The COVID-19 pandemic continues to affect the world in an unprecedented manner, and as such, HAC/SIGHT (Special Interest Group on Humanitarian Technology) are offering a Call for Proposals to support IEEE member grassroots humanitarian technology and sustainable development projects that utilize technology to address local challenging realities of the COVID-19 situation and any pressing need affecting the targeted communities.

As the pandemic has not only affected health, but also exacerbated poverty and laid bare systemic inequality throughout the world, HAC/SIGHT are prioritizing immediate impact, poverty mitigation and inequality reduction through the following project areas:

• Food Security
• Infection Control Devices
• Information and Communications Technology (ICT)
• Medical Devices
• Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
• Sustainable Power Sources
• Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene
• NEW for this Call: Other issues of pressing community need

Given the rapidly evolving situation and focus on immediate impact, HAC/SIGHT will make awards of US$1,000 up to US$5,000 per project. Projects that have previously been awarded funding by HAC/SIGHT may apply for up to US$5,000 in scale-up funding if they have 1) successfully completed their project, 2) submitted all reporting requirements, and 3) can provide sufficient justification to scale up. Requests for scale-up funding of more than US$5,000 may be considered if these requirements are met and a compelling case is made.

Term of funding: Up to 6 months following the project start date. Scale-up projects may be granted up to 12 months following the project start date, depending on the necessary timeline.

All applicants should take the Message from IEEE on coronavirus COVID-19 into consideration when preparing their proposal, particularly “We request that all members avoid conducting in-person activities in areas impacted by the coronavirus threat and instead maximize the use of our online and virtual alternatives.”

• Applications may be submitted starting 12 July 2021 and will be reviewed on a rolling basis. We encourage applicants to submit their proposals as soon as they can. 

• Final deadline to submit: 16 August 2021 at 11:59pm EDT.

IEEE HAC/SIGHT Call for Proposals Focused on COVID-19 Response and Pressing Community Need

• NOTE: Applicants are strongly encouraged to take the free HAC/SIGHT online training course Project Assessment, Monitoring and Evaluation on the IEEE Learning Network prior to developing your submission.
• A live Q&A was held to address common pitfalls in completing the new Project Assessment Matrix. The recording is available here.

• Applications must be submitted via the IEEE HAC/SIGHT Online Funding Opportunities Portal
• First time applicants will need to create a user account in order to submit a proposal
• Please download the template files which are required to complete the online proposal
  • Project Assessment Matrix
  • IEEE HAC Projects 2021 Budget Template
• Applicants are encouraged to use the Proposal Complete Checklist to ensure their proposal meets all the criteria to advance to the evaluation stage of the process and be considered for funding

See the following presentation on characteristics of a great proposal, tips on completing the project assessment matrix, and common proposal pitfalls and how to avoid them.

In 2020, HAC/SIGHT held a Special Call for Proposals to support grassroots humanitarian technology and sustainable development projects that addressed the COVID-19 situation by IEEE members in their local communities. See this page for more details.

Email us at hac-projects@ieee.org with questions about the Call for Proposals or application process.