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The SIGPLAN Professional Activities Committee

Student Members

Are you a student member of ACM who is a presenter or co-author of a paper, but need money to attend the conference?  The SIGPLAN Professional Activities Committee (PAC) provides support to help advance professional goals such as these. Even if you are not a SIGPLAN member, you can apply—as long as the event you are participating in is sponsored or in-cooperation with SIGPLAN and you are a member of ACM.

We expect you to apply for these funds only when you would not be able to attend the meeting otherwise. Applications will be evaluated on a first-come, first-served basis. PAC expects to fund applications for the following activities:

  • A one-year SIGPLAN membership for ACM students that are currently not SIGPLAN members.
  • Registration fees and shared accommodation expenses for student attendance at a SIGPLAN sponsored conference where the applicant is to present a paper, is co-author of a paper on the program, or is participating in a student poster session. PAC expects institutions to share costs in the funding of students. Conferences in cooperation with SIGPLAN may also be considered. depending on the availability of funds.
  • Any other activity deemed appropriate by the committee.

Student authors applying for support to attend a meeting may complete the student application form, which must include a detailed budget.

Please pay strict attention to the application submission requirements listed to speed consideration of your request. Submit your applications well ahead of time to permit taking advantage of inexpensive airfares--we recommend that you send applications at least three months before the activity is to begin.

See the FAQ about Travel Expenses and Reimbursements below.

Professional Members

Are you a SIGPLAN member and want to participate in SIGPLAN-related standards work or other important or unique SIGPLAN efforts, but need financial support?

We expect you to apply for these funds only when you would not be able to attend the meeting otherwise. Applications will be evaluated on a first-come, first-served basis. PAC expects to fund applications for the following activities:

  • Annual fees for attending a standards meeting.
  • Any other activity deemed appropriate by the committee.

Submit your application by sending email to the PAC contact persons. Your email should include the following information:

  1. A statement that you are a member of SIGPLAN (include your ACM membership number).
  2. A resume.
  3. A budget that includes details on cost sharing.
  4. An endorsement from your employer or institution (e.g., supervisor or department chair) that confirms your budget and states why SIGPLAN PAC should support you.
  5. A brief description of the activity and its relevance to SIGPLAN. This description is not necessary if the activity is sponsored by SIGPLAN.

Please pay strict attention to the application submission requirements listed to speed consideration of your request. Submit your applications well ahead of time to permit taking advantage of inexpensive airfares--we recommend that you send applications at least three months before the activity is to begin.

Companion Travel Grant

Would you like to attend a SIGPLAN-sponsored event, but require assistance to travel or have a small child in your care? SIGPLAN can provide funds for a limited number of travel grants to attend a SIGPLAN-sponsored conference for a companion care-provider for a SIGPLAN member who is:

  • a person with a physical disability necessitating a companion, or
  • a parent of an infant less than one year old who cannot travel without the infant and a care-provider for the infant.

The only costs covered are those incurred solely for the transportation of the companion. Shared transportation expenses, such as taxis, and non-transportation costs, such as room and board, are not covered. For more information about this program, please send e-mail to the PAC Contact Persons.

PAC Contact Persons

Koen De Bosschere, University of Ghent, Belgium

Ben Zorn, Microsoft Research, Redmond, WA

 

Frequently Asked Questions about Travel Expenses and Reimbursements

Q: Can I reimbursed for a rental car?
A: ACM does not reimburse for rental cars unless prior approval has been obtained. The general guidelines are that students are going to a conference, not on vacation; shuttle bus/cab is less expensive transport getting between airport and conference nearly always.

Q: Can I drive to the conference?
A: If driving is cheaper than flying, sure. For longer distances, flying is nearly always cheaper than driving (unless it is a very short driving distance). ACM reimburses at the IRS business rate, currently 48.5 cents per mile. The rate hanges every January 1.

Q: Do I need receipts for every expense?
A: ACM policy requires a receipt for any expense over US$25. Expenses under $25 are reimbursable without receipt, by submitting a
description--most frequently things like, "9/10/07, breakfast at airport Starbucks, $8.45" and "9/10/07, shuttle bus to hotel, $16".

Q: What is the limit on reimbursement for meals?
A: There is a maximum for reimbursable meals of $50 per day in the U.S., and $60 outside; these maximums are enforced by our Finance Department. Note: We do not reimburse for meals when that meal is served as part of the conference activities.

Q: Some of my expenses are being reimbursed by my University and they require original receipts. How should I handle this?
A: There are several ways to work this out, including having the University reimburse the student and a department administrator send a bill to ACM asking to have the department reimbursed in the amount of the SIGPLAN grant. Sometimes there are other reasons that make sense for the University to reimburse the student then bill ACM.

Q: Can I be reimbursed in other currencies?
A: Reimbursement can be made in US$ (most frequent); other currencies (CA$, Euros, GBP most frequent); or by bank transfer (although for some countries there are stiff fees for bank transfers). All take roughly the same amount of time to process and get moving, which is about two weeks. Sometimes bank transfers are really quick, but not always.

Q: Can I get a travel advance?
A: We do not do travel advances for student travel.

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