recently published titles in geography.

The AAG recognizes geography departments and programs for their efforts in enhancing the geographic discipline and providing excellent support for students. The AAG Program Excellence Award is given annually to an outstanding geography department or program. The award is granted to baccalaureate programs, to terminal master’s programs, and in 2019 the AAG will add geography programs in community colleges and two-year degree granting  institutions into the rotation for this award. Departments and programs must be nominated by their AAG Regional Division for consideration for this award.

Service to and Support of AAG Grants & Awards

The AAG Grants and Awards represents a fantastic way to become more involved in service to the discipline while also honoring those geographers who have made a difference in your life. Many honors are awarded through nominations from friends and colleagues, a meaningful contribution to the discipline recently stressed by AAG President Derek Alderman. Awards Committees, such as the Honors Committee, seek new volunteer members each year to help to identify candidates for the AAG Honors and the AAG Fellows, which recognizes geographers who have made significant contributions to advancing geography. Funding for the AAG Grants and Awards is frequently supported by contributions from members. Many of these awards would not be possible without nominations and also monetary support from AAG members. To donate to an award or grant fund, visit the AAG donation page.

Annual Meeting Funding

For non-geographers who are not students and will be attending the AAG Annual Meeting, the AAG Enrichment Fund covers meeting related expenses through an application process. The Community College Travel Grants also offer students from community colleges, junior colleges, city colleges, or similar two-year educati/cs/grants/college_travelonal institutions the opportunity to receive support for travel to the AAG Annual Meeting.  Beyond the AAG administered grants and awards, the Regional Divisions and more than 70 Specialty Groups also offer numerous opportunities for recognition and funding of over $50,000 per year. No matter who you are, there’s sure to be an AAG award or grant that fits you.

AAG Awards Luncheon

Inaugural class of AAG Fellows receives recognition at the 2018 AAG Awards Ceremony

AAG grants and awards as well as some Specialty Group awards are formally given out during the Awards Luncheon held annually at the AAG Annual Meeting. The AAG Awards Luncheon is an excellent occasion to celebrate and congratulate the award recipients for their achievements and accomplishments in scholarship, service, publishing, and education. Tickets are sold individually or by table each year.

Do you have more questions about grants and awards? Be sure to visit the AAG Awards Calendar for upcoming deadlines and award details. For additional information, email: AAG grants and awards at grantsawards [at] aag [dot] org or Candida Mannozzi at cmannozzi [at] aag [dot] org.

The AAG Snapshots series, first launched at the 2017 Annual Meeting, provides insight on and information about different aspects of the projects, programs, and resources of the association. Do you have suggestions for future Snapshots content from AAG staff? Email cluebbering [at] aag [dot] org.