International Association for Pattern Recognition

Executive Committee Initiative on Technical Committee Activities

Summer Schools

April 2012

 

Disclaimer:

This document applies only to Summer Schools organized by IAPR Technical Committees. IAPR support of any other workshop or conference is managed by the IAPR Conferences and Meetings Committee according to guidelines published at the IAPR web site.

Definitions of relevant terms:

Summer School—a training activity where participants are exposed to the latest trends and techniques in Pattern Recognition

Event—a conference or a workshop with a focus on new ideas and where ideas can be challenged through formal and informal discussions

Motivation

From time to time groups within IAPR propose to hold summer schools on various topics of interest to segments of the IAPR community. Up to now, IAPR has had no standard process for receiving and evaluating these proposals, and no standing policy on support, publicity, or resource allocation.

The IAPR Executive Committee (ExCo) wishes to encourage the development and offering of summer schools and is willing to commit resources to this effort. The ExCo believes summer schools provide a unique opportunity to engage students and junior researchers with senior scientists in a fruitful way consistent with the mission of IAPR.

The focused nature of summer schools, and the IAPR budgeting process, suggests that they are best handled as Technical Committee (TC) activities. The ExCo requires those wishing to propose holding a summer school to work through at least one TC as they develop and present the proposal. In some cases, more than one TC may be involved, when the subject matter straddles their domains. In fact, the ExCo encourages these sorts of inter-TC collaborations.

Of course, the term “Summer School” is somewhat generic and traditional. There is no requirement that a school be offered during the summer (irrespective of hemisphere). The ExCo is confident that summer school organizers will select a time not in conflict with the academic schedules of the target audience and lecturers.

How to Submit

Proposals for IAPR funded summer schools should be submitted to the ExCo TC Liaison (IAPR First Vice President) by electronic mail. A Word or PDF attachment is appreciated.

Proposals must be submitted at least four months in advance of the start of the summer school. The ExCo will endeavor to respond to requests within two weeks of submission.

While there is no firm cap on the amount of funds that can be requested, the ExCo wants to ensure that all those wishing to access these funds have an equitable chance to do so. With that in mind, the ExCo suggests a target amount of US$5000 for a typical, well developed proposal. However, larger amounts may be awarded for truly innovative, creative proposals that promise exceptional value for the IAPR mission.

The Role of the Technical Committee

The IAPR Technical Committees provide a natural focal point for the generation, vetting, and submission of summer school proposals. It is not necessary that a member of the TC leadership (Chair, Vice Chair, etc.) be one of the proposers. However, a brief note acknowledging support for the proposal as a TC activity from the TC Chair is required. This acknowledgment can be as simple as a one-line email, and does not imply financial support. Nor would such support negatively impact the possibility of support for other worthy TC activities. All the ExCo wants to know is whether the proposed summer school is consistent with the mission of the TC.

However, TCs (or TC leaders) do not have veto power over the offering of summer schools. All proposals must come before the ExCo, who will take the recommendations of the TC Chair and/or other TC leadership (pro or con) under advisement in rendering a decision. Occasionally, there may be another TC(s) better suited to serve as a home for the school. It is the ExCo’s intent that as many worthy summer schools as possible to come to fruition with IAPR financial assistance.

Funded summer schools must be identified in all promotional materials and on the web as: “The (nth) IAPR Summer School on X” with a subtitle “An Activity of the IAPR Technical Committee(s) on Y (and Z)”. Any specific use of IAPR funds (e.g., student travel grants or fee remission) must be acknowledged.

In some cases, there may be additional funding sources apart from IAPR. The ExCo will work with the organizers (and, if appropriate, with other funding organizations) to arrive at a mutually satisfactory name and promotional scheme for the summer school. It is the ExCo’s intent to cooperate as much as possible with other entities seeking to promote the summer school mission.

Proposal Contents

Proposals need not be lengthy, but should contain the information in the following list. The ExCo recognizes that some of this information may be incomplete at the time of the proposal, but asks that the proposers provide as much information as possible to give them the best possible basis for evaluation.

· The name of the summer school, including the “edition” if the school has been offered previously. (e.g., The 8th IAPR Summer School on Biometrics)

· The specific focus for the current offering (if any). (e.g., New technologies for forensics and security)

· The sponsoring TC.

· The dates and location.

· A brief summary of the school’s intent, organization, scope, and motivation.

· The course (lecture) schedule, with

             s Lecturers identified (as many as possible).

             s Any experimental or other investigative activities planned.

             s Social activities.

             s Student presentations (if any).

· The expected number of participants. The ExCo is especially interested to know whether the course is expected to draw from multiple countries, and what those countries might be—if the organizers can say. For a first offering, this may be difficult to predict; for subsequent offerings historical data can provide a guide.

· How the course will be promoted and advertised, especially in the interest of building international participation. Proposals offering a strong international component in participation (lecturers, attendees) will receive priority for funding.

· Fees for the course.

· Expected costs for accommodations and meals per participant.

· Financial resources requested from IAPR (in addition to use of the IAPR logo and name, which is cost-free). The most prevalent use of IAPR funds is to support grants for students to defray their costs. However, proposers may suggest other funding needs for ExCo consideration.

· How resource allocation decisions will be made. (e.g., On what basis will the organizers decide which students receive support?)

Reporting Requirements

Not more than three months following the conclusion of the summer school, a brief report should be submitted to the ExCo TC Liaison (IAPR First Vice President) by electronic mail (Word or PDF appreciated). The ExCo TC Liaison will forward the report to the IAPR Newsletter Editor for publication. The report should provide the following:

· Final details on the presentations

             s Topics

             s Lecturers

             s Dates

· Number of participants, by country

· General assessment of the quality of the presentations and of the students’ preparation for the school

· Use of IAPR funds

· Summary comments, lessons learned, recommendations for future summer school offerings (for this topic or in general)