April 2013 - change - Mailing Lists

NY Times: Competition Designed to Spread Basic Technologies
by Gaetano Borriello 21 Apr '13

21 Apr '13

Competition Designed to Spread Basic Technologies New York Times (04/18/13) Eric Pfanner The World Bank has organized the Sanitation Hackathon, a competition designed to identify promising solutions to address the discrepancy in access to high and low technologies in developing countries. The three winners of the competition are set to be honored on Friday in connection with the annual meetings of the bank and its sister organization, the International Monetary Fund. The hackathon took place over two days in which more than 1,000 developers gathered in 40 cities worldwide to work on their projects. The winners of the hackathon will travel to Silicon Valley for meetings with venture capitalists and entrepreneurs who are interested in the issue. "We would love it if Silicon Valley could take some of these applications and build them into sustainable businesses," says the World Bank's Chris Vein. Because six billion of the world's seven billion people have mobile phones, while only 4.5 billion have access to toilets, mobile technology is being used to help address problems in the developing world. For example, one of the hackathon winners developed mSchool, a reporting system that lets teachers, students, or parents report problems with sanitation facilities at any of Senegal's more than 2,000 schools. http://www.nytimes.com/2013/04/19/technology/competition-designed-to-spread…

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FW: ICTD 2013 call for demos
by Waylon Brunette 18 Apr '13

18 Apr '13

---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Michael Champanis <michael.champanis(a)gmail.com<mailto:michael.champanis@gmail.com>> Date: Wed, Apr 17, 2013 at 10:40 AM Subject: [ict4chw] ICTD 2013 call for demos To: ict4chw(a)googlegroups.com<mailto:ict4chw@googlegroups.com> Hi all, Please see below call for demos for the ICTD 2013 conference in Cape Town. Best, Michael -- ICTD 2013 - Call for demos We welcome submissions of demonstrations for ICTD 2013. The demo session will provide students, researchers, and practitioners with an international audience for showcasing demonstrations of their work. Your demonstration may span novel hardware or software systems, video footage, or physical artifacts, amongst others. Research projects, commercial tools, or government initiatives are all welcome. Engaging, interactive demos that demonstrate real world impact are encouraged. Unlike ICTD 2013 papers, the subject of a demo may have been published previously, either in ICTD or in other venues. However, the demonstration itself should be new and interesting to the community, and should reflect work that is at least as mature as a poster presentation. At least one presenter of each accepted demo must register for the conference and be in attendance to present the demo. Authors of accepted papers and posters are also invited to propose demonstrations of their work. Submission Instructions Demo participants must submit a brief abstract (minimum of 100 words) that describes the context, novelty, and significance of the demonstration, including a precise description of exactly what is to be demonstrated (hardware, software, etc.) along with the demonstrator's technical requirements (power, internet, setup, space, etc.). Each submission should include a title; the names, affiliations, and contact emails for all authors. Each submission will be reviewed to assess the novelty of the demo and its suitability for the conference before its final acceptance. Please note, accepted submissions will not be published in the conference proceedings. To submit a demo, please use the demo application form here: http://goo.gl/Jaq15 Submission deadline is 23 August 2013. Acceptance notifications will be emailed on 6 September 2013. Contact us with any questions at: demos(a)ictd2013.info<mailto:demos@ictd2013.info> About ICTD2013 The Sixth International Conference on Information and Communication Technologies and Development will be hosted at the University of Cape Town, December 7 - 10 2013, in Cape Town, South Africa. ICTD2013 is held in cooperation with ACM SIGCHI and ACM SIGCAS. You can find more information about it at: http://ictd2013.info/ ICTD is the world's premier conference examining the role of computers and communications in social, economic and political development. -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "ict4chw" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to ict4chw%2Bunsubscribe(a)googlegroups.com<mailto:ict4chw%2Bunsubscribe@googlegroups.com>. To post to this group, send email to ict4chw(a)googlegroups.com<mailto:ict4chw@googlegroups.com>. Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/ict4chw?hl=en. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out.

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Fwd: [TIER] Open Tech Institute: Field Engineers Wanted
by Yaw Anokwa 16 Apr '13

16 Apr '13

---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Ryan Gerety <gerety(a)opentechinstitute.org> Date: Tue, Apr 16, 2013 at 10:39 AM Subject: [TIER] Open Tech Institute: Field Engineers Wanted To: tier(a)tier.cs.berkeley.edu Hi Everyone, The New America Foundation's Open Technology Institute seeks a Field Engineer to join our team in Washington, D.C., implementing wireless communications infrastructure for democratic organizing and economic development in communities around the world. [http://newamerica.net/node/65197] The right candidate has at least 3 years of electrical, wireless, computer or network engineering experience, or experience in an equivalent field of work. Preference given to those with experience in project management, community organizing, or wireless network deployment. An understanding of wireless networking technology and IP networking and routing is a must. Experience leading hands-on workshops or trainings for non-technical audiences is a big plus. Responsibilities - Plan and deploy wireless networks, including mesh networks based on open source mesh software (http://commotionwireless.net) - Train and educate neighborhood leaders, organizers and activists on neighborhood or community-owned infrastructure principles and planning. - Contribute to the overall planning, development, and implementation of OTI’s technical projects. - Develop documentation and materials for training non-technical individuals on installation and maintenance of wireless mesh networks. - Serve as a technical resource to OTI staff and key decision makers. - Flexibility and comfort with international travel and work. Required Qualifications - Minimum 3 years of engineering or equivalent experience. - A basic understanding of RF or electrical engineering. - Experience writing technical documentation for non-technical audiences. - Strong understanding of networking, including TCP/IP and 802.11 wireless standards. - Comfortable working in UNIX-like environments such as Linux. - Effective organizational and communication skills. - Ability to prioritize and delegate in a fast-paced environment. - A meticulous, self-motivated, and friendly nature. Desired Qualifications - Experience working internationally, especially in under-resourced environments. - Some basic construction skills, with good attention to detail and quality of work. Experience with community- or metro- scale wireless networks. - Experience engaging communities in on-the-ground organizing efforts both in the United States and abroad. - Proficiency in a language other than English. - Experience leading technical projects involving independent consultants. - Ability and desire to mentor others. Application Process Submit a resume, cover letter, writing sample (no more than six pages), and at least three references: http://newamerica.net/node/65197 (the date on this page is wrong, the positions remain open). No phone calls, please. Generous salary package commensurate with experience; excellent benefits. The New America Foundation is an equal opportunity employer. Best, Ryan -- ----------------------------------------------- Ryan Gerety Senior Field Analyst, Open Technology Institute New America Foundation 1899 L St NW, Suite 400 Washington, DC 20036 +1 202.492.8841 (c) _______________________________________________ TIER mailing list Website: http://tier.cs.berkeley.edu TIER(a)tier.cs.berkeley.edu https://www.millennium.berkeley.edu/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/tier

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Today: Tina Neogi and Greg Zwisler on Noncommunicable Diseases
by Trevor Perrier 16 Apr '13

