Are you passionate about GIS, geomatics, or spatial analytics? The Nathan Adams Student Bursary offers Ontario students the opportunity to gain recognition, connect with industry professionals, and receive financial support for their studies.

Renamed in 2022 in honour of Nathan Adams, a University of Guelph GIS Master's candidate, the bursary celebrates his passion for innovation and advancing geospatial technology. Nathan was working on his thesis to develop a new way of using AI for extraction of objects from a LiDAR point cloud before his passing in 2021 at the age of 24. Today, his legacy continues to inspire and support the next generation of GIS professionals.

Submissions for 2026 are currently closed.

Now is the time to prepare your favourite project for the 2027 award submissions!

Award details

Bursary Value: $500

The Nathan Adams Student Bursary recognizes outstanding student achievement and innovation in GIS and geospatial technologies. In addition to financial support, recipients gain valuable exposure within Ontario's geospatial community and opportunities to connect with industry professionals.

Eligibility

Applicants must be currently enrolled in an Ontario post-secondary institution and pursuing one of the following:

• Certificate
• Diploma
• Post-Graduate Diploma
• Undergraduate Degree
• Graduate Degree

Application requirements

To be considered, students must submit:

• An Esri StoryMap showcasing a project completed as part of their studies in Ontario
• A project summary (maximum 500 words) describing:
  • Project purpose
  • Data used
  • Solution or outcomes provided

The use of maps, visualizations, and other geospatial storytelling elements is strongly encouraged.

Don't have an Esri account? Create a free account and start building your StoryMap.

Topics for consideration

Projects may demonstrate the application of GIS and geospatial technologies in areas such as:

• Education
• Geomatics Engineering
• Environment
• Natural Resources
• Public Safety
• Transportation
• Facility & Asset Management
• Business
• Analytics

2026 award recipient

Nilanika Goonetilleke - Lakehead University

Environmental Studies, Department of Geography and the Environment

Indoor GIS for Smart Facility Management

Nilanika Goonetilleke is a recent Master of Environmental Studies graduate from Lakehead University, and holds a Bachelor’s degree in Architecture from the University of Toronto. Her graduate research, titled Sustainable, safe, smart, and connected building management to reduce greenhouse gas emission, focused on developing a Digital Twin–based indoor mapping platform to support sustainable and smart building management.

The study integrated remote sensing techniques, including LiDAR-based 3D point cloud acquisition, to generate 2D CAD floor plans and 3D SketchUp models, which formed the foundation of the indoor map. Using CAD-to-GIS workflows, the CAD drawings were translated into spatial attributes and integrated into a spatial database in ArcGIS Pro. By integrating real-time sensor data, the system evolved into a spatiotemporal decision-support framework designed to improve indoor navigation, space optimization, asset management, and informed, energy-efficient building operations.

Nilanika further disseminated her findings through a peer-reviewed article, Indoor Mapping as a Spatiotemporal Framework for Mitigating Greenhouse Gas Emissions in Buildings: A Review, published in the Geomatics journal. Her research also earned an Honourable Mention at the 2026 Esri Young Scholars Award competition in Canada. As part of her submission for BeSpatial Ontario, Nilanika developed a StoryMap titled Indoor GIS for Smart Facility Management, demonstrating the application of the developed indoor mapping platform in the Regional Centre at Lakehead University Thunder Bay campus.

This project was supported through the Mitacs Accelerate program in partnership with Four Rivers Environmental Services Group, a division of Matawa First Nations Management in Thunder Bay, Ontario.