IEEE Region 8 Humanitarian Technology Activities Committee

Opportunities

The IEEE Humanitarian Technologies Board (HTB) inspires and empowers IEEE volunteers around the world carrying out and supporting impactful humanitarian technology activities at the local level.

The IEEE HTB mission is to support impactful and ethically informed volunteer-led initiatives, programs and projects, and mutually beneficial partnerships, as well as to inform policy formulation that harness technology and innovation to address societal challenges (including disaster recovery) in a responsive, effective, and sustainable way.

IEEE SIGHT

IEEE SIGHT is a global network of groups consisting of IEEE members and volunteers who identify and address local problems by applying their technical skills and partnering with their local communities. Its vision is for underserved communities around the world to be able to benefit from technology as they seek sustainable solutions to development challenges.

IEEE Tech4Good

A direct program of IEEE HTB, IEEE Tech4Good provides funding for grassroots projects that utilize technology to address the pressing needs of the member’s local communities. Projects must address one or more of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs). Teams build relationships with local NGOs, government entities, schools and universities, neighborhood associations, or companies to identify a specific need and implement a plan to address it through technology development, customization, or deployment.

EPICS in IEEE

EPICS in IEEE empowers students to work with local service organizations to apply technical knowledge to implement solutions for a community’s unique challenges. In this way, EPICS in IEEE not only assists communities in achieving their specific local community improvement goals but also encourages students to pursue engineering for community improvement as a career.

IEEE Smart Village

IEEE Smart Village (ISV) has a unique approach to support the world’s energy-impoverished communities by providing a comprehensive solution combining renewable energy, community-based education, and entrepreneurial opportunities. ISV provides seed-funding to carefully selected community entrepreneurs based upon a credible business plan that will impact significant number of people with electricity, education and jobs.

MOVE Community Outreach

MOVE Community Outreach is an emergency relief program committed to assisting victims of natural disasters with short-term communications, computer, and power solutions. Natural disasters can severely impact individuals, families, and communities around the world. The restoration of electricity and communications is often of primary importance during these challenging times—because when power and connectivity is lost, people have no lights, no means to recharge mobile phones, and no way to reach out.

IEEE Empower a Billion Lives

IEEE Empower a Billion Lives is a global competition aimed at fostering innovation to develop solutions to electricity access. Solutions are expected to be scalable, regionally relevant, holistic, and leverage 21st century technologies with exponentially declining prices.

IEEE REACH

Understanding that technology and history are not mutually exclusive subjects, IEEE REACH provides pre-university teachers with free, open educational resources that situate science, technology, and engineering in their social and humanistic contexts. The program offers a one-stop shop of resources that bring to life the history of technology and engineering in the classroom, as well as an opportunity to expose students to the different ways that science and technology interrelate and play out in society.

Committee

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Composition

Theodoros

Abdullateef

George

Lavender

Lucija

Omar

Miriam

Neemat

Nour

Lwanga

Magdalena

Maxwell

Mohamed

Simay

Programs and Activities

Community Support Program

Connecting Humanitarian Experts Webinars

Humanitarian Student Ambassadors Program

Projects Monitoring and Visibility Program

R8 Humanitarian Activities Congress

R8 Humanitarian Awards

R8 Humanitarian Technologies Hackathon

SIGHT Groups Accelerator Program

SIGHT Groups Coordination Workshops

SIGHT Groups Monitoring and Support Program

Goals

The IEEE Region 8 Humanitarian Technology Activities Committee (HTAC) mission is to inspire and empower IEEE volunteers around Europe, Middle East, and Africa carrying out and supporting impactful humanitarian technology and sustainable development activities at the local level. In particular, our goals include:

Supports SIGHT groups activities and encourage them to participate in Regional humanitarian technology activities,
Develops programs and initiatives to enable volunteer engagement in humanitarian technology activities,
Reviews and evaluates of the overall effectiveness of humanitarian programs,
Recommends best practices as they relate to programs and projects,
Evaluates of funding proposals for projects to be carried out at the local level,
Connects with humanitarian volunteers and builds the optimal humanitarian team in the Region,
Mentors existing SIGHT groups and prospective groups,
Increases visibility of humanitarian technology activities within the Region,
Encourages reporting of activities via vTools by monitoring and reaching out,
Raises awareness of ongoing HTB/SIGHT activities,
Encourages submission of HTB/SIGHT project proposals and proposals for funding of activities,
Encourages celebration of SIGHT Week/Day across the Region,
Encourages students and young professionals involvement in humanitarian technology activities,
Organizes R8 Humanitarian Activities Congress when budget allows and collaborates in organizing humanitarian conferences,
Recognizes exceptional SIGHT groups and volunteers,
Collaborates and establishes partnerships with other IEEE OUs, with external organizations and other entities with similar goals on humanitarian projects.

