The Bridge - Issue 3, 2023 - 11

Leading the Global Frontiers of IEEE Humanitarian Engineering and Technologies Programs
Feature
events so that IEEE members can implement them in their
local communities. Projects are required to address one or
more of the UN SDGs. Project teams build relationships
with the partner community to identify a specific need and
develop a plan to address it through the development,
customization, or deployment of technology. They consider
the relevant environmental, cultural, socio-economic, and
infrastructural issues that could affect the project and its
impact. Teams partner with local governments, NGOs,
schools and universities, neighborhood associations, or
companies to deploy the solution effectively.
HTB/SIGHT recognizes that there is a broad range
of challenges in the local communities in which IEEE
members live worldwide. The starting point for a project
should always be the needs of the community, as
evidenced through dialogue and relationships with local
community organizations and leaders. Projects must
focus on people first rather than starting with a particular
technology that needs to find a use. That being said,
there are areas of particular technical interest for HTB/
SIGHT that can act as a guide when determining the
technological solution to the community's needs. These
include: Agricultural Technology, Climate Sustainability
Technology, Information and Communications Technology
(ICT), including rural communications and connecting
the unconnected, Sustainable Power Technology, Water,
Sanitation, and Hygiene (WaSH) Technology, and other
technologies to address pressing community needs.
The IEEE HTB/SIGHT direct calls for proposals focus on
pressing community needs and typically receive hundreds
of submissions each year. For example, in 2021, there were
317 proposals from 45 countries and 59 projects were
awarded funding; in 2022, there were 144 proposals from
19 countries and 43 projects were awarded funding; and in
2023, 203 proposals from 23 countries were received.
Impact: In 2021 alone, over 600 volunteers participated
in funded project teams. Nearly 20,000 people benefited
in communities all over the world. And, almost 120 of
the volunteers involved became IEEE members as a
direct result of participating. The IEEE HAC/SIGHT Projects
Program received the American Society of Association
Executives (ASAE) " Power of A " Summit Award in its
Global Development category in 2022. This was a historic
milestone for IEEE humanitarian activities by winning the
ASAE's highest honor for associations that go above and
beyond their everyday mission to undertake initiatives that
benefit America and the world.
V. Humanitarian Technology Programs
IEEE Smart Village (ISV) has a unique approach to
supporting 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 a significant number
of people with electricity, education and jobs.
IEEE EPICS was founded in 1995 at Purdue University.
It was created to meet a two-fold challenge: providing
community service organizations with the technology
they need to improve and deliver services, and providing
undergraduate students with educational experiences to
broaden their skills. EPICS helps fulfill the IEEE core purpose
of fostering technological innovation and excellence for
humanity. We provide funding, support, mentorship, and
visibility for engineering projects in four core categories of
community improvement.
The IEEE MOVE initiative encompasses a dual-purpose
objective: providing support for mobile communications
and engaging in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering,
and Math) education outreach efforts. IEEE is expanding
this award-winning program to provide relief and outreach
on an international basis. The next phase of deployment
includes India and the Caribbean, which are frequently
affected by severe storms.
2021-2022 IEEE HAC Global Chair, Sampathkumar Veeraraghavan
receiving the Global Development Award at the 2022 ASAE Summit
IEEE Empower a Billion Lives is a global competition
aimed at fostering innovation to develop solutions for
electricity access. Solutions are expected to be scalable,
regionally relevant, holistic, and leverage 21st-century
technologies at an exponentially declining price.
IEEE Climate Change Initiatives [14] launched recently
in 2023 focuses on creating activities to engage the IEEE
community of engineers and technologists worldwide, to
use their expertise and develop solutions for many critical
climate change issues.
IEEE HTB and SIGHT Joint Society programs: HTB has
a strong partnership with many leading societies like IEEE
APS, MTT-S, ComSoc, SPS, RAS, PES, etc. which runs its
version of SIGHT programs and humanitarian activities.
HKN.ORG
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https://hkn.ieee.org/
The Bridge - Issue 3, 2023

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