OAS Professional Development Scholarship Program

Satellite Communications[1]

                                                                                                                    OAS/DHDEC/CIR.046/2014

1. Study venue: 1150 Connecticut Ave. NW, Washington, DC Suite 702; and 2857 Fork Creek Church Road, Ellenwood, Georgia, 30294 (near Atlanta, GA), United States of America.

2. Offered by: USTTI, Inmarsat and Intelsat Global Service Corporation

3. Coordinator of the course: James O’Connor, USTTI Curriculum Coordinator, Email: [email protected] Phone: (202) 785-7373, Fax: (202) 785 1930

4. Modality of the course: On site

5. Start and end dates of the course: October 7^th to 11^0h, 2014

6. Course duration: Five (5) days

7. Language of instruction: English

8. Objectives: : Participants will become aware of the range of technical and regulatory issues associated with satellite communications and services, including technological developments related to satellite transmission and reception techniques. The focus of this course will be on developing an understanding of the fundamentals that impact the global satellite industry, the state of development of present and future satellite applications, and technical challenges applicable to the satellite industry. This course is oriented toward managerial and technical staff seeking to gain a better technical understanding of the working methodologies of satellite communications, including application development, as well as policy and regulatory issues affecting satellite communications and spectrum management.

9. Participant Learning Objectives: Participants will gain a better technical understanding of the working methodologies of satellite communications, including application development, as well as policy and regulatory issues affecting satellite communications and spectrum management.

10. Eligibility Requirements:

a. Be a citizen or permanent resident of an OAS Member State (Antigua & Barbuda, Argentina, Bahamas Barbados, Belize, Bolivia, Brasil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba[2], Dominica, Ecuador, El Salvador, Grenada, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, México, Nicaragua, Panamá, Paraguay, Perú, República Dominicana, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and The Grenadines, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, Uruguay, and Venezuela) with the exception of the United States since is the host country.

b. Participant profile: Policymakers, Engineers and Managers of all levels with at least three (3) years of experience and working on aspects related to disaster relief.

c. English proficiency. To be considered for admission, scores must be submitted from either the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or the academic International English Language Testing System (IELTS). Exceptions may be made for applicants who hold a degree from a university located in a country in which English is the official language and also the language of instruction at the university. The minimum scores for admission consideration are:

1. Academic IELTS: an overall band score of 6.0 with no individual score below 5.0
2. TOEFL: 550 on paper-based or 80 on Internet-based test.

d. Submission of completed application form by the deadline set by the National Liaison Organization (ONE).[3] It is the candidate’s responsibility to ascertain the deadline set by the ONE in his or her country of residence.

e. In addition to the OAS application, applicants must also submit a formal application through the USTTI. Applications may be filed through USTTI’s web site: http://ustti.org

Please Note: 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.

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. Scholarship Benefits:

For successful candidates:

· OAS/PDSP will cover round trip economy class air tickets from country of origin or residence to Washington, DC, United States of America.[4]^/ Funds for terminal and in-transit expenses are NOT provided.

· USTTI will provide:

1. A stipend of USD$400.00 to offset hotel and living expenses, as well as waiving the USD$150.00 administrative fee.

2. Round trip ticket from Washington, DC, to Atlanta, Georgia

3. Health insurance with international coverage for the duration of the course in Washington DC which includes emergency medical evacuation, repatriation of remains, and emergency medical meetings.

IMPORTANT NOTICE: THESE SCHOLARSHIPS ARE SUBJECT TO THE AVAILABILITY OF FUNDS CORRESPONDING TO THE 2014 REGULAR BUDGET

13. Responsibilities of the Scholarship Recipients:

§ Hotel estimate = USD $529.02

§ Living expenses = USD $490.00 (The living expenses are calculated based on US $50.00 per day (including travel days) and an additional USD $140.00 for ground transportation (to and from the airports).)

If single accommodations are requested, an additional amount of USD $529.02 will be required.

• In order to become scholarship recipients, the selected candidates must confirm their acceptance of the scholarship by signing and returning to DHDEE their completed “form of acceptance of the scholarship award”;
  If after accepting the scholarship, the scholarship recipient for whatever reason cannot attend the course, he or she must immediately notify the Department of Human Development, Education, and Employment of the OAS to see if there is an alternate scholarship recipient;
  Scholarship recipients must communicate in writing to the OAS/DHDEE on which dates they will be able to travel;
  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 on time for the commencement of activities on the date established by the institution offering the course or program;

14. Certification: The participants will receive a diploma from the United States Telecommunications Training Institute (USTTI), regional Training Center of the Inter-American Telecommunication Commission (CITEL).

15. Application Process:

1. Select the course: http://www.oas.org/en/scholarships/professionaldev.asp
2. After having read the course information thoroughly, click “Continue/Continuar” at the end of the page.
3. Complete application form.
4. After completing application form click “Send / Enviar” at the end of the page 5.
5. A copy of the application form will be sent automatically to your e-mail account.
6. Print and sign application form e-mailed to your account.
7. Submit signed form and required documents with the Professional Development Scholarships Forms & Documents in this link: http://www.oas.org/es/becas/PDSP/Formularios_becas_PDSP.pdf to the National Liaison Office(ONE) in your country, which list can be found in: http://www.oas.org/es/becas/programaregular/one.asp

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