Professional Development Scholarship Program

OAS/DHDEC/CIR. 034/2011

“New Technologies for the Development of Geoservices for Planning Purposes in Mesoamerica and the Caribbean”

1. Study venue: Center for Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS), U.S. Geological Survey, Sioux Falls, South Dakota, United States.

2. Coordinators:
Eric Van Praag, CAF: [email protected]
Michelle Anthony, USGS: [email protected]
Claudia Ulloa, PAIGH, [email protected]

3. Modality: On site

4. Start and end dates: July 25^th to August 3^rd, 2011

5. Course duration: Eight days

6. Language: English and Spanish

7. Objectives:

· Acquire the capacity to implement web map services at institutions in Central America and the Caribbean.

· Gain knowledge of the main geoservice protocols and evaluate the potential for their implementation in each participating institution.

· Develop a prototype web map service.

· Plan the integration of participating institutions in the GeoSUR Network

8. Course Content:

· Introduction to ArcGIS Server.

· Introduction to open source software for the implementation of map services

· Review the main international spatial standards and protocols.

· Development of a prototype map service.

· Review the GeoSUR Topographic Processing Service and plan the incorporation of Mesoamerican and Caribbean data to this service.

· Review the methodology for staging geoservices to the GeoSUR Network.

9. Requirements:

· Affiliation with an institution that participates in the GeoSUR Program.

· Citizenship or permanent residence of an OAS Member State*, with the exception of the United States since is the host country.

· English or Spanish proficiency.

· Submission of registration form to be provided by the Panamerican Institute of Geography and History (PAIGH).

· Submission of completed application form by the deadline set by the National Liaison Organization (ON It is the candidate’s responsibility to ascertain the deadline set by the ONE in his or her country of residence

*On June 3, 2009, the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the Americas adopted resolution AG/RES. 2438 (XXXIX-O/09), which resolves that the 1962 Resolution that excluded the Government of Cuba from its participation in the inter-American system, ceases to have effect in the Organization of American States (OAS). The 2009 resolution states that the participation of the Republic of Cuba in the OAS will be the result of a process of dialogue initiated at the request of the Government of Cuba, and in accordance with the practices, purposes, and principles of the OAS

*On July 5, 2009, the Organization of American States (OAS) invoked Article 21 of the Inter-American Democratic Charter, suspending Honduras from active participation in the hemispheric body. The unanimous decision was adopted as a result of the June 28 coup d’état that expelled President José Manuel Zelaya from office. Diplomatic initiatives are ongoing to foster the restoration of democracy to Honduras.

11. OAS Scholarship Selection Criteria: In accordance with article 4.2 of the Manual of Procedures of the Scholarship and Training Programs of the OAS, OAS scholarships shall be granted based on the following criteria:

· The objectives and priorities established in the Strategic Plan for Partnership for Development;

· The training priorities of the member states;

· The merits and overall credentials of the candidate, including his/her academic and professional background;

· The financial need of the candidate; and

· An extensive and equitable geographic distribution for the benefit of all member states and that takes into account the greater needs of the smaller and relatively less developed economies.

12. Benefits:

For successful candidates:

· OAS/CITEL will cover round trip economy class air tickets from country of origin or residence to Washington, DC, United States of America. Funds for terminal and in-transit expenses are NOT provided.

· CAF will cover tuition, local transport, lodging, food and medical insurance for the stay in Sioux Falls during the workshop.

13. Responsibilities of the selected candidates:

· The selected candidates must confirm their acceptance to the OAS General Secretariat Office in their respective countries and through the ONE in order for the OAS to proceed with making the necessary travel arrangements to purchase the air travel tickets, economy class, round-trip, between their country of origin or residence and the study location or, if the scholarship is refused, to appoint another candidate.

· The candidates must complete a technical questionnaire with information on their technological background and professional experience and submit it to the Pan-American Institute of Geography and History (PAIGH), an institution that supports the organization of the workshop.

· The selected candidates must confirm their acceptance of the scholarship by signing and returning to DHDEC their completed “form of acceptance of the scholarship award”; only after this has been done will the OAS proceed with the necessary travel arrangements to purchase the air travel tickets, economy class, round-trip, between the scholarship recipient’s country of origin and the study location.

· Upon selection, candidates must accept the scholarship by confirming their availability to follow the course during the period indicated and their acceptance of the duly provided conditions of study.

· Selected scholarship recipients are responsible for obtaining the necessary visa(s) to enter the country of study and the corresponding transit(s). The OAS will not be responsible for any costs related to obtaining visas or transfer documentation.

· Each scholarship recipient is responsible for arriving in time for the commencement of activities on the date established by the institution offering the course or program.

· If the scholarship recipient fails to travel on the scheduled dates, or change routes, after the General Secretariat of the Organization of American States (GS/OAS) has purchased his/her travel ticket, he/she will be responsible for paying the difference in ticket costs in order to arrive at the course site in time. The scholarship recipient will furthermore have to reimburse the GS/OAS the total cost of the airfare for his/her travel from his/her country of residence to the site where the Professional Development Course will take place and back if, after the ticket has been purchased, he/she declines the scholarship without written authorization from the Department of Human Development.

· The latter includes any additional costs, if any, incurred by the GS/OAS, such as extra costs for accommodation during the scholarship recipient’s travel to and from the country where the course will be held.

· If the fellow declines, cancels or terminates the Scholarship after the course or program has started without providing the GS/OAS with a compelling reason, he or she will have to reimburse GS/OAS the total amount of incurred costs/expenses.

15. Presentation of candidacies:

Please Notice: If you were awarded an OAS Professional Development Scholarship in the past twelve (12) months or if you currently hold an OAS Scholarship for Academic Studies, you are not eligible to apply for another Professional Development Scholarship.

The online application form must be completed on-line and can be accessed at: http://www.educoas.org/portal/en/oasbecas/onsite.aspx?culture=en&navid=282 here you’ll find the announcements of all the onsite courses, click in the one you are interested in, go though the end of the page, and then you’ll find the Continue button which will direct you to the online application form.

Once the applicant has completed the online application form and submitted it, a copy will be sent automatically to his/her e-mail account. This completed form must be printed, signed and submitted to the National Liaison Office (ONE) with all other forms (http://www.educoas.org/portal/en/oasbecas/formspd.aspx?culture=en&navid=282)

All the additional forms must be completed electronically or in typewritten format.

The following is the list of National Liaison Organizations (ONEs) in the OAS Member states: http://www.educoas.org/portal/en/oasbecas/ones.aspx?culture=en&navid=282

Please note that the official announcement is published in the language of instruction of the course and is available via the Educational Portal of the Americas Web page at: http://www.educoea.org.

Any questions regarding submission of applications for this course should be sent to: [email protected]

IMPORTANT NOTICE: THESE SCHOLARSHIPS ARE SUBJECT TO THE AVAILABILITY OF FUNDS CORRESPONDING TO THE 2011 REGULAR BUDGET

OAS/DHDEC/Afarfan/ New Technologies for the Development of Geoservices for Planning Purposes in Mesoamerica and the Caribbean /CAF-EROS/USA/2011