Centers of Academic Excellence in Geospatial … CAE...The goal of the NGA Centers of Academic...

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Public Release # 16-561

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Centers of Academic Excellence in Geospatial Sciences

Program Guidance

Jointly Sponsored by the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) and the United States Geological Survey (USGS)

1. Overview

I. Introduction

An alliance between the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) and the United States

Geological Survey (USGS) was created to support each other’s efforts in building long-term

partnerships with America’s academic community in support of geospatial sciences (GS) needs

and challenges.

2. Goal A. The goal of the NGA Centers of Academic Excellence in Geospatial Sciences (CAE GS)

Program is to build, strengthen, and cultivate the current and future geospatial sciences workforce in support of America’s geospatial intelligence needs and challenges. A world-class government workforce, second to none, include championing academic and industry innovations to promote the right mix of emerging skills, education, knowledge, and competencies to keep America on the leading edge in the application and use of geospatial sciences. Focus will be centered in national security; military planning and operations; homeland security and disaster management; earth sciences; and global security issues in energy, health, and the environment.

B. The NGA/USGS CAE GS program will contribute significantly to advancing these mission

sets through state-of-the-art multi-disciplinary geospatial sciences tradecraft including

social sciences, innovative methodologies, and technologies.

3. Vision

The vision of the CAE GS Program is to:

A. Champion academic programs and disciplines that commit to excellence in the fields

related to GS education at the graduate and undergraduate levels.

B. Emphasize facility development and familiarization in improving GS scholarship,

professional engagement, and instructional capabilities.

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NGA/USGS Centers of Academic Excellence in Geospatial Sciences Program Guidance

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C. Improve and advance, on a continuing basis, the quality of GS programs, curriculum,

facility, students, and other relevant organizations and institutions.

D. Foster and encourage further development of strong GS focused education and depth in

GS research.

E. Provide the Nation with a pipeline of qualified and eligible students poised to become

geospatial professionals supporting U.S. government missions at home and around the

globe.

4. Eligibility

The CAE GS Program is open to all current accredited two-year and four-year colleges and

graduate level universities. All institutions must hold current regional accreditation outlined by

the Department of Education (http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/).

5. CAE GS Designation A. Institutions meeting at least six (6) of the nine (9) Core Knowledge Units are eligible for

the CAE GS Designation. The designation is valid for up to five (5) consecutive years

from the date of approval from NGA and USGS. During the designation period, the

institutions will verify their continued compliance with the latest CAE GS criteria for

continued NGA/USGS CAE GS designation.

1) NGA and USGS expect that designated colleges/universities will keep current with

evolving methods, research, and technologies in multi-domain disciplines aligned

with geospatial sciences.

2) Institutional GS program criteria will maintain pace with the evolution of

geospatial sciences, methods, and technology and will be delineated within the

corresponding Program Requirements, Core Knowledge Units (KUs), and/or

Specialty Areas.

B. Designation as a CAE GS does not carry a commitment of funding from NGA or USGS.

6. CAE Specialty Area Designation A. The CAE GS application covers the option for a Specialty Area Designation from ten (10)

specialties for an institution that meets all of the Concentration Criteria under a specific

specialty area (Topics and Learning Objectives). The number of criteria elements differ

http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/

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for each specialty area. An institution can obtain multiple CAE Specialty Area

Designations as well as a CAE GS Designation.

B. As an example: Under the Photogrammetry Specialty Area there are five (5)

Concentration Criteria (Photogrammetric Theory, Photogrammetric Application,

Close Range Photogrammetry, Digital Photogrammetry, and Mathematics, Statistics,

and Optimization). All the concentration criteria must be met for a Specialty Area

Designation.

C. Specialty Area Designation(s) do not carry a commitment of funding from NGA and

USGS.

7. Submission Process A. Institutions must clearly demonstrate how they meet the requirements for the CAE GS

and/or Specialty Area Designation on their application, including support

documentation where required.

B. The institution must also attach a PDF copy of a letter on official institution letterhead,

signed by a collegiate official at an appropriate level (Dean or higher) and addressed to:

Lenora Peters Gant, Ph.D., Senior Executive for Academic Outreach & STEM/NGA stating

the institutions intent to apply for CAE GS Designation (do not mail a hard copy).

