International Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing (ISPRS)

DETAILED INFORMATION 

The International Society for Photogrammetry (ISP) was founded in 1910 under the leadership of its first President, Edouard Dolezal, from Austria. After 70 years of functioning under its original name, the Society changed its name in 1980 to the International Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing (ISPRS) and in 2000 added spatial information sciences to its area of interest. Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing is the science, technology and art of obtaining reliable information from noncontact imaging and other sensor systems about the Earth and its environment, and other physical objects and processes through recording, measuring, analysing and representation.

The ISPRS is a non-governmental organization devoted to the development of international cooperation for the advancement of photogrammetry and remote sensing, and their applications. The principal activities of the Society are: stimulating the formulation of national or regional Societies and promotion of exchanges between them; initiating and coordinating research through approximately 60 Working Groups of 8 Technical Commissions; convening international symposia and congresses at regular intervals; encouraging publication and exchange of scientific papers and journals dealing with the photogrammetry, remote sensing and spatial information sciences, machine vision and computer vision; ensuring worldwide circulation of the records of discussion and the results of research by publication of the International Annals of Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing and the International Archives of Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing; and fostering cooperation and coordination with related international scientific organizations.

The ISPRS is composed of Ordinary Members representing 91 countries, 11 Associate Members, 14 Regional Members representing Associations of the 7 major continents, and 79 Sustaining Members providing institutional support. ISPRS sponsors two peer reviewed journals, the ISPRS Journal of Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing and the ISPRS International Journal of Geo-Information, a bi-monthly electronic, and confers awards and honours to meritorious individuals in the profession. The official languages of ISPRS are English, French and German.

http://www.isprs.org/

 

 What is the ISPRS Foundation?

The ISPRS Foundation, Inc. (TIF) is an independently registered entity that has been established to provide financial assistance and in-kind support SOLELY for benevolent purposes that are pursued by The International Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing (ISPRS).  TIF is a public charity formed to administer an extensive and broadly-based international program that through the raising of funds shall provide grants, scholarships, awards, training supplies and other forms of scientific assistance to qualified individuals and organizations who are pursuing and/or applying knowledge for advancing the sciences and technologies associated with the disciplines embodied by the ISPRS, especially to support those in developing countries and regions.  Through the public promotion of its philanthropic efforts TIF aims to foster greater international awareness and use of the benefits that applications of the photogrammetry, remote sensing and spatial information sciences produce for public good and to the well-being of humanity and sustainability of the environment.

The ISPRS Foundation solicits donations and provides grants in 12 categories of benevolence.
TIF is officially designated as a public charity formed for non-profit, educational and scientific purposes under section 501 (c) (3) of the USA Internal Revenue Code and is organized and operated exclusively for benevolent, charitable, scientific, research or educational purposes.  TIF shall not pay any salaries or travel expenses for its Trustees and it is limited to spend less than 2% of donations for administrative expenses (office operation, publicity, postage, bank fees, etc.).

 Charitable Mission & Goals

The Mission of The ISPRS Foundation (TIF) is to improve the ability of ISPRS to satisfy its aims and objectives by administering a broadly-based international program of charitable fund raising for providing grants to qualified individuals and organizations that are pursuing and/or applying knowledge for advancing the sciences and technologies associated with the disciplines embodied by ISPRS, especially for those from emerging markets and regions. The Foundation will raise, invest and grant funds on an unrestricted and restricted basis for this purpose. It will contribute significantly to the efforts of ISPRS in international cooperation and technology transfer.

To achieve its Mission the goals of TIF are defined in 12 specific Categories for Grants and Donations as follows:

1. Awards - to honor by providing international recognition for significant achievements in ′the photogrammetry, remote sensing and spatial information′ (P&RS&SI) sciences by an individual or group.
2. Awareness Education - to stimulate youth (K-12) and public interest and participation in the P&RS&SI sciences, technologies and applications and, to help address the global need for trained and educated practitioners.
3. Distance Learning (E-Learning) - to promote and facilitate development and open dissemination of distance learning modules in the ISPRS sciences, technologies and disciplines, especially to developing countries.
4. Fellowships - to support professional development in the P&RS&SI sciences and technologies.
5. International Workshops - to provide funding for supporting the education, training and technical program aspects of international scientific workshops sponsored by the ISPRS, including events cosponsored with the United Nations and other international organizations.
6. Internships and Exchange Programs - to foster on-the-job training and education of end users, private companies, governments and institutions of higher education
7. Preservation and Archiving - to provide support to ensure the preservation of the official scientific, technical and administrative records of the ISPRS.
8. Research Initiatives - to provide support for advancing the capabilities and applications of the ISPRS sciences, technologies and disciplines to the benefit of the international community or a multinational region.
9. Scholarships - to support advanced education for outstanding scholars in the P&RS&SI sciences and technologies.
10. Standards - to support international projects devoted to the development and dissemination of standards relevant to the ISPRS disciplines, sciences and technologies.
11. Tools and Literature - to distribute textbooks and technical publications to upgrade developing country libraries; to provide translations and underwrite subscriptions; and to provide basic tools and equipment.
12. Travel Grants - to enable young authors, distinguished speakers, and officially designated Delegates, especially from developing countries, to participate in ISPRS sponsored events and in forums promoting international cooperation, advancements and benefits of the P&RS&SI sciences. 

How does it work?

Opportunities to apply for grants are limited to those posted on The ISPRS Foundation (TIF) and the ISPRS websites.

Individuals, institutions, Commissions and Working Groups seeking grant support are encouraged to use their ISPRS Member organization and/or ISPRS Commission or Working Group officers for submission to ISPRS Council of their perceived need at least one year in advance.  Council can use this input in determining its annual priorities for grant funds from TIF.

An event sponsor must request directly (and well in advance) to the ISPRS Council.  Funding requests must include specification of event date(s), schedule, breakdown of funding needs, and name and address of event coordinator.  Council will consider the request and seek available funding from the Board of The ISPRS Foundation. Approval is not automatic and is dependent on priorities set by Council, the availability of TIF funds, and if the request is in adherence with the criteria set forth for each grant category

The ISPRS Foundation, Inc. is managed by a 'Board of Trustees' which responds to ISPRS' grant needs that are identified by the ISPRS Council.  ISPRS Council will annually assess needs, solicit proposals for grants from The Foundation, and then collaborate with the Board to approve worthy applicants.  Multinational committees (no more than two committee members may be of the same nationality) will support the Trustees in evaluating the applications.

The Board of Trustees is responsible for fund raising, investment, management and approval of grants from Foundation funds. Trustees do not receive any salary or other compensation for their services.

For more detail :
 www.isprs.org/foundation/PDF/foundation.pdf 



                           Created By : P.Loshini