Geoscientists Without Borders Award Grant

Geoscientists Without Borders Award Grant

Status: ACTIVE
Funder: Society of Exploration Geophysicists
Amount: Up to US $50,000
Last Updated: March 31, 2026

Summary

The Geoscientists Without Borders Award supports humanitarian applications of geoscience by funding projects that address environmental hardships and natural hazards. It encourages collaboration between geoscientists and communities, focusing on providing sustainable solutions, particularly in areas facing severe challenges like water shortages and disasters. The program emphasizes student participation and multidisciplinary partnerships to strengthen both local communities and the global geoscience community.

Overview

Supporting the humanitarian applications of geoscience around the world. Geoscientists without Borders® (GWB) serves as a catalyst by bringing capable scientists together with communities in need to solve their challenges. The program funds these projects, which assists geoscientists and their teams in collaborating with multidisciplinary and community-based partners. The project team collects, processes, and interprets data to provide solutions and resources that result in a sustainable humanitarian benefit to the community. Making a Difference Geoscientists have the tools necessary to effect positive change in communities coping with environmental hardships and natural hazards. The humanitarian efforts of geoscientists, who offer their specialized knowledge and technical skills to those in need facing severe potable water shortages or disasters such as earthquakes, tsunamis, landslide, and volcanoes benefit communities in various locations globally. GWB Mission Support humanitarian application of geoscience knowledge and technology around the world. Fund projects that benefit communities in need facing environmental hardship and natural hazards due to resource shortages, and natural and man-made disasters. Goals Provide funding to support projects that will benefit communities in need, where applying geoscience is critical to improving poor environments and living conditions, or where dangerous settings and hazards can be mitigated or reduced.Strengthen the global geoscience community through beneficial multidisciplinary partnerships and cooperation with other organizations such as those active in engineering, geosciences, and technology as well as various other science and humanitarian disciplines.Encourage students and introduce them to the broad range of geosciences careers while also strengthening university programs in geophysics and the geosciences, especially at or close to the project locations. Projects supported by Geoscientists without Borders® effect a positive change in communities facing environmental hardship and natural hazards globally. A special call for mainland United States projects is also taking place on this round. Project Leads (PIs) serving communities in greater Houston area by applying their geosciences skills to provide solutions to challenges such as Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) and Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) as well as other GWB’s thematic area of interest are invited to apply. For a full list of types of projects that GWB supports, please visit our website’s ‘Funded Projects’ page. The following restrictions apply to individual project awards. The maximum allowable award is USD $50,000.00 per year.Project Leads or Principal Investigators (PIs) may request funding for a project with duration of up to two (2) years’ limit.Projects must include student participation, especially local students from the project location. Engaging students and introducing them to the broad range of geosciences careers while also strengthening university programs in geophysics and geosciences is one of the primary goals of Geoscientists without Borders®.

Eligibility

You can learn more about this opportunity by visiting the funder's website. Applicants must be not-for-profit, charitable or higher educational organizations which are 501 (c) (3) or equivalent.PI must be established professionals in their areas of geosciences expertise.

Ineligibility

Awards may not be used to cover administrative costs not directly related to conduct of the project (indirect costs).For-profit organizations are not eligible for funding.Individuals are also not eligible to apply.Unexploded ordinance (UXO) detection projects are excluded.Projects that include political lobbying, proselytizing, or other activities that are not pertinent to the mission of the Society of Exploration Geophysicists (SEG) or the program intent are not eligible for funding. This includes projects submitted by religious or political organizations.We cannot accept applications from undergraduate/early career professionals/student chapter members listed as PIs in the LoIs.