The Microgis Foundation for Spatial Analysis (MFSA) is a not-for-profit research organization located in Lausanne, Switzerland.  Additional information on MFSA and its activities is available at http://www.mfsa.ch/en/about/index.html.  The President of MFSA, Dr. Stephane Joost, is the initial winner of the William L. Garrison Award for Best Dissertation in Computational Geography.

Selection for the MFSA Research Fellowship

Competition for this award is restricted to those individuals who receive the Marble-Boyle awards. At the time each Marble-Boyle awardee is notified of their selection they will be asked if they wish to compete for the MFSA Supplemental Research Fellowship.  If they respond positively, they will then have thirty (30) days in which to submit a short discussion of the research work that he or she would be interested in undertaking during their stay in Lausanne. The proposed research project must lie at the intersection of geographic science and computer science and should be feasible to bring to a conclusion within the period of residence in Lausanne.  

The research proposal must follow the same physical format and submission procedure as were used for the original Marble-Boyle Award application. The research proposal should include a title page with no more than five (5) additional pages of discussion and supporting materials.  Based upon these proposals, and the materials already submitted for the Marble-Boyle Awards, MFSA will select one individual to receive the MFSA Research Fellowship. 

Operation of the MFSA Fellowship

The following items outline the intended operation of the MFSA Fellowship. The recipient of the Fellowship is advised that MFSA is willing to be flexible in terms of some arrangements for the Fellowship (e.g., timing, duration, etc.) and will discuss all arrangements directly with the individual.

1. The venue for the fellowship will be Lausanne, Switzerland and the duration of the fellowship, while variable, will not exceed four months. It is assumed that the period of the fellowship will coincide with either the Summer break period for the Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne (EPFL), its Fall or its Spring semester.
2.  MFSA will cover round-trip transportation costs for travel between North America and Lausanne.  Round-trip tickets will be issued by the relevant carriers and made available in advance of departure. MFSA will also provide assistance, if required, with acquiring a visa or other travel documents. Although Marble-Boyle Awardees are required to be enrolled in a United States or Canadian university, the MFSA fellowship awardee may be of any national origin. 
3. MFSA will arrange and directly pay for suitable housing in Lausanne for the duration of the award. The nature of the housing to be provided will be discussed in advance by MFSA and the individual.
4. The individual will be personally responsible for all other costs (food, entertainment, local travel, etc.) incurred while travelling and while residing in Switzerland.
5. Health insurance is compulsory in Switzerland and the individual will be personally responsible for providing his/or her health insurance during the duration of the fellowship. With respect to this insurance and all other study abroad matters, applicants for the MFSA aware are strongly urged to consult with the study abroad office of their home university prior to submission of their MFSA application.
6. In addition to the compulsory health insurance, the selected awardee will also be covered by MFSA accident insurance during his or her stay in Lausanne.
7. During the period of the fellowship, MFSA scientific staff will work closely with the fellowship holder in definition of the research project being undertaken, courses at EPFL, specialized training from MFSA staff, etc. If present during the Fall and the Spring semester, there is a possibility of attending relevant courses at EPFL on a non-credit basis.  During the Spring semester only, it is also possible to have the individual’s research work designated as a “design project” in the context of the Environmental Sciences and Engineering Programme of the Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne (EPFL).  If this is the case, academic credit will be available.

Return to the Marble-Boyle Undergraduate Achievement Awards page.