Reston,VA--- USGS and the Federal Geographic Data Committee (FGDC) formally announced their request for proposals to support the 2007 National Spatial Data Infrastructure (NSDI) Cooperative Agreements Program (CAP). With close to $1.3 million spread across six categories, the 2008 NSDI CAP will fund an estimated 26 innovative projects in the geospatial data community. Each project aims to build new and improve existing infrastructure necessary to effectively discover, access, share, manage and use digital geographic data.

In 2007, NSDI CAP awarded a total of 29 projects, totaling just over $1.3 million. One of the 2007 categories is The Fifty State Initiatives which is looking to engage geospatial community within a State to contribute to the creation of strategic and business plans that will provide a basis for future geospatial information and technologies in the State. See the full list of the 2007 NSDI CAP projects at: www.fgdc.gov/grants/2007CAP/2007CAPDescriptions.

2008 NSDI CAP Funding Categories

	

Amount
	

In-kind Match
	

Approximate Number of Awards

1. Metadata Trainer and Outreach Assistance
	

Up to $25,000
	

50%
	

4

2. Best practices in Geospatial SOA
	

Up to $100,000
	

100%
	

3

3. Fifty States Initiative
	

Up to $50,000
	

50%
	

10

4. Joint Canadian and United States Spatial Data Infrastructure Project
	

Up to $75,000
	

100%
	

1

5. Building data stewardship for The National Map and the NSDI
	

Up to $50,000
	

100%
	

4

6. FGDC-Endorsed Standards Implementation Assistance and Outreach (excluding Metadata Standards)
	

Up to $25,000
	

50%
	

 

 

To date the annual NSDI CAP awards have supported metadata creation and service, outreach and coordination, standards implementation, partnership development, map and data services deployment and NSDI training. All levels of government, academia, and private sector have participated in this national effort to implement the NSDI. The thirteen years of CAP awards have played a substantial role in promoting and disseminating the tenets of the NSDI to thousands of practitioners.

2008 NSDI CAP project grant awards are scheduled to be announced by USGS/FGDC contracts officer on or around February 1st, 2008 with obligated work to begin on each project by September 30, 2008. More information is available at www.fgdc.gov/grants/2008CAP/2008CAPschedule. To apply go to grants.gov.

The FGDC of the USGS National Geospatial Program Office sponsors the NSDI CAP to promote the technologies, standards, best practices and organizational collaboration vital to data integration, partnerships for data investment and speedy delivery of geospatial products to support government.

For more information on this program, please contact Gita Urban-Mathieux: burbanma@usgs.gov or 703-648-5175. For further information on FGDC NSDI CAP Grants: www.fgdc.gov; contact the FGDC Secretariat, c/o U.S. Geological Survey, 590 National Center, Reston, VA 20192; fax 703-648-5755.

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