Fisher Prize Award Competition

The Fisher Prize for excellence in GIS will be given to one Harvard graduate and one Harvard undergraduate student who must be enrolled in the academic year 2026-27 and in good standing to be considered for the award.  Group projects are allowed - just submit as one entry.  The Prize is a cash award of $500 each given to the top undergraduate and graduate entries.

The deadline for submissions is 11:59 p.m. on Sunday May 2, 2027.

Submission Requirements

To be considered for the Fisher Prize, students must adhere to these guidelines below, otherwise submissions will not be accepted:

• Poster submissions, 42” x 36” in size
• PDF format
• No more than 350 words of descriptive text (map legends, labels, title, citations, and captions do not count toward this word total).

OR

• A Story Map website showcasing your work, with a word limit of 1,000.

Register & Submit Your File

• To submit an entry for the Fisher Prize, students must fill out and submit the registration form on this page by clicking the Register Button below (HarvardKey login required).
• The CGA will confirm registration, and once completed, poster PDF files or StoryMap URL's can be submitted by email to Jeff Blossom at jblossom@cga.harvard.edu any time before May 2, 2027 at 11:59 p.m.

Register for the award

Selection Criteria:

Submissions will be judged based on the following five criteria:

• Innovation and creativity of chosen topic
• Use of GIS in performing the project
• Data – complexity, relevance to topic, properly documented
• Analytical approach and execution
• Visualization / cartographic communication effectiveness

View previous award winners.