U-Spatial Mapping Prize
Supporting Spatial Thinking Through Excellence in Mapping
Maps don’t just show us where to go - they have the potential to transform our ways of seeing and understanding our world. The U-Spatial Mapping Prize encourages students at the University of Minnesota to make provocative and innovative maps and will award substantial prizes in different categories. The U-Spatial Mapping Prizes are made possible by a generous gift from U of M alumnus Jack Dangermond, founder and president of Esri.
Criteria
The U-Spatial Mapping Prize celebrates great design and cartography through maps. We are looking for the most informative map, the most revealing map, the most provocative map, the most visually compelling map, and maybe the most transformative one. Your map should tell its story and be able to stand on its own with minimal narrative to give context. Maps will be judged by a panel of judges with extensive background in cartography, design, and other related fields.
Prize Categories
Prizes will be awarded in the following categories. Students winning the Best Body of Work and Best Overall Map categories may also win in another categories.
Undergraduate
Best Cartography: $100
Most Provocative/Transformative Map: $100
Best Use of Maps: $100
Best Storytelling: $100
Graduate
Best Cartography: $100
Most Provocative/Transformative Map: $100
Best Use of Maps: $100
Best Storytelling: $100
Overall
Best Overall Map: $1,000 or a trip to the Esri User Conference
At the discretion of the judges, additional noteworthy maps may receive an honorable mention award.
Submission Details
The deadline for map submission is May 13, 2022.
To submit your map, fill out our map submission form. After submitting this form, you’ll receive instructions about how to submit your static map PDF file or link/access information for your interactive map.
Rules
- A static map can take many formats, including paper maps of any size or digitally such as PDF. The map should tell the story, there should be minimal additional narrative reflecting disciplinary or field preferences beyond the map giving context. This is not a poster competition.
- An interactive map can take many formats, including a web map, interactive file formats such as Flash, or a map designed for mobile devices. An Esri Story Map is one example of an interactive map. Interactive maps can be designed for web-based, tablet, or mobile formats.
- Eligible students must to be enrolled in classes and in good standing at the University of Minnesota at the time they submit a map. A student’s status as an undergraduate or graduate student is based on their enrollment when the map is submitted.
- An Esri product should be used when creating a map. Other software may also be used in conjunction with an Esri product.
- Static map entries must be in PDF format. Students submitting a static map may additionally provide a printed version by dropping it off in the U-Spatial Office (420 Blegen Hall) before the submission deadline.
- Any links to interactive maps must remain active through May 31, 2020. U-Spatial may offer to host an interactive map if needed. Contact [email protected] for more information.
- Maps may have multiple creators, although only one prize will be awarded to a map. If map teams include both undergraduate and graduate students, the map will be entered in the graduate student track.
- Students may submit more than one map and may win in more than one category.
- Not all prize categories need to be awarded.
- If the best map winner is unable to attend the Esri Global User Conference, the judges may offer the travel award to one of the other category winners.