FIG Foundation - Building a Sustainable Future

The Recipients

Where Do Donations Go?

During the period 2002-2020 the FIG Foundation has donated a total 163 grants to surveyors from 70 countries. The Foundation also aims to sponsor 3-5 Young Surveyors to the yearly FIG Working Week/ Congress, all from different continents. In total 340,000 EUR has been spent on grants in this period and distributed around the world.

Distribution of FIG Foundation Grants

Meet the FIG Foundation supported recipients - learn
how the FIG Foundation grant helped them to establish
long term contacts, gain valuable knowledge and enabled
them to make a difference in their home countries

Enjoy their Stories

Grants Awarded

FIG Foundation Grants in 2020

In 2020 two FIG Foundation grants were given:

FIG Foundation Ph.D. Scholarship of 4,000 EUR was rewarded to Kehinde Babalola for his Ph.D. research on: The Interactions of Customary and Statutory Institutions and Laws: The Land Administration System Process:  A Case Study of Ekiti State, Nigeria. More info

Aubrey Barker Fund/FIG Foundation Course Development Grant was rewarded to Dr. Trias Aditya, Indonesia, Faculty of Engineering, Universitas Gadjah Mada, Indonesia for his work on: A Blended Learning Course Design in Fit for Purposes’ Cadastral Survey

FIG Foundation Grants in 2019

For 2019, two different FIG Foundation grants were offered, an academic research grant and a PhD grant.

The FIG Foundation Academic Research Grants provide grant of up to 40,000 EUR spread over four years. The conditions are that applicants shall be based in a surveying/geomatics academic programme that teaches surveying in a country listed by the World Bank as a lowincome, lower-middle or upper-middle income economy. Deadline was 1 March 2019.

For the academic research grant FIG Foundation has received four applications, however they were all rejected due to the fact that they did not fulfil the requirements.

The FIG Foundation PhD Scholarships will be provided of up to 4,000 EUR to PhD students. Successful applicants will qualify for a further grant of up to 3,000 EUR to attend and present a peer reviewed paper at a FIG conference. Conditions are that applicants shall be studying for a PhD degree and registered solely in a surveying/geomatics academic programme that teaches surveying in a country listed by the World Bank as a low-income, lower-middle or upper-middle income economy. Deadline was 1 February 2019.

FIG Foundation received five applications for the PhD. scholarship, of which none were accepted.

The Aubrey Barker/FIG Foundation grant received three applications of which one was approved for the second round with deadline in January 2020.

In 2019 the FIG Foundation awarded grants totalling EUR 12,917 to Young Surveyors to participate in the FIG Working Week 2019 in Hanoi, Vietnam.

The four Young Surveyors were:

• Annika Avila (Philippines)
• Romina Leiva (Argentina)
• Ogochukwu Izuegbu (Nigeria)
• Ruth Trujillo (USA)

The FIG Foundation Board of Directors has also approved a grant to Ms Melissa Robert, Uruguay in support of attending several conferences to make presentations promoting the FIG Young Surveyors Network and FIG in South America.

The Italian member association CNGeGL was supported to help Young Surveyors to attend the International Summer School for Surveying.

The International Geodetic Students Meeting IGSM meeting in Warsaw, Poland received a grant, organised by the Student Association GEOIDA, Association of Students of the Faculty of Geodesy and Cartography of the Warsaw University of Technology.

Two Young Surveyors events were supported during 2019:

• YESM (Europe) which took place in Portugal
• YASM (Africa) which took place in Senegal

FIG Foundation Grants in 2018

FIG Foundation received four applications for PhD. grant, of which one was accepted: Mr Bruno Lot Tanko, Nigeria, for his research project on "Roadmap for Implementing Value Management (VM) in the Nigerian Construction Industry". Mr Bruno Lot Tanko has received EUR 4,000 and he can receive an additional grant of EUR 3,000 to enable him attend and present his published paper if it will be accepted as peer review paper.