16 Apr '13

What: Tina Neogi and Greg Zwisler from PATH on Noncommunicable Diseases When: Tuesday, April 16th at 12pm Where: The Allen Center, CSE 203 Noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) represent a major and increasing global issue. It is estimated that more 36 million deaths are due to noncommunicable diseases, with more than 80% of these deaths occurring in low or middle-income countries. There are four major types of noncommunicable diseases, including cardiovascular disease, diabetes, cancer, and respiratory disease. As diabetes is a risk factor for cardiovascular disease and a cause of morbidity and mortality in it of itself, preventing diabetes and its complications is an essential component of the NCD response. Between 2012 and 2030, the number of people living with diabetes globally will increase from 371 to 552 million. PATH is invested in the NCD response, with experience of advancing technology and strengthening systems. This talk will explore the current PATH projects related to diabetes, including exploring innovative solutions in diabetes screening and management in Cambodia, bi-directional screening for tuberculosis and diabetes in Mexico, a novel diabetes and cardiovascular screening method in India, and an initial technical development of novel diagnostic test for gestational diabetes. Tina Neogi, MD, MS is an NRSA Primary Care Research Fellow in the Department of Family Medicine at the University of Washington and the Noncommunicable Disease Fellow at PATH. Her research interests are around using resource and context appropriate information and point of care technologies to improve patient empowerment, with a particular focus on underserved populations and resource-constrained settings. Greg Zwisler is a Business Officer at PATH. He is a core member of several product development teams, serving as a business generalist responsible for commercialization and market-development activities. Greg currently works on initiatives to enhance the category of oral rehydration solutions and to develop appropriate diagnostics and other technologies for use with diabetes and other non-communicable diseases (NCDs). His role and experience span market research, business strategy, product management, and partnering. His interests include consumer and industry insights, business case development, formation of partnership portfolios, and corporate intrapreneurism. Over the course of 10 years with PATH in positions of progressive responsibility, Greg has worked for short periods in Argentina, Bangladesh, Cambodia, China, Ethiopia, Ghana, India, Kenya, South Africa, Vietnam, Zambia, and various other markets. He holds an Executive MBA from the Foster School of Business at the University of Washington, and a BA from Rice University.

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Tina Neogi and Greg Zwisler from PATH on Noncommunicable Diseases
by Nicola Dell 16 Apr '13

16 Apr '13

Noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) represent a major and increasing global issue. It is estimated that more 36 million deaths are due to noncommunicable diseases, with more than 80% of these deaths occurring in low or middle-income countries. There are four major types of noncommunicable diseases, including cardiovascular disease, diabetes, cancer, and respiratory disease. As diabetes is a risk factor for cardiovascular disease and a cause of morbidity and mortality in it of itself, preventing diabetes and its complications is an essential component of the NCD response. Between 2012 and 2030, the number of people living with diabetes globally will increase from 371 to 552 million. PATH is invested in the NCD response, with experience of advancing technology and strengthening systems. This talk will explore the current PATH projects related to diabetes, including exploring innovative solutions in diabetes screening and management in Cambodia, bi-directional screening for tuberculosis and diabetes in Mexico, a novel diabetes and cardiovascular screening method in India, and an initial technical development of novel diagnostic test for gestational diabetes. Tina Neogi, MD, MS is an NRSA Primary Care Research Fellow in the Department of Family Medicine at the University of Washington and the Noncommunicable Disease Fellow at PATH. Her research interests are around using resource and context appropriate information and point of care technologies to improve patient empowerment, with a particular focus on underserved populations and resource-constrained settings. Greg Zwisler is a Business Officer at PATH. He is a core member of several product development teams, serving as a business generalist responsible for commercialization and market-development activities. Greg currently works on initiatives to enhance the category of oral rehydration solutions and to develop appropriate diagnostics and other technologies for use with diabetes and other non-communicable diseases (NCDs). His role and experience span market research, business strategy, product management, and partnering. His interests include consumer and industry insights, business case development, formation of partnership portfolios, and corporate intrapreneurism. Over the course of 10 years with PATH in positions of progressive responsibility, Greg has worked for short periods in Argentina, Bangladesh, Cambodia, China, Ethiopia, Ghana, India, Kenya, South Africa, Vietnam, Zambia, and various other markets. He holds an Executive MBA from the Foster School of Business at the University of Washington, and a BA from Rice University. What: Tina Neogi and Greg Zwisler from PATH on Noncommunicable Diseases When: Tuesday, April 16th at 12pm Where: The Allen Center, CSE 203

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Technology Manager - VillageReach
by Emily Bancroft 16 Apr '13

16 Apr '13

VillageReach has an exciting opening for a Technology Manager in our Information Systems Group. This is a great position for someone with experience in technology for development. The Technology Manager will take a leadership role in OpenLMIS, an open-source initiative to improve supply chain operations in low-income countries as well as other technology and health oriented projects at VillageReach. The position is open until filled and more information and application instructions can be found at http://villagereach.org/vrsite/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/Technology-Manage… Emily Bancroft, MPH Program Director and Group Lead, Health Systems VillageReach 2900 Eastlake Ave. E, Suite 230 Seattle, WA 98102 Phone: +1 206 512 1537 Cell: +1 206 234 5378 www.villagereach.org

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Fwd: [Wahifp-members] Call for research papers in ehealth/mhealth
by Gaetano Borriello 12 Apr '13

12 Apr '13

---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Ime Asangansi <imeasangansi(a)gmail.com> Date: Fri, Apr 12, 2013 at 1:13 PM Subject: [Wahifp-members] Call for research papers in ehealth/mhealth To: wahifp-members(a)wahifp.org Dear colleagues, Please prepare to submit. Deadline is May 6. Apologies for any cross posting. Cheers, Ime Asangansi for the Scientific Committee of FHIES 2013 *CALL FOR PAPERS* Third International Symposium on Foundations of Health Information Engineering and Systemshttp://www.cs.ox.ac.uk/FHIES2013/ International Institute for Software Technology United Nations University, Macau 21st-23rd August, 2013 BACKGROUND ICT plays an increasingly enabling role in addressing the global challenges of healthcare, in both the developed and the developing world. The use of software in medical devices has caused growing concerns in relation to safety and efficacy. The increasing adoption of health information systems provides great potential benefits but also poses severe risks, both with respect to security and privacy and in regard to patient safety. Hospital and other information systems raise important issues of workflow support and interoperability. Regulators, manufacturers and clinical users have pointed out the need to research sound and science-based engineering methods that facilitate the development and certification of quality ICT systems in health care. Such methods may draw from or combine techniques from various disciplines, including but not limited to software engineering, electronic engineering, computing science, information science, mathematics, and industrial engineering. AIMS The purpose of the symposium series on Foundations of Health Information Engineering and Systems is to promote a nascent research area that aims to develop and apply theories and methods from a variety of disciplines for the purpose of modeling, building and certifying software-intensive ICT systems in healthcare. A particular objective of FHIES is to explicitly include a focus on healthcare ICT applications in the developing world (in addition to systems used in the developed countries), since unique engineering challenges arise in that special setting. Because humans often play a pivotal role in the process of using such systems, theories from the human factors engineering community may need to be integrated with methods from the technology-oriented domains in order to create effective engineering methodologies for socio-technical systems in the healthcare domain. Previous FHIES symposia were held in 2011, in Mabalingwe, South Africa (with post-conference proceedings in Springer LNCS 7151, and in 2012, in Paris, France (with post-conference proceedings to appear in Springer LNCS). SCOPE FHIES seeks contributions from both the solution domain (engineering methods) and the problem domain (healthcare and health informatics). Solution-domain papers should present their methods in the context of a concrete application in healthcare, while problem-domain papers should be devised to educate the methods community about unique challenges and characteristics of the healthcare domain. Submissions should seek to inform and further the development, adaptation, evaluation and adoption of formally based and rigorous engineering methods in health care systems. Topics of interest include but are not limited to: * modelling, analysis, simulation and verification in health informatics; * design and verification techniques for software-based ICT and software-intensive medical devices; * application and