The U.S. Global Development Lab was established in April 2014, and builds on USAID's 50 years of experience in applying science, technology, innovation, and partnership to accelerate development impact.
Higher Education Solutions Network
Dear Friends of HESN,

We hope your school year is off to a wonderful start! We've been keeping busy preparing for TechCon 2016, which is now less than 2 months away! Learn more and register here. In the meantime, we're excited to share with you a collection of upcoming events, grants, learning opportunities, and job openings that have circulated through our Network. If you have an opportunity that we can distribute in our next issue, please send it to Danielle Somers ( [email protected]).

All the best,
The HESN Team
Funding Opportunities
The Global Lighting and Energy Access Partnership (Global LEAP), in partnership with USAID's U.S. Global Development Lab, Power Africa, and DfID are launching a joint call for high efficiency, low-cost off-grid refrigeration solutions on September 21st. This call for proposals is part of the 2016-17 Global LEAP Awards Program, and is the first investment focused on stimulating innovation under Scaling Off-Grid Energy: A Grand Challenge for Development. The competition will offer three innovation prizes to reward advancements in off-grid refrigeration technology, while also recognizing best-in-class commercially available off-grid refrigerators. Learn more here .
The Innovation Exchange is a marketplace that connects funders, innovators, users and solution seekers and gives them the tools to maximize their ability to meet the largest, most pressing development challenges. Use the Exchange to find, share and help breakthrough innovations; search for funding; connect with other resources to test and scale innovations; and stay on top of the latest trends in development innovation. Create a profile to see how the Exchange can help you get started.
DIV holds a year-round grant competition for innovative ideas, pilots and tests them using cutting-edge analytical methods, and scales solutions that demonstrate widespread impact and cost-effectiveness. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis . Apply here .
The Global Innovation Fund (GIF) invests in social innovations that aim to improve the lives and opportunities of millions of people in the developing world. Through grants and risk capital, it supports breakthrough solutions with strong potential for social impact at a large scale. Financial support ranges from $50,000 to $15 million. GIF is open and accepting applications on a rolling basis . Learn more and apply here .

     Upcoming Events
TechCon
Cambridge, MA
November 10-12, 2016

HESN's TechCon 2016, co-hosted by MIT and USAID, will be a unique convening of researchers, students, entrepreneurs and innovators, development experts, field practitioners, and private sector representatives focused on highlighting cutting-edge solutions to critical development challenges. Check back on the website for the latest updates and register here .
GIIN Investor Forum 2016
Amsterdam, Netherlands
December 7-8. 2016

Members of the world's impact investing ecosystem are convening in Amsterdam on the 7-8 December. This is the pinnacle of the world's impact investing calendar, designed to drive conversation, partnerships and investment. Join the biggest names in the industry to discuss how ever more sophisticated portfolios are developing, collaborate on challenges and find out ways you can deepen your engagement with impact investing. Register your interest here.
Ashoka U Exchange
Miami, Florida
March 2-4, 2017

Imagine a world where all higher education institutions serve as vehicles for positive, sustainable social impact and innovation. At the Ashoka U Exchange you can begin to see and create this world. During your three days at the Exchange, you'll join hundreds of other innovators in higher education who are reimagining how to utilize colleges and universities as platforms to catalyze long-term change and social impact. Here inspiration is sparked and deep connections are formed with peers who share your passion for higher education. Apply to present here by October 5 . Registration opens in November.
Venturewell Open 2017
Washington, DC
March 24-25, 2017

A key means of building a community that can make our vision a reality is our annual conference, called Open to reflect both the welcoming culture of our attendees and the way the conference connects people across disciplines and geographies to grow entrepreneurship education. The conference gathers together hundreds of engaged faculty and university students to share stories, start new collaborations and learn best practices in this rapidly growing field. Learn more about the event here. You can also submit a proposal to present by October 3.
Job Opportunities

  • Each month, IDIN shares dozens of opportunities with its Network members, students, and other interested individuals, many of which you can find posted here (Multiple locations).
  • AidData is currently seeking a Junior Program Manager, Geocoding Expert, and someone to join their Tracking Under Reported Financial Flows (TUFF) team. Learn more and apply here (Williamsburg, VA).
  • USAID offers both paid and unpaid internships for qualified students during the academic year. Check out the latest openings here (Washington, DC).
     
 
Other Opportunities
Student Media Grant:  The Center on Conflict and Development at Texas A&M University Student Media Grant awards up to $5,000 to current students interested in capturing issues facing fragile and conflict-affected areas of the world through stunning photography. Past winners have traveled to and produced photography highlighting issues in Nigeria, Mali, India, Nicaragua, Kenya, Haiti, Guatemala, Ethiopia, Peru, and other conflict-affected regions.The competition is open to undergraduates and graduates as well as PhDs. Apply by September 30.
The Mandela Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders , an exciting initiative begun in 2014, is now seeking U.S. -based colleges and universities to implement six-week Academic and Leadership Institutes in summer of 2017. University partners will host 25 Fellows in mid-June through July 2017 for a non-credit, non-degree Academic and Leadership Institute. More information can be found here . Deadline to apply is October 21.
European Horizons , a Yale-based think tank, is looking for students from across the United States and Europe to apply for the Youth Summit on the Transatlantic Digital Economy (DEYS) at the Collège d'Europe in Bruges, Belgium, on the November 20-22, 2016. To find out more and apply to DEYS, please visit their website . The application deadline for participants in the United States is September 22 and October 13 for those in Europe. If you have any further questions, please contact us at [email protected] .
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