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INTERNATIONAL RESEARCH PROGRAM Summer 2007

Organized by the UC Berkeley
Management of Technology Program (MOT)
and the
United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO)

UC Berkeley’s MOT program funds research on the application of technology to problems of developing regions, awarding over $230,000 in graduate fellowships to support such research. Teams of UC Berkeley graduate students will be awarded fellowships again in 2007 to conduct field research in developing countries.

Students will develop research projects and apply as a team for funding. To facilitate the creation of teams, individual students or teams are invited to give a 5 minute presentation on their project idea. Following the presentations, students may contact one another to form teams.

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BRIDGING THE DIVIDE INTERNATIONAL RESEARCH PROGRAM
SUMMER 2007

Developing countries and economies in transition face numerous challenges in their industrial development and modernization. Industry needs a supportive climate for growth. Managers must make industries more competitive to sell more of what they make - especially abroad. The industrial base must be expanded to generate increasingly more productive jobs - and all this in an era of global volatility and constant change. The United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) helps developing countries in their fight against marginalization in today's globalized world. It mobilizes knowledge, skills, information and technology to promote productive employment, a competitive economy and a sound environment (from the UNIDO website, www.unido.org).

To support the mission of UNIDO, teams of University of California, Berkeley graduate students will conduct field research in an effort to elicit best practices in sustainable industrial development.

Background

The “Bridging the Divide” International Research Program 2006 focused on these areas:

• Micro-hydro electrification (Kenya/Tanzania)
• Water purification (Bangladesh)
• Cleaner-burning biomass stoves (India)
• Point-of care diagnostic for screening Dengue Fever (Ecuador)
• GIS to predict Malaria outbreaks (India)

In addition to the conference itself, UC Berkeley will continue a program of research on the application of technology to problems of developing regions. Research will be carried out by UC Berkeley graduate researchers working in the field in developing countries under faculty guidance.

Research Program

The purpose of the research program is three-fold:

• To conduct research on an issue congruent with the Bridging the Divide conference’s focus of promoting technology-related sustainable development
• To synthesize the findings into best practices for decision makers
• To provide students with an opportunity to explore, in-depth, business and technology issues facing developing nations

Approximately four student teams will be awarded fellowships for research to be conducted during Summer 2007. Student will spend at least three weeks conducting field research, which may include primary or secondary data collection, interviews with industry leaders, focus groups with consumers, and/or site visits. The project must be in a developing country and must focus on some aspect of technology.

Project teams will:

• Carry out their work and obligations as UC Berkeley and UNIDO Fellows, representing both UC Berkeley and UNIDO.
• Use fellowship funds for travel and other research-related expenses, and not for student stipends, awards or financial aid.
• Include UCB graduate students only. At least one member of each team must be either from the Haas School of Business, the College of Engineering, or the School of Information. Each team must be cross-disciplinary and therefore may not consist, for example, of only students from the College of Engineering.
• Consist of students who will not graduate before December 2007. Teams will typically consist of three or four students.
• Include a faculty sponsor identified by the team, who is willing to guide the team’s research through 2007.
• Conduct field research in the target country for at least three weeks during summer 2007 (exact dates to be determined by teams). The target country must be a developing country but does not have to be a UNIDO member.
• Enroll in a Spring 2007 (2 units) and Fall 2007 (2 unit) course for the Bridging the Divide research program. The fall course will be an independent study with either Andrew Isaacs or Kristi Raube.
• Complete final report describing findings.

Costs and Expenses

Each team will be awarded up to $20,000, which is intended to cover necessary expenses, including airfare and accommodation. Any expenses beyond the $20,000 will not be reimbursed.

Health and Safety

Travel overseas, especially to developing countries and emerging markets, may expose participants to health and other risks different from those that they face at home. Although we will do our best to make participants aware of such risks and will make efforts to minimize risks, the ultimate responsibility lies with the participant. Application for the program explicitly implies acceptance of all responsibility for loss, injury and/or death by the applicant. Applicants are advised to check with the Centers for Disease Control and with the US State Department for information on health and safety issues respectively. See also the useful international web sites page for further research on countries and their respective health and safety record.

Each participant must obtain, at his/her own expense, any vaccinations, inoculations or other medications considered appropriate for a prudent traveler to the destination(s) to which they are assigned.

Each participant must obtain, at his/her own expense, suitable health insurance for the duration of the in-country portion of the program. The insurance must cover medical evacuation to the USA. Evidence of such insurance must be provided to the faculty advisors.

Application Process

A review committee will choose the research teams. Applicant teams will be assessed using the following criteria:

• Significance of the proposed project
• Consistency with the UNIDO mission
• Contribution the experience will make to the students’ education
• Applicant team’s experience and qualifications, in particular their ability to thrive in a cross-cultural situation

To apply, each applicant team must do the following:

• Attend one of the informational meetings/mixers either on Monday, September 25, or Tuesday, September 26.
• Submit:
  • 5-page proposal from team (only one per team), including:
    • significance of proposed project
    • research objectives
    • methodology
    • unique contribution from each team member
  • Resume from each team member (1 page)
  • Name of faculty advisor
  • Letter of support from proposed project site
  • Estimated project budget
• Interview with the members of the selection committee

Timeline

October 27, 2006	Applications due.
Week of Nov. 6, 2006	Applicant interviews
Nov. 13, 2006	Projects awarded
Spring 2007	2 unit course to further develop research methodology
Summer 2007	Students in field conducting research
Fall 2007	2 unit course to develop final reports and presentations (independent study)

More Information

For more information, please contact:
Andrew Isaacs, Director, Bridging the Divide
510 642-7734; isaacs@haas.berkeley.edu

Summer 2007 Bridging the Divide Fellowship Program Guidelines (pdf)

 

9/25/06 and 9/26/06 Informational Meeting PowerPoint Presentation

Link to the official Bridging the Divide Research website: http://bridge.berkeley.edu

the UNIDO website: http://www.unido.org

Summer 2007 Bridging the Divide Fellowship Program Guidelines (pdf)

A Complete Listing of Previous Bridging the Divide Fellow's Research Projects