Humanitarian Technology Activities

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IEEE Region 8 Humanitarian Technology Activities

IEEE Humanitarian and Philanthropic Opportunities

The IEEE Humanitarian Technologies (IHT) is a consortium of programs and initiatives-supported by a global network of volunteers and technical professionals-working together to apply technology to solve the world’s most pressing problems. In keeping with the IEEE mission of advancing technology for the benefit of humanity, IHT provides the framework, best practices, and tools for developing and deploying innovative solutions to advance sustainable development goals globally while achieving social and environmental impact locally, and the IEEE Humanitarian Technologies Board (HTB) drives the work.

The programs and activities supported under the IHT hub are the following:

Interested in humanitarian activities?

IEEE offers the SIGHT membership to everyone interested in sustainable development and humanitarian technology activities at no additional charge.

Membership includes:

IEEE HTB monthly newsletter providing the latest updates on IEEE humanitarian technology activities
First notice of HTB and SIGHT funding opportunities (including calls for project proposals) and events
Increased connectivity with the SIGHT Steering Committee and the large network of like-minded volunteers

R8 Humanitarian Technologies Hackathon

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The IEEE Region 8 Humanitarian Technologies Hackathon is meant to foster competition amongst different R8 members, through their solutions to specific humanitarian needs around SDGs in the Region. In groups of 2-4, participants are encouraged to solve a given real-world humanitarian challenge and develop technology-driven solutions, that will allow them to build their teamwork skills and network with like-minded students, young professionals, and mentors. Submissions will consist of a short proposal showing evidence of how each solution could be achieved, accompanied by a short video encapsulating the essence of the proposed solution.

Deadline: 7 May 2024

Challenges

The teams will be asked to propose solutions in the following areas (challenges):

Quality Education (SDG 4)
Clean Water & Sanitation (SDG 6)
Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure (SDG 9) – focusing on ICT and Digital Connectivity

The proposed solutions will be judged based on the following criteria:

Effectiveness & Collaboration
Innovation & Originality
Sustainability & Finance
Presentation

Participation Eligibility

Only requirement to have an amazing idea!
Students, Graduate Students, and Young Professionals from Region 8 Only [Middle East, Africa and Europe] can participate.
Participants should be in teams of 2-4 members.
At least one of the team members to be a SIGHT member and one to be registered in the IEEE R8 SYP Congress.
Each team must be linked to one OU (SIGHT Group / Section / Student Branch).
Each team can submit solutions to all different challenges, but only the best one counts.
One representative per team should register and fill in details of other team members.

Winning Rewards

The best five (5) solutions are expected to be presented during the Hackathon Day in-person during the IEEE R8 SYP Congress! Their teams will receive a certificate, while the affiliated OUs of the best three (3) teams will be granted with a seed funding in order to host humanitarian technologies and sustainable development activities. Special seed funding rewards may be granted to the best solutions of each challenge. More details about winning rewards will be provided closer to the Hackathon Day!

Important Dates

Registration deadline: May 7th
Notification of qualified teams: before May 14th
Training of qualified teams: before May 21st
Challenge selection: before May 21st
Solutions submission: before May 28th
Finalists announcement: before May 31st
Hackathon Day: July 15th to 19th

Clean Energy Transition for Sustainable Future

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Organizer: IEEE Region 8 Humanitarian Activities Committee – Connecting Humanitarian Experts
About: Connecting Humanitarian Experts webinars are focused on humanitarian topics based on global Sustainable Development Goals. This webinar is your gateway to understanding Goal 7 entitled “Affordable and Clean Energy”.
Speaker: Simay Akar has been working in the energy industry since 2012. She specialized in solar and renewable energy fields. She is currently the Chief Commercial Officer & Co-Founder at Innoses. In addition to her professional acclimates, she is an IEEE Senior member, acknowledged volunteer since 2007, and currently she is serving the IEEE Humanitarian Technologies Board as the MGA Representative. You can find out more at simayakar.com.
Important Info: June 21st, 2023 (4:00 – 5:00 PM GMT) – Online (via Google Meet) – Registration Required

