In 2019, the IEEE SIGHT Steering Committee (SSC) established two awards to recognize individuals and SIGHT Groups that have made outstanding contributions to IEEE SIGHT and their local underserved community.
IEEE SIGHT Group of the Year Award
Description:
The SIGHT Group of the Year Award was established by the IEEE SIGHT Steering Committee in 2019 to recognize IEEE SIGHT Groups committed to impacting their local underserved community through the development or deployment of technology. The Groups selected have contributed to the SIGHT program by strengthening the SIGHT network, finding sustainable (economic, environmental, social) solutions, involving the beneficiary population in the planning and implementation of a project, and completing all reporting requirements. The Groups consistently, actively strive to further the IEEE SIGHT mission.
Starting in 2022, the IEEE SIGHT Group of the Year Award has two categories – one for Student Branch SIGHT Groups and one for all other types of SIGHT Groups.
Group of the Year recipients will receive a certificate of appreciation and official recognition on the IEEE SIGHT website, social media platforms, the monthly newsletter, and in various HTB/SIGHT reports.
Criteria:
- Submitted officer and event reporting via IEEE vTools
- Implemented a humanitarian technology and sustainable development project in the last two years
- Completed all reporting requirements for their project
- Composed of at least 6 active IEEE members
- SIGHT Group Chair is an active IEEE member
- Conducted at least four Group meetings over the course of the year
- Group has been formed for at least one year
- Has not previously received the IEEE SIGHT Group of the Year Award for a period of three years
All SIGHT Groups are required to submit event and officer reporting via IEEE vTools; the awards nomination form is required for Groups that would like to be considered for the IEEE SIGHT Group of the Year Award.
Eligible Groups are evaluated based on their IEEE SIGHT volunteer participation and local community involvement, not on professional achievement. The award recipient is recommended by the SIGHT Steering Committee, and approved by the Humanitarian Technologies Board (HTB).
At least one letter of endorsement is required, and may be submitted by the nominator. Letters of endorsement should be on letterhead, if applicable, and include the title and signature of the endorser. Endorsements may be submitted by the SIGHT Group’s parent IEEE organizational unit, such as an IEEE Section, or a representative of an external organization that is familiar with the Group’s contributions to IEEE SIGHT.
Conflict of Interest Information
Conflict of interest limitation – Please note that if a member of the SIGHT Steering Committee (SSC) or the Humanitarian Technologies Board (HTB) belongs to a SIGHT Group nominated for the IEEE SIGHT Group of the Year Award, that Group shall be ineligible to receive the Award, per IEEE Policies. Any member of the SSC or HTB that nominates or provides an endorsement for a Group shall recuse themselves from the decision and approval process. Additionally, no member of the IEEE staff shall act as nominator or endorser or be a candidate for any award covered by IEEE Policies 4.8 and 4.9.
Raffle Prize
All Groups that complete this nomination form between 1 September 2022 and 30 January 2023, meet the eligibility criteria, and are not selected as the Award recipient, will be entered in a raffle to win one of three IEEE SIGHT promotional item kits. Groups will be selected at random. Shipping limitations to certain countries will apply per IEEE Legal and Compliance policies on Sanction and Export Control Laws. Please see this page for more information – https://legal.ieee.org/compliance/ofac/applicability-countries-entities-persons. Please see the official contest rules for more information.
How to Submit a Nomination
Group of the Year nominations for 2022 will be accepted from 1 September 2022 – 30 January 2023. All nominations must be submitted via the appropriate process on the HTB/SIGHT online platform.
Past recipients of the IEEE SIGHT Group of the Year Award.
IEEE SIGHT Volunteer of the Year Award
Description:
The IEEE SIGHT Volunteer of the Year Award was established by the IEEE SIGHT Steering Committee in 2019 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. The individual consistently, actively strives to further the SIGHT mission in some, or all, of the following ways:
- Strengthening the SIGHT network through building relationships with local community entities
- Acting as a leader within their SIGHT Group
- Participating in a sustainable (economic, environmental, social) solution that has involved a local community in its planning and implementation
- Recruiting new SIGHT individual members or SIGHT Group members
- Making valuable contributions to the overall HTB or SIGHT program(s) through active participation on an HTB or SIGHT Subcommittee
Volunteer of the Year recipients will receive a certificate of appreciation and official recognition on the IEEE SIGHT website, social media platforms, the monthly newsletter, and in various HTB/SIGHT reports.
Criteria:
- Active IEEE member
- Active participant in a SIGHT Group or on an HTB or SIGHT Subcommittee
- Has not previously received the IEEE SIGHT Volunteer of the Year Award for a period of three years
Candidates are evaluated based on their IEEE SIGHT volunteer participation and local community involvement, not on professional achievement. The award recipient is recommended by the IEEE SIGHT Steering Committee, and approved by the IEEE Humanitarian Technologies Board (HTB).
Self-nomination is allowed. Two letters of endorsement are required, and may be submitted by the nominator. Letters of endorsement should be on letterhead, if applicable, and include the title and signature of the endorser. Endorsements may be submitted by another member of the nominee’s SIGHT Group, an IEEE Member in a position of leadership, or a representative of an external organization that is familiar with the nominee’s contributions to IEEE SIGHT.
Conflict of Interest Information
Conflict of interest limitation – Please note that members of the same household may not nominate each other for this award. Members of the IEEE SIGHT Steering Committee (SSC) or the IEEE Humanitarian Technologies Board (HTB) shall be ineligible to receive the SIGHT Volunteer of the Year Award, per IEEE Policies. Any member of the SSC or HTB that acts as a nominator or endorser for an Award nominee, shall recuse themselves from the decision and approval process. Additionally, no member of the IEEE staff shall act as a nominator or endorser or be a candidate for any award covered by IEEE Policies 4.8 and 4.9.
Raffle Prize
All nominees with a complete nomination form submitted between 1 September and 30 September 2022, meet the eligibility criteria, and are not selected as the Award recipient, will be entered in a raffle to win one of three IEEE SIGHT promotional item kits. Groups will be selected at random. Shipping limitations to certain countries will apply per IEEE Legal and Compliance policies on Sanction and Export Control Laws. Please see this page for more information – https://legal.ieee.org/compliance/ofac/applicability-countries-entities-persons. Please see the official contest rules for more information.
How to Submit a Nomination
Volunteer of the Year nominations for 2022 will be accepted from 1 September – 30 September 2022. All nominations must be submitted via the appropriate process on the HTB/SIGHT online platform.
Past recipients of the IEEE SIGHT Volunteer of the Year Award.
Thank you for your nomination, and thank you for the work you are doing to further the SIGHT mission in your local community!