- change - Mailing Lists

James Dailey on MicroEnergy Credits
by Nicola Dell 01 May '12

01 May '12

This Thursday at Change, James Dailey will talk about his work with MicroEnergy Credits. MicroEnergy Credits is a financial intermediary which links microfinance institutions to the carbon markets when they lend for clean energy. Founded in 2007 and based in Seattle, Washington, MicroEnergy Credits works with Microfinance Institutions and Carbon Emission Reducers around the world. MEC is a for-profit social enterprise financed by impact investors. Today, MEC reaches over 120,000 households with clean energy services in partnership with 20 microfinance institutions. James will speak about MicroEnergy Credits successful program in sourcing tens of thousands of tonnes of carbon emission reduction credits from Mongolia, one cookstove at a time. MEC's Credit Tracker, which automates carbon monitoring, is a key part of that process. James Dailey is the co-founder and CTO of MicroEnergy Credits. In his role as CTO, James is the primary architect and visionary behind Credit Tracker, MEC’s cloud-based platform for tracking and monitoring of microfinance-based carbon credits. James founded the microfinance opensource project MIFOS, and was a key figure in starting OpenLMIS, an open source solution for public health logistics in developing countries. He holds a degree in MIS from the University of Notre Dame, and a Masters in International Environmental Policy from the University of Washington. *What:* James Dailey on MicroEnergy Credits *When:* Thursday May 3rd at 12 noon *Where:* The Allen Center CSE 203

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CfP: TECH & INNOVATION FOR GLOBAL DEVELOPMENT
by Yosem Companys 30 Apr '12

30 Apr '12

*International Conference on TECHNOLOGY AND INNOVATION FOR GLOBAL DEVELOPMENT Schumpeter and Polymer Research *3–5 June 2012 Harvard Kennedy School Cambridge, MA Co-organized by the Science, Technology, and Globalization Project, Harvard Kennedy School Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs, Harvard Kennedy School Agricultural Innovation in Africa Project, Harvard Kennedy School Mossavar-Rahmani Center for Business and Government, Harvard Kennedy School Contact: katherine_gordon(a)hks.harvard.edu<https://mail.google.com/mail/?view=cm&fs=1&tf=1&to=katherine_gordon@hks.har…> Chaired by: Professor Calestous Juma Harvard Kennedy School *Background* The aim of the "International Conference on Innovation and Development" (3-5 June, 2012) is to take stock of the relevance of the work of Austrian economist Joseph Schumpeter for developing countries. The conference coincides with the centenary of the publication of Schumpeter's seminal work, *The Theory of Economic Development* (1911). The conference will be held in conjunction with the annual Innovation for Economic Development<http://ksgexecprogram.harvard.edu/Programs/ifed/overview.aspx> executive program. Although Schumpeter's work was clearly framed to address the unfolding nature of economic systems, policymakers and development thinkers in developing countries are only starting to be exposed to his seminal thinking. Many of these countries now embrace the idea of innovation in economic development without recognizing that they are furthering the legacy of Schumpeter. For example, a 2005 report entitled *Innovation: Applying Knowledge in Development*<http://belfercenter.ksg.harvard.edu/publication/2098/innovation.html>played an important role in guiding discussions on the implementation of the United Nations Millennium Development Goals. But few leaders in developing countries associated the ideas in the report with work on Schumpeter. The ideas in the report have been widely adopted among developing countries and prepared the ground for a commemorative study on Schumpeter's legacy. *Schumpeter’s intellectual legacy* Schumpeter left a rich intellectual legacy of relevance to emerging economies and globalization in general. He is associated with at least four major ideas (in writings between 1911 and 1942). First, he highlighted the critical role that innovation (broadly defined plays in economic transformation), especially through the dynamic process of “creative destruction”. Secondly, argued that technological innovation as an integral part of the capitalist enterprise and not changes in resource endowment was possibly the most powerful driver of economic transformation. Thirdly, he postulated that expectation of monopoly power was a greater source of productivity than the mere act of being in a competitive market. Finally, he stressed the importance of history and outlined the institutional forces that influence the pace and direction of economic transformation. In a posthumous paper published in 2005 entitled, *Development*, Schumpeter provided the clearest articulation of the theory behind his evolutionary thinking. He stressed the role of indeterminacy, novelty and discontinuous leaps. *Objectives* The aim of this conference is to convene a commemorative series of activities on the intellectual legacy of Schumpeter with specific reference to developing countries. Specific objectives of the initiative are to: (a) outline the essential features of Schumpeter's ideas of relevance to development policy and practice; (b) elaborate the elements into a new study that lays out the policy implications of Schumpeter's legacy for development policy and practice; (c) explore the role of innovation in emerging engineering fields, specifically polymer research, in addressing development challenges such as agriculture, health, water, shelter and environmental management; (d) disseminate the results among development policymakers, scholars, and practitioners; and (e) identify new research directions on innovation and development. The conference will also provide opportunities to authors to present findings in their recent books that build on Schumpeter’s ideas.

