GeoEye Forms GeoEye Foundation

GeoEye (VA, USA) has formed the GeoEye Foundation. The Foundation's goal is to advance excellence in university teaching of GIS, aid humanitarian and environmental research studies including climate change, and to foster the innovation and growth of the next-generation of geospatial technology professionals.

GeoEye's satellite imagery archive of more than 278 million square kilometres of map-accurate imagery will be an important data source for GeoEye's beneficiaries. The Foundation is managed by an outside advisory Board of Directors and a committee comprised of key GeoEye employees. Requests for archive satellite imagery are reviewed by the Foundation's Employee Advisory Committee.

Applicants are generally students and faculty at select educational institutions or analysts or researchers at non-governmental organisations. Each potential applicant for an imagery award is required to submit an application outlining their research goals and objectives. Imagery is provided to support targeted research or environmental projects over specific areas on the Earth. It is anticipated that most awards will consist of a few hundred square kilometres and will be made on a case-by-case basis.

The GeoEye Foundation has already begun providing satellite imagery to support students and faculty studying urban sprawl in Mexico, land-use planning for Jerusalem and a polar ice study in Antarctica to better understand the impact of climate change.

Mark Brender, GeoEye's vice president for communications and marketing, will lead the effort.