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II. Requirements

The requirements to become a designated CAE GS institution differ dependent on the

designation option each institution aspires to achieve. Requirement specifications are

separated into three ( 3 ) areas: 1) Program Requirements, 2) Core Knowledge Units, and 3)

Specialty Areas with corresponding Knowledge Units. Each designation option is a combination

of these areas. Requirements apply regardless of the institution being a two- or four-year

College / University and institutions are encouraged to partner and/or form a consortium where

practical to meet one of the three (3) options for NGA/USGS CAE GS designation. For example,

a four-year institution can form a partnership with a two-year institution to meet the

requirements for a specific designation option the institution would not be able to achieve on

its own.

8. Option 1: CAE GS Designation with Specialty Area Identifier Requirements

A. All institutions must meet the five (5) Program Requirements, detailed in Appendix I.

B. All institutions must meet six (6) of the nine (9) Core KUs, detailed in Appendix II.

C. All institutions must meet at least one (1) of the ten (10) Specialty Areas, detailed in

Appendix III.

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9. Option 2: CAE GS Designation Requirements A. All institutions must meet the five (5) Program Requirements, detailed in Appendix I.

B. All institutions must meet six (6) of the nine (9) Core Knowledge Units, detailed in

Appendix II.

10. Option 3: CAE Specialty Designation Requirements A. All institutions must meet the five (5) Program Requirements, detailed in Appendix I.

B. All institutions must meet at least one (1) of the ten (10) Specialty Areas, detailed in

Appendix III.

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11. Specialty Area Designation A. The specialty area designation allows NGA and USGS to focus outside of the traditional

realm of tradecraft disciplines to meet its evolving trans-disciplinary requirements in

geospatial sciences aligned with critical National Security imperatives.

B. A specialty area designation promotes and fosters a broader understanding of

geospatial sciences in context to a more holistic understanding of the many

academic disciplines that are essential for advancing the GS tradecraft.

C. The specialty area designation encourages academic institutions to explore, go beyond

the traditional and advance educational learning in ways that enhance GS and embrace

other disciplines that align with GS.

D. Further, as GS evolves, it is crucial to envision the future via innovative models of

learning aligned with the NGA mantra – Know the Earth, Show the Way, Understand the

World.

12. Holistic Relationships of Geospatial Sciences and Related Disciplines There are many disciplines that are included within the GS rubric. This color wheel from the

book Geography: Realms, Regions, and Concepts is a visual representation of how seemingly

non-related disciplines are essential to understanding and enhancing the development of the

GS tradecraft.

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III. Program Evaluation and Schedule

13. Program Evaluation

A. The SEAO/CAE GS Program Office staff will lead coordination of the evaluation

process. Subject Matter Experts will conduct the evaluation of an institution’s

submission application.

1) As an option, the last phase of the criteria may be (at NGA and USGS discretion) an

on-site evaluation focused on course content, course relevance, facilities, technical

resources, and faculty involvement.

2) If that option occurs, the institution will be contacted no less than one month in

advance of a visit, should NGA and USGS deem the visit warranted based on the

initial evaluation of the application submission.

14. Program Application Schedule

Here is an example of a typical application schedule:

15. Application Protocols

Every two (2) years, Fiscal Year 4th Quarter

16. Submission and Evaluations

A. Fiscal Year 2nd Quarter

B. Evaluation and assessment by Subject Matter Experts of Core KUs and GS Specialty

Areas

17. Designation Announcements

A. Fiscal year 3rd Quarter

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B. Initiate follow-on meetings with professors and orientation at NGA headquarters in Springfield, VA

18. CAE GS Support Information

A. Institutions may propose updates to the Knowledge Units, Specialty Areas

(corresponding Knowledge Units), and/or the CAE GS Program Criteria. NGA/USGS will

work with institutions to ensure that future program changes are mutually beneficial to

the government agencies and institutions.

