The center was founded after receiving a $5 million grant from the National Science Foundation.
Ron Abler—then at NSF—described the rationale for the NCGIA and compared it to corresponding efforts in the UK.
[1] Notable faculty involved with the NCGIA include Michael Goodchild, Michael Batty, David Mark, A. Stewart Fotheringham, Andrew Frank, Helen Couclelis, Keith Clarke, Luc Anselin, Waldo R. Tobler amongst others.
David William Rhind and Mike Goodchild compare later US and the UK approach.
[8] The NCGIA produces a Core Curriculum for teaching Geographic Information Systems[9]