[wsfii-discuss] FW: ISIF grants program ?kick-starts? local innovation in the Asia Pacif

Tue Apr 14 09:16:20 UTC 2009

FYI:

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Sylvia Cadena [mailto:info at isif.asia] 
> Sent: Tuesday, April 07, 2009 7:43 AM
> To: Juergen Neumann
> Subject: ISIF grants program ?kick-starts? local innovation 
> in the Asia Pacif
> 
> ISIF grants program 'kick-starts' local innovation in the 
> Asia Pacific.
> 
> Local communities across the Asia Pacific region stand to benefit from
> work backed by an important new funding program. The 
> Information Society
> Innovation Fund (ISIF) has announced funding for 11 projects in eight
> countries, all awarded grants for their innovative approaches to
> extending Information and Communication Technology (ICT) 
> infrastructure
> to meet genuine challenges in the region.
> 
> These projects showcase diverse uses of ICT technology, such 
> as mobile-
> based tele-healthcare, forensic investigation infrastructure, and
> localized high-performance email for telecentres, and even the
> establishment of a national high-speed backbone.
> 
> ISIF is a small-grants program, launched in 2008, aimed at stimulating
> creative solutions to ICT development needs in the Asia 
> Pacific region.
> It provides targeted, accountable project funding, which plays a vital
> role in getting practical, grass roots and community-driven solutions
> off the ground.
> 
> ISIF is a partnership between the Canadian International Development
> Research Centre (IDRC), the Internet Society (ISOC), and the Asia
> Pacific Network Information Centre (APNIC), with generous support from
> the DotAsia Organization. The first round of funding occurred in late
> 2008 with the successful projects each receiving up to USD 
> 30,000 to be
> used in 2009.
> 
> Following strict criteria, the Grants Evaluation Committee selected 11
> successful projects and requested representatives from each 
> to attend a
> proposal development workshop in Hyderabad, India. At the 
> workshop they
> had the opportunity to modify their proposals based on 
> feedback received
> from the ISIF partners and other workshop participants. They also
> explored simple networking strategies to help them establish effective
> collaboration among the projects. The resulting projects showcase
> innovation across a wide spectrum. They not only illustrate important
> research results, but equally, they help build research 
> capacity within
> organizations.
> 
> As Michael Ginguld from Airjaldi Networks, India explains, "The
> evaluation process provided the environment needed not only to discuss
> the proposals submitted, share knowledge and perspectives about
> innovation in ICTs, but also to develop mutual trust and respect among
> the applicants and the ISIF representatives".
> 
> ISOC Director of Education and Programmes, Karen Rose 
> believes the 2008/
> 2009 ISIF projects have genuine potential to extend Internet 
> access and
> improve the quality of life in economies across the region. "Enduring
> and sustainable progress in Internet development requires 
> activities at
> the local level that engage people in their home regions. 
> ISIF supports
> local organizations solving local issues.  We see this as key path for
> Internet innovation and growth in the Asia Pacific region," said Ms
> Rose.
> 
> ISIF's first call for applications received an overwhelming response,
> with 148 applications coming in from 22 different Asia Pacific
> economies, including Bhutan, Mongolia, and Papua New Guinea.
> 
> APNIC Director General, Paul Wilson, attributes the excellent response
> the ISIF program received to the collaborative efforts of partners and
> stakeholders from throughout the Asia Pacific Internet community.   "I
> am very thankful to all members of this community for their proactive
> promotion and support of this program. The success is an 
> example of how
> the Internet community can collaborate effectively to promote 
> growth and
> development in economies where markets or regulation struggle 
> to support
> innovation," said Mr Wilson.
> 
> Richard Fuchs, chair of the ISIF Grants Committee and 
> Regional Director
> at IDRC, Southeast and East Asia announced the program will fund more
> projects next year. "Due to the success of the 2008/09 round 
> of funding,
> ISIF partners and sponsors are pleased to confirm their support for a
> new round of funding for a 2009/10 ISIF Grant Program. We look forward
> to working with more organizations in the region to continue 
> innovation
> into the future," said Mr Fuchs. 
> 
> As Gaurab Upadhaya from Nepal Research and Education Network (NREN),
> Nepal explains, "The ISIF grant gave us the kick-start funds necessary
> to get past the initial hurdles. It also let us design and develop the
> network with a big picture plan, rather than in a piecemeal fashion."
> 
> In the next round, ISIF will support up to 10 projects with 
> grants up to
> AUD 40,0000. The projects will be selected during 2009 to receive
> funding and implement their project in 2010. All the details 
> of the new
> 'Call for Applications' are available at www.isif.asia. Applications
> should be prepare from April to July using the formats available and
> must be submitted through the online application form by 31 July 2009.
> 
> The ISIF program partners also call on other organizations through the
> region to consider providing financial support to expand the ISIF
> program. To support future ISIF activities, please contact Sylvia
> Cadena, Project Officer.
> 
> 2009 ISIF Grant Recipients
> ==========================
>  
> 1. Development of emergency networks training and tools kit:
> The Internet Education and Research Laboratory (intERLab), Asian
> Institute of Technology, Thailand.
> 
> 2. Capacity building for female health workers in rural areas through
> the use of ICT and mobile based tele-healthcare:
> The School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science from the
> National University of Science and Technology, Pakistan.
> 
> 3. A low-cost digital forensic investigation infrastructure 
> for a third
> world country:
> The University of Colombo School of Computing, Sri Lanka.
> 
> 4. Broadband Internet access for rural areas of Vietnam using WiMAX
> technology via television broadcasting infrastructure:
> The Bac Ha International University, Vietnam.
> 
> 5. VoIP as a model applicable to developing countries:
> One Destination Center, Indonesia.
> 
> 6. Web-based transliteration and translation system between Urdu and
> Hindi languages:
> Punjabi University, India.
> 
> 7. High-speed backbone for Nepal Research and Education Network:
> Nepal Research and Education Network, Nepal.
> 
> 8. Localised high-performance e-mail for telecentres and schools:
> The Department of Computer Science & Engineering from the 
> University of
> Moratuwa, Sri Lanka.
> 
> 9. Health, emergency and disaster information using mobile and virtual
> earth technology:
> SynapseHealth, The Philippines.
> 
> 10. Meshing Up Mahavilachchiya:
> Horizon Lanka Foundation, Sri Lanka.
> 
> 11. AirJaldi bandwidth maximizer - proving concepts, demonstrating
> potential and viability:
> AirJaldi Networks, India.
>  
> 
> For more information on ISIF:
> Sylvia Cadena, Project Officer,
> Information Society Innovation Fund (ISIF)
> sylvia at apnic.net
> Phone        + 61 7 3858 3100
> 
> Louise Flynn, Marketing & Public Relations Manager
> Asia Pacific Network Information Centre (APNIC)
> lou at apnic.net
> Phone        + 61 7 3858 3148
> Mobile         + 61 414 404950 (24 hours)
> 
> Biographies and high res photos are available on request.
> 
>