Call for Scholarship

State of the Map Asia, our annual gathering, welcomes all who are involved  with or interested in OpenStreetMap. We extend an invitation to everyone  passionate about OSM – whether you’re an amateur mapper, a research  academic, involved in humanitarian efforts, part of an NGO or government  entity, running a small business, or representing a multinational  corporation. Join us in Cox’s Bazar on November 30 – 01 December, 2024, to exchange  insights and strategies for advancing the OSM ecosystem. Our goal is to  include as many of you as possible in State of the Map Asia and Bangladesh 2024! Your  participation at State of the Map Asia and Bangladesh is anticipated and encouraged upon  selection. This may involve presenting a talk if chosen by the program  committee, or participating in lightning talk sessions designed for  scholars. Additionally, there are various other ways to contribute to  and support the conference’s success while you are there.

Apply now for support to join us in Cox’s Bazar for State of the Map Asia and Bangladesh 2024! 

Deadline: October 12, 2024, 23:59:59 UTC

Each year, we receive more scholarship applications than we are able to support. To help us best allocate the funds, please specify the minimum types of support you need to attend. If you are requesting a travel grant, then tell us the amount of money to cover a portion of your travel and make a difference to attending or not. Please review our privacy policy covering how we will handle the information in your application.

Here are some tips to help you complete your application.

  • The clarity and concise answers will be helpful. Keep sentences short. 
  • Select  the minimum level of scholarship you need. This will help us to make  the best use of limited funds and enable more scholars to join.
  • Make sure you clearly state your visa and travel requirements and other potential funding sources.
  • We want to hear about your contributions to OpenStreetMap, your project or your group. We do not want an account of a group’s work but your individual part in it. Try to use “I”, not “we”.
  • You may include links to your OpenStreetMap profile, a local group you run, or software  you created. If your written answer is satisfactory to get on our  shortlist, we might look at these additional details.
  • The motivation statement on why you decided to apply for the TGP

Selection Criteria

  • Lighting talks abstract: The travel grant winners will be asked to present something about their experience, their mapping activities, or their community in a dedicated lighting talk session (5-minute presentation). This is not the call for participation; the call will be open, and there will be the possibility to submit talks and workshops. The dedicated lighting talks aim to involve more travel grant winners in the conference, highlighting their contributions and experiences in OSM.
  • Volunteering: The travel grant winners will be asked to volunteer for a time proportional to 1/3 or less of the conference length, depending on the number of other volunteers. Indicate the roles that you are confident to do: Live Video Cutting, Remote/Pre-Recorded Talk Assistant, Session Assistant.
  • OpenStreetMap and Community: Details of their past contributions to OpenStreetMap projects or community activities
  • First State of the Map Asia: Applicants that attend SotM for the first time receive an extra point.
  • Gender and Minorities: In order to create a more diverse community, women and applicants from other underrepresented groups will receive an extra point.
  • Students: Students, including PhD students, receive an extra point. You may be asked to provide evidence of enrollment.

How to Apply

If you wish to be considered for a SotM Asia and Bangladesh 2024 travel grant, please fill out the application form.

All data will be held confidential and only used for assessing TGP applications. Please ensure that the email address that you provide is regularly monitored, as the selection committee may wish to seek clarification of responses. If no replies have been provided to requests via mail for the Travel Grant Committee within 3 days, the Travel Grant will be removed from you and assigned to the next applicants in the ranking.

Applications must be received by October 12, 2024.

The selection committee will aim to notify recipients of grants by the mid of October 2024.


Stay tuned to know more about the news and the events of State of the Map 2024! See you in Cox’s Bazar and online.

The State of the Map Asia and Bangladesh 2024 Organizing Committee