Crafting Persuasive HTB/SIGHT Project Proposals Workshop

in Events Repository

Organizer: IEEE Region 8 Humanitarian Activities Committee – SIGHT Group Coordination Workshops
About: This workshop is your gateway to creating convincing project proposals for the HTB/SIGHT projects program. We are thrilled to have Mr. Lwanga Herbert, the esteemed IEEE Humanitarian Technologies Board (HTB) 2023 Chair, as our distinguished speaker.
Speaker: Mr. Lwanga is the IEEE Humanitarian Technologies Board (HTB) 2023 Chair. He developed a variety of innovations to address corresponding community challenges. These innovations were patented with the support of the Uganda National Council for Science and Technology. He has made several contributions within the IEEE community, which includes implementing humanitarian projects and programs in Uganda with IEEE support.
Important Info: June 3rd, 2023 (3:00 – 4:00 PM GMT) – Online (via Google Meet) – Registration Required

SIGHT Groups Accelerator Program

in Detailed Information

The IEEE Region 8 Humanitarian Technology Activities Committee (R8 HTAC) provides seed funding to the Region 8 SIGHT groups to support their upcoming year’s activity through the SIGHT Groups Accelerator Program. The amount of the funding corresponds with their humanitarian efforts and the quality and amount of completed activities of the past year.

Deadline: 30 November 2023

Goals

The SIGHT Groups Accelerator Program aims to:

provide funding to organize more SIGHT groups activities;
help to evaluate the health of the SIGHT groups;
promote good practices of active SIGHT groups.

Rules

All active SIGHT groups with reported activities can apply for the IEEE R8 HTAC SIGHT Groups Accelerator Program funding. A SIGHT group must fulfill the following Membership and Reporting Requirements to receive the Base Funding ($100):

vTools Events Reporting (at least 2 activities)
vTools Officer Reporting (up-to-date roster following the HTB/SIGHT guidelines)
R8 SIGHT Groups Self-assessment Reporting (successfully submitted before application submission deadline)

Judging & Submissions

Criterion 1. Improve visibility

Shared SIGHT group story in local media.
- Description: That could be in journals, on TV, on blogs, on radio stations, or somewhere else.
- Submission: Link to the shared story or scan of journal news.
Shared SIGHT group story on social media.
- Description: That could be on Facebook, LinkedIn, X, Instagram, TikTok, or somewhere else.
- Submission: Link to the shared story.
Recorded promo video of a SIGHT group.
- Description: The promo video should depict SIGHT group activities or encourage new members to join them.
- Submission: Link to the published video.
Promoted SIGHT group at the IEEE or local event.
- Description: Promotion of its activities on IEEE day, SIGHT day, faculty day, etc.
- Submission: Link with photos of the team at the event.
Submitted article for the R8 News through Humanitarian Voices.
- Description: Article(s) publication for activities in Region 8 News through R8 HTAC Humanitarian Voices.
- Submission: Copy of Humanitarian Voices form submission.
Submitted article for the SIGHT Newsletter.
- Description: Article(s) publication for activities in the HTB/SIGHT Newsletter.
- Submission: Copy of the newsletter with the published article highlighted.

Criterion 2. Participate in the activities of the IEEE R8 Humanitarian Technology Activities Committee

Attended Connecting Humanitarian Experts Webinars.
- Description: Member(s) attend one or more R8 HTAC webinars.
- Submission: Copy of submitted feedback form.
Submitted technology solutions to the R8 Humanitarian Technologies Hackathon challenges.
- Description: Team(s) affiliated with the SIGHT group participate in the hackathon by submitting technology solutions.
- Submission: Certificate of participation.
Participated in the R8 Humanitarian Activities Congress.
- Description: Member(s) participate in the congress.
- Submission: Certificate of participation.
Participated in SIGHT Groups Coordination Workshops.
- Description: Member(s) participate in one or more R8 HTAC workshops.
- Submission: Copy of submitted feedback form.

