[agents] Call for Proposals: Funding Opportunities for Promoting AI Research

[Wooldridge, Michael]

                      Artificial Intelligence Journal: 
               FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES for PROMOTING AI RESEARCH

                  Deadline for proposals: December 2, 2011



## Background ## 

The Artificial Intelligence Journal (AIJ) is one of the longest
established and most respected journals in AI, and since it was
founded in 1970, it has published many of the key papers in the
field. The operation of the Editorial Board is supported financially
through an arrangement with AIJ’s publisher, Elsevier. Through this
arrangement, the AIJ editorial board is in the unique position of
being able to make available substantial funds, (of the order of
175,000 Euros per annum), to support the promotion and dissemination
of AI research. These funds are made available through a series of
competitive open calls. This document relates to the fifth call for
funding, with a deadline of December 2, 2011.

## What are the goals of this funding? ##

In providing this funding, AIJ aims to:

* promote & raise awareness of AI research & practice;

* encourage the timely and widespread dissemination of AI research
  results, techniques, and tools;

* promote interaction and exchange of ideas between AI researchers,
  practitioners, and students;

* promote the exploitation of AI research results, techniques, and
  tools.

We strongly encourage the submission of proposals for activities that
are fundamentally new, and likely to lead to the establishment of a
new research community or new direction for AI research.

## What activities will AIJ consider funding? ## 

Broadly speaking, any activity that achieves the goals described
above. For example:

* student travel scholarships for a conference or workshop;

* funds for an invited speaker to present at a conference or workshop;

* funds to support a web site to disseminate proceedings of an AI
  related conference or workshop;

* start up funds for a workshop in a promising new area of research;

* funding to organise a summer school on some aspect of AI.

This list is absolutely not intended to be exhaustive, and we strongly
encourage you to consider innovative ways in which the goals set out
above can be achieved.

## What activities does AIJ prefer not to fund? ## 

* We prefer not to fund individuals. By preference, requests will
  come from organisations such as a foundation, charitable body, or
  the organising committee of an event. AIJ does not exclude the
  possibility of funding individuals, but this is likely to be
  exceptional. Note that AIJ will not support individual requests for
  travel funds.

* We prefer not to fund research projects. Research projects involving
  staffing costs would probably not, in our view, be a cost effective
  use of the funds.

* We won’t fund duplicate activities. For example, if there is already
  an established, successful, and well-regarded conference in the area
  of X, then in all likelihood we would not provide seed funds to set
  up a duplicate, competitor conference.

* We prefer not to fund activities where alternative sources of
  funding are readily available.

* Activities are funded on a not-for-private-profit basis.

* AIJ will not fund activities that lead directly to profit for the
  organisation or individuals involved. However, we recognise that
  with some events, (e.g., large conferences) it is necessary to
  budget for a surplus; in this case, proposals should describe what
  will happen to the surplus.

There is no hard and fast rule about how much you can ask for: you
should ask for what you need to make your activity
successful. However, here are some broad principles; as ever, these
are only guidelines. First, if you are applying on behalf of a large
(> 80 participants), successful, and scientifically strong conference,
then please bear in mind that several such conferences applied for
funding for (e.g.) student travel grants and invited speakers in the
December 2009 round of AIJ funding, and typically received Euro 7000
each. Although, as always, there may be exceptions to this, it may be
helpful to use this amount as a guideline. Note that we would be
reluctant to spend more than Euro 35K on an individual
activity. Proposals may include the possibility of AIJ underwriting an
activity (to an agreed limit) in the event of a loss. Finally, we urge
you to investigate whether it is possible to "leverage” AIJ funding,
for example by obtaining matched funding from elsewhere. In this case,
the value of every euro spent by AIJ is effectively doubled, which
makes for a compelling funding case.

## Important Note for Summer 2012 Events ## 

If you are seek funding for an event taking place in Summer 2012, then
you should apply for funding under *this* call.

## How can I bid for funds? ##

A proposal should contain the following sections:

* What? Describe exactly what activity funding is requested for.
  Please note that AIJ funds specific activities. For example, "we
  request funds to support a conference on X” is not a specific
  request, while "we request travel funds to bring invited speaker X
  to conference Y ” is a specific request. Provide any contextual
  information that you think is relevant.

* How Much? A (high level) budget, in Euros, which: clearly states the
  amount requested; provides details of the use of requested funds;
  describes how the requested amount fits into an overall budget for
  the activity/event; and clearly states what will happen to funds in
  the event of a surplus.

* Why? Brief justification for funding; note that priority will be
  given to activities for which no alternative funds are available.
  Who? Describe who will benefit from the proposed activity.

* When? Dates of the proposed activity, and date by which funding
  would be needed.

* Where? Location of the proposed activity.

* Contact details. Name, affiliation, contact details for the
  responsible party (postal address, email, telephone number, fax),
  web address of event if available.

Proposals should under no circumstances exceed more than two pages in
total. Proposals should be submitted in PDF via the EasyChair web
review system at the folowing URL:

     http://tinyurl.com/aijournal5

NB: Please give all costs in EUROS.

## How will proposals be evaluated? ##

We anticipate issuing calls for proposals approximately two or three
times per annum, with DECEMBER 2, 2011 being the deadline for this
call. Further calls will be issued later – watch the AIJ web site for
details (http://www.aijd.org/). The AIJ sponsorship committee will
assess proposals on the basis of:

* scientific quality of proposed activities;

* likely level of impact on the international AI community;

* cost effectiveness/value for money.

All bidders will be informed by email of the outcome of their proposal
as soon as an outcome is known.

If a proposal is approved for funding, then please be aware it may
take time to transfer funds: if you are bidding for funds to support
an event, then we suggest your proposal should be submitted at least 6
months before the event takes place.

Where a proposal is felt to have merit but is not fundable in its
submitted form, we may return to bidders to discuss possible
modifications; where this is felt to be necessary, we will try to do
this practicably and expeditiously. A summary of successful proposals
will be made publicly available on the AIJ website.

## My proposal was rejected – can I appeal? ##

The decision of the AIJ sponsorship committee with respect to funding
decisions is final, and we will not enter into any correspondence with
respect to unsuccessful proposals.