William L. Garrison Award for Best Dissertation in Computational Geography Grant

William L. Garrison Award for Best Dissertation in Computational Geography Grant

Status: ACTIVE
Funder: American Association of Geographers
Amount: US $3,500
Last Updated: November 02, 2025

Summary

The William L. Garrison Award for Best Dissertation in Computational Geography honors innovative research in geographic science, emphasizing advanced computational methods for spatial-temporal analysis. Established by the American Association of Geographers, this biennial award recognizes dissertations completed between September 1, 2023, and August 31, 2025, with a cash prize of $3,500 and a certificate of merit. It encourages researchers worldwide to explore the vital role of computation in addressing complex geographic challenges.

Overview

Dr. William L. Garrison This award was created to honor the outstanding research and educational activities of Dr. William L. Garrison who, following service in World War II, received his Ph.D. in Geography from Northwestern University in 1950. While a young faculty member at the University of Washington, Garrison became one of the leaders of the resurgence of geographic science and many of his doctoral students (including Duane Marble, Brian J. L. Berry, John Nystuen, Arthur Getis, Richard Morrill, and William Bunge) were subsequently instrumental in the evolution of geographic science and geographic information systems. Bill Garrison was also one of the first geographers to make use of computational approaches to the solution of geographic problems. The early work at the University of Washington of Garrison and his students involved such historic computing systems as the IBM 604 and IBM 650. Garrison is currently Professor Emeritus of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Emeritus Research Engineer in the Institute of Transportation Studies, University of California, Berkeley. The Award The biennial William L. Garrison Award for Best Dissertation in Computational Geography supports innovative research into the computational aspects of geographic science. The award is intended to arouse a more general and deeper understanding of the important role that advanced computation can play in resolving the complex problems of space–time analysis that are at the core of geographic science. The award is one of the activities of the Marble Fund for Geographic Science of the American Association of Geographers (AAG). The Garrison award consists of a cash prize in the amount of $3,500 and a formal certificate of merit. The formal presentation of the Garrison Award will take place at the annual meeting of the AAG following the announcement of the award. If they so choose, the Trustees of the Marble Fund may elect to award one or more additional certificates of merit to non-awardee finalists whose work is, in their judgment, of exceptional merit.

Eligibility

You can learn more about this opportunity by visiting the funder's website. There is no restriction placed upon the formal disciplinary area of the research so long as it is directly related to advanced computational approaches to the spatial-temporal problems addressed by geographic science. The award is open to candidates associated with any institution of higher education, anywhere in the world, that is authorized to award the doctorate.Dissertations completed in the two-year period beginning on September 1st of 2023 and terminating on August 31st of 2025 will be eligible for nomination. In the context of this award, a dissertation is considered to be completed when the final version of the document is deposited with and has been accepted by the institution of higher education awarding the degree.Dissertations to be considered for this award may be placed in nomination by either the candidate’s doctoral advisor or by a member of the dissertation committee.