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[SPAM] $35 touchscreen tablet launched in India
by Rahul Banerjee 30 Apr '12

30 Apr '12

Sorry for the spam, but I couldn't resist sharing such wonderful news: http://www.seattlepi.com/business/article/India-announces-35-tablet-compute… (Actually, the government is subsidising its price (which would be closer to $50), but it's still pretty amazing that something like this exists at all) -- Rahul

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Jobs at NextDrop
by Tapan Parikh 30 Apr '12

30 Apr '12

NextDrop is a startup from my social enterprise course. I highly encourage anyone who is interested in mobile technology/crowdsourcing in developing countries to apply.

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Fwd: Call for papers: DEV 2013
by Gaetano Borriello 29 Apr '12

29 Apr '12

---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Aaditeshwar Seth Date: Sunday, April 29, 2012 Subject: Call for papers: DEV 2013 To: gaetano(a)cs.washington.edu Hello, I am writing to let you know that the paper submission deadline for the the 2013 DEV conference is September 7, 2012. The two previous DEV conferences in 2010 and 2012 were collocated with ICTD, and covered technical aspects of research in the ICTs for development area. To maintain approximately annual continuity in the DEV meetings, it was decided to hold a separate DEV conference in Jan 2013 in Bangalore. In addition, a DEV conference in Dec 2013 which would be collocated with ICTD 2013. We want to make sure that the community is aware of the early deadline for DEV, and hope that you will be able to submit good research to carry on the momentum! Information about the conference and the call for papers is available on the conference website: http://dev2013.org. Sincerely, Aaditeshwar Seth, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi Richard Anderson, University of Washington ------------ ACM DEV 2013 3rd Symposium on Computing for Development Co-located with COMSNETS January 11-12, 2013 Bangalore, India http://dev2013.org/ Important Dates: Submissions due: September 7, 2012 (11:59pm UTC) - firm deadline Author notification: October 26, 2012 Camera-ready: December 7, 2012 Conference: January 11-12, 2013 DEV 2013 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. Conference co-chairs: Bill Thies, Microsoft Research India <thies(a)microsoft.com> Amit Nanavati, IBM India Research Labs <namit(a)in.ibm.com> PC co-chairs: Richard Anderson, University of Washington <anderson(a)cs.washington.edu> Aaditeshwar Seth, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi < aseth(a)cse.iitd.ernet.in> Program committee (confirmed so far): Aaditeshwar Seth, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi Amarjeet Singh, Indraprastha Institute of Information Technology Delhi Amit Nanavati, IBM India Research Labs Andrew Dearden, Sheffield Hallam University Anirudh Joshi, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay Bhaskaran Raman, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay Bill Thies, Microsoft Research India Brian DeRenzi, University of Washington Elizabeth Belding, UC Santa Barbara Emma Brunskill, Carnegie Mellon University Etienne Barnard, University of Pretoria Gaetano Borriello, University of Washington James Davis, UC Santa Cruz Jana Iyengar, Franklin and Marshall College Jay Chen, New York University John Bennett, University of Colorado Boulder John Quinn, Makerere University Kentaro Toyama, UC Berkeley Lakshmi Subramanian, New York University Neal Lesh, Dimagi Neil Patel, Awaaz De Niloy Ganguli, Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur Richard Anderson, University of Washington Roni Rosenfeld, Carnegie Mellon University Saurabh Panjwani, Alcatel-Lucent Bell Labs India Sharad Jaiswal, Alcatel-Lucent Bell Labs India Srinivasan Keshav, University of Waterloo Tapan Parikh, UC Berkeley Vanessa Frias Martinez, Telefonica Research

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Open position at Creative Commons: Project Coordinator for Science and Data
by Yosem Companys 25 Apr '12

25 Apr '12

Blog post - http://creativecommons.org/weblog/entry/32434 Full description - http://creativecommons.org/opportunities#scienceanddata Creative Commons is seeking a Project Coordinator for Science and Data! The Project Coordinator will organize, coordinate and manage projects related to data policy and governance and perform research and analysis on data governance topics across relevant sectors — particularly for science — and communicate results and recommendations from the project via writing and related outreach. We are looking for someone who is experienced in policy analysis, development and processes, in addition to Open Source Software, Open Access/Open Data and other Open content projects. A science and/or legal background with international experience is highly desirable — especially as the position will be representing Creative Commons at global events in the Open Data and Open Science communities! See the job posting and apply at our opportunities page<http://creativecommons.org/opportunities#scienceanddata>. Position is open until filled. Thank you, -- Timothy Vollmer http://creativecommons.org/about/people/#timothyvollmer phone = +016086982403 | skype = timothyvollmer | tw = @tvol

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Job: Research Associate, Open Technology Initiative
by Yaw Anokwa 25 Apr '12

25 Apr '12

---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: <liberationtech-request(a)mailman.stanford.edu> Date: Wed, Apr 25, 2012 at 13:33 Subject: liberationtech Digest, Vol 101, Issue 2 To: liberationtech(a)mailman.stanford.edu The Open Technology Initiative at New America Foundation (OTI) seeks a Research Associate to support our community technology projects and related research. OTI's Field Analysts and Research Fellows have numerous research projects underway examining issues such as privacy and surveillance, the efficacy of broadband adoption programs, the role of partnerships in broadband adoption programs, and the impact of specific technology interventions. OTI serves as a research and evaluation partner to community organizations, government agencies and academic institutions working on broadband adoption and computer center projects in Philadelphia and Detroit. OTI is also partnering with community organizations for the deployment of community wireless networks and seeks to understand the impact of these projects. The Research Associate will be an essential contributor to these efforts. Depending on her or his skills, the Research Associate will conduct interviews or focus groups, analyze quantitative and qualitative data, and otherwise support the lead researchers; install wireless networking equipment and gather user feedback; write blog posts and policy briefs and assist with organizing and coordinating various events. The ideal candidate has a familiarity with a range of research methods and/or experience with community media or technology design. We welcome applications from people with experience in other fields, such as public health, ecology, urban planning or economics, but please explain in your cover letter why you want to transition to the field of media and technology and why your experience in a different field would be an asset. Please see http://newamerica.net/node/58171 for more information, and for instructions for applying.

