COMMUNITY RESOURCES
PODScholarship
PODS Scholarship Program
For nearly 30 years, the PODS Association has brought together pipeline operators, regulators, service providers, software vendors, and industry professionals to advance safer, smarter, and more efficient pipeline data management. Our success has always been driven by people — volunteers who build standards, lead working groups, and mentor the next generation of industry leaders.
PODScholarship extends that mission, helping students and emerging professionals build meaningful careers in GIS, data management, integrity management, engineering, and pipeline operations. Here’s how the program works.
The Four Parts of PODScholarship Program
PODScholarship is more than a scholarship award. It’s a four-part program connecting students, universities, PODS members, and federal research funding.
PODScholarship Awards
PODS budgets funds for at least three schools annually. To qualify, a school must be an accredited university that administers the award to upperclassmen — undergraduate juniors and seniors, or graduate students — in a GIS program.
Member Match-Up
PODS members engage directly with participating universities through internship programs and member presentations, delivered on-site or virtually — including career talks that connect students with real-world GIS career paths and hands-on volunteer opportunities with PODS committees.
Community & Content Access
Students, professors, and teachers are welcome at all PODS events and open to participate in any PODS committee — at no cost, with no paid membership required. Recipients connect with a global community of experts, participate in industry events, and access educational resources.
PHMSA Grants & Competitive Academic Agreement Program
PODS is pursuing funding through PHMSA’s Pipeline Research & Development program by pairing PODS committee and working-group projects with participating university students and faculty — creating a path toward federally funded, hands-on research opportunities in pipeline GIS and data management.
Our Goal: Match — or Exceed — Our $10,000 Annual Fund
PODS serves a global community spanning more than 40 countries and supporting over 200 pipeline operators. As our industry evolves through digital transformation, AI, GIS, and regulatory compliance, investing in the next generation of professionals has never been more important.
Our goal is for the PODS Community to make direct donations to the Scholarship Fund that match or exceed the $10,000 PODS budgets annually — so we can award more scholarships to more students, at more schools, every year.
Want to get involved in any part of the PODScholarship program? Email us at info@pods.org, or join our Scholarship Committee.
Who Are We Helping?
PODScholarship funding goes to three kinds of programs: schools that already send graduates into pipeline GIS careers, schools with focused midstream programs, and schools with a developing GIS program that may not yet be aware of pipeline career paths. We place particular emphasis on reaching underserved areas and Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), helping open doors to students who might not otherwise have a clear path into the pipeline profession.
Previous schools: University of South Carolina, Lamar University, University of Houston, Fort Hays State University (Kansas), and Western Kentucky University
2026 schools: Texas A&M University–Corpus Christi, Western Kentucky University, Florida A&M University, and Penn State University
Total funding to date: $22,500 awarded to 13 students over 3 years
Meet Our Scholarship Recipients, Participants and Mentors
Students, career talks, and PODS community moments from the field.
