Geoscientists Without Borders

Supporting the humanitarian applications of geoscience around the world.

Making a difference

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Geoscientists have the tools necessary to effect positive change in communities coping with environmental hardships and natural hazards. Many places around the globe facing severe water shortages, earthquakes, tsunamis, and other hazards have benefited from the humanitarian efforts of geoscientists who have offered their specialized knowledge and technical skills to those in need.

Geoscientists Without Borders^® serves as a catalyst bringing capable scientists together with communities to solve their problems. The program provides funding for these projects and assists geoscientists and their teams in collaborating with multidisciplinary and community-based partners. Data is collected, processed, and interpreted to provide resources that result in a sustainable humanitarian benefit to the community.

“SEG has impacted my life by providing the chance to practice leadership skills, interact with leading scientists in the field, and embark on the opportunity of a lifetime with a Geoscientists Without Borders^® project that will have real-world benefits to Australian Aborigines in need of improved understanding of their groundwater resources.”

Andrew Parsekian
GWB project lead

GWB Mission

See where we've been

Support humanitarian application of geoscience knowledge and technology around the world.

Fund projects that benefit communities in need facing environmental hardship and natural hazards due to resource shortages, natural and human induced disasters.

Projects

View a map of GWB projects around the world

"I realized that I was connected to something so much larger than I had realized."

Ron Harris
GWB project lead

Goals

Provide funding to projects that will benefit communities in need, where applying geoscience and information is critical to improving poor conditions or where dangerous conditions and hazards can be mitigated or removed using applied geoscience technology.
Strengthen the global geoscience community through beneficial multidisciplinary partnerships and cooperation with other organizations active in engineering and geoscience.
Encourage students and introduce them to the broad range of geosciences careers while also strengthening university programs in geophysics and the geosciences.

"I never knew this job could impact other people's lives so tremendously; I am very thankful to the GWB foundation for giving me this unique opportunity."

Eray Kocel

Ideal Projects

Attributes of a winning GWB proposal pdf

Based on proposals that have been awarded GWB funding in recent years and the issues that have led to acceptance of these proposals, we have prepared a guide listing the attributes that characterize the “ideal” GWB project.

"It was a great experience to be the part of GWB to interact with local people in Haiti by conducting geophysical survey made this trip knowledgeable and joyful."

Li Chang

Stay informed

Geoscientists Without Borders^® is not affiliated with Doctors Without Borders, which is a registered trademark of Bureau International de Médecins Sans Frontières.

Geoscientists Without Borders^® is making an impact.

GWB Project Legend

Archaeology: use of nondestructive geophysical methods for archaeological site investigation

Earthquake Preparedness: use of earthquake monitoring techniques for early warning systems

Volcano Preparedness: use of volcano monitoring systems for emergency response programs

Landslide Preparedness: use of landslide tracking systems for disaster risk reduction

Pollution Mitigation: use of geochemical analysis, electrical resistivity, ground-penetrating radar, and geomagnetic surveys

Tsunami Preparedness: use of historical earthquake data and sample deposits to identify seismic gaps, and construct tsunami models

Water Management: use of electrical and seismic geophysical techniques to find groundwater aquifers, and locations for drilling water wells.

Habitat Management: use of nondestructive geophysical methods for wildlife habitat mapping for life on land and below water.

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