All community members are encouraged to submit geographic research and GIS mapping project requests.
Project requests are reviewed monthly by the Community Geography advisory committee. Successful requests demonstrate societal benefit. Projects are undertaken on a first come, first served basis. You will be contacted to confirm receipt of your request and for clarifications, if needed.
Briefly (1-2 paragraphs or bulleted statements) address the below questions to the best of your ability. If you are unsure about the specifics of your request, contact us first so we can talk through your ideas before submitting a request.
Grassroots, non-profit, and community-based organizations, as well as local municipal agencies are invited to request a community project. If you are unsure whether you are eligible to request a project, contact us to discuss your idea before submitting a request. If your project is not eligible, we may be able to refer you to another source of help.
Faculty and students are encouraged to work with their community partners to submit a project request. Requests should come from the community partner. Community partners can include grassroots, non-profit and community-based organizations, community coalitions and task forces, and local municipal agencies.
Yes. We welcome the opportunity to talk through your ideas before submitting a formal request.
No, there is no charge associated with community geography projects. However, we do have several stipulations for organizations and agencies whose projects are selected, including active participation; collaboration; a commitment to sharing data and results with the community at large; and your feedback on our process and outcomes. Our memorandum of understanding outlines our expectations of project partners.
You will be expected to sign a memorandum of understanding acknowledging that you agree to: 1) actively participate in the project; 2) collaborate with others who might be able to contribute to or benefit from the project; and 3) be transparent and share the datasets and results of the project with the community at large (except in instances where confidentiality must be protected); and 4) participate in an evaluation of the project’s process and outcomes. In instances when the data must be kept confidential, a confidentiality agreement between the community geographer and partnering group(s) will be established.
Simply complete and submit the project request form. If you are unsure how mapping can benefit your organization or project, complete as much of the form as you can. We will contact you by phone to further discuss your ideas and to explore the possibilities.
The community geographer will review the proposal and contact you to discuss the details of the proposed project. Then, at its next monthly meeting, the community geography advisory committee will review the proposal and determine whether it will be accepted.
The community geography advisory committee meets monthly to evaluate new project proposals. New projects are accepted on a first come, first served basis, and are taken on as time permits.
The community geographer, after reviewing your proposal and clarifying any questions, presents the proposal to the advisory committee, which meets monthly. The advisory committee bases its decision on community impact, timing, data availability and/or our ability to create new data.
The community geographer will work with you to determine a mutually acceptable timeframe to begin the project.
Most projects result in a collaboratively produced final report. Other tangible products include digital and print maps and digital datasets. Digital maps are provided in .pdf and .jpeg file formats for ease of use in documents and presentations. In addition, we make maps and data available to the community at large on our website. In the event that a project’s analysis may disclose confidential information, the maps that are made publicly available will not include personal identifying information and the digital data will not be publicly shared.