Sponsored by: Remote Sensing Specialty Group (RSSG) and MDPI Remote Sensing
The Remote Sensing Specialty Group (RSSG) of the American Association of Geographers is pleased to announce the 2027 RSSG Student Illustrated Paper Competition, sponsored by MDPI Remote Sensing. Students at all academic levels are invited to submit illustrated papers on topics that advance the field of remote sensing. Selected finalists will be invited to present their paper in a special illustrated paper session at the 2027 AAG Annual Meeting, to be held February 8–12, 2027, in New York City, NY.
Illustrated Paper Information
An illustrated paper is a poster presentation accompanied by a short (3- to 5-minute) oral summary of the research question, data, methods, and findings, followed by a one-on-one or small group discussion. Presenters are expected to attend and present in person at the 2027 AAG Conference. Each will receive a 36″ × 48″ board to showcase their poster and materials.
We encourage illustrated papers on innovative remote sensing methods, concepts, theories, and applications. Research must have been completed within the past academic year as part of the student’s undergraduate or graduate studies and can include thesis/dissertation topics. The finalist must be a student when presenting the illustrated paper at the 2027 AAG Meeting. While papers may include co-authors, the student must be the first author and be primarily responsible for the research presented.
Important Dates
- October 15, 2026: deadline for submitting 1) the conference registration confirmation, 2) the abstract code, 3) the student form, and 4) the advisor’s form
- December 31, 2026: Notification of finalists by email
- February 5, 2027: Deadline for finalists to submit their posters in PDF format
Please note that all time requirements are according to U.S. Eastern Time.
Awards
First-, second-, and third-place winners will be determined following the competition sessions. Thanks to the generous sponsorship of MDPI Remote Sensing, the awards are:
- First place: $300 and a 100% article processing charge (APC) waiver for publication in MDPI Remote Sensing*
- Second place: $200 and a 50% APC waiver for publication in MDPI Remote Sensing*
- Third place: $100 and a 20% APC waiver for publication in MDPI Remote Sensing*
- An undergraduate award may also be presented to an outstanding undergraduate researcher.
* The APC waiver or discount applies only to manuscripts accepted for publication in MDPI Remote Sensing through the journal’s standard peer-review process and does not guarantee acceptance or publication.
All awards will be presented at the AAG Annual Awards Luncheon, and the luncheon fee will be covered for all award recipients. The competition committee reserves the right not to award prizes if the submitted papers do not meet the expected standards of quality.
Judging
Posters and oral summaries will be judged by the RSSG judge committee on potential contribution to the field of remote sensing, originality, novelty, appropriate use of methodology, organization and composition, clarity, and appropriate use of graphics. Evaluation will consider the academic level of the finalists.
Special Issue Invitation
All participants are encouraged to submit a full manuscript based on their presented research to the forthcoming MDPI Remote Sensing Special Issue (title and link TBD). Submission to the Special Issue is optional and will not affect eligibility or judging in the competition. All manuscripts submitted to the Special Issue will undergo the journal’s standard peer-review process.
Submission Requirements
Students interested in participating should email the following materials to the RSSG Student Co-Director, Yin Liu, at yliu2262@wisc.edu and use “2027 RSSG Student Illustrated Paper Competition” as the subject line:
- A copy of the conference registration confirmation (in PDF) (due October 15, 2026)
- A copy of the email receipt (in PDF), including the abstract and the abstract code
received from the AAG after submitting your abstract through the AAG online abstract submission portal (due October 15, 2026) - The student completes the student form. Available at https://forms.gle/Q9TEYaFaQTXNJ21BA (due October 15, 2026)
- The student’s advisor completes the advisor’s form. Available at https://forms.gle/zHStcXhedm57swVT8 (due October 15, 2026)
- A copy of the poster in PDF format (due February 5, 2027)
Contact
If you have any questions about this competition, please send an email to the RSSG Student Co-Director, Yin Liu, at yliu2262@wisc.edu and use “2027 RSSG Student Illustrated Paper Competition” as the subject title.