The mission of the Marble Fund is to support the advancement and application of geographic information science (GIS) and quantitative methods in geography. By honoring Dr. Duane Marble's contributions, the fund encourages academic excellence and innovation within these domains.
The William L. Garrison Award for Best Dissertation in Computational Geography is designed to recognize outstanding doctoral research in the computational aspects of geographic science. This biennial award highlights the importance of advanced computation in tackling complex space–time analysis problems central to geographic science. The award, managed by the Marble Fund for Geographic Science under the American Association of Geographers, includes a $3,500 cash prize and a certificate of merit. Finalists of exceptional merit may also receive additional recognition at the discretion of the fund's trustees. The award presentation occurs at the annual AAG meeting.