Small SIG Project Fund

Bruce Klein, SGB Member-at-Large and Small SIG Advisor presented the findings of the small SIG allocation task force. The task force was formed following the August SGB meeting as a result of reaction to predicted effects of the new allocation formula.

Klein reminded the SGB that the allocation formula was passed at the October 2000 SGB meeting and took effect July 2001. The approved allocation formula is to be reviewed in three years (2003). When the allocation was approved, it was decided that no SIG would fail before July 2003 solely due to the financial effects of the allocation formula. The SGB EC to examine the effects of the allocation formula on small SIGs established the task force. The task force determined that the issue facing the small SIGs was that some SIGs would become financially unviable so how can small, but otherwise viable computing communities be included under the ACM/SIG umbrella? The task force came up with some possibilities for the future of these SIGs: merger, transformation to an E-forum, Sub-SIG structure, Non-SIG structure, SGB subsidy or dissolution. The SGB was asked for input and reaction on these possibilities. The reaction from SIG leaders varied, but the realization that "no shoe will fit all feet" became clear.

Based on input from the SIG leaders the task force with the endorsement of the SGB EC recommends that a project specific fund process be created and that a structure/membership task force be chartered. The project specific fund would be available for financially challenged SIGs with ongoing, successful projects, e.g. a small conference. The SGB would support the continuation of these projects. The fund would be administered by the SGB EC with a light-weight application process.

White indicated that ACM as an organization was planning on reviewing the structure/membership issues. And suggested that the SGB support this by supplying SIG volunteers to participate in the process.

Klein explained that many of these options are already open to the SIGs (merger, conversion). The SGB can immediately start funding programs once the SGB EC puts a procedure in place. The SGB needs to understand that the one suggestion that the task force completely rejected was the idea of paying a SIG's allocation. Klein sought the support of the SGB to move ahead as outlined.

Mark Scott Johnson and Rob Corless made a recommendation that the newly established Small SIG Project Fund (SSP) be seeded with $100K from the SGB fund balance and that SIGs in need be able to easily tap into the fund by submitting short proposals to the SGB EC for quick decisions. The SGB was pleased with the recommendation and the committee's responsiveness in putting it together.

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The Small SIG Fund has made Five awards:
SIGACCESS- $3,500 grant for real time captioning of ASSETS'07 

SIGCAS - $15K for the E-Magazine

SIGMIS - has up to $15K to cover CPR-related issues due to merger w/SIGCPR

SIGSAC - has up to $1750 to cover the New Security Paradigms Workshop

SIGMICRO - has up to $20,000 toward supporting various projects during 2003 including 

1. Initiating new high quality conferences: CGO (Code Generation and Optimization), Computing Frontiers, ...
2. Sending the CGO and MICRO conference proceedings to SIGMICRO members.
3. Engaging the appropriate student/faculty resources for improving the content of our web site, in order to become a web resource in our fields.