Grant Success!

Recently the GIS Service Bureau was informed that the Iowa GIS community will benefit from two grants awarded to the Iowa Geographic Information Council (IGIC) from the Federal Geospatial Data Committee (FGDC). Last January the Service Bureau assisted IGIC with the two grant applications with cooperation from the Iowa DNR, DOT, and other organizations.

The first grant will be used to better document Iowa's metadata records in the Iowa Geospatial Data Clearinghouse and the National States Geographic Information Council’s (NSGIC) GIS Inventory System. Principally funded by the federal Department of Homeland Security, the NSGIC system exists as a tool to discover user generated GIS metadata.

The second grant was awarded to fund development and implementation of a statewide GIS business plan. Where many other states have formalized state offices to help steer GIS development, Iowa currently does so in a volunteer environment. By developing a business plan, IGIC will be able to connect Iowa's GIS community and identify ways to develop and sustain Iowa's needed GIS infrastructure.

Congratulations to IGIC and the Iowa GIS community!