This August, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) announced that it will award $606,073 to 25 state geologists and geological surveys across the country for the preservation of national geological and geophysical data. The Geological and Geophysical Data Preservation Program (NGGDPP), a national initiative at the USGS to create standards, procedures, and protocols for data collection, was established in 2005 as a part of the Energy Policy Act (Public Law 109-58, Sec. 351). The NGGDPP aims to provide a national catalogue of archived materials, provide technical and financial support to State geological surveys and relevant bureaus within the Department of the Interior, and to compile a comprehensive archive of all geological and geophysical data, including maps, well logs, and samples. The award also includes funding for more than 10,000 student hours to help train the next generation of geoscientists to preserve important records and specimens.