Resources

Geoscience Education Grants

Purposes

The Geological Society of Maine (GSM) is pleased to grant funding through the Education and Professional Development Fund to support educational programs through the GSM Fund for Education and Professional Development. GSM will award grants up to $1,000 to help fund projects that align with the purposes for which the society was formed. Those purposes include:

Furthering the public awareness and understanding of the geology of the State of Maine, and of the modern geologic processes which affect the Maine landscape and the human environment;
Developing and encouraging continuing social contact and dialogue among geologists working in Maine;
Advancing the professional improvement of Maine-based geologists, Maine-based students, and GSM members; and
Informing interested persons of current and planned geologic programs in Maine.

Applicants

GSM Education Professional Development Grant Application Form: Word, PDF

The Geological Society of Maine welcomes proposals from groups and individuals including but not limited to undergraduate and graduate students, geology clubs, educators and/or professional geoscientists. Funding preference may be given to projects that serve larger numbers of persons.

GSM membership is requested for applicants (one-year membership fee waiver may be requested).

Successful applicants may be asked to participate in the selection of the next project and will not normally be granted funding the year following a successful submission.

Proposals

Proposals to request funds for an activity that meets one or more of the above purposes should be brief and concise (no more than 2 pages). The project description should include:

Goals and objectives of the project;
Information about the group and number of individuals the project will serve; and
A line item budget including other possible funding sources and anticipated expenses (not included in page count).
Letters of support may be included (not included in page count).

Normally GSM will not fund stipend or travel funds for an individual. Past funding has been awarded for student bus transport to a GSM meeting, Maine teacher workshops, partial support for geology club field trips, and student research projects.

Submissions

Proposals are due by October 1 and March 1 of each year. Proposals received after October 10 or after March 10 will not be considered for funding in that year.

The GSM Executive Council will consider proposals in October and in March, and funding awards will be announced at the Fall and Spring GSM meetings. The actual number of funded projects, and the total amount of funding available each year will be determined by the Executive Council, based on the amount available in the Education and Professional Fund. The Executive Council reserves the right to make no award if it determines that funding is not sufficient or if no proposal meets the requirements.

Electronic submissions are preferred. Use the Contact Form to submit questions or obtain an email address to submit the proposal electronically.

Report

A final report detailing the expenditures and the results of the project should be submitted to a current officer of the GSM within one year after the funding request approval. GSM reserves the right to request that the report be presented in person by a member of the group at the next Fall or Spring GSM meeting.

Student Career Resources

Geology Links

Maine's State Fossil

Pertica quadrifaria is the scientific name of a primitive plant that lived about 390 million years ago during the Devonian Period.

For more information, visit the Maine Geological Survey’s web page on Pertical quadrifaria.

Maine's State Mineral

Tourmaline is the name for a group of silicate minerals that occur in prisms with a rounded triangular cross section. The most common species in Maine is schorl, a black, iron-bearing tourmaline. Gemstone tourmaline varieties are transparent or translucent, and occur in green, red, and combinations of colors.

For more information, visit the Maine Geological Survey’s web pages on mineral collecting in Maine and the MGS page on tourmaline.

Overview of Maine Geology

The rocks and sediments of Maine have preserved a dynamic history stretching from more than a billion years ago to present day. A large portion of Maine’s bedrock was formed during the Paleozoic era, hundreds of millions of years before the first dinosaurs. The loose, unconsolidated materials that cover Maine today were deposited much more recently – only 12,000 to 20,000 years ago during the last Ice Age.

For a good summary of the geological history of Maine, and a virtual tour of Maine Geology, visit the Maine Geological Survey’s Explore web page.

Generalized bedrock geology map

Generalized surficial geology map

Maine Geological Survey's Geologic Facts and Localities