Geomatics GeT-STEM Scholarship

The Geomatics program at the School of Forest, Fisheries, and Geomatics Sciences (SFFGS) as part of the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences (CALS) received a grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) to provide scholarships to transfer and upper-division students. The program will fund five student cohorts of junior level students who continue to meet the scholarship criteria for six years starting fall of 2022 through graduation.

About the Geomatics Program

Geomatics is the integrated approach to measurement, analysis, and management of the descriptions and locations of geospatial data, which can come from sources such as ground based sensors, satellites, or air- or sea-borne sensors and is processed using state-of-the-art technology. Students who enjoy math and science, are interested in emerging technologies, enjoy working both indoors and outdoors, enjoy spatial reasoning and problem-solving, and are looking for a career in a high-demand field that will allow career growth may be interested in Geomatics.

• About the GeT-STEM Program

  The GeT-STEM project empowers low-income students across the State of Florida to pursue a BSc degree in Geomatics at the University of Florida throughout the 6-year project duration. The project provides financial support as well as a suite of academic and professional development support programs. The project aims to achieve at least a 90% post-graduation (within 6 months) employment rate, with the following three objectives:

  1. Increase the enrollment of Geomatics STEM students in a Geographically Distributed Education System.
  2. Equip transfer Geomatics students to professionally develop in the program and obtain Geomatics employment.
  3. Increase scientific knowledge through evidence-based study of the factors (including adopting a blended geographically-distributed education system) affecting Geomatics technology education recruitment and retention of transfer students.

  The project builds on the existing geographically–distributed blended Geomatics education system at the University of Florida, which delivers the program at the main campus in Gainesville, FL as well as at two locations close to the largest population centers in the state. The project recruits transfer students from community and state colleges who acquire their two-year Associate of Arts degree and students transitioning into upper division at the University of Florida to complete their BSc in Geomatics. Co-curricular activities, intensive advising, student mentoring, and professional development activities are among the support provided by the project. The project also enriches the Geomatics technology and general STEM education knowledgebase by conducting a longitudinal study on the students as they transition from their 2-year program into their junior and senior years of the Geomatics BSc degree program.

• Eligibility

  To qualify, scholarship applicants must meet the following criteria

  • Be enrolled in the Geomatics program for the semesters the scholarship is awarded
  • Demonstrate academic merit by meeting program requirements and maintaining a 2.7 GPA.
  • Demonstrate financial need based on the information provided in your Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)
    • UF Student Financial Affairs: https://www.sfa.ufl.edu/process/how-to-apply-for-aid/
    • FAFSA Website: https://studentaid.gov/h/apply-for-aid/fafsa
  • Be a US citizen, permanent resident, national or refugee at the time of application submission as stipulated by NSF:
    • Be citizens of the United States, nationals of the United States (as defined in section 101(a) of the Immigration and Nationality Act), aliens admitted as refugees under section 207 of the Immigration and Nationality Act, or aliens lawfully admitted to the United States for permanent residence. Please note that Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) individuals are ineligible for support from this solicitation unless the meet the requirements listed in the first sentence of this bullet by the time of application; (https://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2022/nsf22527/nsf22527.htm)

  The award will be granted to the students admitted to the junior year and renewed for one more year, or until graduation, if the students maintain their financial needs eligibility and a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.7/4.0.

• Extra-Curricular Student Support

  Students will be supported by organized cohort activities, guest speaker programs, intentional advising and mentoring by Geomatics faculty and staff, attending a professional conference, training for certification, and covered certification exam fees.

Applications are open! Priority consideration will be given to students who apply by the CALS application due date. Please review eligibility criteria. Questions? Contact geomatics-stem@ifas.ufl.edu. You may also find us on LinkedIn.

Award Name: Blended Learning in a Geographically Distributed Education System for Geomatics Students
NSF Award # 2130059
Funding Opportunity: NSF 21-550 NSF Scholarships in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics