Guest Post: From an AuthorAID Travel Grant Recipient

[This post is from AuthorAID travel grant recipient Janet Cox Achora, who is a PhD fellow in the Department of Extension and Innovation Studies at Makerere University in Uganda. Thank you! —Barbara]

When the IEEE International Symposium on Technology and Society (ISTAS) 2015 put out a call for abstracts, I did not have travel funds or sponsorship. However, I submitted an abstract, and it was accepted.

Then, two days before the deadline for AuthorAID travel grants, one of our faculty members posted the call for applications on our mailing list. I applied and received a grant. This grant covered my travel expenses and my accommodation in Dublin, Ireland, where the conference was held.

As stated on its homepage, the IEEE ISTAS conference “provides a multi-disciplinary forum for practitioners, engineers, entrepreneurs, philosophers, policy makers, researchers, social scientists, technologists and polymaths to collaborate, exchange experiences and discuss the implications of achieving the Knowledge Society around the world.”

ISTAS 2015 discussed the relationship between technology and society and the role of innovation in development. Key to note was that unless technological developments are transferred to users, they have minimal impact. Scientific research and technological development are increasingly playing an important role in our societies.

Although my paper was on e-agriculture, I attended a number of side events. Interesting such events included the “Internet of things” session. This session looked at how we use social media like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram and what happens regarding such media when we die. Another interesting session was on robotics.

I am now developing my conference paper into a journal article. The AuthorAID grant provided me with such a valuable experience. I would like to express my sincere gratitude and encourage many other researchers to apply for this travel grant.