In 2018 the FIG Foundation awarded grants totalling EUR 14,234 to Young Surveyors to participate in the Congress Week in Istanbul, Turkey

The Young Surveyors were:

• Jean-Pierre Habiyaremye (Rwanda)
• Ana Julia Herrera Gonzalez (Costa Rica)
• Mudit Kapoor (India)
• James Quick (United Kingdom)
• Cemre Sahinkaya (Turkey/Munich)

The FIG Foundation Board of Directors has also approved a grant to Ms Melissa Robert, Uruguay in support of attending several conferences to make presentations promoting the FIG Young Surveyors Network and FIG in South America. At the same time FIG and FIG Foundation extend a special thanks to Ms Melissa Roberts for her work on the promotion of FIG in the Latin American area

The Italian member association CNGeGL was supported to help Young Surveyors to attend the International Summer School for Surveying.

Together with UN-Habitat/Global Land Tool Network (GLTN) the FIG Young Surveyors introduced a new pilot programme in 2017 - Volunteer Community Surveyor program (VCSP). This programme made it possible for young surveyors to apply for an exchange and to contribute to projects that GLTN is involved in at country levels implementing land tools. This project went from October 2017-April 2018 and was supported by FIG Foundation.

FIG Foundation Grants in 2017

The Ph.D. Scholarship 2016 was awared to Mr Wallace Mukupa, Zambia​, presently at the University of Nottingham, Ningbo, China for his project: Structural Change Detection and Deformation Monitoring. He got his peer review paper accepted for oral presentation for the FIG Working Week 2017, and this released a FIG Foundation travel and registration grant to attend the Working Week. Read his story

FIG Working Week 2017 Foundation Grants

At FIG Working Week 2017 FIG Foundation Grants were given to: Biplov Bhandari, Nepal, Mladen Femic, Montenegro, and KaarinaToivo, Namibia.

FIG Foundation Grants in 2016

PhD Scholarship 2016

The PhD Scholarship 2016 was awarded to Mr Wallace Mukupa, Zambia​, presently at the University of Nottingham, Ningbo, China for his project: Structural Change Detection and Deformation Monitoring.

FIG Working Week 2016 Foundation Grants

At FIG Working Week 2016, FIG Foundation Grants were given to: Donmarl Camua, Philippines, Suman Baral, Nepal, Maitena Navarro, Argentina and KelvinTang, Malaysia.

FIG Foundation Grants in 2015

In 2015 the FIG Foundation awarded grants to 13 young surveyors to attend and participate in the FIG Working Week 2015 in Sofia, Bulgaria. These were awarded to:

1. Nur Zurairah ABDUL HALIM (Malaysia)
2. Marina DAVIDOVIC (Serbia)
3. Casper FIBAEK (Denmark)
4. Franka GRUBIŠIĆ (Croatia)
5. Tomislav HORVAT (Croatia)
6. Konstantina MANGINA (Greece)
7. Miljana PLJEVALJCIC (Serbia)
8. Erisem QEHAJA (Albania)
9. Georgios RIGOPOULOS (Greece)
10. Melissa ROBERT (Uruguay)
11. Aliona SCUTELNIC (Moldova)
12. Kelvin Kang Wee TANG (Malaysia)
13. Benedicta Amarachi UGWULEBO (Nigeria)

The FIG Foundation Board of Directors has also approved a grant to Ms Melissa Robert, Uruguay in support of attending several conferences to make presentations promoting the FIG Young Surveyors Network and FIG in South America.

The Italian member association CNGeGL was supported to help Young Surveyors to attend the International Summer School for Surveying, Milan, Italy.

FIG Foundation Grants in 2014

In 2014 the FIG Foundation awarded eight Young Surveyors Conference Fellowships to provide funding for eight young surveyors from the six World regions plus two additional from developing countries to cover the costs to attend and participate in the FIG Congress in Kuala Lumpur. These were awarded to:

• Odil AKBAROV (Uzbekistan)
• Asmae AZZIOUI (Morocco)
• Chandan DAS (Nepal)
• Jonathan GUSTAFSON (USA)
• Odkhuu KHALZAN (Mongolia)
• Melissa ROBERT (Uruguay)
• Irena ROJKO (Slovenia)
• Emily TIDEY (New Zealand)

Irena Rojko, Asmae Azzioui, Odil Akbarov, Chandan Das and Melissa Robert also attended the FIG-UN-Habitat/GLTN Train the Trainers Workshop on Social Tenure Domain Model (STDM) that was held just prior the FIG Working Week.

