Lien Environmental Fellowship: Request for Proposals

The Lien Foundation – Nanyang Technological University’s Environmental Endeavour is pleased to invite you to submit proposals for the Lien Environmental Fellowship (LEF) Program. The LEF Program aims to enable candidates at universities or research organisations to improve water, sanitation and renewable energy in less fortunate communities in Asia (namely Southeast Asia, South Asia and China).

The Environmental Endeavour (EE2) was founded by the Lien Foundation (www.lienfoundation.org) and Nanyang Technological University (NTU). EE2 comprises the Lien Environmental Fellowship which focuses on education, and Lien Aid (www.lienaid.org) which has a bias towards project implementation. The ideal outcome would see implementation follow education so that benefits can accrue beyond the Fellowship recipient towards the community. EE2 is a member of the Nanyang Environment & Water Research Institute (NEWRI) (www.ntu.edu.sg/newri), a major environmental science and engineering R&D organisation which provides suitable background and support for technology development in terms of mentors, peers, and laboratory/workshop facilities.

You are invited to submit a proposal to improve water, sanitation and/or renewable energy in developing communities. Successful recipients will stay at NTU for up to six months to better conceptualise their proposal with appointed NTU mentor(s), discuss prototyping issues with NEWRI’s development engineers and begin detailing implementation plans and costs with Lien Aid’s engineers. The recipient may also audit classes, attend seminars and join discussion groups. This is intended to help the recipient’s future efforts in education and research upon returning home.

The key outcome of the Fellowship will be the LEF Program Report, which will be presented to an EE-2 panel. The panel will then decide if additional funding should be provided for the recipient to implement the project in his/her selected community upon returning home.

Successful recipients can expect the following financial support:
a.One return economy airfare from the recipient’s country to Singapore;
b.A monthly allowance of S$2,500 for the duration of the recipient’s stay at NTU;
c.Accommodation shall be provided (on campus whenever possible);
d.Laboratory and prototyping costs.

Interested applicants are required to submit a proposal (not more than five pages) and a CV (not more than three pages) with a recent photograph attached. The proposal should include the following information in the order shown:
i.Heading ‘LIEN ENVIRONMENTAL FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM – PROPOSAL FOR APRIL 2011 COHORT’ at the top of the first page,
ii.Title of the project,
iii.Names of the project’s principal investigator and collaborators if any. Note that only one member shall be supported by the Fellowship, typically the principal investigator.
iv.Home institution(s) of the applicant(s),
v.Address and other contact details,
vi.Date,
vii.Definition of the problem (e.g. type, impact, location),
viii.Scale (e.g. how large is the affected community or area and to what extent the impact has been felt by the community),
ix.Details of the proposed solution,
x.Description of the science behind the proposed solution,
xi.Description of the required engineering to create the solution,
xii.Discussion on how easy it would be to transfer this solution to other communities which can benefit from it, and
xiii.The level of commitment (e.g. in terms of time) the applicant can make to the project at various stages, and the level of support from the parent institution and target community.

Note you are not required, at this stage, to cost the project if it is implemented.

Please email your proposals to ExecDir-NEWRI@ntu.edu.sg. The dateline for submission is Monday, 31 January 2011. The anticipated start date for successful recipients is April 2011.

For any enquiries please email D.PannerSelvam (dpselvam@ntu.edu.sg) or Thye Yoke Pean (ypthye@ntu.edu.sg).