For questions about geospatial data or tools, please reach out to geospatialhelp@yale.edu with the following details:
- Position (Undergraduate, Graduate, Faculty, Staff, Postdoc, Alumni)
- Affiliation (School/Department)
- Inquiry Details: Please provide as much background information as possible to help us assist you effectively.
Yale Library’s geospatial team offers expert guidance to help you to integrate geospatial technology into your projects and learning activities. Some of the aspects that you can discuss during your consultation are:
- Geospatial support services for all disciplines, assisting from individual research to long-term team project planning
- Strategies to plan your spatiotemporal work ahead
- An overview of the tools and techniques used to map raster and vector datasets, using both open source and Esri software
- Complex spatiotemporal data analyses and modeling
- Date & Time: Every Wednesday | 11 AM - 12 PM
- Location: Hybrid – join in person at the Earth Observation Lab (21 Sachem St Room 119) or via Zoom
Our Remote Sensing Supervisor, Austin Madson, holds hybrid office hours every Wednesday from 11 AM to 12 PM. Feel free to bring any questions related to remote sensing or UAVs, whether for coursework, research, or both. No appointment is needed—just drop in!
Services
We help researchers process LiDAR, satellite imagery, drone data, and other geospatial datasets. Many scientific labs can generate data but lack the capacity to efficiently clean, process, and analyze it at scale. YCGS staff provide expert support and can also recruit talented graduate students to join your research team, accelerating your project timeline while building student expertise.
We design and build static maps, interactive visualizations, and custom dashboards tailored to your audience. Our team has over a decade of experience translating complex science into compelling visual tools for decision-makers, policymakers, and the public. We work with pre-approved Yale vendors, eliminating procurement delays, and collaborate closely with you and your partners to ensure your research reaches its intended audience effectively.
Example:
Global Surface Urban Heat Islands Explorer (Google Earth Engine), Climate opinion dashboards, ArcGIS StoryMaps, Data visualizations, Peabody Museum featured map for the Nile Initiative
DIY Story Maps:
Create your own story maps through Yale ArcGIS Online (never use a free public account or you risk losing your data). Yale access provides premium content and advanced tools.
Finished your StoryMap?
Book a consultation for expert feedback before publishing.
Geocoding converts addresses into latitude/longitude coordinates, enabling you to map individuals, organizations, facilities, and events. Many research projects collect address-level data, and Yale maintains special access to datasets with location information that hasn’t yet been geocoded. We can help you geocode your own data or handle the process for you.
Getting started?
Review our DIY Guide checklist, then schedule a consultation to discuss your project needs.
- https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories
- https://storymaps.arcgis.com/collections/d34681ac0d1a417894a3a3d955c6913f
- https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/cea22a609a1d4cccb8d54c650b595bc4
When you’re done, book a consultation to get feedback about your StoryMap!
We co-sponsor and organize workshops, guest lectures, symposia, and collaborative events that feature geospatial components. Whether you’re hosting a small expert workshop or a large interdisciplinary conference, our staff excels at every aspect of event planning—from venue selection and catering to travel logistics and technical setup. We know Yale’s spaces, understand what works for different event formats, and can handle the details so you can focus on the content.
Let us partner with you to convene the uncommon connections that advance your research. We’re particularly excited about events that bridge disciplines, bring together researchers and practitioners, or showcase innovative geospatial applications. From initial concept to post-event follow-up, we’ll help you create meaningful gatherings that catalyze collaboration and impact.
Past events: Resilient Rivers Workshop (2025)
Ready to plan an event? Contact us at geospatial@yale.edu to discuss your vision.
We support researchers in securing internal and external funding by providing geospatial expertise, technical capacity statements, and collaborative project development. YCGS has supported successful proposals including the iKON Planetary Solutions grant (2025)and the Resilient Rivers workshop (2025), as well as a Poorvu grant for HGIS de las Indias (2025). You bring the domain expertise; we provide the geoAI innovation.
Funding Opportunities:
- Planetary Solutions Grants
- AI Accelerator Grants
- Poorvu Grants
- Need a facilities statement? Email geospatial@yale.edu for language to include in your grant application.
Earth Observation Lab Resources & Access
The Earth Observation Lab (EOL) is a dedicated research and teaching facility focused on studying the Earth through satellite imagery. As a centralized resource for Yale University students, faculty, and staff, the lab supports the processing, visualization, and analysis of satellite data for academic and research purposes.
Request Equipment
We offer a wide range of equipment available for checkout to Yale-affiliated students, faculty, and staff. Items are organized into three tiers based on complexity and required experience.
Tier 1 items are the most accessible and can be checked out without prior training. Tier 2 and Tier 3 items require verified experience, with higher tiers potentially needing a brief orientation or proof of proficiency.
All equipment is free to use for educational or research purposes, as long as users manage operation, data collection, and processing independently, and the number of days is limited. Most requests are processed within 2-5 business days.
Request Planet Labs Data
The Yale Center for Geospatial Solutions holds a subscription to Planet Labs satellite imagery.
YCGS Google Earth Engine Access
The YCGS holds project space in the Google Cloud Platform for Google Earth Engine. If you are running into compute and data volume limits on your personal Google Earth Engine account, then you may apply to request access to the YCGS Project space for Google Earth Engine. We will respond within 2–5 business days with next steps. You may only use this space for Research and Educational purposes only. Please be mindful of compute, as if we begin incurring costs, then we may require a COA to cover costs.
For smaller studies, you can create your own project on Google Cloud Platform using a personal email address. Google Earth Engine remains free for noncommercial use, but you will need to register your project accordingly. You can follow step-by-step instructions to create your own project on Google Cloud Platform with your Yale Email or a Google Account.