Simon Hull, University of Cape Town, South Africa received a scholarship of 4000 EUR to conduct a research trip to the Netherlands and Germany during September and October 2014.

Report: Research Trip 2014 - Report by Simon Hull, South Africa

Jamal Browne, The UWI St. Augustine, Trinidad And Tobago was supported with USD1000 (approx. 730 EUR) to support his participation at the World Bank Land & Poverty, March 2014 Conference.

Report on the 2014 World Bank Conference on Land and Poverty by Jamal Browne

FIG Foundation also provided funding to support participation of the FIG Young Surveyors Network by Eva-Maria Unger to go to the World Bank Land & Poverty Conference, March 2014, in Washington, DC and the FIG Young Surveyors North American Meeting April 2014 in San Diego, California.

The National Society of Professional Surveyors (NSPS), USA was supported with 2,500 USD to conduct the Young Surveyors meeting in North America. CNGeGL, Italy was supported with 2000 EUR to help Young Surveyors to attend the Commission 3 Workshop 4- 7 November 2014 in Bologna, Italy.

The 2nd FIG Young Surveyors European Meeting in Berlin, Germany was support with 5,000 EUR. Six Young Surveyors were granted a scholarship:

• Xhemail ISLAMI (Macedonia)
• Eftychia KALOGIANNI (Greece)
• Ferah Pırlanta KÖKSAL (Turkey)
• Jakov MAGANIĆ (Croatia)
• Milos PANDZIC (Serbia)
• Eva Maria Unger (Austria)

FIG Foundation Grants in 2013

In 2013 the FIG Foundation research grants were announced for the second time. At the first announcement in 2012 FIG received 8 applications of which two continued to a second round. FIG Foundation Board decided not to grant any of the two with the FIG Foundation Academic Research Grant but to re‐publish the call for grants for a new round for 2014. Deadline for application was postponed to 31 March 2014. Again the research grants will be provided of up to 20,000 euros spread over two years and the conditions are that applicants shall be based in a surveying/geomatics academic programme that teaches surveying in a country listed by the World Bank as a low-income, lower-middle or upper-middle income economy.

The PhD grant was also postponed and was published in 2013 with the deadline 1 February 2014. Scholarships will be provided of up to 4,000 euros to PhD students. Conditions are that applicants shall be studying for a PhD degree and registered solely in a surveying/geomatics academic programme that teaches surveying in a country listed by the World Bank as a lowincome, lower-middle or upper-middle income economy.

The FIG Foundation Board of Directors is evaluating, in cooperation with FIG Platinum Corporate Member Trimble Navigation, supporting the recovery and reestablishment of key points marking the Arc of the 30th Meridian.

FIG Foundation Grants in 2012

FIG Foundation had decided to publish a 2012 FIG Foundation Academic Research Grants to provide for research grants of up to 20,000 euros spread over two years. The grants were intended to researchers representing countries which on the World Bank list are rated as low or lower middle income countries. At the deadline, FIG had received 8 applications of which two continued to a second round. At the meeting FIG Foundation Board decided not to grant any of the two with the FIG Foundation Academic Research Grant but re-published the call for grants for a new round. These grants should be decided upon in 2013.

FIG Foundation also decided on announcing a PhD Scholarship to help a PhD student in the final stage of the study, i.e. to someone who has a dissertation ready to publish. According to the statutes of the Foundation the PhD grants were intended to applicants who on the World Bank list are rated as low or lower middle income countries. Unfortunately, none of the received applications met the demands of the scholarship, and it was therefore decided to withdraw the scholarship.