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Job: Project Director (Public Health, International Development)
by Yaw Anokwa 25 Apr '12

25 Apr '12

>From https://icfi.taleo.net/careersection/icf_prof_ext/jobdetail.ftl?lang=en&job… ICF International is soliciting applications for a Project Director for the GAVI Alliance Full Country Evaluations. The purpose of the evaluations is to generate knowledge and information regarding the relevance, effectiveness, impact, and efficiency of GAVI supported countries and the sustainability of country programs receiving such support. The scope of the evaluations will include GAVI's support for new and underused vaccines, as well as GAVI's cash based support to countries. The Project Director will provide the overall technical leadership and management of the evaluations in five countries receiving GAVI support. Key Responsibilities: * Develop evaluation approaches and ensure coordination in the implementation of evaluation activities at the global and country levels * Manage an evaluation team of technical experts and country-based research organizations * Meet evaluation targets in accordance with project commitments; managing and directing assigned project resources * Ensure scientific and technical quality of all evaluation activities at the global and country levels * Serve as a liaison with the GAVI Alliance and other international and national stakeholders

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Intern for Cambodia Landmine Relief Fund
by Lahiru Jayatilaka 25 Apr '12

25 Apr '12

Marketing Intern, Stanford University, CA, 3 months (unpaid) The Cambodia Landmine Relief Fund is currently looking for persons with an interest in international development, with a focus on technology. The crux of the project is a visual support device that enables humanitarian deminers to determine landmine locations with greater speed and accuracy. See press releases and further information here: http://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2011/05/targeting-leftover-land-mines/ and http://www.landmine-relief-fund.com/. Our team is looking for an individual to help us rapidly scale-up the project with an influx of new funding, handle further grant writing, and lead concept/website design. We envision the position as a bridge to a full-time management position, with possibility of travel to Cambodia and other field sites. Interested applicants should send their CV (including related experience in brand and web designs, if any), a writing sample, and a brief statement of interest to lahiru(a)stanford.edu. See our team’s CV at http://bit.ly/HJaZqZ Lahiru

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Fwd: Can you share with Students? HHS Contest to Build Accessible Electronic Health Record Interface
by Gaetano Borriello 25 Apr '12

25 Apr '12

---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Banks, Keri <Keri.Banks(a)ketchum.com> Date: Wed, Apr 25, 2012 at 6:29 AM Subject: Can you share with Students? HHS Contest to Build Accessible Electronic Health Record Interface To: "gaetano(a)cse.washington.edu" <gaetano(a)cs.washington.edu> Good morning, Gaetano – I am reaching out to you on behalf of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) to let you and your students know about an exciting new health information technology (health IT) challenge. ONC has partnered with AMIA to seek the support of multidisciplinary teams to create and test a module or application that makes it easy for people with disabilities to access and interact with the health data stored in their electronic health records (EHRs). The EHR Accessibility Module Challenge is a contest designed to challenge participants to develop a consumer-oriented system that helps those with disabilities easily access their health information. The challenge is offering $85,000 worth of prizes, so it is a wonderful opportunity for those who choose to participate. I was hoping you would share the EHR Accessibility Module Challenge with your students. The deadline for the video submissions is July 23, 2012, and participants can register by visiting Health 2.0. Additionally, ONC recently facilitated a webinar to kick off the challenge that will provide you with even more details. I’m happy to answer any questions you may have, feel free to contact me at Keri.Banks(a)Ketchum.com. Keri Banks Ketchum PR Contractor to the Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT (ONC) (202) 835-9418 Keri.Banks(a)Ketchum.com On behalf of the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology Health IT Buzz blog, which is maintained by Ketchum, is a service of HHS’s Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology. For additional information about the innovation challenge, please visit: · www.health2con.com · health2con.com/devchallenge/ehr-accessibility-module/ To learn more about electronic health records in general, please visit: HealthIT.gov for information about the national transition to health IT for providers and patients HealthIT.hhs.gov, ONC’s website for information about health IT policy ONC’s Twitter, YouTube and Scribd pages ---------------------------- This message is intended only for the person or entity to which it is addressed and may contain information that is privileged, confidential or otherwise protected from disclosure. Dissemination, distribution or copying of this message or the information herein by anyone other than the intended recipient, or an employee or agent responsible for delivering the message to the intended recipient, is prohibited. If you have received this message by mistake, please destroy it immediately and notify the sender. ----------------------------

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