integration of foundational methods from different disciplines in engineering and science to health informatics; * specific engineering challenges of ICT-based health service delivery in different settings, especially in the developing world. For a more detailed list of topics, see the symposium website. CATEGORIES We solicit high quality full submissions in the following categories: * original research contributions (16 pages max) * application experience, case studies and software prototypes (16 pages max.) * surveys, comparisons, and state-of-the-art reports (16 pages max.) * position papers identifying challenges and milestones of a research project (8 pages max.) We also invite short submissions for special sessions: * student papers on work in progress on an MSc or PhD project (4 pages max.) * tool demonstrations (2 pages max.) * proposals to organize birds-of-a-feather sessions or panels (2 pages max.) SUBMISSIONS Submissions should be in English, prepared in the LNCS format (http://www.springer.de/comp/lncs/authors.html) and all page limits are measured in this format. Full submissions (those in the first four categories above) will be judged on the basis of originality, contribution to the field, technical and presentation quality, and relevance to the symposium; student papers will be judged on clarity of description and the promise of interesting results; tool demonstrations and BOF proposals will be judged on relevance to the symposium. All papers will be peer-reviewed by at least three program committee members. Papers should be submitted via EasyChair, at http://www.easychair.org/conferences/?conf=fhies2013 Submission constitutes a commitment for at least one author to attend the symposium and present the paper, if it is accepted. PUBLICATION All accepted submissions will be distributed in a technical report at the Symposium. After the event, postproceedings will be published in Springer LNCS. Authors of all accepted full submissions will be invited to revise their papers, in order to resolve any larger issues raised during reviewing. Authors of accepted short submissions will be invited to submit full papers for review and LNCS publication too. In addition, a special issue of a suitable journal is planned, focusing on the overall objectives of FHIES: this will have an open call for contributions. *IMPORTANT DATES* *Intention to submit: April 29th Submission deadline: May 6th Notification of acceptance: June 12th Delivery of preproceedings version: July 17th Symposium: August 21st-23rd Submission for postproceedings review: October 4th Notification of acceptance: October 11th Camera ready version: October 18th Publication of proceedings: December 23rd* ORGANIZERS General chairs: * Zhiming Liu, United Nations University, MO * Jens Weber, University of Victoria, CA Programme chairs: * Jeremy Gibbons, University of Oxford, UK * Wendy MacCaull, St. Francis Xavier University, CA Programme committee: * Ime Asangansi, University of Oslo, NO * Tom Broens, Mobihealth, NL * Lori Clarke, University of Massachusetts, US * David Clifton, University of Oxford, UK * Gerry Douglas, University of Pittsburgh, US * Johannes Faber, IIST, United Nations University, MO * Jozef Hooman, Embedded Systems Institute and Radboud University Nijmegen, NL * Michaela Huhn, Technische Universit�t Clausthal, DE * Shinsako Kiyomoto, KDDI R&D Laboratories Inc, JP * Craig Kuziemsky, University of Ottawa, CA * Yngve Lamo, Bergen University College, NO * Insup Lee, University of Pennsylvania, US * Orlando Loques, Instituto de Computa��o, Universidade Federal Fluminense, BR * Gilbert Maiga, Makerere University, UG * Dominique Mery, Universit� de Lorraine, LORIA, FR * Deshendran Moodley, University of KwaZulu-Natal, ZA * Jun Pang, University of Luxembourg, LU * Manfred Reichert, University of Ulm, DE * Ita Richardson, Lero, University of Limerick, IE * David Robertson, University of Edinburgh, UK * Christopher Seebregts, Jembi Health Systems / Medical Research Council, ZA * Bo Song, Qingdao University of Science and Technology, CN * Alan Wassyng, McMaster University, CA Keynote speakers: * Joe Cafazzo, Centre for Global eHealth Innovation, CA * Jane Liu, Academia Sinica, TW * Bill Thies, Microsoft Research, IN _______________________________________________ Wahifp-members mailing list Wahifp-members(a)wahifp.org http://wahifp.org/mailman/listinfo/wahifp-members_wahifp.org

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ACM DEV-4: Call for Papers
by Carlos Rey-Moreno 12 Apr '13