Criterion 3. Organize events and activities

Applied for Project Funding in an IEEE HTB CFP.
- Description: Submitted project proposal to the IEEE HTB/SIGHT Call for Proposals or to the R8/HTB Joint Call for the Community Support Program.
- Submission: Proposal submission confirmation email.
Successfully implemented Humanitarian Technology and Sustainable Development Projects.
- Description: Carried out a humanitarian and sustainable project with an impact on the targeted community (funded or not funded).
- Submission: PDF project report (template will be provided).
Organized Training and Professional Development Activities.
- Description: In accordance with the SIGHT Toolkit (e.g., sustainable development and humanitarian technologies seminars, human-centered and community-based solutions workshops, and social impact project management and assessment workshops).
- Submission: vTools Events link AND link with photos PER activity.
Organized activities that built the internal capacity of your SIGHT group.
- Description: In accordance with the SIGHT Toolkit (e.g., recruiting new members, engaging current volunteers, and conducting team-building activities).
- Submission: vTools Events link AND link with photos PER activity.
Organized IEEE SIGHT Day event.
- Description: A SIGHT Day event within its area of interest.
- Submission: vTools Events link AND link with photos.
Organized STEM Activities for pre-university students.
- Description: A humanitarian-oriented activity targeting pre-university students in STEM.
- Submission: vTools Events link AND link with photos PER activity.

Criterion 4. Collaborate with stakeholders

Collaboration with local community/government, industry, and organization(s).
- Description: It could be established through granted sponsorship, hosted events, invited speakers from a company, etc.
- Submission: Evidence of collaboration (Letter, sponsorship granted, etc).
Collaboration with NGOs and/or NPOs.
- Description: It could be established through granted sponsorship, hosted events, invited speakers, etc. NGOs: Non-governmental organizations; NPOs: Nonprofit organizations.
- Submission: Evidence of collaboration (Letter, sponsorship granted, etc).
Collaboration with local IEEE organizational unit(s).
- Description: Collaboration with local IEEE Section or Student Branches, Affinity groups, Chapters, SIGHT Groups, etc.
- Submission: vTools Events link AND link with photos PER collaboration.
Collaboration with other non-local IEEE organizational unit(s).
- Description: Collaboration with IEEE Sections, Student Branches, Affinity groups, Chapters, or SIGHT Groups from outside the SIGHT group’s Section.
- Submission: vTools Events link AND link with photos PER collaboration.

Other Activities

Any other activity done by the SIGHT group aligned with the vision and mission of the IEEE Region 8 Humanitarian Technology Activities Committee.

Notes

vTools Events report should include at least the following items:

Title, date/time, venue, and hosts
Event description, and agenda
Attendance report submitted

Funding

Every SIGHT group that completes the application and complies with the Rules is eligible for funding of $100 up to $500. The final funding is calculated under three categories (Base, Criteria, and Ranking Funding) and depends on application count and budget availability. Following SIGHT guidelines, the funding will be transferred to the affiliated Section bank account for the use of the respective SIGHT group.

Criteria Funding (up to $200): A SIGHT group chooses the activities it wants to carry out. The possibilities are listed in the Judging section. The more criteria you meet, the more funding you can get.

Ranking Funding (up to $200): Want to compete with other SIGHT groups and be publicly exposed as one of the most active ones? The more activities you undertake, the more funding you can receive! It’s a unique opportunity to support your efforts with funding and propel your projects to new heights.

Important Dates

Application submission portal open: 1 November 2023
Deadline for application submission: 30 November 2023 – 23:59 (GMT)
Results announcement: 10 December 2023

Region 8 Outstanding Section / Student Branch SIGHT Group of the Year Award

in Detailed Information / R8 Humanitarian Awards

Deadline: 15 June 2024

Eligibility Criteria

All active R8 Section / Student Branch SIGHT Groups;
Reported up-to-date officer roster on vTools;
Reported at least 2 SIGHT activities on vTools in the past year;
Implemented effective engagement with the local community supporting the uptake of the appropriate technologies and/or a local community project funded by HTB in the last two years with submitted final project report.

Nomination Process

Section / Student Branch SIGHT Groups submit an application ideally using the IEEE Region 8 Awards platform. There will be a form to complete requiring:

Confirmation of eligibility requirements;
Outstanding and sustainable achievement within their local community;
Contribution towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals;
External and internal collaborations;
SIGHT activities portfolio;
Submission of funded project reports;
Recommendations from Section Chair or/and (for Student Branch SIGHT Groups only) Student Branch Chair / Counselor.

Evaluation Criteria

The applications will be evaluated on at least the following criteria:

Overall activity status of the SIGHT Group;
Quality of SIGHT activities and motivation;
Local impact of SIGHT activities;
Contribution to the Sustainable Development Goals;
Established collaborations and partnerships;
Promotion of IEEE and SIGHT values;
Not already recognized in the past three years with the same award.

Deadline

Deadline follows the IEEE Region 8 Awards official deadline.

