National Geographic Map Awards

National Geographic Maps sponsors award programs through three cartographic organizations (see below), with funding provided by National Geographic Mission Programs:

• Association of American Geographers/Cartography SG award
• British Cartographic Society award
• Cartography and Geographic Information Society (CaGIS) award

Association of American Geographers

National Geographic Award in Mapping

Undergraduate students and master's-degree candidates are invited to apply for the National Geographic Award in Mapping. This award recognizes student achievement in the art, science, and technology of mapping and seeks to encourage student research.

The first place award consists of a cash prize of $900 (U.S.) and the second place award is $300 (U.S.). Winners and honorable mentions also will receive National Geographic atlases or other map products.

This award is administered through the Association of American Geographers (AAG) Cartography Specialty Group (CSG). Judging will be by the National Geographic Award in Mapping committee of the AAG/CSG and will be based on the technical, aesthetic, and overall quality of the submission. The award winner, or winners, will be announced at the CSG meeting at the Annual Meeting of the AAG in Los Angeles, CA. Applying students do not need to be members of the AAG.

2011-12 AWARD WINNERS

First Prize: Consisting of $900 and the National Geographic 9th Edition Atlas of the World, to Sarah Graves, University of Wisconsin-Madison, for her map The Value of America’s Forests. View a sample of her work by clicking here.

Second Prize: Consisting of $300 and the National Geographic 9th Edition Atlas of the World, to Brad Carter, Ryerson University, for his map Broken Windows & Violent Crime in Philadelphia. View a sample of his work by clicking here.

Honorable Mention: Consisting of a National Geographic map pack, to David Himmelman, Harvard University Graduate School of Design, for his map on Naturally Occurring Retirement Communities, titled NORCS in NYC. View a sample of his work by clicking here.

Honorable Mention: Consisting of a National Geographic map pack, to Dongsei Kim, Harvard University Graduate School of Design, for his map The Demilitarized Zone: Redrawing the 151 mile border between North and South Korea. View a sample of his work by clicking here.

Honorable Mention: Consisting of a National Geographic map pack, to Patrick Moriearty, University of Wisconsin-La Crosse, for his map Global Unrest: The Face of a Changing World. View a sample of his work by clicking here.

Special thanks to Robert Roth at the Department of Geography, University of Wisconsin-Madison and Academic Director of the AAG Cartography Specialty Group for his help organizing the award this year.

HOW TO APPLY

Following the strong tradition of print cartography produced by the National Geographic Society, submission must be in the form of a static map in a vector (e.g., pdf) or raster (e.g., jpg, tiff) format. While group work is eligible for submission, the maximum numbers of students working on a single team is three. Entries must be completed as part of the student's curriculum (i.e., not for a job, including freelance work); the student's cartography instructor must confirm that the work was completed for university credit by completing the form available below. In addition to your map, please include the following items with your submission:

• A cover page that includes your name, institutional affiliation, degree program (e.g. M.A.), address, phone number, email, and cartography/GIS instructor's name.
• A one-page statement that provides some context of the submission, i.e. its purpose, how it may be used, how it was created, its limitations, etc. Please also include a paragraph on how this award would help you with your educational plans.
• The completed form signed by your cartography instructor. Download Form.

Submissions must be received by February 15, 2013. Please apply by sending all digital materials to Robert Roth. For more information contact Robert Roth; or Sean O'Connor of National Geographic.

PREVIOUS WINNERS

2012 :: Sarah Graves, University of Wisconsin-Madison
2011 :: Alison DeGraff, Middlebury College
2010 :: Joe Fraser, Nova Scotia Community College
2008 :: Daniel Huffman, University of Wisconsin-Madison
2007 :: Zachary Johnson, University of Wisconsin-Madison
2007 :: Samantha Keehan, University of Wisconsin-Madison
2006 :: Cassandra Hansen, Humboldt State University, California
2005 :: Shannon Brassard and Jeff Wielki, Centre for Geographic Sciences, Nova Scotia
2004 :: John Nelson, Central Michigan University
2003 :: Rob James, University of Hawaii at Manoa
2002 :: Anthony Robinson, East Carolina University

British Cartographic Society

National Geographic New Mapmaker Award

The New Mapmaker Award recognizes the work of college students or new professionals starting a mapping career with a £500 cash prize. Students and professionals worldwide can apply for this award, and applicants do not need to be members of the British Cartographic Society. The deadline is July 30, 2012.

More information and application forms are at the British Cartographic Society website.

The 2011 winner is Mike Wilburn, a mapmaker at the University of Oregon for his map titled Mount Rainier: A Climber’s Paradise. He receives £500 and a National Geographic Visual Atlas of the World. View a sample of his work by clicking here.

Cartography and Geographic Information Society (CaGIS)

Student Map Design Competition

National Geographic provides a cash prize and atlases for this map competition that evaluates map design and how a map meets its design objectives. College students can submit maps that are on paper, disc, or online. The deadline is January 29, 2012.

2010-11 AWARD WINNERS

The Arthur Robinson prize for best printed map by a student, consisting of $600 and the National Geographic 9th Edition Atlas of the World, went to Adam Thom, Sir Sandford Fleming College for his map titled Sites and Recreation in Central California. View a sample of his work by clicking here.

Note: Previews of the winning maps can be viewed on the CaGIS website in the Awards section.

There were no submissions for the David Woodward award for best electronic map by a student.

More information, application forms, and past winners are at the CaGIS website.