SEDAAG Early Career Research Catalyst Award

The Southeast Division of the American Association of Geographers (SEDAAG) is pleased to announce the inaugural SEDAAG Early Career Research Catalyst Award.

This award is generously supported through funding provided by the American Association of Geographers (AAG) to SEDAAG to strengthen research, participation, and professional engagement across the geography community. 

The Early Career Research Catalyst Award is designed to support early-career geography faculty as they establish their research programs while fostering long-term engagement within SEDAAG. Geography programs across the Southeast continue to face enrollment pressures, limited institutional resources, and increasing demands on faculty. These challenges can be especially significant for assistant professors and other early-career faculty members who are simultaneously developing research agendas, creating new courses, pursuing tenure and promotion, and building professional networks.

Faculty at smaller programs, teaching-intensive institutions, HBCUs, and institutions with limited research support often face additional barriers to launching successful research programs. This award seeks to help address those challenges by providing seed funding for scholarly activities that position recipients for future success.

Award

One $1,250 award will be made.

Funds may be used to support activities such as:

  • Pilot research or preliminary data collection
  • Student research assistance
  • Community-engaged scholarship
  • Archival or field research
  • Software, specialized datasets, or research supplies
  • Travel directly related to research activities
  • Other research expenses that strengthen the applicant’s scholarly program  and future competitiveness for external funding

Eligibility

Applicants must:

  • Be a geography faculty member within the first three years of their initial full-time academic appointment.
  • Be employed at an institution within the SEDAAG region.

Preference will be given to:

  • Faculty who have not previously attended a SEDAAG Annual Meeting.
  • Faculty from smaller geography programs.
  • Faculty at teaching-focused institutions, HBCUs, or institutions with limited internal research support.

Recipient Expectations

Recipients will be expected to:

  • Present the outcomes of the supported project at a future SEDAAG Annual Meeting.
  • Submit a brief (1-2page) impact report describing how the award contributed to their research development professional engagement, and future funding opportunities.

Purpose of the Award

The Early Career Research Catalyst Award is intended to reduce barriers to participation by supporting faculty who may have limited access to research resources, professional networks, and disciplinary engagement opportunities. By investing in scholars during the formative years of their careers, SEDAAG seeks to strengthen research capacity across the Southeast while encouraging long-term participation in the regional geography community.

The program also represents an investment in SEDAAG’s future. Early-career faculty  who become engaged through the organization are more likely to remain active throughout their careers, mentor students to participate in regional meetings, serve on committees, and assume leadership roles within the Division.

Expected Outcomes

  • Increased participation by early-career faculty in SEDAAG meetings and activities.
  • Greater engagement from institutions historically underrepresented at regional meetings.
  • Increased scholarly presentations and research visibility throughout the Southeast.
  • Expanded undergraduate and graduate student participation through faculty mentorship.
  • Development of a stronger pipeline of future SEDAAG committee members, officers and organizational leaders.

Application Materials

Applicants should submit as a single PDF document:

  • A two-page project description outlining the proposed research, objectives, and anticipated outcomes.
  • A one-page budget and budget justification.
  • A curriculum vitae (maximum two pages).

Timeline

Application deadline: September 11, 2026

Award Announcement: November of 2026

Applications should be submitted electronically to: https://forms.gle/ve4QMeyHZBwLbx5x6