Marble Fund Award for Innovative Master’s Research in Quantitative Geography
Deadline: October 31, 2025
This award, together with the Marble-Boyle Undergraduate Achievement Award and the William L. Garrison Award for Best Dissertation in Computational Geography, are activities of the Marble Fund and are supported by donations to the fund. This award is named for Dr. Duane Marble, creator of the Marble Fund, and instrumental in the development of GIS as a scientific academic endeavor.
The Award
This award recognizes excellence in academic performance for the best research in quantitative geography leading to the Master’s degree. Two awards will be issued each year. The Master’s research award is designed to stimulate quantitative scientific investigations within the discipline of geography. This award is, however, not restricted to Master’s research conducted within the field of geography—students from other disciplines are encouraged to apply. The award is also not limited to degrees awarded in the United States.
The awardee will receive:
- A cash award of $2000
- A certificate of merit
- Recognition at the AAG meeting during a special award session
The Award Schedule
The request for applications will be announced by the AAG during their cycle of award nominations. The announcement will also be distributed through publication, listservs, and other electronic outlets by the Trustees and the AAG. Two reminders are to be distributed between the first announcement and the application deadline. The groups to receive the announcement could include:
- Applications must be received by the AAG to ensure compliance with eligibility and completeness. The AAG will forward all complete and eligible submissions to the Chair of the Review Committee.
- The Review Committee will recommend finalists to the Marble Fund for Scientific Geography Trustees.
- Awards will be formally presented at the award event at the annual meeting of the AAG. The winners are encouraged but not required to attend.
- The AAG will maintain an archive of the award winners on the AAG website.
Eligibility and Limits
- Applicants must be in the final stage of graduating with a Master’s degree. This will be determined by being within 6 months at the time of application deadline or having graduated within the 6 months prior to application deadline.
- Research must demonstrate innovation in a quantitative methodology or a research question emphasizing quantitative geography. The research must be a thesis or research equivalent with the potential to be publishable in a refereed journal. Applied projects and portfolios are not appropriate.
- There is no limit with respect to the number of students who can apply from each institution.
- Applicants for the award do not need to be members of the American Association of Geographers, but membership is encouraged.
- As with all other AAG awards, eligibility also rests on the candidate being in compliance with the AAG Professional Conduct Policy. Nominations may be rescinded, and the award may also be revoked for any candidate or awardee who is found in violation of the AAG’s Professional Conduct Policy.
Application Materials
Applications must be received by the deadline (Eastern Standard Time). Applicants must provide:
- A cover letter containing contact information (name, address, email, and phone number) and a statement of intent to apply for the award.
- An essay describing the Master’s research of no more than 1,000 words (excluding title, references). The essay should describe the significance or importance of the work, identifying the individual’s contribution to quantitative geography. The essay should show that the research has the potential to be publishable in a refereed journal. The submission should include a title, references, and the name of a journal where the research is potentially publishable.
- The applicant’s academic curriculum vitae.
- Applicants are also required to arrange for a letter of recommendation from the student’s faculty advisor, department chair or program director. The letter must confirm the intended date of graduation or degree completion. A request for a letter of recommendation will be made by the applicant within the application portal.
For questions or difficulties, please contact [email protected] or call the AAG at 202-234-1450.
Marble Fund for Innovative Master’s Research Committee
Applications will be reviewed by the Marble Fund for Innovative Master’s Research Committee. The committee consists of three members, appointed by the Trustees. The committee is charged with reviewing the applications and recommending awards to the Trustees. The Trustees will make the formal awards.
The Association of American Geographers (AAG) and Gamma Theta Upsilon (GTU) have partnered to raise funds to support student attendance at the AAG annual meeting. The AAG-GTU Student Travel Awards provide travel subsidies of $200 to help undergraduate and graduate student members of GTU attend AAG meetings.
Melvin G. Marcus, past president of the American Association of Geographers and an internationally recognized physical geographer, structured his career around a balance of field work, theory development, teaching, and enjoyment of the geographic endeavor. Making physical geography accessible to everyone with a love of the outdoors, including women, minorities, and the less privileged, was one of Mel’s life-long objectives.