The FIG Foundation decided at the 2011 FIG Working Week in Marrakech, Morocco to fully fund FIG Foundation Young Surveyor Fellowships for four young surveyors from developing countries to attend and participate in the 1st FIG Young Surveyors Conference and FIG Working Week in Rome. The four fellowships were awarded to:

• Rizqi Abdulharis (Indonesia)
• Luther Matonthu (Tanzania)
• Aliona Scutelnic (Moldova)
• Ronald Ssegendo (Uganda)

Additional support was provided to Kate Fairlie, Chair of the FIG Young Surveyors Network and Organizer of the 1st FIG Young Surveyors Conference to attend and participate in the conference and working week in Rome.

Encouraged by the success of the first FIG Young Surveyors Conference and the enthusiastic participation of 120+ young surveyors from over 40 countries at both the conference and working week, the FIG Foundation Board of Directors decided to provide additional funds to support FIG Young Surveyor Network (YSN) activities in 2012. All awards were made by application. These included:

Young Surveyor participation at African Task Force Workshop in Ghana, September 2012, 7 grants:

• Yusuf Aro-Lambo (Nigeria)
• Kate Fairlie (Australia)
• Luther Matontu (Tanzania)
• Leah Njuguna (Kenya)
• Adama Sarr (Senegal)
• Ronald Ssegando (Uganda)
• Benedicta Ugwulebo (Nigeria)

Young Surveyors participation in FIG Regional Conference 2012, November 2012 in Montevideo, Uruguay, 5 grants:

• Kate Fairlie (Australia)
• Thobias Furlanetti (Brazil)
• Genique J Kemp (Bahamas)
• Melissa Robert (Uruguay)
• Eva-Maria Unger (Austria)

2000 EUR in support to the CNGeGL two-week course for Young Surveyors: "IV International Training Course in Topography for Young Surveyors" which took place in September 2012 in Spain. Funds were also provided to Eva-Maria Unger, Secretary of the FIG Young Surveyors Network, to attend the opening of the course to make a presentation about the YSN and FIG.

FIG Foundation Grants in 2011

5,000 USD was given to a project in Uganda in co-operation with Trimble and UNHABITAT/ GLT. The STDM Pilot Project was co-implemented by Actogether - a national urban NGO based in Uganda and an affiliate of Slum Dwellers International (SDI). The grant provided technical support to data collection and capacity building process, technical and logistical support to Missions/Workshops and undertook the over-all process documentation.

Young Surveyors received a grant of 3000 EUR to help Young Surveyors to participate in the African Task Force Seminar in South Africa, because part of the agenda was dedicated Young Surveyors.

FIG Foundation Grants in 2010

The FIG Foundation has received fourteen applications for grants, fellowships and awards for 2010. Nine of these were for fellowships and/or awards to attend the FIG International Congress in Sydney. The other five applications were unsolicited applications for general grants, none of which were approved by the Directors.

One grant appointed was for the Foundation Congress Fellowship to Shewakena Aytenfisu Abab, Ethiopia to attend the Sydney congress and present his paper “Facing the Challenges in Building Sustainable land Management Capacity in Ethiopia”. However, he could not participate as his visa application was declined.

FIG Foundation Grants in 2009

The FIG Foundation received 15 applications for grants and fellowships for 2009. The Board of Directors decided to give one grant and three Foundation Fellowships to authors from developing countries to present their peer review paper at the FIG Working Week 2009 in Eilat, Israel in May 2009. These scholarships were available for the first time in 2009. The FIG Foundation decided further to support the International Geodetic Students Meeting in Zürich, Switzerland.

