CoNEXT Travel Grant

Travel Grant Purpose

The purpose of the Travel Grant Program of ACM CoNEXT 2024 is to encourage junior researchers' in-person participation in the conference by partially funding the travel costs for those who would otherwise be unable to attend. People from underrepresented groups are particularly encouraged to apply.

In selecting applicants for travel support, preference will be given to those who satisfy one or more of the following criteria:

Applicants who are members of ACM
Applicants who are first-time attendees
Applicants who are from under-represented groups or under-represented geographical regions.
Applicants who are co-authors of accepted papers, including at workshops and posters.
Applicants are expected to show evidence of a serious interest in computer networking, as demonstrated by coursework and project experience.
Applicants without alternate means of support.
Applicants are expected to show evidence of a serious interest in computer networking, as demonstrated by coursework and project experience.

The amount of the award will depend on the applicant’s estimated expenses, our budget, and the number of applications. Travel grant funds will be given in the form of reimbursement to applicants who attend the conference in person.

Awardees will be expected to demonstrate active participation in the conference. A list of opportunities will be provided, but examples may include:

Giving a presentation. (Your own CoNext 2024 paper presentation.)
Assisting a session chair.
Another volunteer activity at the conference.

Application Process and Notification

Requests for travel support should be submitted on https://conext24travel.hotcrp.com/

Important dates:

Submission: October 11th (EDT)
Notification: October 18th

How to Apply

The following information should be submitted in a single PDF file:

On no more than 1 page, provide a section entitled, "Personal Statement" that indicates the applicant will attend the ACM CoNEXT 2024 conference and student workshop in person. Other workshops can also be requested. The statement should include information that the applicant feels is relevant to support her/his case on how the student would benefit from attending ACM CoNEXT 2024. This includes why conference attendance is important to the applicant's research and career development.
Within this section, there should be a subsection entitled, "Papers / Posters". The applicant should mention if they have any papers or posters they submitted or had accepted to CoNEXT 2024 and whether they are the presenting author for any of the accepted work (including if it is in one of the workshops or the poster session).
The applicant should also state if she/he has applied for any other funding support.
On a second page, provide a section entitled, "Budget". In this section, applicants must provide their ACM membership number and include the estimated expenses for attending the conference (total expenses, as well as a breakdown by conference registration fee including the conference and the student workshop, estimated travel (flight/train/car) cost, and estimated lodging cost).
A CV with complete contact information and email address. If you are a US-based student, you must also state your visa status, including those on student visas (F-1, J-1, etc.).
A supporting letter from the advisor stating:

advisor's contact information, including email address and institution address;
the suitability of the CoNEXT program material to the student's research area;
confirmation that the applicant is in good standing at the institution;
how CoNEXT will benefit the student’s research progress;
the strengths and potential contributions of the student;
States whether the advisor can cover the remaining cost of the travel if a travel grant is awarded.

Applications that do not include the above items will not be considered. The expectation is that a student travel grant will offset the expenses though it will not fully cover these expenses. Before awarding a travel grant, the organizing committee may request further clarifications from the student’s advisor.

Important Notes about Reimbursement

Funds can only be used toward registration, travel (flights/train/car), and lodging. To support as many students as possible, the amounts awarded will defray costs, but may not necessarily cover all costs. Funds will be disbursed only in the form of reimbursements for actual expenses. A receipt is required for any expense to be reimbursed (e.g., registration, airfare, and hotel receipts).

NOTE: US-based students MUST fly on a US carrier as required by NSF.

For reimbursement, the student must submit the following information:

Original receipts for travel, lodging, and conference registration. For travel receipts, please include airline itinerary/receipt, boarding passes and/or receipts for train/cabs/uber/lift. For lodging, please include a receipt from the hotel in addition to the online hotel reservation.
A summary listing all the expenses.

An application for this travel grant is an implicit acceptance of these terms.

Additional Information

Please pay attention to the following details about the travel grant application and reimbursement process:

Please provide complete contact information. We will need to have your current physical mailing address (no PO boxes). Please take into account any address changes you may have near the time of the stipend deadline. You will receive notifications via email, so please make sure your email address and your advisor's email address is correct and up-to-date on your application. Grant applicants should ensure that they have the proper travel documents (i.e., visas) to travel to and enter the European Union (EU), and return to their home institution after the conference. The ACM CoNEXT Travel Grants Committee makes the decision on student travel grants.

If you have any questions, please send them to all travel grant co-chairs.