Call For Proposals - Emerging Technologies

Submission deadline: 14 January 2022

The IEEE Computer Society Planning Committee seeks proposals for projects, programs, and activities in new and emerging technical domains.

Funding Priorities | FAQs | Submit a Proposal

The computing profession is fast-moving and dynamic. New technical areas are arising very quickly and having a huge impact in short timeframes. The IEEE Computer Society wants to make sure that we are serving the community in these new areas as well as our more established ones. We want to hear the ideas from our members and volunteers about where the field is headed, and which impactful areas we need to be supporting.

Funded activities will be “seed grants” that support new activities that allow us to gauge the interest from the community in a technical topic, and demonstrate where future efforts will be beneficial for the computing profession.

Winning proposals will receive funding and staff assistance (with items such as publicizing an event, recruiting volunteers, or editing copy). We envision funding several proposals of up to US$25,000, and one or two larger proposals (US$50,000 - US$75,000).

The emerging technology proposal submission deadline is 14 January 2022.

Funding Priorities

Successful proposals will convincingly describe an activity that is:

• In a technical field that is not yet (or not adequately) addressed by existing work within the Society;
• Feasible to accomplish with seed funding;
• Impactful to the Society and our member communities;
• Potentially leading to future activities and growth for the Society;
• In line with the current Computer Society Strategic Plan;
• Capable of producing measurable outcomes;
• Accompanied by details regarding an appropriate budget, approach, and engaged volunteer leaders that can accomplish the proposed work.

Additionally, proposals that come with a statement of support from an interested Computer Society group, and potentially partial funding, may be given higher priority. These indicators would provide the committee with more confidence in the importance of the topic.

We don’t want to limit the types of activities that can be proposed - we are looking forward to seeing creativity in the proposals submitted and are open to trying new types of activities that have worked well elsewhere. Some examples of interesting activities could include:

• Newsletters, technical reports, and other communication mechanisms that summarize results in an emerging technical area and help increase awareness/interest;
• Panel discussions/workshops that bring together diverse perspectives on an emerging area to articulate results and important open questions;
• Hackathons, student competitions, maker events, and other hands-on activities that chance to conduct small experiments with emerging technical domains.

This program is not intended to support new or existing conferences and publications. Ideas for these should be directed to the appropriate IEEE Computer Society program board.

Please direct any questions to emergingtech@computer.org.

Emerging Technologies FAQ

What is considered an emerging technology?

Emerging technologies, in the context of this call for proposals, is a technical field that is not yet (or not adequately) addressed by existing work within the society. Examples include:

• A new technology not currently addressed by Computer Society activities with promising benefits for applicability and impact;
• A technology addressed by Computer Society activities, but which would benefit from activities that address additional aspects not currently covered, such as societal impact, ethics, or security;
• An application of a technology addressed by Computer Society activities to a new domain or field, such as healthcare or automotive systems.

Proposals should clearly articulate why the activity fills a compelling gap for the Computer Society.

What types of activities can be proposed?

We are looking for new types of activities that are not already covered by Computer Society units, such as:

• Newsletters, technical reports, courses, briefings, roadmaps, and other communications that summarize results and help to increase awareness or interest in an emerging technology
• Panel discussions or workshops that bring together diverse perspectives on an emerging technology
• Hackathons, student competitions, maker events, and other hands-on activities that give more people the chance to experiment with emerging technologies

Can I submit a proposal for a new conference or publication?

No. There are already mechanisms at the Computer Society to propose new conferences and publications.

For proposing new conferences, review the list of Computer Society Technical Communities (TCs), look for the one with the closest affinity to the proposal, and contact the TC Chair directly. They will walk you through the application process for new conferences.

For proposing new publications, contact the Computer Society Publications department at periodicals@computer.org.

When can I expect a response?

Decisions will be communicated in February via email to the primary email address submitted with the proposal.

Who can I contact if I have questions about the proposal process?

Please direct any questions to emergingtech@computer.org.

What is the range of funding available?

We expect most proposals to be in the US$5,000 to US$25,000 range. Larger proposals of up to US$75,000 will be considered, but only one or two of these will be awarded.

Are there terms, restrictions, and conditions related to the awarded funding?

All awarded funds must be used in the year awarded. Any unused funds will not be carried over to the next year.

What are the expected deliverables at the end of a proposal?

A final impact report and video are expected from all funded projects and activities. More details about the deliverables will be communicated to selected proposals.

What happens if we charge for participation in the proposed activity and end up with a surplus?

Proposals will be executed as Computer Society activities; therefore, any surplus will be part of the overall Computer Society budget.

Can we make our activity open to non-Computer Society members?

Yes. Activities in which non-Computer Society members can participate may be good visibility for the Society and serve the larger community.

Do all the members of the proposal team need to be Computer Society members?

Yes, the lead team members listed in the proposal should all be Computer Society members. If you want to collaborate with an expert who happens not to be a member, nothing prevents that - they just can't be a lead proposer.

What countries are eligible for funding?

Applications are welcomed from any eligible IEEE countries.