SEG Near-Surface Student Research Award

About this program

The Society of Exploration Geophysicists (SEG), through its Near‑Surface Geophysics Section and SEG Foundation, awards the Near‑Surface Student Research Award to fund undergraduate and graduate projects that apply geophysical methods to environmental, engineering, hazard, cryosphere, archaeological, and other near‑surface Earth‑system problems. Grants offset research expenses such as field data acquisition, laboratory studies, specialized software, equipment access, travel, and data processing, with strong preference for work unrelated to oil and gas. Eligible applicants must be current undergraduate or graduate students in good academic standing at an accredited institution, be active paid SEG student members, be conducting near‑surface geophysics research, and comply with SEG student/Early Career and OFAC policies; preference is given to graduate students. Applications are submitted online (typically open 1 January–31 March) and require a transcript, a signed faculty advisor letter, a two‑page research proposal, and a brief statement of funding need; selection emphasizes scientific merit, likelihood of meaningful results, financial need, and applicant preparation.