U.S. Department of the Interior

U.S. Geological Survey

Fact Sheet 2010–3088

September 2010

USGS EDMAP Program—

Training the Next Generation of Geologic Mappers

Printed on recycled paper

EDMAP is an interactive and meaningful program for 

university students to gain experience and knowledge in 

geologic mapping while contributing to national efforts to map 

the geology of the United States. It is a matching-funds grant 

program with universities and is one of the three components of 

the congressionally mandated U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) 

National Cooperative Geologic Mapping Program. Geology 

professors whose specialty is geologic mapping request 

EDMAP funding to support upper-level undergraduate and 

graduate students at their colleges or universities in a 1-year 

mentor-guided geologic mapping project that focuses on a 

specific geographic area. Every Federal dollar that is awarded is 

matched with university funds. 

EDMAP is invaluable not only because it contributes to 

national geologic mapping efforts but also because it helps 

fund academic research, thoroughly prepares students for realworld careers in the geoscience field, and gives participants a 

competitive edge in the job market:

• Students participating in the EDMAP Program receive 

training and first-hand field experience in geologic mapping 

and thus acquire skills useful in many geoscience fields.

• EDMAP geology professors and their students frequently 

work closely with nearby State geological surveys and 

U.S. Geological Survey geologists.

• Student work contributes to geologic mapping of the United 

States.

• So far, EDMAP has benefited 144 universities and more than 

850 students from geoscience departments across the Nation. 

• Results from a recent EDMAP participant survey show 

that 95 percent of the respondents either went on to take 

jobs in the geoscience field or pursued further degrees in 

geosciences. 

• Surveyed participants considered the program to have been 

a great opportunity and one that was enjoyable and highly 

valuable to their career.

How To Apply

Grants are awarded through an annual, competitive, 

and matched grant process. Per-project funding available 

in fiscal year 2011 for graduate projects is $17,500 and for 

undergraduate projects is $10,000. A peer-review panel 

consisting of university faculty, State Geologists, and USGS 

representatives determines awards.

• Applications for professors and students interested in 

participating in this program are solicited in September 2010 

via the online EDMAP Program Announcement, where 

you can find detailed instructions for submitting EDMAP 

proposals. 

• Applications are due online by November 10, 2010, to 

the USGS Office of Acquisitions and Grants through 

Grants.gov. To find out more about the cooperative grant, 

visit http://www.grants.gov and click the “Find Grant 

Opportunities” button.

To find out more about EDMAP, visit 

http://ncgmp.usgs.gov/ncgmpabout/edmap/. 

“Over the past 15 years EDMAP has produced 

some of the best geologic mappers in the Nation. 

The thing that excites me the most is some of 

our earliest students have gone on to mentor 

several younger generations of EDMAP students. 

EDMAP is the gift that keeps on giving.”

—Peter Lyttle, Program Coordinator

National Cooperative Geologic Mapping Program
Alabama

Auburn University

University of South Alabama

Alaska

University of Alaska-Fairbanks

Arizona

Arizona State University

Northern Arizona State University

University of Arizona 

Arkansas

University of Arkansas-Fayetteville

California

California Institute of Technology (Pasadena)

California Polytechnic Foundation

California State University – Long Beach

California State University – Northridge 

California State University – Sacramento

Humboldt University 

San Diego State University

San Francisco State University 

San Jose State University

Stanford University

University of California Davis

University of California Santa Barbara

University of Southern California

Colorado

Colorado State University

Fort Lewis College

Mesa State College

School of Mines

Western State College of Colorado

Connecticut

Eastern Connecticut State University

District of Columbia

George Washington University

Florida

Florida State University

Idaho

Boise State University

Idaho State University

University of Idaho

Illinois

Illinois State University

Northeastern Illinois University

Northern Illinois University

Northwestern University 

Southern Illinois University 

University of Illinois

Western Illinois University

Indiana

Purdue University

Iowa 

Simpson University

University of Iowa

University of Northern Iowa

Kansas

University of Kansas 

Wichita State University

Kentucky

Eastern Kentucky University

Morehead State University

Northern Kentucky University

University of Kentucky

Louisiana

Centenary College of Louisiana

Louisiana State University

University of Louisiana at Monroe

University of New Orleans

Maine

Bates College

University of Main

University of Southern Maine

Massachusetts

Boston College

University of Massachusetts – Amherst

Michigan

Central Michigan University

Grand Valley State University

Michigan State University

Michigan Tech University

University of Michigan – Dearborn 

Wayne State University

Western Michigan University

Minnesota

University of Minnesota

University of St. Thomas

Mississippi

University of Mississippi

Missouri 

Missouri State University

Southeast Missouri State University

Montana

Montana State University

Montana Tech of the University of Montana

Rocky Mountain College

University of Montana

Nebraska

University of Nebraska Lincoln

Nevada

University of Las Vegas

University of Nevada – Reno

New Hampshire

Dartmouth University

Keene State College

University of New Hampshire

New Mexico

New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology

New Mexico State University

University of New Mexico

New York

Brooklyn College of New York

Queens College of New York

SUNY – Albany 

SUNY – Brockport 

SUNY – Buffalo 

SUNY – Oneonta

University of Rochester

North Carolina

Appalachian State University

Duke University

East Carolina University

North Carolina State University

University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill

University of North Carolina – Charlotte

University of North Carolina – Wilmington 

North Dakota

Minot State University

University of North Dakota

Ohio

Kent State University 

Miami University 

Ohio State University

Ohio University

University of Cincinnati

University of Toledo

Oklahoma

Oklahoma State University 

University of Oklahoma

Oregon

Oregon State University

Portland State University

University of Oregon

Pennsylvania

Lehigh University

Pennsylvania State University

University of Pittsburgh

Puerto Rico

University of Puerto Rico

South Carolina

Clemson University

Coastal Carolina University

College of Charleston

University of South Carolina

South Dakota

School of Mines

Tennessee

Tennessee Tech University

University of Memphis

University of Tennessee

Texas

Texas Tech University

University of Texas – Arlington 

University of Texas – Austin 

Utah

Brigham Young University

Southern Utah University

University of Utah

Utah State University

Vermont

Castleton State College

Middlebury College

Virginia

College of William and Mary

James Madison University

Radford University

Virginia Wesleyan College

Washington

Central Washington University

Eastern Washington University

University of Washington

Washington State University

Western Washington University 

West Virginia

West Virginia University

Wisconsin

University of Wisconsin – Eau Claire

University of Wisconsin – Madison

Wyoming

University of Wyoming

These universities have benefitted from EDMAP