National Spatial Data Infrastructure Cooperative Agreements Program
The purpose of the National Spatial Data Infrastructure Cooperative Agreements Program (NSDI CAP) is to fund innovative projects in the geospatial data community to build the infrastructure necessary to effectively discover, access, share, manage, and use digital geographic data. The NSDI consists of the technologies, policies, organizations, and people necessary to promote cost-effective production, and the ready availability and greater utilization of geospatial data among a variety of sectors, disciplines, and communities. Specific NSDI areas of emphasis include: metadata documentation, clearinghouse establishment, framework development, standards implementation, and geographic information system (GIS) organizational coordination. Since 1994, the Federal Geographic Data Committee (FGDC) has funded projects that advance the NSDI in partnership with the geospatial data community. The FGDC, now as part of the new National Geospatial Program Office (NGPO), will continue to support these projects.
