In April 2005 the National Science Foundation, through its Research on Learning and Education (ROLE) program (grant number: REC-0439914), awarded the AAG a $980,393 grant for “Enhancing Departments and Graduate Education (EDGE) in Geography”, a broad-based project to study the process of professional development in graduate geography.

The EDGE project developed a methodology to investigate how graduate programs are preparing students for careers in higher education, business, government, and non-profit organizations.   Data from an extensive series of surveys, interviews, and program visits were analyzed to determine what courses, educational experiences, and other forms of support and guidance are necessary to help graduate students achieve their personal and professional goals.   A related aim was to understand how students’ experiences in graduate programs are shaped by departmental climate (i.e, perceptions of social and academic dynamics pertaining to mentoring and advising practices, social interactions, student support, faculty cohesion, leadership, and other factors). 

In September 2008, the AAG received a supplemental grant from NSF to support collaborative research with Oxford University’s Centre for Excellence in Preparing for Academic Practice.   This funding will enable EDGE researchers to conduct a more detailed analysis of the mentoring relationships, study habits, and professional development activities in which graduate students are engaged, and how the experiences of American students compare with their peers in British and Canadian universities.

In the coming years the EDGE project will promote awareness of professional development issues and effective practices through workshops, conference sessions, outreach to academic departments, and book and web publications.   Project staff will continue working with a variety of scholarly organizations to explore the implications of the project for other disciplines.  

Please explore this website to learn more about the goals and outcomes of the EDGE project and how you can become involved in the AAG’s ongoing efforts to improve graduate education in the discipline.