I was encouraged by the overall support for HTB’s vision and work, and found that many people are interested in collaborating with HTB this year to continue building upon past successes. Stay tuned in the coming weeks for news of ways that members can engage in humanitarian technology activities at IEEE.

One special opportunity at the meeting was the launch of the IEEE Foundation’s celebration of its 50th anniversary on 16 February. This milestone marks five decades of translating member and donor values into social impact by transforming lives through the power of technology and education. We will be walking alongside the IEEE Foundation in its celebration journey, as IEEE SIGHT is one of the Foundation’s 50th anniversary partners. For those who did not attend the in-person launch event, you are invited to join the virtual celebration event on 1 March 2023 at 1:00 pm ET. 

HTB also had its first Board meeting in February. I am very happy to have this opportunity to lead the Board members in our efforts to contribute to several strategic focus areas, such as:

• Capacity building
• Collaboration across the board
• Funding opportunities to fuel member engagement
• Continued support for IEEE member sustainable development projects at the local level throughout their lifecycle

Finally, I would like to encourage SIGHT members and Groups, HTB/SIGHT funded project volunteers, and all our readers to consider ways to contribute to IEEE Education Week, to be held from 2 - 8 April 2023. IEEE Education Week is a weeklong celebration of educational opportunities provided by IEEE and its many organizational units, societies and councils from around the world. IEEE Education Week is a great way to explore education programs and offerings from IEEE. I invite you to learn more and to participate!

This year, in addition to being the Immediate Past Chair of the Board, I will also be the Chair of the Partnerships Ad Hoc Committee that Lwanga has appointed. We’ve been making great progress on that front by actively coordinating with Society leadership and key industry partners to develop joint programs to increase the value proposition for IEEE members globally. One example is the collaborative call for proposals with the IEEE Communications Society, which will be announced in the next several days.

HTB is also making great progress continuing the strategic program on building capacity and awareness of the role of technologists in sustainable development launched last year. I was able to kickstart this year’s training activities at the IEEE Madras Section Global Leadership Connect 2023 and HTB Global Workshop hosted on 20 February. My keynote talk on “Leading the Global Frontiers of Humanitarian Engineering Programs and Sustainable Innovations” was attended by approximately 200 attendees from industry and academia, including many representatives from various IEEE student branches. The workshop provided deeper insight into the portfolio of programs offered by HTB such as funding opportunities for grassroots IEEE member sustainable development projects and educational initiatives. See event photos on the HTB Facebook page! Throughout the year, we will continue actively engaging with IEEE Region and Society leaders to host collaborative programs in coming months.

Next month, we look forward to sharing the IEEE HAC Annual Report and the HAC/SIGHT Success Project Portfolio with you, as well as more details for the first funding opportunities of the year for both projects and events. Stay tuned as the members of the HTB work to deliver programs that will have a larger impact and provide even more opportunities for you to make a difference in your community.

Stay safe and healthy,

Sampathkumar Veeraraghavan 

2023 IEEE Humanitarian Technologies Board Immediate Past Chair

The IEEE Nominations and Appointments (N&A) Committee is now accepting nominations through 15 March 2023 for Assembly and Committee positions and the President-Elect position, including that of the 2024 IEEE HTB Chair. Anyone may submit a nomination. Self-nominations are encouraged. Nominators do not need to be IEEE members, but nominees must meet certain qualifications. For information about the positions, including qualifications and estimates of the time required by each position during the term of office, visit this page on ieee.org.

Established on 16 February 1973 as the philanthropic partner of IEEE, the IEEE Foundation represents the intersection of technology and philanthropy, delivering opportunity, innovation and impact across the globe through such IEEE programs as IEEE SIGHT. In celebration of the IEEE Foundation’s 50th anniversary on 16 February, the IEEE Foundation proudly expanded its four pillars, “Illuminate,” “Educate,” “Engage,” and “Energize, to include a new, fifth “Future” pillar which spotlights the quarter century commitment to IEEE Women in Engineering (WIE). To commemorate its 50-year Anniversary the IEEE Foundation will celebrate and showcase the profound impact that donor support makes around the world and its plans for the future throughout 2023.

Reflect on 50 years of impact during the virtual celebration on 1 March 2023 at 1:00 pm ET. Look back on the milestones while looking toward the future of the IEEE Foundation. For additional information, contact Laura Bessey, Donor Relations, at [email protected].

Applications for the 2023 IEEE Pre-University STEM Grants are now being accepted through 28 February 2023. We invite IEEE members to apply for funding to support their event, program, or resource.

Make a difference in your local community through engineering! Create a team to design and develop an impactful solution using engineering and technology. EPICS in IEEE funds student teams up to US$10,000 to use the engineering design process to create solutions that help their local community in the areas of Environment, Access and Abilities, Education and Outreach, and Human Services. Submit a service learning proposal by 1 March to be considered. Need some inspiration? Hear from two EPICS in IEEE teams:

• Perseverance Creates Success for Project Koyash
• The Garden with Hopes to Promote Transformation with an Entire Community

IEEE GHTC 2023 shares practical technology-enabled solutions supporting achievement of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs) by addressing the needs of underserved communities in resource-constrained environments around the world. This year’s conference will be hosted at Villanova University (Pennsylvania, USA) from 12 - 15 October. Stakeholders may now submit oral presentation or poster proposals, short papers (early-stage results), and full papers (mature results) that share sustainable development, ICT4D and humanitarian technology related insights, experiences, best practices and lessons learned from a research, policy, practitioner and/or community perspective.

Engineering has always had an essential role in development and human welfare. Ensuring that future generations of engineers and scientists will be able to design solutions for local and global challenges is critical. UNESCO's General Conference proclaimed the 4 March World Engineering Day for Sustainable Development to raise awareness of the role of engineering in modern life, which is essential to mitigate the impact of climate change and advance sustainable development. This year’s theme is "Engineering innovation for a more resilient world."

If your SIGHT Group is electing a new Chair and/or Officers for 2023, please report these changes through the IEEE vTools Officer Reporting. SIGHT Group Chairs can enter the Group’s Officers for the positions of Vice-Chair, Treasurer, and Secretary. Other members can also be listed. Not familiar with vTools? See these tutorials on the different functions. If you have any further questions, write to [email protected]. 

Are you looking to publish a “call for volunteers” for your SIGHT Group? The IEEE Volunteering Platform makes it easy to create opportunities and match with people who are interested. This platform is open to all types of opportunities, be it short- or long-term, local or remote, or requiring different skills. Go to volunteer.ieee.org to get started today.

Become a SIGHT Member - Add SIGHT to your IEEE Membership; it’s free and open to non-members as well. Benefits include the monthly newsletter, first notice of funding opportunities, and increased connectivity with the committees, staff, and volunteer network.

Join a SIGHT Group  - SIGHT Groups around the globe partner with communities and local organizations to work together on sustainable development projects - find your closest group! If a SIGHT Group does not exist in your area, see the SIGHT Toolkit for how to form a new one. 

Support IEEE SIGHT - Your donation of any amount to the IEEE SIGHT fund of the IEEE Foundation helps form the IEEE sustainable development leaders of the future and incubate projects that support IEEE’s mission of advancing technology for the benefit of humanity in communities around the globe.