IEEE COVID-19 FAQs
Educational Activities
Where can I find a list of free educational webinars I can take while working from home?
There are a number of free webinars for preuniversity science, technology, engineering and math educators; university faculty; and practicing engineers looking for continuing professional education. Links to upcoming webinars, as well as recordings of past events, can be accessed on the IEEE Innovation at Work site.
Does IEEE offer online courses that I can use while teaching my university class? There are online eLearning courses that are part of the eLearning Library subscription, available on the IEEE Xplore Digital Library as well as the IEEE Learning Network (ILN). Contact the individual responsible for your university's IEEE Xplore subscription to determine what access you may have to IEEE eLearning courses.
Are there discounts available for content on the ILN?
IEEE has reduced the price of most courses by up to 70 percent.
Can I still earn Continuing Education Units (CEUs) and Professional Development Hours (PDHs) when I take courses on ILN?
Yes, upon successful completion of many of the courses, learners earn certificates that include CEUs and PDHs.
Are there any online resources that IEEE offers for teachers and parents of preuniversity students?
There are a number of at-home, online learning resources. Visit IEEE TryEngineering to discover a variety of learning resources from IEEE and other select providers.
Can my IEEE Eta Kappa Nu (IEEE-HKN) chapter continue operations even if my university has switched to distance learning?
Yes. IEEE-HKN chapters can still continue operations. Consult its Resources for Virtual Operations page for additional details.
IEEE-USA
Is IEEE-USA still working with the government through this crisis?
Yes. We continue to advocate for U.S. IEEE members on Capitol Hill. We are pushing to ensure they get the help they need from Congress during this difficult time. IEEE-USA government relations director Russ Harrison is also providing weekly updates on the situation from Washington D.C., including how to access newly available government resources.
What is IEEE-USA doing in Washington D.C. to help IEEE members?
IEEE-USA is working directly with decision makers to address the concerns of IEEE members. For example, it is working with federal agencies to modify the terms of federal research grants to adjust for the current situation. It is also working with Congress to augment those grants with additional resources to account for unexpected costs incurred during the shutdown. IEEE-USA is also working with Congress on the next COVID-19 relief bill to address the unique challenges faced by the technology sector.
Are IEEE-USA ebooks being offered for free?
Yes. We have offered our catalog of more than 150 ebooks on topics such as careers, leadership, and public policy free to all IEEE members.
Are IEEE-USA webinars still being held?
Yes, and new ones have been added to the schedule for the coming weeks, with subject experts on topics of particular interest to help our members during this current climate. These free webinars-including more than 225 from our archives available on-demand-are designed to help members hone their skills, assess their value and brand, and gain a competitive advantage in the workplace.
Will IEEE-USA still be sponsoring conferences this year?
Many conferences scheduled to take place in the next few months have been canceled, postponed, or have gone virtual. We look forward to seeing you at those that have been rescheduled.
Where can I go if I need more help dealing with this situation?
IEEE-USA has collected some helpful resources and tips on its website, and will keep the page updated throughout this situation. Check back often for the latest news and information.
Standards Association
How is the IEEE SA contributing resources to help with the crisis of the global pandemic?
It is providing no-cost public access to relevant IEEE standards used by technologists, engineers, scientists, manufacturers, and others as they respond to the global COVID-19 public health emergency. Go to "Access Standards" on the IEEE SA website to learn more and to download PDFs of the standards.
How is IEEE supporting standards development groups during this time?
To meet the need for increased virtual meetings as standards work continues to progress, the IEEE SA is accelerating a change in its standards development communities remote meeting platform. The IEEE SA is now offering WebEx accounts to its standards committees and working group officers. The current teleconference software, Join.Me, will continue to be provided until 3 May.
If you are a standards committee officer or a working group officer and choose to use an IEEE SA-provided WebEx account prior to the JoinMe use end date, you may do so. The IEEE SA will provide accounts to any existing JoinMe user account that has been used within the last 12 months. Automated notices have been sent out by WebEx to IEEE standards committee officers and working group officers. If you did not receive a notice and still need a WebEx account for your working group, click here. Once you have submitted the account request form, your information will be verified by IEEE staff and an account will be provided within three to five business days.
What is the current status of IEEE SA Governance meetings, including the IEEE SA Standards Board
At this time, the IEEE SA Board of Governors, to be held 15-16 May, and the IEEE Standards Board, to be held 1-3 June, will be virtual meetings. More details will be available on the IEEE SA Governance website.
What types of IEEE SA Open Source projects can individuals or entities explore or start that are focused on addressing the global pandemic?
IEEE has an Open Source program called IEEE SA Open. The platform provides new communities of technology collaboration that harnesses the power of familiar open source development tools with IEEE's member network, technical expertise, and resources with a goal to accelerate innovation and enable technological advancements. The platform enables independent software developers, startups, projects, academia, foundations, and industry organizations to create, test, manage, and deploy projects. The platform is freely available and supported for communities to come together and begin open projects that respond to the crisis or to be used in this time of social distancing.
Getting started is easy. First create an IEEE Account, then login, read and accept the terms, then find and fork a project or start a new personal projector. Or you can apply to create a new group based project by sending an email to opensourceopps@ieee.org
Technical Activities
Q: How are IEEE societies, technical councils, and technical communities contributing resources to help with the crisis of the global pandemic?
A number of societies have introduced new fast-track review procedures for COVID-19 pandemic-related content in Open Journals.
IEEE DataPort has made pandemic-related data sets freely available to the research community.
Q: How is IEEE Technical Activities supporting technical communities during this time?
Many societies, technical councils, and technical communities are providing no-cost access to content, online courses, and other resources to enable them to remain connected and technically current during this period.
In addition, societies, technical councils, technical communities, and the Technical Activities Board have shifted leadership and general membership meetings to virtual delivery to maintain momentum, dialogue, and focus.
Q: How can I ensure that I am using IEEE best practices when communicating with society members and technical Community participants during the pandemic?
IEEE has developed a marketing communications toolkit to assist in formulating and communicating during this time. The toolkit offers best practices, copy that can be leveraged for your communications as well as access to staff support in reviewing the communications within one business day. Here are some helpful emails.
- Conferences: eert@ieee.org for assistance with any IEEE conferences, meetings, or events.
- COVID-19 Marketing Strategy and Positioning: corporate-communications@ieee.org for information regarding public relations, social media, IEEE approved positioning, and best practices.
- COVID-19 marketing support: CovidCom@ieee.org to reach a cross-IEEE team of individuals prepared to provide support, guidance, and encouragement. They will also assist in supporting messages that are sensitive, on brand, and leverage the resources where practical. As always, content creation and communication remains in your hands.