The recipients of the Grant and the Foundation Fellowships for 2009 were:

	William Kalande from Kenya received the FIG Grant for his project Development of a Cadastral Land Dispute Classification System Using Geographical Data Modelling. "...the FIG Foundation enabled me to collect field data and buy relevant secondary datasets for my Msc thesis… and to probe, have insights into and to contribute to modelling of solutions to land disputes. It is also worth noting the research enabled me to positively contribute to the well being of the community in his study area. In the words of the tribunal chairman: “This was a rare convergence of academic knowledge, real problems, victims of these problems and great international acts of generosity and thoughtfulness."
	Ganesh Prasad Bhatta from Nepal received the Foundation Fellowship for his project Cadastral Surveying 'For the People, By the People':Developing a Participatory Model for Cadastral Resurveying in Nepal. "I am one among the luckiest surveyors to get benefit from the opportunities offered by the FIG Foundation. In fact, these research projects would not have been possible without the support of the FIG Foundation… I feel proud to state that FIG Foundation is the source of motivation, inspiration and encouragement for me to continue my research interest in the sector of cadastral surveying. I would encourage surveyors, especially from the developing world to cash the opportunities offered by the FIG Foundation to enhance their capacity and professional development. In my understanding, FIG Foundation is really playing a role of the foundation of empowering surveyors in developing world."
	Jayanta Kumar Ghosh from India received the Foundation Fellowship for his paper GEOWARNS : A System to Warn Geo-deformation failure "The Foundation it possible for the first author to present the paper personally. This has helped to disseminate how latest technologies can be applied for interdisciplinary works and thus made use of latest surveying technologies for societal benefits. It helped to interact with other participants from all over the world and get aware of other salient developments in the surveying techniques."
	Habtemicael Weldegiorgis from Eritrea received the Foundation Fellowship to present his paper The Cadastral System in Eritrea: Practice, Constraints, and Prospects" "My participation at the FIG Conference in Eilat, Israel assisted through the Foundation’s Grants was eye-opening, rare- opportunity, which exposed me to world class experts where valuable experiences and best practices were learnt. The interactions with such august body of experts enabled me to initiate revisions into the arbitrary service charge regime and ensuring self sustainability of the Eritrean Cadastral Office." This paper was selected as the article of the month in September 2009

FIG Foundation Grants in 2008

Ten applications for grants were received in 2008, but after the evaluation the Board of Directors decided not to support any of the applications. The Foundation decided to give a grant to the International Geodetic Students Meeting in 2008.

FIG Foundation Grants in 2007

The FIG Foundation received this year twelve applications. The Board of Directors decided to give three grants. The size of the grant vary according to the project. The grants were admitted to following projects:

• Sara J Wilkinson and Richard Reed (Australia): Student Perceptions of Professional Surveying Bodies (3,000 EUR)
• Ganesh Prasad Bhatta (Nepal): Cadastral Surveying 'For the People, By the People':Developing a Participatory Model for Cadastral Resurveying in Nepal (2,750 EUR)
• Dev Raj Paudyal (India): Low cost pro-poor land management techniques in developing countries: A case study in Nepal and India (2,000 EUR).

A special Foundation Grant was given to support young surveyors attendance to the Young Surveyors Workshop in Cairo in November 2008. 

FIG Foundation Grants in 2006

The FIG Foundation received this year nine applications. The Board of Directors decided to give three grants at its meeting during the FIG Congress in Munich. Each of these grants is 2,000 EUR. The grants were admitted to following projects:

• Parama Anandan (India): Educating Voluntary Organizations in Disciplines of Surveying in Various Districts of Tamilnadu
• Catherine Kariuki (Kenya): The Impact of HIV/AIDS on Land Values and the Women's Property Rights in the Context of HIV/AIDS
• Ganesh Prasad Bhatta (Nepal): Institutional and Legal Aspects in Land Disputes: the Context of Nepalese Cadastral Surveying 

FIG Foundation grants in 2005

The Board of Directors of the FIG Foundation decided on the FIG Grants 2005 at its meeting in Cairo during the FIG Working Week 2005. About 7,000 EUR was given to 7 applicants from 6 countries. The total number of applications was 14. The grants were given to the following applicants:

