First cycle SIGHT projects are approved and funded

Congratulations to six SIGHTs who won grants for their projects in the first cycle of funding.

Did you miss the first two rounds? The SIGHT Steering Committee is still soliciting proposals for its third and final round of funding this year. The committee will review proposals to grant awards of US$500 – $19,999. Request for Proposals

Submission deadline: Period III, August 15, 2017

First round of funded projects

1) IEEE Tunisia Section SIGHT – “TAWASOL” (means “connectivity” in Arabic)
TAWASOL’s purpose is to create an Internet-empowered next generation throughout Tunisia. To do this we will connect people to the Internet starting with schools. Our first project is to train students to use the Internet through Information Communications Technology (ICT) skills workshops.
2) IEEE Uganda Section SIGHT – “Reducing newborn mortality rates in Uganda through the use of vital signs monitor”
Neopenda is developing a wearable vital signs monitor for newborns, designed for resource-constrained hospitals to help prevent neonatal fatality. The proposed project brings together Neopenda LLC, IEEE Uganda SIGHT, targeted health units in Uganda and other stakeholders in a collaborative partnership, giving voice to millions of newborns in need of advanced care every year, and helping healthcare workers improve response time and reduce preventable neonatal deaths. This SIGHT project will engage volunteers to facilitate focus group discussions with engineers and clinicians to help optimize the design of the Neopenda device, conduct baseline knowledge surveys with parents and healthcare workers to inform content of training/educational materials and local instructional materials on functionality of the device, and participate in Neopenda’s pilot study at Nsambya hospital.
 
3) IEEE Nicaragua Section SIGHT – “Hybrid Wireless Ad Hoc Network Implementation (testbed) for Facing Seismic Catastrophes”
Natural disasters such as earthquakes and tsunamis have frequently happened at many places around the world. Failures of network equipment, cutoff of communication lines and traffic congestion cannot be avoided when a disaster occurs. More reliable and robust network environment is required even though the serious damaged by disaster occurred.

In this project, we propose the Implementation (testbed) of a Hybrid Wireless Ad Hoc Network Design to ensure communication means in order to: grasp the information in a disaster area, contribute to resident’s safety and deliver goods on the occurrence of a disaster. By combining multiple ballooned wireless network nodes, a large ad hoc network will be organized in the sky on the disaster area which can cover shelters or interrupted communication areas; this will function as a communication means to address emergencies.

4) IEEE SIGHT TKM College of Engineering (from the IEEE Kerala Section) – “IEEE SIGHT TKMCE HTC Project”
IEEE SIGHT TKM College of Engineering (from the IEEE Kerala Section) – “IEEE SIGHT TKMCE HTC Project”: The proposed project consists of two phases. As the first phase of the project, IEEE SIGHT Chapter of TKM College of Engineering and Department of Electrical and Electronics Engineering electrified a remote village of Edamulackal. Following this, IEEE SIGHT TKMCE Chapter plans to take up the next phase of the project, which is to aid consumers to reduce their electricity consumption through the use of solar power and by proper demand-side management and distribution grid reconfiguration and thus achieve a sustainable power supply. The project which began in January 2017 is currently expected to take up to December 2017.
 
5) IEEE Karachi Section SIGHT – “Empowering Umerkot”
Under the umbrella of “Empowering Umerkot”, volunteers from the IEEE SIGHT Chapter of Karachi Section envision empowering local entrepreneurs in specific communities by developing a sustainable business model based on reliable energy supply by working with AWARE, short for the Association for Water, Applied Education and Renewable Energy, a local NGO operating in Umerkot and Tharparkar districts. A planned solar photovoltaic system can tap and store the solar irradiance the area abundantly enjoys. This access to energy is intended to enable successful operation of local enterprising activities and vocations, and in such a model all the benefits accrue directly to the communities.
6) IEEE Student Branch Estudiantil UNAH (from the IEEE Honduras Section) SIGHT – “Educational and Community Center Technology Conditioning with Photovoltaic Modules”
The project involves the implementation of 600 Watts photovoltaic system isolated to public school “24 de Mayo” and another photovoltaic system of 100 Watts to the community center of El Tesorito. According to the needs of the community, the project will consist on the conditioning with a computers equipment, a small audio system, the installation of a water purifier and the implementation of an illumination system through a Photolytic Solar System to School and other photovoltaic system with a water purifier and illumination system to the community center.