12 Apr '13

(Apologies for cross posting) ACM DEV-4 http://acmdev.org/cfp Call for Papers [[Copied from the DEV-4 Website]] DEV-4 provides an international forum for research in the design and implementation of information and communication technologies (ICTs) for social and economic development. In particular, we focus on emerging contexts where conventional computing solutions are often inappropriate due to various contextual factors - including, but not limited to, cost, language, literacy, and the availability of power and bandwidth. Papers should describe original and previously unpublished research. Three metrics will be applied to judge papers: (a) Relevance of the problem for development; (b) Novelty of the technical solution; (c) Evaluation of the solution, making a case for development-focused impact. All DEV paper submissions should either provide or directly motivate a novel technical solution that has direct implications for development. Topics of interest include, but are not limited to: Networks/Systems/Security/Architecture Low-cost wireless connectivity Intermittent networks and systems Power-efficient systems Low-cost computing devices Mobile systems and applications Mixed networks, e.g., telephony and IP Special-purpose sensor systems Security challenges in developing regions HCI/Applications User interfaces for low-literacy populations Multi-lingual computing User-interfaces for low-cost devices Participatory methods and user-centered design Accessibility to disabled populations in developing regions Design and evaluation of applications for health, microfinance, education, agriculture, entertainment AI/NLP/Data Mining/Speech/Vision Machine learning techniques for large-scale data analysis in development contexts Adapting content and applications to local languages and education levels Understanding social relationships and information flows in disadvantaged societies Speech interfaces and speech recognition for low-resource languages Development of new AI-centric tools/solutions for development Computer vision challenges in development We also welcome papers outside of these topics that address the DEV focus on computing innovations supporting social and economic development. For more information, see the webpage (http://dev4.acmdev.org/) or contact the Program Co-Chairs (Margaret Martonosi, Princeton and Bhaskaran Raman, IIT Bombay -- Carlos Rey-Moreno Research Assistant Office 1.28 Department of Computer Science University of the Western Cape Private Bag X17 - Bellville, 7535 Cape Town - South Africa Tel: +27 (0) 21 959 2562 Cel: +27 (0) 76 986 3633 Skype: carlos.reymoreno Twitter: Creym

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IFITT-ENTER2014 ICT4D & eTourism Scholarships
by Sara Vannini 09 Apr '13

09 Apr '13

Dear colleagues, please find here (http://ifitt.org/home/view/ict4d_scholarship) the call for the ICT4D & eTourism scholarship for next ENTER2014. Under the IFITT ICT4D Scholarship (Information and Communication Technologies for Development), IFITT (The International Federation for IT in Travel and Tourism) will fund young talents coming from developing/emerging countries, to provide a positive impact onto their respective communities through the application of ICT and Tourism. Submission should be connected with a Master or PhD thesis, having a clear orientation to electronic tourism and local development. Awarded students will have the possibility to present their work at ENTER2014 during the PhD workshop. The scholarship consists of an assignment of a tutor, funding of ENTER participation (up to € 2.000 travel, accommodation and conference fee) and free IFITT membership for one year. More information http://ifitt.org/home/view/ict4d_scholarship Call for proposals: http://ifitt.org/admin/public/uploads/IFITT-ENTER_ICT4D_Scholarship2014.pdf Best regards, -- Sara Vannini PhD Candidate ICT4D Activities Coordinator NewMinE Lab - Università della Svizzera italiana via G. Buffi, 13 - 6900 Lugano, Switzerland Tel. +41 58 666 4674 (Mozambique: +258 820689223) mailto: sara.vannini(a)usi.ch RE-ACT website: http://www.react-project.ch personal website: http://www.people.usi.ch/vanninis/phd/index.html

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Can Technology End Poverty ?
by ashish makani 08 Apr '13

08 Apr '13

Hi Folks A thoughtful article from HBR http://blogs.hbr.org/cs/2013/03/can_technology_end_poverty.html ashish

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