• Parama Anandan, India
  Education of NGOs in the coastal districts of Tamilnadu on the surveying education after the tsunami
• Hasanuddin Zainal Abidin, Indonesia
  Studying land subsidence of Bandung Basin (Indonesia) using GPS survey technique
• Daniel Paez, Australia
  Promoting surveying education in Colombia by awarding best Colombian paper published during the year
• Ganesh Prasad, Nepal
  Identification of technical deficiencies and human factors in land disputes: In the context of Nepalese cadastral surveying
• Karin Viergever, United Kingdom
  Promoting the understanding and value of new developments in remote sensing and global navigation satellite systems for interdisciplinary professional groups in a developing country
• Mia Flores-Bórquez, United Kingdom (rescinded - 2008)
  Land disputes resolution and restitution in post-conflict societies
• Emmanuel Tembo, Botswana
  Growing a profession – a comparative study of Southern African professional bodies
• Hasanuddin Zainal Abidin, Indonesia

FIG Foundation grants in 2004

The Board of Directors of the FIG Foundation decided on the FIG Grants 2004 at its meeting in Athens during the FIG Working Week 2004. About 6,000 EUR was given to 4 applicants from 4 countries. The total number of applications was 12. The grants were given to the following applicants:

• Boipuso Nkwae, Canada
  Managing Land Information for Urban Governance in Botswana
• Jennifer Whittal, South Africa
  Capacity Building and Postgraduate Research in Land Tenure and Cadastral Systems in Southern Africa
• Daniel Paez, Australia
  Increasing the Range of Services of the Colombian Surveyors by Demonstrating DISCUSS, a Decision Support System that Uses Latest Surveying Technologies
• Jose David Belaga, Argentina
  The Argentine Cadastre over the Last Fifty Years and an Overview of the Brazilian Cadastre
• G.C. Mulaku, Kenya,
  Assessment of Kenya’s Readiness for NSDI

The Board of Directors further reserved 500 € for the International Geodetics Students Meeting to be held in Istanbul in 2005 under the condition that the local member association of FIG matches the same amount.

FIG Foundation grants in 2003

The Board of Directors of the FIG Foundation decided on the FIG Grants 2003 at its meeting in Paris during the FIG Working Week and 125th Anniversary. Almost US$ 7,000 was given to 7 applicants from 7 countries. The total number of applications was 15. The grants were given to the following applicants:

Juan B. Paez-Ferro (Colombia): Development of an actualization course in order to prepare the academic infrastructure in Colombian universities for the new technologies in the surveying profession; Nick Nunnington (Netherlands): The European Challenge - an Overview; Renida Sarala (India): Survey orientation programme; Marina Vaskovich (Sweden): Property formation modelling with application of the Republic of Belarus; Andrew Kozikov (Ukraine): Cadastral Development - the contribution of scientific enquiry; and the International Geodetic Students Meetings 2003 in Germany and in 2004 in Finland under the condition that the local member association of FIG matches the same amount.

FIG Foundation grants in 2002

The Board of Directors of the FIG Foundation has decided on the FIG Grants 2002 at its meeting 19 December 2002. Totally US$ 13,000 were given to 12 applicants from 10 countries. The total number of applications was 20. The grants were given to the following applicants:

• Dr. Frances Plimmer (United Kingdom)
• Boipuso Nkwae (Canada/Botswana)
• Mabel Alvarez de Lopez (Argentina)
• Dra. Analía Argerich (Argentina)
• Dr. Ioan Stancu (Romania)
• PhD Hande Demirel (Turkey)
• Alick R. Mwanza (Zambia)
• Sara J. Wilkinson (United Kingdom)
• Dr. Sankaran Rajendran (India)
• Marie C. Robidoux (Canada)
• Dr. Galcano Canny Mulaku (Kenya) and
• Dr. Jinyun Guo (P. R. China)

FIG FOUNDATION GRANTS AWARDED 2002-2020

(do not include multiple awards)

Meetings and conferences:

AFRICAN TASK FORCE SEMINAR
FIG COMMISSION 3 ANNUAL MEETING
FIG COMMISSION 7 ANNUAL MEETING
INTERNATIONAL GEODETIC STUDENTS MEETING (IGSM)
TECHNICAL UNIVERSITY OF MUNICH
TRAINING COURSE IN TOPOGRAPHY FOR YOUNG SURVEYORS
UN-HABITAT/GLTN