California State University Los Angeles has been awarded a nearly $1 million grant from the National Science Foundation to increase data accessibility and promote civic engagement among students and underserved communities in the city of Los Angeles, the university announced Oct. 18.

The grant will establish a partnership between Cal State LA, the city of Los Angeles, the nonprofit Community Partners and Social Equity Engagement Geo Data Scholars (SEEDS) to increase access and use of the city’s data collection.

The partnership will provide training to students, residents and nonprofits using the city’s open-data portals, particularly GeoHub, which was established by Mayor Eric Garcetti’s office for the use of location-based open data.

“This grant will enable Cal State LA to serve our communities in new and innovative ways,” William Covino, president of Cal State LA, said in a statement. “With the information this partnership makes available, residents will be better equipped to advocate for their communities.”

Economy, education, energy and transportation reporter Howard Fine can be reached at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @howardafine.