B. A joint academic/government panel will review proposed changes on an annual basis, at

prearranged meetings. Subject Matter Expert volunteers for this panel will be solicited

from the Geospatial Sciences academic, industry, and government community.

C. NOTE: Please direct any questions, comments, or concerns related to the NGA/USGS

CAE GS program via email to [email protected] or call the team at 571-557-4667 or

571-557-9643. CAE GS information can be found by visiting the NGA website:

www.nga.mil or the USGS website at www.usgs.gov.

19. All Partners Access Network (APAN)

APAN is a collection of communities developed to foster information and knowledge sharing

between U.S. Department of Defense (DoD), multinational organizations, coalitions and

non- government agencies who don’t have access to traditionally restricted DoD networks.

CAE GS will use APAN to keep program partners informed on any updates that need to be

share amongst the partner organizations.

Downloading the NGA-USGS CAE GS Application and supporting instructions from APAN

1. Applicants are requested to access the APAN website to download the NGA-USGS CAE

GS Application Form: https://wss.apan.org/nga/NGA-USGS-CAE/default.aspx

NOTE: Users are not required to create an APAN account at this time; they will do so later in the

application process

mailto:[email protected]

http://www.nga.mil/

http://www.usgs.gov/

https://wss.apan.org/nga/NGA-USGS-CAE/default.aspx

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2. After opening the NGA-USGS CAE GS Application Portal website on APAN, under

“Libraries” located on the left side of the home page display, select “NGA-USGS CAE

Application For Download” to access the application (Item A). Once in the library, you

should also download any accompanying instructional documents that are in the library.

Located in the libraries are additional instructional materials that may be referred to

when completing the application.

3. Select the drop down menu, indicated by a downward pointing icon (Item B). Select the

“Send To” menu option, then select “Download a Copy” and save the application file to

your computer. This completes the application download process.

B

A

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Uploading the NGA-USGS CAE GS Application

1. Once the application is complete, the finished product can be uploaded on the NGA-USGS

CAE GS Application Portal. Unlike the download process, the upload process requires an

APAN account and the appropriate permission level. This is designed to protect the

institution’s application information.

2. To request an APAN account:

Go to the APAN homepage: https://www.apan.org and click the green “Create Account” button on the top right.

Complete the Create Account page. Log in to the email account provided during account creation; a “validate your

email” message was sent to it.

Click the link provided in the APAN message to complete the registration process. Once the email is validated, finish the “Join APAN” form, create a password, and select

a security image.

Click “Create Account” and a system generated username will be created by APAN. Sign in to the account from the APAN homepage, https://www.apan.org, with the new

username and password.

3. Once you have created your APAN account and verified you are able to log in, send an

email to: [email protected] and [email protected] informing them you have

created your APAN account and are requesting access to the NGA-USGS CAE GS

Application Portal. They will add you to the proper permission group and reply to your

email with any further instructions.

4. Once you have created an APAN account and been given the proper permissions to

upload, return to the NGA-USGS CAE GS Application Portal,


5. Once on the portal home page, access the “NGA-USGS CAE GS Application Upload” library

(Item A). (See graphic below).

https://www.apan.org/

https://www.apan.org/




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6. To upload, you must first create a folder. All of your documents will be placed in

this folder. The title of your created folder will be your official school name. Steps

to create a folder:

a. Access the “Documents” section of the “Library Tools” (Item B). This

will display a banner of options.

b. Select “New Folder” from the banner:

c. Name the folder your official school name as stated above and select “Save.”

d. Once the folder is created, select it to access it. To add the completed

application and any supporting documents, select the “Add document”

option, browse to the file(s), select the file(s) then select “Open.”

e. Verify the file was selected (it will appear next to the “Browse”

option, then select “OK.”

NOTE: Please ensure all files (application and supporting files) are present

in the created folder before continuing.

7. When all files have been loaded and verified, CAE GS program staff will receive an

email alert that a new document has been loaded on the site. As a backup to the

alert system, send an email to the below individuals. These individuals will access

the folder, remove all application material, and store it locally. [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected]

8. The CAE GS program staff will reply to the sent email once the information has been

extracted and scanned quickly for completeness, confirming that your materials have

been received.

B

A








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