Prize

There will be a single winner of a monetary prize accompanied with a certificate/plaque for each category (Section / Student Branch). The cash prize will be considered to promote SIGHT activities. If no Section / Student Branch SIGHT Group is eligible for the award, no prize will be awarded.

Other Humanitarian Opportunities

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IEEE International Humanitarian Technologies Conference

The IEEE International Humanitarian Technology Conference (IEEE IHTC) is a Multi-Regional Conference Series rotating between R7 (Canada), R8 (Africa, Europe and Middle East), and R9 (Latin America and Caribbean). This inter-disciplinary conference series focuses on showcasing challenges, success stories, lessons learnt, case studies and technological innovation related to achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), ICT4D and the application of Humanitarian Technologies (including Disaster Relief and Disaster Recovery) and facilitating engagement by stakeholders from the public, private, education and research and societal sectors around the world.

IEEE PES/IAS PowerAfrica Conference

The IEEE PES/IAS PowerAfrica Conference is the leading conference on the African continent focused on addressing its power and energy challenges. The conference provides a forum for researchers, engineers, policy makers and practitioners from Africa and beyond to share and discuss research findings, innovative ideas, emerging technologies and solutions to pressing challenges in the African energy sector. All researchers who work outside of the continent are invited to come learn from the energy innovations emanating from Africa and share innovations and experience from other regions of the world.

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MOVE Community Outreach

About SIGHT Groups

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What is HTB and SIGHT?

The IEEE Humanitarian Technologies Board (HTB) mission is to support impactful and ethically informed volunteer-led initiatives, programs and projects, and mutually beneficial partnerships, as well as to inform policy formulation that harness technology and innovation to address societal challenges (including disaster recovery) in a responsive, effective, and sustainable way.

The IEEE Special Interest Group on Humanitarian Technology (SIGHT) is a global network of groups consisting of IEEE members and volunteers who identify and address local problems by applying their technical skills and partnering with their local communities.

What about SIGHT groups?

SIGHT groups consist of at least six IEEE members who come together to learn about sustainable development, build relationships within their local communities, and implement SIGHT group projects that utilize technology to tackle key problems within the community. Non-IEEE members are welcome and encouraged to join their local SIGHT group. Groups can be formed at the professional or university level. SIGHT Group’s main purpose is to partner with underserved communities and local organizations to leverage technology for sustainable development.

In order for a SIGHT Group to be considered as active, the following requirements should be followed:

Membership: Should maintain a membership of not fewer than six (6) IEEE members.
Activities: Should hold not less than two (2) Group activities per year reported in vTools Events.
Leadership: Should hold elections regularly and report any changes in vTools Officers.

Learning Resources

The IEEE Learning Network (ILN) is the online website for discovering continuing education from across IEEE. With hundreds of educational courses available—and more added all the time—ILN offers the latest in continuing education in engineering, technology, and more. IEEE HTB & SIGHT have developed an educational curriculum on Humanitarian Technology and Sustainable Development at IEEE that is housed on the ILN. There are 6 different modules, and it is tailored for busy IEEE members, each module should take only 20 – 30 minutes to complete.

The Engineering for Change (E4C) is a hybrid organization with three integrated arms: An online academy, innovation lab, and a media platform. E4C’s mission is to improve the lives of underserved communities by better preparing the global development workforce, optimizing the solutions development cycle, and ensuring public health and safety. E4C in collaboration with IEEE has developed a learning framework and courses for Introduction to Engineering for Global Development.

An integral part of IEEE HTB’s strategic mission is to offer educational resources and training to equip IEEE members and volunteers to impact their local communities through sustainable development activities. Webinars are one way that SIGHT members can learn new ideas, grow their professional acumen, and connect with an extended community of engineers affecting sustainable change around the world.

Awards and Recognition

The IEEE Region 8 Outstanding Section / Student Branch SIGHT Group of the Year Award was established to recognize the essential work of the existing section / student branch SIGHT groups in Region 8, but also to promote and encourage sections / student branches to create SIGHT groups. The purpose of this award is to recognize a Section / Student Branch SIGHT Group who has made an outstanding contribution to IEEE SIGHT and to the local underserved community by leveraging technology to accomplish a sustainable solution.

The IEEE SIGHT Group of the Year Award was established to recognize IEEE SIGHT Groups committed to impacting their local underserved community through the development or deployment of technology.

The IEEE SIGHT Volunteer of the Year Award was established to recognize a professional or student member of IEEE who has made an outstanding contribution to IEEE SIGHT and a local underserved community through the development or deployment of technology.