Dear Friends of TGI,

As we celebrate the first anniversary of the Taylor Geospatial Institute, it is with great excitement that I share with you this Year In Review. 

When I look back on TGI’s first year, I am struck most of all by the spirit of collaboration that has guided the Institute’s growth and early successes. TGI has thrived because its community of faculty, researchers, and partners has believed in the vision of TGI that collaboration is the key to innovative geospatial research. Whether through multi-institutional research partnerships, joint projects with government and industry partners, or developing a common research infrastructure, the TGI has forged a strong community to help cement the St. Louis region’s reputation as a global geospatial center of excellence.    

I could feel that spirit of collaboration and community when I gathered with so many others one year ago to celebrate the launch of the Institute in April 2022. As we gathered on the campus of Saint Louis University, we were motivated by a sense of hope and expectation in the promise of the TGI’s vision. Since then, the TGI community has accomplished much to make that vision a reality. 

TGI has secured major grants to develop its research infrastructure, like the TGI Rails project to create a high-performance computing and data analysis system that will be shared across the consortium. It has made major steps to develop its capacity to train the next generation of geospatial researchers through the TGI Academy. 

Perhaps most importantly, it has supported the collaborative work of faculty and researchers across the consortium through its research grants, fellowships, postdoctoral program, and many other initiatives. 

On behalf of TGI’s Governing Council, which represents all eight institutions of the consortium, I invite you to learn more about the TGI community and its early successes through this Year In Review. I also want to thank you, friends of TGI, for your support and contributions to helping make the Institute’s first year a success. The TGI is only as strong as its community of faculty, researchers, staff, partners, and friends. Thank you for sharing in our vision and we look forward to strengthening the TGI community in the years ahead.

With best wishes,

Ken Olliff

Vice President for Research and Partnerships, Saint Louis University

Chair, Governing Council, Taylor Geospatial Institute 

Founded through a legacy gift by Andrew C. Taylor, the eight partner institutions of TGI encompass a breadth of strengths in geospatial research and are working together to help address some of the world’s most pressing challenges. From climate change to precision agriculture, public health to national security, researchers across the consortium are utilizing geospatial tools to make important impacts in a wide range of critical fields.

To support its researchers, faculty, and students, the Institute has in its first year awarded more than $4 million in research funding, initiated major projects to develop the Institute’s research infrastructure, and secured nearly $50 million in external grant funding.

To be the nation’s leader in geospatial science research and accelerate the St. Louis region’s development as a global geospatial center of excellence.

Our Mission

To advance geospatial science through multi-institutional, interdisciplinary collaborations in order to create innovative, real-world solutions to societal grand challenges.

• 8 Institutions 
•   88 TGI Associates 
•   5,000 faculty across the entire consortium  
•   100,000 students across the entire consortium 
•   $1.2 Million given in 2022 block grant funding to consortium institutions  
•   $1.7 Million given in 2023 seed grant funding to consortium faculty 
•   $4 Million in total incentives awarded by TGI to faculty, researchers, and students 
•   $160 Million: amount included in TGI-led proposal to make St. Louis an NSF Regional Engine for geospatial science 
•   43 projects funded by TGI grants 
•   4 TGI Working Groups 
•   5 TGI Postdocs

[Researcher Spotlight Videos x 3]

$15 Million in external grant funding secured by TGI in its first year

92 research and industry collaborators in TGI-led NSF Regional Innovation Engine proposal

9 TGI incentive programs totaling more than $15 Million in support to faculty, researchers, and students

$1 Million NSF grant for the TGI Rails project, to establish a shared computing infrastructure for the Institute

$1 million grant from the Missouri Department of Higher Education and Workforce Development to establish the TGI Academy,

115 faculty involved in TGI-funded research projects

8 students supported by TGI fellowships

48 institutions involved in TGI-supported projects

15 local organizations at Geo-Resolution 2022 Career Fair attended by more than 150 students and job-seekers

$1 Million awarded in faculty start-up funding to attract and retain top talent to TGI institutions

Hundreds of faculty and student exposed to collaboration and network events like our Research Days and Seminar Series

[Researcher Spotlight Videos x 3]

Data services team

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Block Grants
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(highlights from 2-3 Block Grants; I have ZERO Idea what this looks like to even hedge a guess)

Deep partnerships between members of the consortium and organizations from government and industry help TGI be successful. Forging partnerships with government and industry is a foundational element of the Institute’s vision for impact. 

We crafted and published an industry engagement plan, which guides our long-term strategy for forging deep, practical relationships with external, innovative partners who are leading the way.

The plan is creating three core types of engagement that build powerful collaborations:

• Talent Partnerships that address the needs of the geospatial industry for skilled and knowledgeable professionals.

• Research Partnerships that create new geospatial innovations and solutions.

• Technology Partnerships that expand use cases for tools or data ready for commercialization in the geospatial industry. 

TALENT
TGI has partnered with Esri, a global leader in GIS software, to collaborate on programs like guest speakers, workshops, and student internships.

RESEARCH
Our partnership with lead federal agency for geospatial intelligence, the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA), is creating new solutions and innovations that support U.S. national security. NGA partners with the Institute through a cooperative research and development agreement that governs collaboration on challenging problems.

TECHNOLOGY
The Institute has developed an exemplary partnership and agreement with Planet, a leading provider of daily satellite data for business, governments and researchers. Planet is providing access to vast libraries of imagery and data that empower researchers to spend more time focused on novel research and innovative problem-solving and less time in search of usable sources and datasets. They also sponsor workshops for consortium researchers and funding fellowships for researchers who use Planet’s imagery.

INDUSTRY INVOLVEMENT
Dozens of companies participated in the Institute’s career day during the 2022 GeoResolution Symposium. Commercial partners have been integrated into collaborative grant opportunities led by the Institute, such as the National Science Foundation’s Regional Innovation Engines Program. Others are bringing educational programs to consortium campuses.

TGI Academy

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Planet Fellows (THERE ARE 2 W/HEADSHOT AND SHORT DISSERTATION DESCRIPTION)

Supria Sarka

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Zijun Yang

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Taylor Diversity Fellows  THIS WILL EITHER BE SIMILAR TO PLANET FELLOWS OR JUST A DESCRIPTION

Faculty & Staff Leadership – NO IDEA IF THIS IS A FULL LISTING OR …?

Governing Council– NO IDEA IF THIS IS A FULL LISTING OR …?

Research Council– NO IDEA IF THIS IS A FULL LISTING OR …?